As temperatures soar across the UK, finding an energy-efficient way to stay cool is essential. Fans use significantly less electricity than air conditioning, saving money and reducing carbon emissions. After testing 20 fans of all shapes and sizes, here are the best options for every need and budget.
Best Quiet Fan for the Bedroom and Best Overall: AirCraft Lume
The AirCraft Lume is a pedestal fan that converts into a desk fan by removing the bottom pole. It features a dimmable backlight, LED display, touch controls, 12-hour timer, and sleep mode. On test, it achieved the highest air speed of 5.9 metres per second (m/s) while remaining quiet—inaudible on levels 1-5. Power use on the top setting is just 18W, costing pennies to run. It oscillates both horizontally and vertically for whole-room air circulation. The only downside is no remote storage.
- Style: Pedestal/desk
- Dimensions: 37 x 28 x 95 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 12
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 55 dB
- Power use (top setting): 18 W
- Air speed (top setting): 5.9 m/s
- Price: £149 at AirCraft
Best Budget Fan and Best Desk Fan: Devola Desk Fan
This affordable desk fan punches above its weight with a display, touch controls, remote, timer, and sleep mode. It offers vertical and horizontal oscillation. Air speed measured 4 m/s, among the best on test. It is inaudible on speeds 1-3 and provides comfortable white noise on higher settings. The display faces upward, making it hard to read from a distance.
- Style: Desk
- Dimensions: 30 x 21 x 31 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 9
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 50 dB
- Power use (top setting): 16 W
- Air speed (top setting): 4 m/s
- Price: From £51.99 at Devola (currently out of stock)
Best Fan for Cooling: Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S
The Dreo TurboCool is a black tower fan with 12 speeds and a six-litre water tank that adds a fine mist to the air, cooling it by up to 3°C in 10 minutes. It is safe for indoor use, unlike some misting fans. On the top setting (fan 12, mist 4), power consumption is 85W, costing about 2p per hour. The remote control buttons are hard to read in bright light, but the app offers scheduling and voice control.
- Style: Tower
- Dimensions: 27 x 27 x 111 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 12
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 65 dB
- Power use (top setting): 85 W
- Air speed (top setting): 5.7 m/s
- Price: £199.99 at Amazon
Best Misting Fan: Shark FlexBreeze Pro Mist FA300UK
The Shark FlexBreeze is a versatile pedestal fan that converts to a desk fan, runs cordlessly (2-24 hours battery life), and includes a five-litre water tank for outdoor misting. It has five speeds, a magnetic remote stow, and an impressive air speed of 4.7 m/s. Power use is low: 14W on top fan setting, 21W charging and running simultaneously. Misting is for outdoor use only as it dampens everything.
- Style: Pedestal/desk
- Dimensions: 35 x 35 x 95 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 5
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 55 dB
- Power use (top setting): 21 W
- Air speed (top setting): 4.7 m/s
- Price: From £249.99 at Shark
Best Quiet Fan with Aromatherapy: ProBreeze AirFlo 43in Smart Hybrid Pedestal Fan
This convertible pedestal/desk fan features a fabric pad for essential oils, a dust filter, app and voice control (Alexa, Google), and a nine-hour timer. It has 9 speeds and a max button for full oscillation. Air speed is 3.5 m/s, and power use is just 14W. It is quiet on speeds 1-5. The fan only offers two heights.
- Style: Pedestal/desk
- Dimensions: 36 x 30 x 108 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 9
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 67 dB
- Power use (top setting): 14 W
- Air speed (top setting): 3.5 m/s
- Price: £169.99 at ProBreeze
Best Fan That Follows You: Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3
This Dyson fan uses 17-point AI user detection to automatically turn and face you. It is quiet (47 dB peak) and powerful, with 10 speeds and replaceable air purification filters. The remote sticks magnetically to the top, and the MyDyson app offers advanced controls. The follow-me function is best for solo use. It is expensive at £549.99.
- Style: Tower
- Dimensions: 22 x 22 x 105 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 10
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 47 dB
- Power use (top setting): 28 W
- Air speed (top setting): 2.5 m/s
- Price: From £549.99 at Dyson
Best Tower Fan: Dreo Cruiser TF518
The Dreo Cruiser is a slim black tower fan with 90-degree oscillation, a 12-hour timer, sleep mode, and auto mode that adjusts speed based on room temperature. It delivers an air speed of 3.6 m/s and is quiet on low settings. Peak noise is 60 dB. Power use is 29W on top setting. It has no remote storage.
- Style: Tower
- Dimensions: 32 x 32 x 106 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 9
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 60 dB
- Power use (top setting): 29 W
- Air speed (top setting): 3.6 m/s
- Price: From £89.99 at Amazon (currently out of stock)
Best Travel Fan: Morphy Richards Air Flex USB Fan
This rechargeable, folding USB fan is portable and cordless, with a battery life of 4-17 hours. It folds to 18 x 18 x 12 cm, can hang on a wall, and works with power banks. It has three speeds, a nature mode, and 90-degree oscillation. Air speed is 2.6 m/s, and peak noise is only 35 dB. It is not as powerful as larger fans but ideal for travel.
- Style: Desk
- Dimensions: 18 x 18 x 22 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 3
- Remote control: No
- Peak noise level: 35 dB
- Power use (top setting): 8 W
- Air speed (top setting): 2.6 m/s
- Price: From £34.99 at Morphy Richards (currently out of stock)
Best Evaporative Cooler: Swan Nordic Air Cooler
The Swan Nordic uses a five-litre water reservoir and two ice packs to cool the air. It cooled the room by over 1°C in 30 minutes and feels like a gentle air conditioner. It has 24 speeds, a timer, and modes including normal, natural, and sleep. Power use is 26W. The breeze is wide rather than focused. It makes gurgling water noises.
- Style: Tower
- Dimensions: 29 x 24 x 71 cm (WDH)
- Number of speeds: 24
- Remote control: Yes
- Peak noise level: 45 dB
- Power use (top setting): 26 W
- Air speed (top setting): 0.9 m/s
- Price: From £89.99 at George
How to Choose the Right Fan
Fans are much more energy efficient than air conditioning. A typical portable air conditioner uses 1,000W, costing about 26p per hour, while the fans tested used between 8W and 60W. For example, the AirCraft Lume uses 18W on top setting—running it for 56 hours uses the same electricity as one hour of aircon. Fans circulate air, creating a cooling breeze by evaporating sweat. For whole-room cooling, choose a tower or oscillating pedestal fan. For personal use, a desk or travel fan works well. Evaporative coolers actively lower air temperature but use less power than aircon.
Testing Methodology
Caramel Quin, an award-winning consumer tech journalist and engineering graduate, tested 20 fans. She used a power meter to measure electricity use, an anemometer for air speed, and the Sound Meter app for noise levels, all from 1 metre away. She also considered design, portability, controls, and price. All fans not returned were donated to Furnishing Futures, a charity supporting domestic abuse survivors.
