The summer we’ve spent all winter dreaming of is here, and we’re extremely pleased the sun has got his hat on. But, as temperatures rise, so does our discomfort.
Bright sunshine bouncing off the pavements and becoming trapped by the city’s concrete means that temperatures can remain exceptionally warm, even after sundown.
That’s why now is the perfect time to invest in a cooling fan - for all those so-hot-you-could-fry-an-egg-outside days and the sweaty nights that follow.
There are fans for every need, from designs with timers (ideal for helping you drift off to sleep without worrying about the electricity bill) to styles with oscillating heads that will have breezes rippling across every inch of the room.
While costs fluctuate (especially when temperatures nudge past the 30°C mark), it’s worth digging a little deeper and investing in a high-end model that will last you through this summer and the summers to come. But if you don’t have loads to spend, there are plenty of excellent designs that won’t burn a hole in your wallet, too.
The selection, or fan club (sorry) is huge, so it can feel daunting to shop for one. Lucky for you, then, that we’ve done the hard graft and rounded up the best styles to work for all budgets, tastes and needs.
Below, you’ll find world-renowned brands such as Dyson rubbing alongside USB-operated fans that are portable to keep you cool on the commute or during long road trips. Then there are tabletop, floor and tower styles designed to keep you as cool as a cucumber all season long.
To make shopping even easier, we’ve split our list into sections below:
- Floor-standing fans
- Bladeless fans
- Desk fans
- Tower fans
- Handheld Fans
See our favourites below
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Floor-standing fans
Set at floor level, rooms of all sizes will benefit from a decent floor fan. However it would be prudent to bear in mind your storage options for when you don’t need it, as well as the power it offers when selecting the best-fitting option for the intended space.
Shark FlexBreeze Hybrid Indoor & Outdoor Fan
For small spaces that desperately need cooling in hot weather, Shark’s FlexStyle hits the sweet spot. The multi-use model can be used wirelessly and outside, bringing cooling breezes to any part of the house, or indeed, a sweltering balcony. You can even attach a hose pipe to create a misting spray to refresh you on the hottest days,
The design turns a floor pedestal fan into a desk one, meaning you can use it on practically all surfaces and the battery life is impressive, going 24 hours on the lowest speed.
The most impressive feature? The noise - or rather, the lack of it. Even at top speed, you’d barely know this was on.
The only downside? The oscillation range which turns 90°. That said, stick it in a corner of the room or table and it will push cool breezes in all the right places.
Buy now £175.00, Amazon
BONECO F220 Air Shower floor-standing fan 85cm
Settings: 4
Some days are so screamingly warm, they make you want to stand inside a wind tunnel. Boneco’s Swiss-made design answers that breezy daydream, with 270-degree manual rotation, multiple speed levels and a max of 33W power usage.
Thanks to the deep blades, the flow will flood your indoor spaces and circulate air effectively around the entire room, bringing the temperature back down to reasonable levels.
If you’ve got high ceilings or multiple floors that you want to cool, the Boneco F220 is ideal: it will pour cool air in, just like a shower, to help you regulate temperatures quickly and quietly.
Buy now £114.74, Amazon
LOGIK L16PFGM17 16” Pedestal Fan - Gun Metal
Settings: 3
This triple-speed fan will cut through stuffy rooms like bedrooms and home offices quickly and quietly, taking up as little room as possible. With adjustable height and wide blades to project air more efficiently, it’s the perfect investment buy to have in place as summer begins.
It’s a design that is made to last but should the worst happen, breakdown support is available, and you can also get a three-year replacement for an extra £9.60.
Buy now £34.99, Currys
FUTURA Oscillating Pedestal Standing Fan
Settings: 3
This three-speed fan comes with a remote control as well as a telescopic stand, making it simple to set up and control from wherever you are in the room - particularly helpful for anyone with mobility issues.
Operated by mains power, the 16” head oscillates so air projection will reach most corners of the room and there’s a built-in timer function too, which means you can keep it on to cut through muggy nights as you sleep without worrying about having to turn it off.
Best of all, it does all this while using as little power as possible (50W), making it one of the most economical and eco-friendly fans available.
Comes with a two-year guarantee.
