The first evaporative cooler was patented in 1906. It was designed to use aspen or excelsior pads as they were found to retain the largest volume of water which allowed for the highest rate of evaporation as hot air passed through the pad.

In 1958 Aircool Pad sought to maximize the cooling effect of evaporative coolers. By adding additional excelsior, or double stuffing our pads, Aircool found that the pads were able to retain much more water. And the properties of evaporative cooling say, the more water your pad can retain ……. The cooler your air becomes!

For the past 60 years Aircool has been hand making our signature double stuffed, extra thick cooler pads. These cooler pads were first tested by the US Army, then by an eventual Nobel Prize winning scientist, and most recently by two cooler manufacturers. All of the tests agree, Aircool’s double stuffed pads produce “a cooler breeze by up to seven degrees”. Our customers love the cooling capabilities of our pads, but they disliked the added work it took to install our extra thick pads. We heard that it was difficult to get the pads into the cooler doors, and that it was a struggle to secure the retaining wires. We were often told that our handmade pads were too bulky to tuck up under the water trough, making even water distribution difficult. Because Aircool values our customer input and suggestions we began to look for a way to improve the process of installing our fat pads. In 2019 we were able to revolutionize our pad making process. By automating our production process, we are now able to compress even more excelsior into a much thinner pad! After months of trial and error we are manufacturing to Aircool’s time and scientifically tested, double stuffed specifications. And yes the pads look different, but for all the right reasons!

They are thinner, but this thinness allows for easy installation. The cooling capabilities are the same, but the pads easily fit into the door and tuck under the water trough. Just slide them into you door and watch as the water swells the pads to more than 2 times their initial size! Additionally, producing by machine has also improved the uniformity of our pads. No more holes or gaps! This allows for maximum water retention and also stops hot air from making its way into your home. The compressed pads also allow us to ship our pads in a more cost effect way. No more huge boxes! These pads can be folded and compressed into smaller boxes allowing Aircool to pass our freight savings onto our valued customers. But don’t worry, the pads will thicken once water is added.

Aircool is excited about our new excelsior pads and we know that they cool as effectively if not more effectively than our old pads. We believe that they are easier for homeowners and contractors to install, making everyone appreciate the revolutionary design.

Because we recognize that some customers prefer our original handmade, double stuffed pads, we continue to produce these pads on site at our Tucson facility. Aircool believes in giving our customers a choice in their cooling pads and will always offer our original handmade product! When ordering pads please leave a note in the comment section on whether you prefer the handmade or machine-made pads.

Yes, Aircool’s pads look different, but for all the right reasons! If you have any questions take a look at our performance video. Or contact our friendly and knowledgeable staff at info@aircool.supply or at 520-882-8917.