Don't sweat it during the bank holiday heatwave — I'm a home tech editor, and these are the top 3 cheap fans I recommend to help you chill out | Tech Radar
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Don't sweat it during the bank holiday heatwave — I'm a home tech editor, and these are the top 3 cheap fans I recommend to help you chill out
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(Image credit: Shark Ninja and Meaco, edited by Gemini)
This bank holiday weekend is going to be seriously warm, with temperatures hitting up to 28C on Sunday — and the warm weather is expected to continue into next week too. Great news if you're planning a barbecue, but it could soon get unpleasant if you're trying to work indoors, attempting to sleep in an overheated bedroom, or enduring a sweaty journey on public transport. You need a fan, and as Tech Radar's homes editor I've put together a list of the three best value options you can buy right now, so you're prepared for the hot weather.
There's something here for every occasion. The Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go works indoors or out, and can emit a fine mist to cool your skin instantly; the Meaco Sefte Pro will help you sleep more comfortably with its dedicated Night mode; and the Shark Chill Pill is small enough to carry in your bag, but powerful enough to make sweltering train journeys bearable.
Affordable fans like these are going to sell like hot cakes this weekend, so I recommend grabbing one now so you can have it delivered before the temperature spikes, and start using it straight away.
I'm glad I had this powerful and silent fan ready to go for this week's unnaturally hot weather
We tested the best fans on the market – these models came out on top
Feeling the heat? I tried the Shark Chill Pill — a clever mini misting fan
The Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go is currently £99 at Amazon (was £129.99), and is a particularly versatile fan with a large carry handle that means you can use it anywhere, indoors or out. Unlike most fans, it also has a rechargeable battery, so you don't have to keep it close to a power socket. During our tests, its battery lasted for one and a half hours on its maximum cooling setting, and four hours and 13 minutes on its middle setting, which is quite respectable.
During our tests we were able to feel the breeze from up to 17 feet away, even on the lowest power setting, so a single fan should be enough to cool most rooms. You can also tilt it to adjust the direction of the airflow, which isn't possible with most regular table fans.
My favorite feature is the Hydro Fan Go's mister, which uses a very fine spray of water that's just enough to cool your skin as it evaporates, without making your hair and clothes feel wet. It's only a shame that the fan doesn't oscillate to cover a wider area, but it's very impressive for the price, and should make hot weekends a lot more comfortable.
Read our full Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go Misting Portable Fan review
If you have to take public transport during a heatwave, or you dread leaving the house and hitting a wall of hot air, the Shark Chill Pill is the fan for you. This little device, which launched earlier this year, looks like a miniature pair of binoculars, but is actually an extremely effective three-in-one fan for cooling you down on the move.
It's made up of two tubes, which are connected with a hinge so they pivot. One tube contains the fan blade and motor, and the other contains the controls and a bright LED display so you can easily adjust the fan mode and speed, and check the battery level. During our tests it ran for a very impressive eight hours and 10 minutes on its middle power setting, keeping our tester cool at her desk throughout a whole working day. The twisting design means you can place the Chill Pill on a flat surface and angle the airflow just right.
It has three attachments: a conventional fan, a misting fan (with a reservoir to hold a small quantity of water and a choice of continuous or intermitted misting modes), and a metal cooling plate that you can place against your wrist, neck, or forehead for instant relief if you're starting to feel uncomfortable. You'll never want to use a cheap travel fan again.
As an air circulator, the Sefte Pro moves large volumes of air around the room rather than directing a focused breeze at you. It's an important distinction that's worth knowing about when you're choosing which device to buy ahead of the weekend heatwave.
We've been big fans of Meaco's air circulators for a long time here at Tech Radar, but this model, released just a couple of months ago, offers several new features including app control (so you can operate it from across the room), and a replaceable and rechargeable battery so it's not tethered to one room.
During testing we particularly enjoyed Eco mode, which provides effective cooling while keeping battery drain to a minimum, and Night mode, which is quiet enough to avoid disturbing your sleep. It's barely audible, and we found its very gentle hum just enough to help us nod off.
If you want to waft a blanket of cool air over your bed at night, the Meaco Sefte Pro is also available as a tall pedestal fan, though at £199 from Amazon it's considerably more expensive than this tabletop model.
Read our full Meaco Fan Sefte Pro 10-inch Table Air Circulator review
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Cat is Tech Radar's Homes Editor, covering smart home tech, kitchen appliances, vacuums, haircare and more. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, having worked on print magazines including PC Plus and PC Format, and is a Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) certified barista. Whether you want to invest in some smart lights, find your ideal hair styler, or pick the espresso machine of your dreams, she's the right person to help.
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