Bougie AC units trending on social media

A new fashion trend has been taken up by influencers in the USA. Forget clothes and shoes, people are now joining waitlists for new air conditioning units.

Older AC units can be quite large, loud and ugly, especially in US apartment blocks where “window rattler” units are common. But brands such as July, Windmill and Kapsul have been making a splash in New York and Los Angeles with their sleek, minimalist AC units.

So popular are the new systems, it’s rumoured the July units have a 20,000-person waiting list – which in real time equates to about six weeks.

The units can be controlled with iOS and Android apps, or by voice with home applications. The companies also spruik the sustainability of their systems, though the websites are not heavy on technical detail. At least some of the environmental benefits are based on carbon offsets.

Since being picked up by influencers such as Nora Deligter and Patrick Janelle, the units have also started appearing in mainstream media. The Wall Street Journal describes them as “summer’s unlikeliest status symbol”.

Feature image courtesy of Patrick Janelle.