Since the recent heatwaves began, everyone has been asking, "are there any fans that are as good as air conditioning?" Air conditioning is still a rarity in many UK homes, portable units can be expensive (and often sell out during hot spells), and nobody wants to spend hundreds on something they'll only use for a few weeks each year. So, if a fan can deliver that same cooling relief for a fraction of the price, it's worth knowing about.
Over the past four years, I've tested dozens of the best cooling fans in real homes, from stuffy bedrooms and home offices to heatwave conditions that make concentrating or sleeping impossible. I've also tested DIY air conditioning hacks, spoken to experts in thermal comfort and indoor air quality to understand exactly what fans can do, where they fall short, and which models come closest to mimicking the refreshing feeling of air conditioning.
