Best fans for cooling down in the heat – the quietest, most powerful, and most affordable fans

As temperatures climb, investing in one of the best fans on the market is a great way to keep your cool whilst the mercury rises.

Whilst a fan won't dramatically reduce the temperature of a room in the same way that one of the best portable air conditioners can, by moving the air within a room and keeping that airflow circulating, the breeze a fan creates will cool your skin and make hot and humid conditions far more bearable.

However, like most things in life, when it comes to finding the best fan for cooling you down fast, you tend to get what you pay for. A budget fan will help to create a breeze, but the downsides are likely to be that dreaded drone of fan noise, and a lack of functionality. Invest a little more and you can get powerful cooling performance alongside virtually silent operation, plus a whole host of added benefits such as 'natural wind' mode, remote operation, Smart home compatibility, and cordless design.

To help you make the best choice for you, we've rounded up the best fans on the market this year, trying and testing bestselling options from market leaders Meaco, Duux, and Dyson, as well as affordable options from Amazon and more. We've rated each fan for cooling performance, noise, ease of use, assembly, and energy efficiency to help you find the right cooling fan for your budget.

The quick list

Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the very best fans available, according to our experts. You'll find more information on each fan and why our testers recommend it if you keep on scrolling.

The best fans of 2023

Most powerful

If you're looking to invest in a fan that really does the business, then it's hard to fault the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator. Whilst it's not cheap, it delivers powerful, reliable, energy-efficient and user-friendly performance for its mid-range price point.

This option offers 12 speed settings, and with its ability to move 1056 cubic metres of air per hour, it's the most powerful fan in our round-up. As it's a fan's ability to move the air that results in its cooling powers, it's no surprise that the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator also did the best job of all the fans we've put through the Ideal Home testing process at cooling us down. Even more impressive is the fact it delivers such power whilst remaining very energy-efficient, using just 9.5-23.5W.

What's more, this fan's multi-directional oscillation means it's not just the person sitting directly in front of the fan who benefits from its temperature-reducing powers. A 60° vertical swing and 80° horizontal swing can be combined into a multi-directional oscillation that smoothly bounces air off walls, ceilings, and surfaces to circulate air and cool the whole room rather than just one area.

Thanks to its DC motor – part of the reason this fan requires a little more investment – it also delivers that cooling airflow almost silently. Whilst it can't quite beat the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan on the 'virtually silent' front, it comes very close, especially when you consider what powerful airflow this fan can dish out. There's no hint of the dreaded droning noise that's associated with most fans, instead the only noise is of gushing air.

Better still, there's no self-assembly required with the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator – a surprising rarity amongst the fans we've tested, and a great plus point compared to faffing around with assembly in the middle of a heatwave. Its controls are very easy to use, there's a handy remote control, an on and off timer, and ECO mode which automatically shifts the fan speed depending on the temperature registered on the fan's in-built sensor. 

All in all, whilst it may cost significantly more than a budget fan, the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator offers so many added extras that it's definitely our first choice when it comes to beating the heat.

Read our full MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator review for more detail.

Quietest fan

Why should you invest in one of the most expensive fans in our round-up? Because the Duux Whisper really does live up to its name. It's the quietest fan we've tested and virtually silent on its lowest settings. This makes it the perfect fan for the bedroom, and, even on its most powerful settings with its 13-50 dB noise levels it remains the quietest fan we've come across. 

Thanks to its rechargeable battery pack, this fan is also one of the few models that can be operated cordlessly. Yes, regular recharging of the battery pack is a little annoying, but being able to place the fan anywhere you want without being tied to a power socket or having to negotiate the trip hazard of extension leads is a real boon.

The 'natural wind' mode is also a delight. This functionality mimics the subtle variation in speed of a natural breeze, and although it may sound trivial, if you're sat directly in front of the fan attempting to stay cool then the variation in airflow feels far less tiring against your skin than a constant blast.

Despite its high price tag, this fan also offers better energy efficiency than many cheaper models over the long run. The affordable Honeywell Turbo Force Power Fan retails at under £25 but uses 40W of power to run compared to the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan's 3-32W. 

