Best fans 2023: floor and desk fans for a cool summer
Beat the heat with these chilly spinners
If there’s a scorching heatwave coming, a good fan is the next best investment after an ice bath in the garden shed and an outdoor grill. Don’t want to Wim Hof your way through the next heatwave? Try one of the blowers below. See, open windows won’t do much if the weather’s heavy and your walls are built for chilly winters. Luckily, the best fans can add soothing circulation to even the stuffiest of spaces. And if it’s airflow you’re after, these are the spinners you need.
From desktop oscillators to powerful floor fans, we’ve included all kinds of coolers in our gusty guide. There are options fit for every space and budget, including a couple of wireless wind machines for movable ventilation when the mercury starts to rise.
So whether you want a windier workspace or a room that’s more bearable at bedtime, this list should help you find a fan worth fanning over.
What’s the best fan you can buy?
- Best fan overall: Dyson Purifier Cool Autoreact
Blade-free and filtering, Dyson’s powerful floor fan projects purified air all around your room. Sizeable and expensive, it’s the ultimate choice for cooler, cleaner streams.
- Best small tabletop fan: EasyAcc Battery Desk Fan
Good for up to 23 hours of wireless wind, this battery-powered blower is a simple, effective solution for airflow anywhere you go.
- Best wireless battery-powered fan: ProBreeze Rechargeable Floor Fan
Shipped in two sizes, this floor fan can bring a serious breeze to any space. Thanks to a built-in battery pack, the tilting spinner runs for up to 24 hours away from the mains.
How to pick the best fan
Spin & win
Most fans can be angled for breeze where you need it, but only some share the air by oscillating. Want wind around a room? Opt for one with a wide rotation angle. The top options span 90 degrees or more.
Dial it in
Standard fans commonly feature three speed settings. Need total tempo control? Pick a spinner with several levels. Some use twisting dials for analogue tweaking, while others offer precise digital adjustment.
Bin the din
Cyclonic power won’t improve your mood if the motor’s making a racket. Quieter models keep the decibel count below 50 at normal speed settings. Many fans also feature night modes for hushed puffing after dark.
Connected kin
You’ll find buttons on the foot of most fans. Cleverer coolers feature LED readouts, while the smartest can talk to a smartphone partner app. Some also support voice assistant connectivity.
The best desk fans
EasyAcc Battery Desk Fan
Perspiration won’t help your productivity. Want a draughtier desk? Compact and quiet, this battery-powered fan brings three speeds of breeze to any workspace. A tilting head lets you aim the airflow at your face, while a one-button interface keeps things foolproof when you’re feeling the heat. Celsius not dropping at night? Boosted using USB-C, the straightforward fan can run for up to 23 hours away from the plug – so you can shift it from desktop to bedside for breezy Zs.
Vornado Pivot
Heatwave got you feeling like you’ve landed somewhere sunnier? Add jet-side vibes to your holiday at home with this tabletop thruster. Styled like a petite plane engine, Vornado’s air circulator is all about the vortex. Despite its dinky dimensions, the Pivot produces a targeted blast that banishes stuffy conditions to the departure lounge. Angled on the arty stand, an adjustable axis lets you direct the flight path, while three speed settings mean total take-off control.
Honeywell TurboForce
Cool rooms require moving air, but no amount of languid wafting will do when conditions are stifling. Want serious circulation to combat sweltering temperatures? Put down your hand fan and add this turbo blower to your abode. Small enough to sit on a table or desk, its shaped blades can shift a big old breeze. Point the pivoting head at your person, or position it strategically for maximum molecular movement.
The best freestanding fans
Dyson Purifier Cool Autoreact
Dyson’s bladeless blowers create cooling currents with the help of hidden motors, projecting powerful outputs through their open portals. While that technical wizardry is all well and cool, it’s not much use if the breeze still makes you sneeze. Luckily, this upstanding fan also purifies for cleaner streams. Sensor inside analyse the air for polluting particles, while filters trap 99.95% of microscopic nasties to stop them blowing up your nose. So you can safely dial up the draught for a 350-degree arc of allergen-free airflow.
Princess Smart Tower Fan
Hiring a personal assistant to waft you with a fan is simply asking for an employment lawsuit. Want a cooling solution you can command without complaint? This obedient obelisk works with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, so you activate the airflow using your voice alone. Want to set the circulation before you get home? You can also control the tower through the HomeWizard Climate app. Its 50W motor doesn’t want for puff, while 80-degree oscillation is ideal for corner coverage.
Duux Whisper Flex Smart
Natural gusts aren’t limited to three levels, so why should your standing fan be? This precision spinner features 26 speed settings to suit your specific windy wants. Dial in your desired intensity via the aluminium knob, or deploy the Duux app for hands-free squall control. At 13 decibels, the Whisper Flex Smart blows quieter than most, while 100 degrees of vertical oscillation mean it’s no one-dimensional machine. You can even equip it with an optional battery pack for cordless cooling.
The best floor fans
ProBreeze Rechargeable Floor Fan
A 4kg floor fan isn’t the epitome of portability, but this ProBreeze blower is made movable by the battery pack on its back. Shipped in two sizes, the larger 16in edition does a decent impression of an industrial wind machine: twist the switch to maximum and the force feels strong enough to blow an airboat across the Florida Everglades. Its cell holds sufficient fuel for three hours of croc watching at peak velocity, or up to 24 at lower RPM.
Stadler Form Fan Otto
It’s cool to be eco, but green ideas alone won’t solve global warming. For ventilation that uses fewer of the earth’s resources, try this windy wooden drum. With a natty natural finish, its circular shell is crafted from renewable bamboo. Its blowing components aren’t recycled, but hook it up to a solar power source and you’ve got a more sustainable way to deal with the sweaty effects of climate change.
Boneco F210 Air Shower
If an air shower sounds like just the ticket on a toasty day, Boneco’s blower is the one to wash with. Designed to drench your den with constant cooling streams, its deep blades are shaped to scoop more molecules and send them circulating. An asymmetrical stand maximises intake, while also allowing the head to rotate through 270 degrees. Aim it upwards to eliminate hotspots and achieve the falling air effect.
LEVOIT Tower Fan
The LEVOIT Tower Fan may not be the sleekest cooler out there, but it has enough power to cool even the stuffiest rooms. A powerful motor can be switched between four modes and five fan speeds that offers a wide coverage. With an advanced Sleep Mode and a maximum fan speed of 25 feet per second, you don’t need to choose between a quiet or cool nights sleep. A 39W energy usage shouldn’t demand too much power either.
Chris Rowlands
Freelance contributor 
