The 4 Best Types of Fans to Keep You Cool All Summer Long
We always seem to be severely unprepared when a heatwave arrives, unable to cope with the sweltering heat and desperately searching for any available fans to keep us cool. Tossing and turning during the extremely humid night as we attempt to get some shut-eye, and then our homes heating up while working from home and searching for sweet relief by dumping our swollen feet in a bucket of ice water.
But instead of taking such drastic action, we’ve rounded up the best fans that will keep you cool during the day and those that are quiet enough during the night so that you can still sleep.
What type of fan should you buy?
When it comes to choosing what style of fan to buy you need to consider a few things, like the amount of space you have, how much you want to spend, where your electrical sockets are and if you want a powerful (and usually noisy) fan to really blast you, or something a little quieter so that you barely notice it.
Tower fan: A slim vertical design that will take up the least amount of space in your home. The upright design of the tower fan (Buy at Walmart, $42.99) means that, unlike a conventional round-blade fan, the cool air is not focused on a very specific point, it’s distributed more evenly with an oscillating function.
Stand or Pedestal fan: The most common and affordable type of fan (Buy at Walmart, $21.78). The stand or pedestal fan is tall with a thin pole an adjustable blade unit attached to the top. A budget option, but bear in mind cheaper styles can be quite flimsy.
Desk fan: Know that you need to keep cool while working from home and don’t have much space? A desk fan (Buy at Walmart, $5.48) might be a better option and means you can direct the airflow in your personal space. Surprisingly effective, but only short range.
Portable handheld fan: Handheld fans (Buy at Walmart, $10.99) can be an absolute savior when it comes to going out and about in the heat. If you’re braving a commute or traveling somewhere you know doesn’t have a fan then bagging yourself a rechargeable battery-powered fan is the best thing you can do.
What features should you look out for when buying a fan?
Timer: A crucial feature for those who want to sleep with their fans switched on. A timer function means you can set it for one, two, four, eight or even 12 hours before it shuts off automatically. A timer can also be used if you want to set it when you’re out and return with your home refreshingly cool.
Speed settings: If you’re happy with one or two-speed settings and are not looking for anything fancy a desk fan or pedestal fan may be the thing for you. But many fans will have more than three-speed settings that can provide you with a little more option when it comes to how cold you want to be.
Noise: One of the most important features of a fan that can often be overlooked. The best way to find out if a fan you’re looking to purchase is noisy are other customer reviews, they will be honest, but also factor in if you’re a light sleeper or if you’re happy to sleep with earplugs or headphones.
Size: When you’re looking at fan options size is a big factor to consider. How much space do you have, which room will it be in? A tower fan will be a good option for a small space as it will cool the whole area, but a pedestal fan could be all you need if you don’t want to spend a lot of money.
Does it purify the air?: Some fans also act as air purifiers which can be a real benefit to people who suffer from allergies when the pollen count intensifies. You may also want to consider investing in a humidifier to help.
Dual function: higher priced fans like the extremely popular and expensive Dyson Hot and Cool Fan Heater (Buy on Amazon, $499) offer dual functionality. So you’re investing in something that will give you the cold air you desire, but also during winter months, it won’t be collecting dust as you can use it as a heater.
This article originally appeared on our sister site, First For Women.