There are downsides beyond its price point; namely the fact that this fan requires self-assembly – you'll only have to do it once, but if you're already a little hot and bothered from the heat then it's a bit of an annoyance. And, unlike the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator which excels at simplicity of use, this Duux fan really has little too much functionality – does anyone really need 30 speed settings? – and its awkward controls make it a faff to operate at times. Although it does offer Smart functionality when connected to WiFi if you're keen to connect a fan to your Google Home hub or Alexa.

Really though, this fan is all about the noise, or lack thereof. If you're looking for the quietest fan out there, we think this is it.

Read our full Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan review for more detail.

Most affordable fan

The Honeywell Turbo Force Power Fan is one of the cheapest fans we've reviewed, which is no doubt why it's one of Amazon's bestselling fans. In fact, this budget fan has racked up over 20,000 ratings, with Amazon shoppers giving it an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

However, there's rarely a bargain without a catch, and the downside to the Honeywell Turbo Force Power Fan's affordable price point is its intrusive noise and limited functionality. 

For some, its budget price tag will be worth putting up with the increased noise levels – this is a fan that perfectly illustrates the dreaded droning noise that most of us associate with a bog standard fan and soon became tiring to the point of us turning it off long before we'd cooled down in our testing – for others the investment in a quieter fan, like the top-of-the-range MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator or Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan will be worth its weight in gold. 

It's also not the coolest fan out there, the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan, and EcoAir Kinetic Ultra Silent Air Circulation DC Fan all deliver a more powerful, and therefore cooler, airflow. And it lacks functionality. There are just three speed settings, and there's definitely no automated oscillation or 'natural wind' mode here, although you can manually tilt the fan through 90˚ up-down. 

The Honeywell Turbo Force Power Fan is basic in all senses of the word, however, that's also part of its appeal. There's no self-assembly to do, and no faffing with bloated control options, its manual control button couldn't be simpler to adjust, even if it feels a bit cheap. 

Ultimately, this fan is all about the price point. You can generally pick up the Honeywell Turbo Force Power Fan for under £30 which makes it a very cheap option, as long as none of its downsides are deal breakers for you.

Read our full Honeywell Turbo Force Power Fan review for more detail.

Most energy efficient fan

The EcoAir Kinetic Fan is a robust and well-built fan that offers powerful performance, relatively simple assembly, straightforward and easy-to-use controls, quiet operation, and best-in-class energy efficiency.

Although its DC motor means a more expensive initial outlay, as a result, the EcoAir Kinetic uses just 1-18 watts of energy to run, making this the most affordable fan we've tested in terms of running costs. 

And whilst our reviewer found the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan just pipped the EcoAir to the post in the 'virtually silent' stakes, this fan is still super quiet compared to most. Plus, it's powerful, with the ability to circulate up to 3264 m³/of air per hour.

The EcoAir Kinetic's downsides are its size, which means it's not the best fit for a small home and can make storage a struggle if you're not blessed with a garage to stash it out of sight when it's not in use. It's also not the most portable fan in our round-up, weighing in at 5kg, the heaviest of all the fans we've tested. Our reviewer also wasn't entirely sold on its slightly dated appearance, although they were impressed by its build quality. 

However, it's a solid performer, its low energy consumption is very impressive, and it's one of the simplest fans to operate at its level of performance, and – when temperatures rise and patience gets frayed as a result – that simplicity could well be worth its weight in gold.

Read our full EcoAir Kinetic Fan review for more detail.

Best handheld fan

As the weather heats up, we think this super cute and super affordable handheld fan from John Lewis & Partners is going to become your new best friend.

This versatile handheld fan is perfect for staying cool on the go, with its compact design easily slipping into a bag and making it the ideal companion for any commute or adventure away from the air con. Even better, the handle cleverly incorporates a fold-out stand, so it can be set up hands-free on your desk or table once you reach your final destination.

The fan comes with a rechargeable battery and charging cable included and can be fully charged in around 5 hours. Handily the charging cable also plugs into a standard USB port, so it can also be recharged via your laptop. We found battery life to be great, with the fan able to operate for approximately 9 hours on low speed, 6 hours on medium speed, and 4 hours on high speed, and it was surprisingly quiet for a bladed design.

Each year John Lewis & Partners launches the fan in a new set of shades – this year white, sage green, orange, and navy – and unsurprisingly, each year they sell out in record time as temperatures rise. We thoroughly recommend you beat the rush and snap yours up now whilst they're still in stock – after all, there's a good reason most of the Ideal Home team now won't leave the house one!

Best bladeless fan