Best cooling fans 2024: Beating the heat is a breeze with these refreshing room coolers
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We might not get much of a summer in the UK, but when the heat does arrive, we're rarely ready for it. Keeping a cooling fan in the loft, then, is a really good idea. Even if it's just to circulate air in your bedroom, it could be the difference between a sweaty and uncomfortable night's sleep, and waking up refreshed, ready for the next day of scorching weather.
And, with more of us working from home now, a desktop fan is also a good idea, to make your environment more comfortable and therefore productive.
Even the best fans out there will do very little to lower the temperature of your room, for that, you'd need an air-conditioning unit, and they're expensive and cumbersome. But a decent fan will cool you down by blowing a plentiful supply of cool air at you.
The best way to keep your rooms cool, once you've got your fan set up, is to shut the windows and curtains on the warm side of your house and open them on the cooler side of the house. Keep an eye on where the sun streams in throughout the day, and make sure the shaded side is always ventilated.
Use fans in front of open windows - on the shaded side - to blow in cool air, or consider placing ice cubes in front of the fan for an even more refreshing (if potentially slightly moist) blast.
Consumer technology writer Gareth Butterfield lists his favourite fans for when the temperature starts to ramp up.
Best price: £109.99, from Meaco
This marvellous device is always ready and waiting in my house for those sticky summer evenings, and I honestly haven't found anything better - short of air conditioning - for cooling myself down.
The best thing about the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator is the fact it isn't just a fan. An air circulator works by bouncing a huge amount of air off your walls and ceilings in one go, and moving air is cool air.
Circulating air brings lots of benefits. Rather than just directing it at one person, everyone in the room reaps the rewards. And because it's so efficient, you can run it at a lower setting, so it can be very quiet and unobtrusive.
Yes, this one's quite expensive but, honestly, it's just a wonderful bit of kit to use when it's hot out there.
Best price: £16.15, from Amazon
For less than £20 you could set up a basic pedestal fan in your bedroom or living room, and feel that cool breeze making you much more comfortable. Amazon is selling this “generic” fan for £16.15 at the moment, and it's honestly all you need for basic cooling.
Reviewers seem to love its ease of use and performance, but a few were unsure about its stability. Perhaps its worth anchoring it down if you're concerned about that.
Overall though, what a great way to defeat the heat for not a lot of money. Well worth a look.
Best price: £12, from John Lewis
A handheld fan is, well, handy, for all sorts of reasons. You can take it out with you in the car, or on public transport, or you can have it by your side on a desk or dressing table, ready for a quick cool down.
John Lewis apparently sells these in huge numbers, so jump on one quickly if there's a hot spell looming in case they sell out. And it's little surprise that they're popular. For just £12 you've got a USB-rechargeable three-speed fan that can keep blowing for up to nine hours.
Even better, though, its handle folds down into a stand, so you can sit it next to you to keep your hands free. What a great little bit of kit.
Best price: £169.99, from Shark
You don't need me to tell you how good Shark's products are, and this pedestal fan really does mean business. It's robust, and has a built-in battery, so you can use it outside - or even while camping - and you can even rig it up to a hosepipe to make use of a clever and very refreshing misting attachment.
Its clever stand folds down so you can use it on a desk or table, and it features a remote control, so you don't even need to get out of your deck chair to turn it up a notch.
The only downside I can see is its price. At £169.99, it's approaching the same cost as a basic portable air conditioner. But its versatility certainly justifies the cost. This is a superb way to keep you and your family cool this summer.
Best price: £12.50, from The Range
I had to do a bit of a double-take when I saw this bladeless fan on sale at The Range. It looks suspiciously like a Dyson, which I'm sure is a complete accident, but for £12.50, it's bound to make a perfect cool tool for your desk or kitchen worktop.
Its 2000mAh battery should keep chugging away for up to three hours, or you can just hook it up to USB and it'll carry on working for as long as you do.
Obviously, you shouldn't expect huge power from it, but you really don't need anything too beefy on a desktop, because it'll just blow things around. There's even a really fun selection of colours to choose from.
Best price: £299.99, Donaghy Bros
It really shouldn't come as any surprise to see a Dyson on this list. Blowing and sucking is what the company does best. It also shouldn't come as any surprise to see that Dyson's latest fan is quite pricey. The cheapest price we could find for the minimalist Pure Cool TM TP00 is £299.99.
It is, however, more than just a fan. It will obviously keep you cool. A powerful bladeless fan system will take care of that. But, cleverly, this machine will also purify the air, through its clever filtration system. Dyson says it removes 99.95% of microscopic allergens and pollutants, and that should be great for hayfever sufferers.