I was almost considering a summer ‘sleep divorce’ — but after testing Shark’s newest fan, it’s (thankfully) off the table

As much as I love my husband, one thing we definitely do not agree on is the temperature of our bedroom. Me? I always run hot and can’t sleep without a fan during the warmer months. Him? He’s constantly cold and would happily have the heating on all year round if he could.

And as the best fans typically don’t allow for a lot of compromise when it comes to the customisable cooling powers, we’ve even considered a summer ‘sleep divorce’ - where we sleep in different rooms to deal with our warring temperature opinions. So, when I heard good things about the Shark TurboBlade Multi-Directional Cooling Fan, I wanted to see whether it could help us out.

In a nutshell

The Shark TurboBlade isn’t the brand’s first foray into the fan world, as the FlexBreeze Portable Fan and the Shark Flexbreeze HydroGo Fan have already made a splash. But there’s no denying that the TurboBlade - with its propeller-like design and multi-directional cooling properties - is unlike anything they’ve released so far.

While I didn’t initially want to love the design, it has grown on me during testing, and I can appreciate the fact that it doesn’t blend in with the background like other fans on the market. And why should it? It offers cooling power unlike anything I’ve experienced, and this powerful bladeless tower fan can project air up to 20 metres, has 10 fan speed settings, and three dedicated cooling modes.

Perfectly customisable, this fan can also be used vertically, horizontally, or somewhere in between, and you can pivot the blades, twist the vents and oscillate the whole fan to unlock multi-zone airflow that caters to multiple members of your household.

During testing, it took me a little while to get a handle on the controls and master the settings. And I will acknowledge that it’s a bit pricey and louder than some of the other models on the market. However, I can see myself continuing to use this fan well into the summer, and it has drastically improved my husband's and my sleeping situation.

Specifications

• Power: 90W
• Speed settings: 10
• Modes: Sleep, Boost, Breeze
• Oscillation: Up to 180°
• Maximum distance/reach: Up to 20m
• Timer: Yes
• Controls: Remote control and on-appliance controls
• Decibel rating: 38dB - 88 dB (tested by us)
• Dimensions: 80cm x 96cm x 80cm (horizontal mode), 112cm x 128cm (vertical mode), Base diameter: 75cm
• Weight: 8.8kg
• Other: DustDefence filter, 3.05m cord

How I tested

Lauren Bradbury

I’m Lauren, Content Editor at Ideal Home. It's my job to test all manner of practical home appliances, including fans.

I tested the Shark TurboBlade Multi-Directional Cooling Fan for three weeks at home in Kent during a particularly hot June (where temperatures reached up to 26 degrees). I used it throughout the day, but paid special attention to how it fared at night as I struggle to sleep in the heat.

Unboxing and setting up

The Shark TurboBlade arrived in a relatively compact box (smaller than I expected, to be honest), and while it wasn’t overly large, bulky, or heavy, it was still quite awkward to carry over the threshold of my home. So, just bear that in mind if you’re not the strongest or have mobility issues.

Like most Shark products, it also arrived in their box-within-a-box style, with a relatively unassuming brown box encasing the bright and colourful ‘official’ box, complete with the name of the product, a picture of the fan, and some general info on what the fan has to offer. This does seem like a bit of a waste of cardboard, and I think that one single box would be enough to protect it during transport, but at least it’s all recyclable.

In fact, this eco-friendly theme continued as I opened up the box and took a look inside. All of the components were encased in either a cardboard shell, a cardboard box, or paper - all of which I could pop in my recycling bin.

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I could see during this stage that there would be a fair amount of assembly required from me, as the pole and blades were encased in their own box, while the base was wrapped in a paper-like material and would need to be slotted together. So, I grabbed the ‘Quick Start’ guide to see what I’d need to do.

Thankfully, Shark couldn’t have made the process easier. The Quick Start guide provided simple, easy-to-read instructions, and additional instructions were even written on yellow stickers directly on the components themselves. All I had to do was attach the pole to the base, twist it clockwise, and press the blades into the pole, then remove all the tape and stickers.

Then, I popped the batteries in the remote control before moving it to my first room of choice - my bedroom. And the fact that Shark provided batteries for the remote is one of those little things that made the assembly process so much quicker and easier, so they earned a plus point for that.

