Summertime and the living is easy. The sleeping? Well, not so much.
The summer heatwaves we’ve seen over the last few years are becoming more frequent, and while that might be a win for UK staycations, festivals and mini breaks, the same high temperatures we worship during the day can be a nightmare to try to fall asleep in after dusk.
On July 19, 2022, few, if any, residents in the small Oxfordshire village of Shirburn had a peaceful night’s rest as the mercury ‘dropped’ to 26.8°C, making it the location of the UK’s hottest night in recorded history. One can only hope they had a few warm-weather sleeping essentials to take the edge off the sweltering temperatures.
Breathable fabrics such as flax linen and cotton are known for helping with climate control, wicking moisture from the body to keep you cool and sweat-free. This makes them a top choice for PJs and pillows, sheets and duvet covers.
Similarly, duvets themselves should be swapped for blankets, or done away with altogether, though it can go against the primal human instinct to sleep without some sort of covering. But when nights are stifling and muggy, it’s circulating air that promises to provide much-needed cooling breezes.
Unless you’re prepared to fork out for an air conditioning unit (notoriously costly), a decent fan is your best defence against warm sticky nights. There are plenty of options at all price points, from small desk fans to place on your bedside table, to slimline tower fans that will fan cool air around the room from a corner. When it comes to shopping for bedroom fans, one of the biggest deciding factors is their noise levels.
After all, trying to drift off under the cacophony of a whirring, wheezing fan in the midst of a heatwave is simply replacing one kind of hell with another.
Tower fans are the hot tip for sleeping as their taller structure means air will blow directly across the bed, eliminating the need to position a desk fan. Most of them also come armed with other sleep-friendly features: a remote control or a phone app to operate the fan without getting up, or better yet, a timer so it’ll turn on and off without interrupting your slumber. Amplify the cooling effects by placing a bowl of ice in front of the blades for Arctic-style wafts, or place beside an open window to draw cooler air indoors.
We’ve rounded up the best quiet fans for sleeping to invest in now, before the heatwave hits. With options across price brackets, you need never wake up a hot mess again.
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Dyson Purifier HEPA Cool Formaldehyde purifying fan
Settings: 10
Keeping air flowing around the room is all good and well, but if you live by a busy street, you run the risk of bringing unwelcome pollutants to your space too.
Enter Dyson, long the leader when it comes to smart home electricals, and it’s Dyson Purifier HEPA Cool Formaldehyde purifying fan which not only cools warm air, but ‘washes’ it of nasty particles like formaldehyde (emitted from household paint, varnishes and printers), nitrogen dioxide (caused by road traffic, tobacco and fuel-burning heaters), PM10 particles from pollen and allergens (a godsend for hayfever sufferers and asthmatics) and general household odours (think cooking, pets and kids).
It comes with a magnetic remote control, which can sit happily atop the unit, but can also be controlled through your phone’s Dyson Link app via Bluetooth. There are 10-speed settings, and it propels cool air into the room using its patented air multiplier technology.
The smartest thing of all is that it continually detects dust, allergens, mould and formaldehyde particles in the room, before trapping them into high-performance filters that never need replacing. So, while it’s expensive, buying new filters is one cost you won’t have to factor in past the initial purchase of the machine.
It oscillates and also can remain stationary, giving you the choice of focused or circulating cooling. And you can set it to a timer or keep it on Night Mode to keep sticky nights at bay.
As flexi-working means we spend so much more time at home and with busy roads and general pollution tainting our space, Dyson’s latest device is a real investment in home air quality improvement. The twin action function - purifying and cooling - means it will become a household must-have this summer. Simple to set up and even easier to use, after just one night we felt the difference.
Comes with a two-year guarantee.
Buy now £399.99, Dyson
Dyson AM07 White/ Silver Cool Tower Fan
Settings: 10
If the above is a little too expensive Dyson’s older fans still offer excellent tech for money. The AM07 harnesses its famous ‘air multiplier’ technology to project a steady stream of airflow - all while running as quietly as a mouse.
