Fan, misting fan or portable air conditioner? I’m a hot sleeper who has tried all three, and this is how I’d rank them

As a hot sleeper trying to get some well needed shut eye in what looks to be the hottest summer on record, I have never been more grateful that my job includes testing the best cooling appliances on the market.

From the best fans, through to portable air conditioners, and even fitted air conditioning, I've tried it all.

But while trying out all these options, I've learned two important lessons. One is that what works for me during the day, may not be my top pick for use while I'm trying to drop off in the hottest room in the house. And the second, is that one appliance can't do it all.

Here I've rated each of the three appliance types and ranked them by which I found the most effective and comfortable to have in the bedroom.

3. Fan

I like to have a fan in my room all year round, and for most of the year the fan is exactly what I need. I'm a big fan of the Duux Whisper Flex 2 (sadly it's currently sold out) as it's super quiet, doesn't take up too much space and gets the job done. But when the temperature really ramps up, even on the highest speed setting, it's not enough to make my bedroom cool enough to sleep in.

I've even tried sleeping with two fans in the room, one blowing towards the bed and one facing out the window to help push the warm air out and draw cooler night air in, which, again, is effective, until it remains excessively warm overnight.

2. Portable air conditioner

I had thought my cooling appliance of choice for in my bedroom would be a portable air conditioner. After all, it's essential in my home office to keep me cool while I'm working. And it is undoubtedly the most effective at cooling to a comfortable temperature.

But, despite the fact that I've tested some of the quietest portable air conditioners you can buy, including the Dreo portable air conditioner and Meaco Cirro, the bulky size of appliances like this, combined with the layout of my bedroom (including the position of the window), means they feel like clutter. And for me, that's not conducive to a good night's sleep.

However, on night's when the humidity is high, the my portable air con is definitely my appliance of choice, clutter be damned.

1. Misting fan

Over the course of this very warm summer, I've been surprised that my favourite cooling appliance to use overnight has been my misting fan (the Dreo 765S misting fan, in stock at Amazon, to be precise). I'll even use it downstairs and carry it upstairs each night. And when it's roasting hot, that's testament to how much I enjoy it!

Not only does it fit neatly in the corner of the room, and offer very impressive wind speeds in fan mode, but the mist itself is so ultra fine that it creates a cooling breeze (that sits half way between a fan and a portable air conditioner), that does manage to make my room a lot more comfortable on hot nights, without leaving my room feeling damp.

The only time I found my misting fan less effective was on a couple of humid nights. This is a downside of misting fans in general, as they work better in dryer climates than humid ones due to existing moisture levels in the air and how that affects the misting process. Fortunately, those humid nights have been few and far between, and so I have been enjoying the misting fan most nights.

Could one appliance have done it all?

If you'd asked me a couple of years ago, I would have said that having a decent fan was all you needed to have a comfortable night's sleep. But given an increasing frequency in heatwaves, and this summer reaching record breaking temperatures, I now think you need an arsenal of goodies if you want to stay cool while sleeping.

I think a good, ultra-quiet fan is a must, or a misting fan that offers decent and quiet wind speeds in fan mode with the addition of a cooling mist. If your budget will stretch (and you can find one in stock), then a portable air conditioner is well worth investing in, especially when we are likely to see these uncomfortably hot temperatures more often.

If you don't have a portable air conditioner, make sure you boost the cooling potential of your fan for maximum impact.

It's also worth stocking up on a summer stash of bedding, like a lighter tog duvet, a cooling mattress topper and pillow to see you through the hot nights.