The best fans can be a lifesaver for coping with warmer weather because let’s face it, no one wants to contend with balmy bedrooms or sweltering home offices if they can help it. And we know that perhaps the weather is winding down to more autumnal climes now, but simply shifting some of the stuffy air around your room can be the difference between a happy home and a hot home. It’s never too late to invest in a top-quality cooling fan, and you’ll likely thank yourself next year when the sun decides to wash over your otherwise underprepared house, but don’t sweat it about figuring out which one is worth getting. We’ve selected our favourite fans for living rooms, bedrooms, hot-box-like home office studies and even a few to prop up in the kitchen so you can get zen-like cool air anywhere in your home. To choose the right fan, first consider the size of the area you want to cool. A desktop fan may be fine for smaller rooms, whereas a standing or floor fan will be more effective for larger spaces. Tower fans (vertical and rectangular) are more compact, discreet and stylish than pedestal fans (stands with big blades at the top), but the latter is usually a lot more powerful.

360 Fan Bracket - Black | OcUK Ssupd Meshroom 360 Fan Bracket - Black | OcUK

Pedestal fans are your bread and butter type, with a rotating, circular set of blades sat on an adjustable stand that oscillates air around the room. These are often more affordable, though they will be a little bit noisier. There's also the issue of plastic spinning blades simply pushing warm air at you rather than regulating the temperature, though many brands opt to use higher-quality material, turbo modes and oscillation to combat the problem.

How much should I pay for a fan?

Key specs – Dimensions: 77.3 x 28.8 x 29.3cm; Weight: 5.1kg; Oscillation angle: 90 degrees (horizontal), 60 degrees (vertical) Cord length: 1.6m; Warranty: 2yrs; Power: 20W

Fan Dyson Pure Cool™ Purifying Fan

This product is suitable for well insulated spaces or for occassional use, it comes with a 3 year guarantee. It’s a similar story with pedestal fans, which are basically more powerful desk fans on a stand that are designed to cool a larger area. You can usually adjust the height, pivot and oscillation to control airflow, but they tend to be bulkier than tower fans so you’ll need to make sure you have enough space – both for use and for storage.Also consider settings – higher speed settings can create a cooler temperature – and features. Do you want an oscillating head and tilt action for more flexibility? Do you need a timer? Or remote control? Or even wi-fi? Finally, bladeless fans are a good call if you’ve got kids and can be easier to clean.

MeacoFan 360 Personal Air Circulator + FREE Storage Bag MeacoFan 360 Personal Air Circulator + FREE Storage Bag

You shouldn’t underestimate the virtues of a quiet fan, and this one is great for setting up beside your laptop to stay comfortable during work zoom calls, with a whisper-quiet set of blades in a smart-looking body that delivers a supremely quiet operation.” GQ Magazine Make the refreshing effect of the TVE 100 a regular feature of your day. With the 12-hour timer which is programmable in increments of 1 hour, the air circulator switches on and off fully automatically when you start off into your day and when you’re welcomed home after a hard day’s work. On request you can add an invigorating scent to increase productivity at the workplace. Or relaxing flavours to take a break from everyday life. Well-being with a memory function What’s more, our off-timer function means you can set the fan to turn off after a selected number of hours to ensure you don’t wake up feeling too cold, or don’t leave the fan running for longer than you need to. No extra sounds, bleeps, buttons or gizmos – just a great-looking, quiet and cooling fan.The good news with the huge number of fan speed modes is that you can balance airflow and speed nicely, easily finding the best setting that makes it easy for you to sleep. Should you buy the MeacoFan 360? You can also change fan speed with the remote and these range from one (which is virtually silent) to ten and are indicated on the circular OLED status panel set into the base. However, if you want a smaller desk fan to waft you as you work, there are plenty of other options available for a much more affordable price tag, with ultra-quiet blades, adjustable angles and long cables so you can move them around as needed. Some might also be smart-focused fans with Wi-Fi connectivity, smart voice assistants or the ability to connect to your phone so you can set the temperature as you fire off texts. Which type of fan is best: pedestal fan or tower fan?

fan 2023: The top desk, tower and pedestal fans Best fan 2023: The top desk, tower and pedestal fans

When set to top speed, it moves 1,056 cubic metres of air per hour, but all you need to know is that it feels substantially windy from several feet away. It comes with a remote control which is handy if you can’t be bothered to get off the sofa. The remote also lets you adjust the fan’s trajectory so it faces you all the time; simply wait till the air stream moves towards your direction, and switch the oscillation off. Assembly is easy, and connecting it to your smartphone and Wi-Fi network using the GeoSmartPro app is a simple enough process. From there, you can create daily schedules, preset modes and even auto-modes that will switch the fan on to a custom setting when specific weather conditions are met. It’s also compatible with Alexa and Google Home devices, although you can’t alter as many settings using your voice as you can when using the app or physical controls. This machine is capable of reducing interior ambient temperatures by as much as 8˚C. That might not sound like much, but even a two or three degree reduction can make a big difference. So how does it work? Warm air is drawn into the unit and passed over a wet honeycomb, causing the water to evaporate and lose heat. This cooled, moisturised air is then blown out into the room. Simple innit? If you're looking to keep a smaller room cool, you might not be particularly keen on a chunky, retro pedestal fan that looms over your bed wafting air over you. Instead, a smaller desk fan will be the best option to cleanse the space of hot air. There are plenty of options that are small enough to fit on a bedside table or on the end of your desk, and won't be overkill compared to larger models. How much should I pay for a fan?

Whether you’re looking for a quiet desk fan to keep things cool while you work from home or an oscillating pedestal fan to waft cooler air around your living room, there are plenty of options to keep temperatures down throughout the year, with options that purify the air as they go or even some with reduced noise levels and night modes to keep disturbances to an absolute minimum while you sleep.