This Vonhaus air circulator may be compact enough to easily fit on my bedside table, but it definitely packs a punch when it comes to power — it’s less than £50 too
I put the Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan through its paces to see how it fared in a real home environment and how it compares to other fans on the market
With compact dimensions that mean it fits unobtrusively on a desk or side table, the Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan offers decent wind speeds from a unit with a sub-£50 price tag. While it's effective and simple to use, it does lack some of the features that are prevalent on fans that may cost a bit more, such as whisper quiet operation, a broader range of speed settings and a wider scope of multidirectional oscillation.
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Compact design
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Good wind speeds
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Simple to use
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Affordable price point
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Not as quiet as other fans I've tested
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Vertical tilt is manual
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Lowest speed setting isn't that gentle
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With temperatures warming up as we get closer to summer, I'm very glad that I get to put fans through their paces as part of my job.
In order to decide which are the best fans you can buy, I try and test them in my own home and assess how easy they are to use, how effective, how much they'll cost to run and importantly, how they compare to other fans I've tested.
This time, it's the turn of the Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan, which is a desktop fan with an RRP of £44.99.
In a nutshell
While the Vonhaus Ari Circulator Cooling Fan is not as quiet as other fans I've tested, it's surprisingly powerful for such a compact unit. That power, even in the lowest wind speed setting, makes it an effective choice for circulating the air around smaller rooms. Although if you are looking for a more personal fan, the lowest wind speed may feel too blustery for close-up comfort.
It's clear and straightforward controls will appeal to those who prefer simple functionality over more complex or smart models, but that simplicity does mean that you sacrifice some nuance in personalising the settings to your specific preferences.
As well as being Ideal Home's Renovation Editor, I also look after all of the website's heating and cooling content, which means I'm well versed in what it takes to keep your home a comfortable temperature year round and how you can do that in the most energy efficient way possible. I tested the Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan in the living room, office and bedroom in my 1970s home for three weeks, during mild spring-like weather. Find out more about how we test fans.
Specification
- Type of fan: Desktop
- RRP: £44.99
- Weight: 2kgs
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 24.5 x 33.5 x 22.5cm
- Wattage: 50W
- Wind speed (metres per second): 2.8-4.1m/s
- Running costs per hour (based on the April 2026 energy price cap): 1.2p
- Number of fan speed settings: 3
- Noise in dB (based on our readings): 48-64dB
- Smart features: N/A
- Dual functionality: None
- Oscillation: 60° horizontal (90° manual tilt)
Unboxing, setting up and first impressions
The Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan arrived in a compact package, with recyclable cardboard outer packaging. Inside the fan was encased in inflated plastic packaging and a plastic bag (both of which can also be recycled).
I didn't realise the inflated packaging was just folded underneath the fan rather than sealed, so was glad that I opened it while sitting on the floor otherwise the fan may have dropped out from quite a height before I had the wherewithal to catch it. So I would definitely advise being cautious when getting this fan out of the box.
From there, set up was really simple. With no assembly required, I just needed to unwrap the power cable, pull the protector off the plug and remove the plastic strip from the remote control. All in all, it took me less than a minute to get this fan set up.
In terms of looks, I like that the Vonhaus Air Circulator is compact enough that it could easily sit unobtrusively on my desk, sideboard or bedside table. I like the contemporary black and white colourway and the thick base makes the fan feel sturdy and secure. It's also got a handy handle built into the back of the fan head which made it very easy for me to move around.
What's it like to use?
I liked how simple the Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan was to use. There's no app to set up, so the control options are to use the on-board display panel or the remote control. There are only three different modes to contend with: Normal, Natural and Night.
The normal mode has three wind settings, with speeds ranging from 2.8m/s to 4.1m/s based on my anemometer readings. The natural mode will cycle randomly through the different speeds and the night mode will gradually reduce from speed 3 to 1 at 30 minute intervals.
I found the lowest wind speed to be a little too strong when the fan was close by, especially compared to other fans I've tested, and so would tilt the fan head away so it wasn't pointed directly at my face. But when I was across the room from the fan (a good 3m), the air flow was definitely strong enough to feel the breeze. Once you get up to the third speed setting, I could feel this fan getting the air circulating around the room.
The natural mode felt nice from that distance too, but it is audible when the fan speed changes, which I found a bit distracting.
While the fan's compact dimensions meant that it easily fit on a side table in my living room as well as my bedside table, I did have to tilt the fan head upwards to get a clear view of the whole control panel, which displays the ambient temperature in the room and a symbol to denote the mode the fan is in, and to be able to access the mode button. Because of that, I did find that I favoured using the remote control instead.
When it comes to oscillation, the fan will oscillate horizontally (the entire base moves rather than the fan head twisting while the base remains still) but in order to change the air flow direction vertically, that's a manual job. While I had to tilt it myself, I did like the range of the tilt, meaning I could take the fan head from pointing straight forward to directly up to the ceiling. The oscillation is decent, but it doesn't quite reach the scope of fans like the Meaco Sefte 10'' Pedestal Air Circulator or Pro Breeze AirFlo 43'' Hybrid Pedestal Fan, that both offer multidirectional oscillation that will reach into every single nook and cranny of your room.
The one area where this little fan can't quite match up against other fans I've tested is on noise. So many fans are whisper quiet in their lowest speed modes, and so even though this one only clocks in at 48dB in speed 1 on my decibel meter, up to 64dB in speed 3, it does feel noisier than other fans I've tried. While I could disguise the sound on the lowest setting when I had the TV or music on, on the higher settings I had to turn the volume up when the fan was in use.
For me, because of noise level, I also found this fan a little too loud to use as I was falling asleep, especially if I put it in night mode, which meant it started off at 64db (the equivalent of a chat with friends) for 30 minutes before dropping in fan speed. However, if you aren't bothered by noise, then you might love this compact fan on your bedside table. The display lights all turn off after three minutes when the fan is in use, so you don't have to worry about them keeping you awake.
Running costs
With a wattage of 50W, the Vonhaus Air Circulator will cost just over a penny per hour to run, so it's not an energy guzzler by any means. It also comes with a timer function so you don't have to worry about leaving it on longer than necessary. But while it might cost much to run, it consumes more energy than other fans we've tested.
Fans with higher price points might also come with additional eco features that reduce wind speed based on the ambient temperature of the room, so it's a bit of a balancing act between saving money on the purchase price, versus saving money on the ongoing running costs.
Cleaning and maintenance
There's not much maintenance needed when it comes to fans, but keeping it dust free will be essential to ensure it remains in good and energy-efficient working order.
The instructions say, once the fan is unplugged, to wipe over the exterior with a damp (not wet) lint-free cloth than has been rinsed in hot soapy water.
It's also a good idea to keep an eye on the cable and make sure it's not fraying anywhere, and store it upright in a dry place when not in use.
Who should buy this fan?
If you are budget conscious and want a powerful desktop fan to keep a small room, like a home office, cool while you work, then you should definitely consider the Vonhaus Air Circulator Cooling Fan.
However, if you are looking for a fan to keep you cool in the bedroom, then the noise level of the Vonhaus fan and its powerful wind speed even in the lower setting, mean this may not meet your needs. Instead, I'd advise you to opt for something like the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan or the Dreo PolyFan 508S, which are much quieter, and have a much more comfortable gentle breeze on the lower setting.