Summer weather is well and truly here, which means beach trips, ice creams and long days lounging in the garden galore - but the scorching temperatures can also spell restless nights, not to mention a whole lot of feeling generally sweaty and uncomfortable.
If you're finding yourself struggling in the heat, an electric fan could be just what you need to help keep you chilled out in your home when the sun is blazing outside. Of course, just about every retailer out there is jumping on the heatwave bandwagon and you can buy a fan from just about anywhere at the moment - but with so many options on the market, which one is best?
Fans can cost a pretty penny, but luckily you don't have to break the bank in order to keep yourself cool over the next couple of months as there are plenty of budget-friendly options that, according to customers, do the job just as well as the pricier versions. Here are seven of the top-rated fans according to reviews from shoppers for £70 or less from a range of popular high street and online retailers.
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Wayfair
Wayfair's top-rated fan under £70 is the Igenix 16 Inch Oscillating Pedestal Fan - and with a price tag of just £27.99, it's the cheapest on this list by a considerable margin too. This fan comes with three speed settings and an oscillating feature to distribute cool air around the room, as well as adjustable height and tilt functions, and has been rated 4.7 out of five stars on average by customers.
Positives: One shopper wrote in a five-star review: "Brilliant fan, I have it at the bottom of my bed and it reaches me perfectly and gives out a lovely cool breeze. It's perfect."
Someone else said: "Just brilliant, I use it in the bedroom - at last I can get a good night's sleep. Arrived very quickly, easy to assemble and is very light to handle. Very pleased with it and worth every penny."
And a third customer added: "Perfect on these hot nights, and a lot quieter than my last fan. The legs are made of solid plastic so I know they'll last for ages."
Negatives: One person who was left unimpressed wrote in their review: "Great fan for cooling a room, but very noisy if you're close by the fan, so wear ear plugs and keep cool at the same time lol." A couple of others shared the same thought that the fan was "too loud" in their feedback, while the small handful of others who left negative reviews said it felt "cheap and flimsy".
Screwfix
Hardware giant Screwfix isn't just handy for all your DIY essentials - it also sells a range of pedestal fans, the best-rated of which under £70 is the FS40-11NR 16" Pedestal Fan, priced at £42.99. This model also comes with a remote control, three speed settings and 80° oscillation, and has an overall rating of 4.9 out of five stars from Screwfix shoppers.
Positives: One happy customer said in their review: "Great fan, solid base, quality construction, good height. Quiet and powerful, effective even at minimum speed. Good remote control."
Another shopper added: "Was really pleased with this fan. The flow of air is great on all settings, together with the ability for remote control. Doesn’t seem to be noisy and ideal anywhere including the bedroom. Very good price too."
And a third person wrote: "Excellent quality product, amazed at how powerful it is on full power. Remote is a definite plus. Very easy to assemble."
Negatives: The lowest rating given was three stars with a small portion of shoppers knocking points off for the "unclear" instructions, as one person remarked: "It's a great buy - just think of it as a puzzle as well as a fan!" Another person complained that they found the stand to be "wobbly", while another said that it "vibrates badly through the base" and caused a noise disturbance for the room below.
Argos
Over at Argos, the best fan under £70 according to shoppers is the Challenge White Tower Fan for £45. Again sporting three speed settings and an oscillating feature, as well as a two-hour timer and a carry handle, this fan comes recommended by 94% of Argos shoppers based on over 1,000 reviews.
Positives: One shopper who was impressed with the fan wrote: "I used this at my parents' house through the heatwave last summer and couldn't have survived without it. I'm a light sleeper but noise doesn’t disturb me at night and very effective at cooling. All the settings you need in a fan."
Another Argos customer said: "This has been a great product. It has really improved my evening since I bought it. The time is a very useful feature which means I can leave it on at night, and was also very easy to assemble."
And a third person penned in a five-star review: "I now have five of these fans because they are so good. Reliable, excellent quality and, compared to a lot on the market, relatively quiet. Highly recommended."