Buy now £44.99, Amazon
Duux Whisper Flex Smart floor fan
Working alongside all of the other smart gadgets in our house is this smart floor fan from Duux. Available in both black and white, this fan can be controlled via the app or the remote control provided.
With 26 speeds this fan is perfect for large spaces or just keeping your room ultra-cool regardless of the heat outside. You would expect the noise from such a powerful fan to be incredibly loud, however, we were impressed with how quiet it was - you can even turn night mode on which further reduces the noise level and dims the display so there are no harsh lights.
The fan is extendable so it can be used as a desk fan (51cm) or placed on the floor (when extended to the full 88cm).
Buy now £127.49, Amazon
Bladeless fans
Got nosy toddlers and curious pets to worry about? A bladeless fan is the safest option as well as being the quietest. While Dyson is the undisputed king in this department, there are a few other worthy models that have made it into our edit.
Dyson Purifier HEPA Cool Formaldehyde purifying fan
Settings: 10
Keeping air flowing around the room is all good and well, but if you live by a busy street, you run the risk of bringing unwelcome pollutants to your space too.
Enter Dyson, long the leader when it comes to smart home electricals, and it’s Dyson Purifier HEPA Cool Formaldehyde purifying fan which not only cools warm air, but ‘washes’ it of nasty particles like formaldehyde (emitted from household paint, varnishes and printers), nitrogen dioxide (caused by road traffic, tobacco and fuel-burning heaters), PM10 particles from pollen and allergens (a godsend for hayfever sufferers and asthmatics) and general household odours (think cooking, pets and kids).
It comes with a magnetic remote control, which can sit happily atop the unit, but can also be controlled through your phone’s Dyson Link app via Bluetooth. There are 10-speed settings, and it propels cool air into the room using its patented air multiplier technology.
The smartest thing of all is that it continually detects dust, allergens, mould and formaldehyde particles in the room, before trapping them into high-performance filters that never need replacing. So, while it’s expensive, buying new filters is one cost you won’t have to factor in past the initial purchase of the machine.
It oscillates and also can remain stationary, giving you the choice of focused or circulating cooling. And you can set it to a timer or keep it on Night Mode to keep sticky nights at bay.
As flexi-working means we spend so much more time at home and with busy roads and general pollution tainting our space, Dyson’s latest device is a real investment in home air quality improvement. The twin action function - purifying and cooling - means it will become a household must-have this summer. Simple to set up and even easier to use, after just one night we felt the difference.
Comes with a two-year guarantee.
Buy now £549.99, Dyson
Dyson AM07 White/ Silver Cool Tower Fan
Settings: 10
If the above is a little too expensive Dyson’s older fans still offer excellent tech for money. The AM07 harnesses its famous ‘air multiplier’ technology to project a steady stream of airflow - all while running as quietly as a mouse.
Dyson has made this to be 60 per cent quieter and more energy efficient than its older models – and it’s been given a Quiet Mark award by the Noise Abatement Society to prove it. One for bigger spaces, the fan comes with a remote control and timer that will set it on and off at pre-set intervals ranging from 15 minutes to 9 hours.
It won’t purify the air, but if that’s something you’re happy to do without, this is a great device to add to basket.
Buy now £270.00, Argos
Desk and table fans
If you’re looking for localised cooling without affecting temperatures elsewhere in the room, a small table top fan could be the option for you.
Honeywell HT 900E Powerful and Quiet Turbo Fan Black
This is one of the top-rated desk fans in its category with more than 4,000 ratings on Amazon. Compact but powerful, it’s 25 per cent quieter than comparable fans and offers three settings for intense cooling or just to keep the air moving around the room. Powered with a plug socket.
Buy now £23.40, Amazon
Symple Stuff Blue Retro Table Fan
With a retro design, this table fan not only brings cooling breezes into your space but offers a style injection too. It comes propped up on little non-slip feet to help air projection and there are two speed settings to help you adjust the air to your needs.
Measures 31cm x 27cm x 11cm, and is available in two other shades.
Buy now £28.99, Wayfair
Russell Hobbs 12 Inch Scandi Electric Desk Fan
This Scandi-inspired grey and wood desk fan is a fashionable and, of course, practical addition to a bedroom or study. With three speed settings (we found that level one did the job pretty well), 180-degree oscillation and an adjustable tilt, you’re sure to keep cool no matter the temperature of the room.
