Although its DC motor means a more expensive initial outlay, as a result, the EcoAir Kinetic uses just 1-18 watts of energy to run, making this the most affordable fan we've tested in terms of running costs.

This unit also has the largest LCD screen on this list, which is simple and easy to read with push-button controls. Operating similarly to a furnace (which uses forced air), the Vornado has a heating capacity of 256 square feet, with two heating settings, low (750 watts) and high (1,500 watts), and a fan-only mode. We love that it is Energy Star-certified, and has an adjustable thermostat that will keep the heat and circulation levels high enough to maintain your desired temperature.But that's not all. With the wireless remote, you have complete control over the Vortex Breeze's operation from any corner of the room. You can use the 1-9 hour timer and wide angle oscillation to adjust the air flow to your exact specifications. Bladeless fans are getting more multi-functional by the second, and the electriQ Bladeless Quiet Tower Fanis no exception. You might not even have considered combining a colourful mood light with a fan unit, but it can be a surprisingly useful feature. There are downsides beyond its price point; namely the fact that this fan requires self-assembly – you'll only have to do it once, but if you're already a little hot and bothered from the heat then it's a bit of an annoyance. And, unlike the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator which excels at simplicity of use, this Duux fan really has little toomuch functionality – does anyone really need 30 speed settings? – and its awkward controls make it a faff to operate at times. Although it does offer Smart functionality when connected to WiFi if you're keen to connect a fan to your Google Home hub or Alexa. Rated 5100BTU, the EcoFlow Wave 2 is enough for around a 10m², so smaller rooms, camper vans and tents. On maximum power, we found that it could keep our office room at sensible temperatures, although we did have to shield our south-facing room from the sun for it to cope. Bladeless fans tend to be relatively quiet, although their higher-power modes may be no more silent than a traditional fan. It’s normally the lower settings that are touted as being particularly quiet. Their descriptions should mention how many decibels they produce.

Most fans can only be used in the hotter months of the year, taking up space when they’re not wanted. Not so with the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde. As well as being a powerful fan, it’s also a purifier and a heater, complete with thermostat. I would have liked the Vortex to be a bit taller (it’s 85.6cm compared to the Dyson at 100.7cm), as it think this would help keep you cool with tasks such as reading in bed, but it certainly isn’t a problem when you’re lying down. Its power helps a lot: we measured air speed at 4m/s from 15cm away making this one of the most powerful fans that we’ve tested. Fortunately, this fan is very quiet, moving between 43.5dB on the lowest fan setting up to an acceptable 57.2dB on the maximum setting. With a neat remote control giving you easy access to all of the fan’s features, this is a top-quality fan for keeping you cool and your room feeling fresh. If you want a desktop version, go for the MeacoFan 650 Air Circulator. As the weather heats up, we think this super cute and super affordable handheld fan from John Lewis & Partners is going to become your new best friend.

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With that understanding, this list congregates all of that experience to bring you the 13 best fans that are currently on the market, but there’s even more criteria to meet beyond that. Instead of just populating this list with a handful of great fans, we’ve made sure to isolate the ones that not only work best under different scenarios, but the ones that are better suited to certain budgets as well. What's more, this fan's multi-directional oscillation means it's not just the person sitting directly in front of the fan who benefits from its temperature-reducing powers. A 60° vertical swing and 80° horizontal swing can be combined into a multi-directional oscillation that smoothly bounces air off walls, ceilings, and surfaces to circulate air and cool the whole room rather than just one area. Even the most basic fan will tend to have at least two speed settings; however, more advanced fans can have around 10. The two most energy-efficient fans we've tested are the Duux Whisper Flex Ultimate Fan which uses just 3 watts of power on its lowest settings, rising to 32 watts on its highest settings, and the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, which uses 9.5 watts on low and just 23.5 watts on its super-powerful highest setting thanks to its DC motor.

If you’re particularly sensitive to lights on at night, it might be worth bearing in mind that the fan’s current ‘mode’ is indicated by a small LED, and this can’t be turned off. We measured air flow at 3.8m/s at 15cm, dropping to a powerful 2.1m/s at 1m. This fan is quiet, too, ranging between 39.25dB and 56.8dB. Alongside these controls, there’s a timer (one, two or four hours) and oscillation mode (65° angle). If you don’t want to walk to the fan, then there’s also a remote control that attaches magnetically when not in use.Tower fans are a great space saver but they often sacrifice power to get a slimmer body. Not so with the VonHaus 35″ Tower Fan, which manages to deliver some of the best fan performance that we’ve seen, both up close and across a room. If you’re a very light sleeper, you may need something quieter. For reference, 30 dB is considered equivalent to the sound of whispering, whilst 10 dB is considered similar to the sound of breathing. Firstly, from a design perspective it looks very sleek and modern. I went with the traditional white and grey, as it fits in with my bedroom decor, but it actually has 8 different colour combinations to choose from for those with more adventurous tastes! The design of this fan is another benefit. It’s sleek and convenient, just 31” tall and designed to fit into smaller spaces. The 70 ° oscillation means it can cool a wide area. With a lightweight build and carry handle at the top, it’s easy to move from room to room if needed.

Even the best fans won't physically reduce the temperature of a room. You'll need one of the best portable air conditioners for that. However, our review team was still highly impressed by the cooling effect that the best fans delivered. Combination fans and heaters can vary widely in their heat settings—some allow you to select a precise temperature using a digital thermostat, while others simply offer one or two heating settings and others have both. The option to select a temperature is ideal for people who want more granular control over the heat output ( our best portable, the Vornado AVH10 Vortex Heater has this). If you just want to add a little extra warmth to your space and only need two heat settings, we recommend our best for small rooms, the GiveBest Portable Electric Space Heater With Thermostat, or best budget, the LifePlus 2-in-1 Heater Fan Combo.Even after a year of almost constant use, this fan and heater combo continues to be a very useful, space-saving appliance. We were able to clean out the filter easily and found that it requires almost no maintenance. We wish the cord was a little longer (although almost all of the fans we tested had a similar size—about 6 feet), but the airflow is felt far enough that it’s never really an issue, even in medium-sized rooms. The Vornado AVH10 Vortex Heater stands out for being able to heat or cool small to medium-sized rooms efficiently while also being compact and portable. It weighs less than 5 pounds and is small enough to fit on a nightstand or desk, and it won’t take up much of a footprint on the floor. While it’s not as tall and slim as a tower model (like our best overall), the Vornado has the brand’s signature technology, so it’s designed to circulate the air around the entire room, while the unit remains perfectly still (it does not oscillate), and remains relatively quiet.