Dyson has made this to be 60 per cent quieter and more energy efficient than its older models – and it’s been given a Quiet Mark award by the Noise Abatement Society to prove it. One for bigger spaces, the fan comes with a remote control and timer that will set it on and off at pre-set intervals ranging from 15 minutes to 9 hours.
It won’t purify the air, but if that’s something you’re happy to do without, this is a great device to add to basket.
Buy now £300.00, Argos
Duux Whisper Flex Smart Wireless Fan - Black
If we were in the (strange) business of giving out awards for the number of fan settings, Duux would walk away with gold. Its Whisper Flex Smart Wireless Fan is loaded with no less than 26 options, so whatever breeze, wind or gust you’re after - it can deliver.
The height-adjustable stand is perfect for those with higher or lower-than-average beds as well as kids' rooms with bunk beds. It can also swing horizontally (90°) and vertically (100°) to ensure no pockets of hot air linger in the room. When it’s time for bed, switch the unit to Night mode to dim the display as well as the LCD screen. D-ream-y.
Buy now £144.00, Very
Meaco MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, White
As well as a blissfully low operation, Meaco’s small fan is highly energy-efficient too, meaning less of a pearl-clutching moment when the bills arrive. Highly rated by John Lewis customers, the ultra-quiet fan has been awarded a Quiet Mark and can be placed on a bedside table for targeted cooling relief when you need it.
It’s an excellent choice for the bedroom in particular, with an ECO mode that automatically adjusts the fan speed after reading the room temperature and Sleep mode that will adjust the cooling rate so you won’t wake up shivering in the early hours. The control display can also be turned off to stop the light from interrupting you as you nod off.
All this on the back of a super low power consumption of just 10 watts.
Buy now £93.50, John Lewis
Dreo 106cm Tower Fan, 90° Oscillating Floor Fan
This is a slick-looking tower fan that has the functions to match. Style and power in one, you’ll view it as a godsend when the humidity hits thanks to its formidable velocity at a rate of 7.3m/s. You’d never know it though as the device is very quiet with its bladeless technology so you’ll feel cool, calm and collected with no bother from noise disturbances. There are six speeds and 90 degrees of oscillation. D32.3 x W32.3 x H106.4cm.
Buy now £89.99, Amazon
Dimplex Ion Fresh cooling fan
Settings: 3
While this fan can’t be controlled by anything other than the included remote and control system, it’s smart thanks to a feature called the Ioniser. This optional mode washes the air clean of dust particles, which is particularly helpful if you live with someone with allergies or your home is by a busy street. So, rather than pushing air around the room, it will flood your space with fresh air - a healthier prospect all around.
The tower design comes in a black and copper colour scheme and also has a tilt feature and 70-degree oscillation so you’ll always find the right angle to enjoy cooling breezes, wherever you are in the room. Meanwhile, a natural mode mimics outdoor wind and the sleep mode gradually cuts the fan’s speed before shutting down completely, a godsend when you’re trying to catch your 40 winks. Comes with a three-year manufacturer guarantee.
Buy now £110.00, Argos
AirGo Smart Fan
Settings: 6
Picture the scene: a sweltering night before a day WFH. Avoid toiling at a stuffy desk and turn your fan on while you’re brushing your teeth; the AirGo can be controlled through an accompanying app. You can use it to adjust the speed or temperature when you’re busy fixing lunch or making a call - handy if the fan is on the other side of the room.
It also works with Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistants so you don’t even have to use your handset if it’s charging or not in the immediate vicinity.
Noise-wise, it comes with noise-reduction technology which means it won’t make a racket when you need to concentrate or are trying to get off to sleep.
Buy now £99.99, Amazon
Bionaire BT19-IUK Black and Silver Tower Fan with Remote Control
Slim and silent, this 71cm tall fan is just what you need for a cool breeze at the height of summer. It offers wind modes like Natural and Sleep as well as low, medium and high speeds so you can customise your fan to suit you.