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
Duux Globe Table Fan
Keep calm and carry on: Duux’s Globe fan will provide a much-needed escape from the heat up to seven metres away - making it ideal for a kitchen counter, bedroom table, or a corner of your home office desk.
It might not be the most fashionable fan but when you feel the cool breeze on your face, you’ll love it more than some family members. It’s Quiet Mark-certified too, so won’t make a din when you’re trying to concentrate.
With a two-metre long cord, the fan doesn’t have to be plugged in right next to the socket, giving you greater flexibility on where you put it.
Buy now £75.70, Amazon
Tower fans
Typically a compact design and boasting stealthy operating noise, these fans are ideal for placing in the bedroom, lounge or office.
Natale 78.5cm Oscillating Tower Fan
With the height of summer still a few months off, now’s the time to buy a fan before they all sell out again. Slim and compact, this oscillating tower fan is the quickest way to bring temperatures down thanks to the three speed settings and three types of wind (natural /normal/sleeping).
Enable the time when you’re sleeping and easily move it around the house or office with you thanks to the handle-top.
A remote is included but you’ll need one CR2025 battery to get it working (not included). Effective to a five-metre range.
Buy now £38.99, Wayfair
Dimplex DXMBCF Black Tower Fan
One of the highest-rated fans on Argos, this tall bladeless cooler is freestanding and compact enough to sit in tight corners and small bedrooms. It measures H121cm x W31cm x D31cm and comes with a remote control and timer function so you can operate it remotely.
The most promising review?: “Stylish, beautifully crafted, slim and elegant. It performs effortlessly. I love it.” One-year guarantee included with purchase.
Buy now £85.00, Argos
ProBreeze 40" Bladeless Tower Fan with Smart App Control - White
There's something so satisfying about all the tech in your home working in harmony. With sunshine forecast for the foreseeable, add a smart fan into the mix.
ProBreeze has this option that works with Google Home and Alexa via an app you can keep on your phone or home's tablet. Adjust settings from anywhere - imagine walking into a perfectly chilled home from the heat outside - which includes six speeds and five modes.
The bladeless design is on the tall side, which makes it ideal for large, open-plan spaces, but it's slim too. Set it up in the corner and forget about it - until the next heatwave strikes.
Buy now £159.99, ProBreeze
Handheld Fans
Need cooling to go? These handheld designs have you covered.
STATUS MIXRHHFANSX10 3" Handheld Mini Fan
Small fan, small price - big airflow. Stash this fan in your bag or pocket on warm days for instant relief when you need it. The fan is lightweight and portable but the best bit is that it’s rechargeable - so no need to constantly buy batteries. Just plug in the USB charger when you need to top it up.
Buy now £9.50, Amazon
HandFan 5000mAh Portable Neck Fan
This summer is the summer you turn up cool and collected, because so matter how high the mercury rises, this neck fan will keep you at a comfortable level.
Available in black and white, the wearable device holds an impressive 5000mAh battery, so you'll get a fair few uses out of it before needing to recharge - it can go for up to 15 hours.
It's made from lightweight polymer silicon, which feels comfortable - no sticking to skin here. And, as there are no blades to worry about, there's no chance you'll catch your hair on it either.
Buy now £27.99, Amazon
Khu Khu printed fans
If you want a fan that will really turn heads, look to Khu Khu at Wolf & Badger, where there’s a range of beautifully printed hand fans on offer. Granted, it requires a little effort to keep you cool but just think what you’ll save in battery costs and space! While it’s probably not one for the home or office, the designs make great travel companions, whether it’s on the sweltering Central Line or picnicking in the park.
Buy now £76.00, Wolf & Badger
John Lewis Handheld & Foldable Desk Fan
Small yet mighty, John Lewis’ handheld fan is an affordable pick with plenty of colour options to choose from. Shoppers love this petite fan, which can be thrown in a handbag for sweltering London commutes and picnics in the park.
Buy now £12.00, John Lewis
Miniso 500mAh Bear Handheld Mini Fan
Despite its cute exterior, this adorable little handheld fan certainly packs a punch. An easy, breezy, rechargeable portable option at a value-for-money price, this is beary likely to become your summertime saviour.
Buy now £11.99, Miniso
