THE best fans will make soaring summer temperatures much more bearable.
They have an instant cooling effect in a heatwave, are easy to set up and store and are significantly less expensive than air conditioning.
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But they can be pricey and not all fans are created equal. So which do you choose?
We asked Sun writer and mum-of-three Lynsey Hope to test out some of the best you can buy for under £30. Here’s what happened:
JML Chillmax Go Fan
£19.99, jmldirect.com
Lynsey says: “This creates a surprisingly powerful breeze for a small fan. It does make a bit of noise while on full pelt, but it’s very compact, easy to store and is powered by rechargable battery.
You can clip it onto shelves, desks, bed frames. I even clipped it to my two-year-old daughter’s pushchair when it was 29C to keep her nice and cool.
It’s small and easy to take with you if you travel.”
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- APPEARANCE: 7/10
- EFFECTIVENESS: 7/10
- VALUE FOR MONEY: 6/10
- OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 7/10
The Range 4inch USB Mini Desk Fan
£3.99, therange.co.uk
Lynsey: “I wasn’t expecting much from this tiny 4inch fan, which is powered by USB. It’s so small, it’s hard to imagine it being terribly effective.
But it does create a nice breeze as you work and is ideal if you don’t have a great deal of space to store a bigger fan. For £3, I’d say this is worth investing in for the summer.”
APPEARANCE: 5/10
EFFECTIVENESS: 4/10
VALUE FOR MONEY: 9/10
OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 5/10
Amazons Basics 3-Speed Floor Fan
£33.31, amazon.co.uk
Lynsey says: “The base of this fan is quite large and it’s tall, so you’ll need a good space or decent-sized room if you choose a pedestal fan like this.
It was easy to put together but it did feel a little bit flimsy once erected and I worried about the kids bumping into it. I didn’t really like the Amazon logo being on the front.
It did a great job of keeping the house cool though and was nice to stand in front of, especially when cooking on a hot summers’ day.”
- APPEARANCE: 5/10
- EFFECTIVENESS: 9/10
- VALUE FOR MONEY: 7/10
- OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 6/10
Texet 29inch Oscillating Tower Fan
£39.00, ryman.co.uk
Lynsey says: “This was very easy to set up. You only need to screw it on to the base. It comes with a remote, which was handy.
It’s tall but narrow which makes it easier to store and it looked less of an eyesore than some others.
I didn’t notice a huge difference between the three settings but it kept the room nice and cool.
It was very quiet and didn’t make much noise, so a great option if you want to keep the bedroom cool at night”
- APPEARANCE: 8/10
- EFFECTIVENESS: 8/10
- VALUE FOR MONEY: 8/10
- OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 8/10
Swan 12inch Turbo Silent Fan
£39.99, shop.swan-brand.co.uk
Lynsey says: “This was a bit of a faff to put together but as promised, it is the quietest of all the fans we tested so a great option if you don’t want the noise most fans make.
It kept a whole room nice and cool and you barely noticed any noise.
Whilst the design is stylish, it is quite big and cumbersome which makes it hard to store. Not the best choice if you only have a small space.”
- APPEARANCE: 7/10
- EFFECTIVENESS: 9/10
- VALUE FOR MONEY: 7/10
- OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 7/10
Tesco 9inch Status Desk Fan
£15, tesco.com
Lynsey says: “I found this fan almost too blowy, even on the lowest setting. It was so powerful it was blowing paper about on my desk and I found the loud noise quite distracting.
Great price at Tesco though if you need a quick fix to cool you down as temperatures soar. It looked quite smart too.”
- APPEARANCE: 8/10
- EFFECTIVENESS: 4/10
- VALUE FOR MONEY: 5/10
- OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 5/10
Winner: Aldi Status 8inch Retro Clock Fan
£29.99, aldi.co.uk
Lynsey says: “I love the retro style of this fan on offer at Aldi. It looks quite attractive on my shelves at home. It has two settings and while it does make a low hum, the noise isn’t too off putting. It’s a great price from Aldi. Buy one before they are all gone.”
- APPEARANCE: 10/10
- EFFECTIVENESS: 9/10
- VALUE FOR MONEY: 9/10
- OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 10/10
Coopers of Stortford Folding Fan
£23.99, coopersofstortford.co.uk
Lynsey says: “This was a surprising win. It folds away quite small so you can take it with you to your tent, caravan or hotel room and it will run for up to ten hours without any wires getting in the way.
Simply recharge via any USB port. It looks attractive too and comes with three speeds. It hardly takes up any space and easily folds away in a draw when not in use. A great, all rounder.”
- APPEARANCE: 9/10
- EFFECTIVENESS: 9/10
- VALUE FOR MONEY: 10/10
- OVERALL CHILL FACTOR: 9/10
The Sun has also tested out supermarket own brand orange juice, washing powders and Magnum ice lolly dupes.