While we’re happy to see clear blue skies and bright sunshine pretty much every day, there is one element we’re more than happy to skip - sweltering nights that interfere with our sleep. For that issue, there’s an eight-hour timer so you can switch this on before bed and be lulled to sleep by a gentle breeze without worrying about turning it off.
Measures H71 x W22 x D14cm.
Buy now £38.70, Amazon
Swan Tower Fan
So slim and quiet you won’t even notice it’s around, this is a fan you can stick in the corner and forget all about - apart from when it emits cool air, that is. It oscillates to 70 degrees, which means you’ll get air coverage all around the room. Meanwhile. the wind modes will keep your environment refreshed and cool, while the bladeless technology means you can allow infants and pets near it without worry.
Buy now £39.00, Very
Princess Smart Black/Silver WIFI Connected Tower Fan
Settings: 3
The Princess Smart Tower fan works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so if you like talking to your electricals, this fan ticks the voice control box.
The slim three-speed tower design won’t take up much room, even in the smallest of spaces, while the 50W motor comes into its own when the mercury soars past 25 degrees (one can dream).
The black and silver Princess oscillates quietly in an 80-degree arc and has a timer so you can set it before bed or turn it off before you get home to enjoy the perfect temperature when you walk in, whatever the weather outside. Use the control panels or connect with the app.
Buy now £80.00, Argos
SMART AIR Cool + Purify Tower Fan - White
While we wait all year for warm summer days, sleeping in a hot spell is no fun at all. That’s why a smart fan like this one is so useful.
There are 12 speed settings (which you can feel from up to six metres away) and a choice of four wind modes, including Baby to help your little one drift off. Use this mode or the Sleep option to cut fan speed and noise levels at night. But that’s not all: this fan purifies and sterilises air too, obliterating 99 per cent of harmful particles in your home.
It works via the touch display and a remote control so you can control it from anywhere in the room.
Buy now £260.01, Currys
Challenge Grey Tower Fan
One of Argos’s best-sellers, part of the appeal of this design is undoubtedly the price.
This 76.5cm tall free-standing oscillating fan will pump out cold air at three different speeds and three wind modes, from a gentle breeze to a more powerful gust. You can also set the timer so that you walk into a cool house or drift off to sleep with the fan on. Remote control and a one-year guarantee are included.
Buy now £40.20, Argos
BONECO F220 Air Shower floor-standing fan 85cm
Settings: 4
Some days are so screamingly warm, they make you want to stand inside a wind tunnel. Boneco’s Swiss-made design answers that breezy daydream, with 270-degree manual rotation, multiple speed levels and a max of 33W power usage.
Thanks to the deep blades, the flow will flood your indoor spaces and circulate air effectively around the entire room, bringing the temperature back down to reasonable levels.
If you’ve got high ceilings or multiple floors that you want to cool, the Boneco F220 is ideal: it will pour cool air in, just like a shower, to help you regulate temperatures quickly and quietly.
Buy now £189.99, Amazon
Challenge 14" Mini Tower Fan
If you’re renting or have storage issues, a smaller tower fan could be just the ticket.
This one is available at Argos, and for such a small design, the mini model offers a selection of features like three-speed settings and oscillation. As for the noise levels; well, they’re practically inaudible.
Measuring H35 x W60 x D13cm, it’s a great size to store away when it’s not in use. Best used in smaller rooms.
Buy now £13.00, Argos
John Lewis Anyday Desk Fan
One for those on a budget, the John Lewis desk fan comes in three sizes, small, medium and standalone large, varying on the size of your space. University students and fellow youngsters can pop this affordable piece on their desks and allow the cool gust of wind to waft over them as they sleep.
It’s easy to assemble and even easier to use. Simply plug in and turn on. The fan features three strength options and is moderately quiet meaning you can drift off with ease.
Buy now £14.00, John Lewis
