Wow we’ve had some scorchers haven’t we? This is what prompted us to test out some fans and air purifiers (that also cooled) to discover which is the best for these freak weeks. In the UK very few people have air conditioning as it’s just not a sound investment. We have just a few weeks of very hot weather, if we’re lucky, and so we tend to battle through, trying not to moan, as we know it will soon be over and the rain will pour. That’s why it’s important to have a cooling device or fan you can rely on, one you can use year after year, that you enjoy pulling out of the garage to bring you some sweet cool relief at those rare times of year.
We’ve often bought fans in desperation as a heatwave has crept up leaving us perspiring and uncomfortable. We’ve whipped the £15 fan off the supermarket shelf only to find it rattles, it doesn’t stand up straight, without cardboard under one side, and it squeaks when it’s had enough. On top of this, there’s the electric bill, some gobble watts faster than Economy 7 radiators. This is why we decided to view the purchase of a fan as an investment, to spend a little more to enjoy the enhanced quality, the reduced noise, the ease of operation. We were not disappointed. After testing over 10 different fans and coolers, we chose our favourite three, all of which receive over 8/10 for style, sound and cooling ability.
The Best Quiet Mark Fan
NSA Dual Position Mini Tower Fan
The WINNER of our Top Product Award is the NSA Dual Position Midi Tower Fan for many reasons. This fan is incredible and actually the cheapest of 3 fans and coolers which is a surprise but a welcome one, as it means you can save money by letting us remove the risk of buying. There are many reasons why this won. It is very quiet, as you would expect from a Quiet Mark fan, however, this one was the quietest of all, the volume on the TV did not have to be increased when using this unlike others. It has the functionality to use the buttons on the top of the fan. Many of the others came with remote controls, which are convenient but not when the remote control is misplaced! A few fans couldn’t operate at all without the remote control. It has eight settings and a wide range of options, from oscillating gently to a sleep mode. It can also be used upright as well as horizontal. In addition to this, it actually cools the air. Many fans we tested cooled the air a little as they spun it in their chamber before spitting it back out, but not enough to contend with the heatwave. This one delivered refreshing cool blasts, with strength, silently, making it the clear winner of the Top Product Award. It retails at £89.99 and is available at NSA
Dyson Pure Cool Me Air Purifier from AO.com
At £299 we expected great things from the Dyson Cool Me Air Purifier and were not disappointed. Why then, did it not win the Top Product Award? Two reasons. 1. It operates with a small remote control that is very easy to lose. Without the remote control the fan can not be used. This was a pain but maybe a personal one. Maybe we’re the only people who tend to lose remote controls in bedcovers, under sofas, amidst paperwork on the desk? No.2. The air blast it delivered was odd. It obviously has an ingenious design, like all Dyson products, but the vent for the release of air is a strange curved letterbox shape, like the Cheshire cat’s smile but not quite so wide. You can receive cool blasts from this smile in a horizontal direction straight onto your face (proving you’re sat at a desk, or somewhere with a table tall enough to ensure it’s delivered this way) or you can let the air be released towards the sky. Either way there wasn’t quite enough cool air being delivered, and it was a struggle to position it just right to receive the icy blasts. However, it looks amazing and it does filter the air. It really does. Using the remote you can check just how dirty the Hepa filters are and within two weeks we’d sullied a quarter of the HEPA filter! This means it will probably need replacing within 8 weeks. We’re still using it, as it’s wonderful for purifying a room. It would be helpful to have an indicator to tell us the current purity of the air, as many cheaper models do, but we trust Dyson and believe it must be doing a good job! The delivery, communication and customer service for this product was absolutely spot on from AO.com. We’ve also noticed they have other Dyson fans and a wide range of budget fans available too, along with more expensive all singing all dancing fans and purifiers.
NSA Dual Power Stand Fan
The fact this is at number 3 does not mean it is the bottom of the list. We tested numerous fans and purifiers, from Hoover to Black and Decker and this is our third favourite. If we had to point out a drawback it would be the space it takes, as the base is large (which gives it great stability so we don’t have to use cardboard to secure it as we discussed earlier). It’s quiet, much quieter than the Dyson but not as quiet as the Tower Fan. It can even be used without mains power, which is astonishing. It has many modes to play with and will deliver the icy cool blast you’re looking for. Strong, sturdy and reliable, it’s obvious that this is a quality stand fan. If you’re looking to cool a whole room, rather than just yourself then this is the fan for you.
We believe there’s a fan for everyone in this trio, and all receive our seal of approval. You won’t be disappointed. Let us know on Twitter what you’re using to cool down in these heatwaves. We’ll give you a mention in our next summer article!