Design

If I’m totally honest, Shark’s design choices have left me a little confused recently. The brand seems to have quietly changed its ‘look’ in recent months - and I’ve noticed this with various Shark products I’ve tested, such as the Shark PowerPro vacuum cleaner and the Shark NeverChange5 air purifier.

Everything seems a lot more modern, more masculine, and more unique. I’ll go as far as to say that the designs are incredibly divisive, and when I first saw pictures of the Shark TurboBlade Fan, I will admit that I didn’t like it. I thought the propeller-like design was bizarre, and found the colourway (black and rose gold, although it does now come in white, too) to be a little too obtrusive for an appliance I’d want to fade into the background, and the size did alarm me.

However, when I attended the press preview for the fan and saw it incorporated into a beautifully designed room courtesy of Henry Holland at Clerkenwell Design Week on Instagram, my opinion of it changed. And that’s changed since incorporating it into my own house, too.

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I will say that it doesn’t necessarily suit my personal home decor style, but I do appreciate the fact that Shark has designed a bold, out-there fan that doesn’t look like anything else on the market. The brand has designed a fan that serves as a statement piece rather than something that blends into obscurity, and that has to be commended.

Additionally, considerable thought has been given to the practical aspects of the design. It’s height-adjustable without looking bulky, can be used (and therefore stored) both vertically and horizontally, and even comes with a magnetic strip on top to keep the remote control safe.

And I learned during testing that the propeller-like design does lend itself to a very practical, very cooling appliance. So, I wouldn’t say I’m in love with the design, but it definitely won me over - which I wasn’t expecting at all.

Performance

In terms of performance, I really can’t fault the Shark TurboBlade Multi-Directional Cooling Fan, and one of the things I love most about it is the fact that it’s so customisable - and so versatile for so many different rooms in the house.

During testing, I moved it from my living room to my home office and then to my bedroom overnight, and found that I could tailor the fan speed and setting to suit the space and the room's temperature. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Natural Breeze’ mode and used this more than most, as this creates varying airflow patterns to simulate natural wind and offers impressive cooling power.

Of course, the fact that you can choose 180-degree oscillation, adjust the height of the pole and pivot it vertically or horizontally (allowing you to enjoy ‘Air Blanket Mode’, showcased in the video above) means that it was also ideal for keeping a bedroom cool at night.

This customisation meant that I could ensure the cool air was directed at me and only me during the night, without my husband having to freeze in the process. The timer function also came in handy, as you can choose between 1, 2, 4, 8, or a 12-hour timer and don’t have to worry about turning it off or keeping it running for longer than you need or want it to.

This particular fan also comes with a DustDefence Filter, and while this doesn’t compete with one of the best air purifiers, it’s still nice to know that this filter captures a small number of nasties from the air to make the space cleaner.

Ease of use

Although I have a lot of good things to say about the Shark TurboBlade, I must admit that ease of use is something I struggled with during testing. On the one hand, the controls are simple. But it’s this simplicity that actually makes it quite confusing - and it took me a good two and a half weeks to get to the point where I felt confident in my control over it.

That’s because the main way to control the Shark TurboBlade is through the remote control. And while you can use a button on the actual fan itself, the onboard button is very basic in its functionality. In fact, I only used it once before resorting to the remote control.

The instructions outline what each button on the remote control does, and you can control everything from the fan setting to the oscillation and the timer through this remote. But after you’ve pressed these buttons, it’s hard to determine what you’ve actually chosen to do.

Personally, I’d love a little icon either on the remote control or on a screen on the fan itself to confirm each setting. Even some kind of app connectivity would be nice, especially as there are so many settings to choose from.

Instead, the only thing you have to go on is the speed (and the sound) of the fan and some circular lights on the front of the unit, which correlate to different settings. For most of my testing process, I had to keep the instructions to hand every time to double-check that the lights were on the correct setting, and this was just a lot of hard work for something that should have been so simple.

However, I will say that, after almost three weeks, I do feel as though I’m finally getting the hang of intuitively knowing which settings I’ve chosen. So, I guess it’s just a case of getting used to how it works.

