The summer is on full blast here in the Philippines, and we can feel it everywhere. With mid-days reaching 34°C, with some areas even achieving a scorching 38.9°C, an aircon is definitely a lifesaver and will add to your life significantly. In this review, we’ll be taking a look at the TCL CoolPro UV Connect+ Inverter Air Conditioner, which not only promises cools your room, but also sterilizes air to keep you and your family safe.
The TCL CoolPro UV Connect+ Inverter Air Conditioner is a split-type unit so there is some specialized installation needed. Once we got our unit from the retailer, it only took a few days for the contractors to install the unit in our room.
The installation itself only took a couple of hours, and we were quoted for PhP 8,500 for the first 10 feet (3 meters) of pipe. We did not have to wait long to enjoy the cool breeze of an air conditioner.
We got ourselves the 1HP variant with the model name TAC-10CSD/MEI2. For a 11sqm/2 room, some may that this is overkill, but we do have plenty of heat-producing elements such as a gaming PC with quad monitors, a test bench with high-end components, and a couple of studio lights.
Aesthetics might be one of your requirements for choosing an air conditioner, and the TCL CoolPro UV Connect+ comes in a minimalist white design that should fit any room in your home. There’s minimal branding or writing at the front and its white LED notification lights can be turned off if you don’t want any additional lighting in your dark room.
TCL says that its fans produce soft laminar airflow to eliminate the harshness of conventional fans. This is done with 18 S-shaped blades with 1422 micro-holes to break up the airflow. In our experience, the breeze coming out of the fans are much gentler compared to regular air conditioner fans even at their most aggressive setting.
Temperature control ranges from 16°C to 31°C, which is plenty of room to make adjustments to make yourself feel comfortable. We’re cozy enough at 28°C, but we may bring it down to 26°C when we’re running benchmarks or moving around. TCL is able to bring the room’s thermals down fairly quickly once the compressor is turned on.
As an inverter air conditioner, the TCL CoolPro UV Connect+ comes with a variable speed compressor. It can adjust the speed of the compressor while regulating temperature and leads to greater energy efficiency instead of running either off or at full speed like non-inverter ACs.
Another feature of the CoolPro UV Connect+ series is its sterilization capabilities. In addition to traditional filters, it uses a combination of UVC sterilization and Bipolar Ionizer to eliminate bacteria from the air. This means that air comes out fresher compared to traditional air conditioning systems.
Additionally, it comes with its own 3-Step Auto Clean system which cycles from frosting, defrosting, to drying to use water molecules in the air to clean away dust, dirt, and other impurities.
Of course, you’ll still have to performance maintenance from time-to-time to increase its longevity. TCL says that they will cover parts and labor for 1 year and 5 years for the compressor from the date of original purchase.
TCL is bundling the air conditioner with a traditional remote that comes with most of its functions. But to truly take advantage of its functions, the TCL Home app is the way to go. Aside from allowing to choose from various modes, you can control it through the app or via voice commands. Its also compatible with Google Home and Alexa for smart home automation.
Our only gripe with the app, and perhaps the air conditioner, is that there’s no real-time power usage report. It seems that this option is available on more expensive models such as the TCL FreshIn 3.0 series, but it should have been included here.
The TCL CoolPro UV Connect+ is definitely a feature-packed companion for this summer. Thanks to its myriad of comfort settings, controls, and anti-bacterial systems, it’s a worthwhile asset in the scorching heat that we experience on a daily basis.
At originally PhP 38,995 for its 1HP variant, it is an investment for sure. TCL and its partner retailers, however, are constantly offering the air conditioning system at a sale price. The lowest option we were able to spot was over at Anson’s at only PhP 16,795, which is 57% off from its list price, making it a steal.
