The sellout £12 John Lewis portable desk fan all of our editors own - it's a summer essential

Warm British summers are becoming more common, but until the air conditioning in the UK catches up we've become devotees of the John Lewis handheld and foldable desk fan. 

We've been fans of the John Lewis fan since we first stumbled upon it three years ago when our Deputy Print Editor Ginevra Benedetti raised the alarm that it was one of the best fans to use on the go. 

'John Lewis has been selling these ingenious portable fans for a few years now. I know this because I bought a jolly coral-coloured version for my mother in law 2019 and she still uses it every summer. Each year, the brand launches them in a new set of shades... and unsurprisingly, each year they sell out,' says Ginevra Benedetti, Deputy Print Editor at Ideal Home.

'I eventually caved and bought one early last summer to get me through the heatwave in London and I never left the house without it! Buying one of these was easily the best £12 I spent last year and I have recommended it to loads of people since.'

John Lewis' handheld and foldable desk fan

The John Lewis Handheld and Foldable Desk Fan is a star buy amongst our editors here at Ideal Home. Rebecca Knight our Deputy Digital Editor invested this year ahead of the summer and even persuaded her whole family to buy one. 

'I cracked out the fan for the first time this weekend and I was amazed at how quiet and powerful it was. I took it to a garden party and struggled to keep hold of it as everyone kept asking to borrow it and wanted to know where they could buy one too.'

The handheld fan is surprisingly powerful for its compact size and quiet too. It's also rechargeable with 3-speed settings, with its handle cleverly incorporating a fold-out stand so it can be propped up anywhere. This year it is available in green, orange, navy blue and white. 

Our Assistant Editor, Thea Babington-Stitt loves it so much she has two. 'I have two of these fans (a white and a teal, so I can make them work with my outfits) and genuinely couldn't cope without them.'

'As well as being great to have on the go and on public transport, they're so useful for holidays. I've had one too many experiences of power outages when trying to sleep in hot countries to not have this propped up on my bedside table ready to go. Plus the battery lasts ages so you don't need to worry about recharging too often.'

With 5-star reviews across the board, this fan is a must-have. It sold out during last year's heatwave, and now that it is back, its demand is still as popular as ever. It's currently listed as a bestseller on the John Lewis website, and shoppers are flooding in.

Don't miss out on snagging one.