Negatives: The majority of shoppers who left one-star reviews for the fan had found that it either arrived faulty or broke shortly after having purchased it, and were able to get refunds or replacements from Argos. A couple of other dissatisfied customers branded the fan's power "weak" and "ineffective", with one person remarking that it was "not fit for purpose", although most people seemed to disagree.
Asda
You can pick up a fan with your food shop over at Asda, with the supermarket's George section stocking a selection of fans - the top-rated option is the 16 Inch High Velocity Chrome Floor Fan, which will set you back £50. With three speed settings and an adjustable angle, this fan is ideal if you want to opt for a smaller model for your room and comes highly recommended with a rating of 4.9 out of five stars.
Positives: One Asda customer said in a review of the fan: "Very nice fan. Quiet on low, good high power and air speed on high, so good for sleeping and very hot days."
Another shopper wrote: "Very powerful fan, excellent for the days that are boiling and excellent value of money."
And a third person fed back: "So strong! Worth the money, definitely 10/10 for me."
Negatives: There are currently no negative reviews for this fan on the Asda website - however, as only a dozen reviews have been left for the product in total, it's worth bearing in mind that you don't have as much evidence when it comes to weighing up the pros and cons compared to some of the other fans on this list.
Currys
Electrical experts Currys also have plenty of options when it comes to fans - they do offer some more high-end models, but the cheapest option with the best reviews is the Zanussi 16" Pedestal Fan for £54.99, currently reduced from its usual price of £69.99. Like the others on the list, this fan is equipped with three settings, as well as adjustable height and tilt functions - and while it doesn't have as many reviews as some of the others, the shoppers who did give feedback were left impressed.
Positives: One person who left a five-star review said: "I love the black colour of the fan, very easy to assemble and not too noisy." Meanwhile, other reviews praised the fan as "powerful".
Negatives: Two shoppers thought that the cord could have been longer for greater flexibility in positioning the fan around the room, while another customer said it was "very noisy". In addition, only three reviews have been left for this fan so far, so there may well be additional points worth considering that shoppers are yet to give feedback on.
B&Q
At B&Q, the fan with the best ratings from shoppers under £70 is the VonHaus Tower Fan, which is priced at £59.99. This tower fan is described as being "designed for portability" with its slim and lightweight design, and also includes an aroma tray to give your room a nice scent as well as keeping you cool with its three speed settings. Again, this one doesn't have many reviews, but the handful of shoppers who did rate it all gave it five stars.
Positives: One B&Q shopper wrote: "Looks great, slim and attractive. It is relatively quiet has a slick groove at the back which creates a handle and makes it easy to move from place to place."
And another said: "Very good little fan with three speeds. Easy to assemble, with easy instructions to follow. Keeps the bedroom cool all night. Very safe, and very pleased with product."
Negatives: Once again, there are no negative reviews listed for this fan on the B&Q website - however, the five-star rating is based on just four reviews so far, therefore you don't have as much information to work with when it comes to making the final decision on which fan to opt for.
Amazon
And finally, sitting right at the top of our price margin is the highest-rated pedestal fan on Amazon - the Russell Hobbs Scandi Electric Pedestal Fan, which comes with a price tag of £69.99. Featuring a stylish wooden design and available in three different colours, this fan also comes with three speed settings as well as tilt and oscillating features, and has an overall rating of 4.5 out of five stars from Amazon shoppers.
Positives: 81% of Amazon customers rated the fan the full five stars, with one person writing: "Love this fan, easy to assemble and looks ever so chic. Would highly recommend."
Someone else said: "The fan looks quite decent and for not much more than you would pay for a cheap white one. Certainly looks good enough in a sitting room - the cheap white ones don't. Nice finish."
And a third shopper added: "This is the best fan ever. I love it, I used all day in summer it made my room so nice and breezy."
Negatives: Several shoppers who gave the fan a lower rating complained about the noise - one said it was "noisier than expected", while another said it "makes a lot of noise even on its lowest setting". This was something that was also mentioned even in positive reviews, with one shopper writing: "Have only taken one star off because the fan is quite loud even on lowest setting if you're watching TV, but that's because it's powerful, so I still love it as it's very effective for keeping a room nice and cool."
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