Noise levels

Shark advertises that the TurboBlade runs at 40dB on its lowest setting, and I found their claims to be true. In fact, using the decibel meter on my phone, I recorded a little under 40dB on its lowest Sleep setting - 38db, to be exact.

This isn’t the quietest fan the Ideal Home team has ever tested (that honour goes to the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan, which runs at just 13dB on its lowest setting), but it’s also not the loudest. And while I did expect it to be a little quieter on Sleep mode, I personally love a bit of white noise while I sleep, so it didn’t interrupt me during the night.

It’s worth noting that my bedroom is just 3x3m, though, so it had to stand very close to my bed during the night. And as the Shark TurboBlade can reach up to 20m, those with larger bedrooms could position it further away to counteract that noise.

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On its highest setting, I recorded a decibel rating of 88dB, and you can really feel and hear the power of the fan in this Boost mode. I could even hear it through the ceiling when I was downstairs and my husband had decided to have a little play around with the new fan upstairs. And that’s not surprising, considering this 88dB rating makes it one of the loudest fans we’ve ever tested.

This could be a downside for those who prefer quiet, but I do also think it’s a testament to the immense cooling power of the Boost mode. So, you need to weigh up whether noise or cooling power is more important to you.

Maintenance

Fans rarely need a huge amount of maintenance, and this is also the case with the Shark TurboBlade Multi-Directional Cooling Fan. In fact, Shark recommends cleaning the DustDefence filter with one of the best vacuum cleaners every six months to ensure maximum efficiency. If it’s particularly dirty, you can remove the filter and rinse it with water. If you do this, you just need to make sure that you leave it 24 hours to dry fully before reinserting it.

The only other thing to do is wipe the fan down with a damp cloth every now and then to clean the exterior (soap and water should do the trick, and definitely don’t use any chemicals). You’ll also need to replace the batteries in the remote control when they run out.

So, in the grand scheme of things, it’s pretty easy to maintain. But it’s worth mentioning storage, as this is something you need to consider when choosing a new fan for your home.

And while I can’t deny that this Shark fan is pretty large and certainly bigger than the best desk fans, I don’t think it’s overly big to the point where storage is an issue. The base is perhaps bigger than I’d like for storage in my small home, but the fact that the blades can be stored horizontally or vertically means that it doesn’t need to take up a lot of floor space.

There are a lot of other fans out there that are much bigger, so I wouldn’t mark it down for this.

Energy use

Bladed fans typically cost more to run than bladeless or tower fans, and this is also the case with the Shark TurboBlade. At 90W, it’s one of the most power-hungry fans we’ve tested - but it’ll still only cost you a few pennies per hour, which is a price many will be willing to pay during the hotter months of the year.

If you’re looking for a more cost-effective, cheaper-to-run fan, however, something like the Dreo Polyfan 508s will probably suit you better.

How does it rate online?

Although the Shark TurboBlade Multi-Directional Cooling Fan is a relatively new addition to the brand, it already has almost 100 reviews on the Shark website at the time of writing. It has an average star rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, which is pretty impressive for such a new product.

For the most part, customers praise the power of the Shark TurboBlade and love the multi-directional feature that allows for improved cooling customisation. They also note that it’s a lot quieter than they expected, and find that it’s perfect for cooling a bedroom at night.

Of course, the biggest gripe for most customers is the price of the fan - as it’s significantly more than other models on the market. Most say that it’s well worth this slightly pricier price tag, though.

Some customers, like me, have also commented on the fact that it’s slightly complicated to use, with many stating that app connectivity would make the fan easier to use.

Verdict: Should you buy the Shark TurboBlade?

If you have a little extra cash to spend, I really do recommend the Shark TurboBlade. After all, it isn’t exactly cheap, but I do believe that as an investment fan, it’ll serve you extremely well. The power in Boost mode is unlike any other fan I’ve experienced, the Natural Breeze mode is a fun and enjoyable experience, and Sleep mode offers everything you’d need from a fan (if you’re not a super light sleeper).

But it’s the customisation and the versatility of this fan that really sold it for me. Being able to keep myself cool while simultaneously keeping my husband away from said coolness is a perk that I don’t think should be ignored, especially if you also share a home with people of different cooling requirements.