We've all been there on a hot summery night: lying on top of the duvet, window open, pillow flipped over for the tenth time. So for a more comfortable and cooling home environment in the warmer months, why not invest in a tower fan for an instant burst of breezy air?
An affordable and easy solution, and far more effective than wafting a magazine in front of your face, tower fans are more stylish than a traditional pedestal fan, and thanks to their tall and narrow design, they don't take up too much space, unlike some more cumbersome air con units. Plus they can boast a whole host of smart features, such as timers, modes, even air purifying tech, to help make life easier, and cooler, at the touch of a button
One of the key features of a tower fan is to eliminate any unnecessary noise while distributing the maximum amount of air - it’s what stands them apart from the pedestal counterparts. The simple design delivers a more even cooling breeze throughout a room and often more cost effectively than an air conditioning unit. The models we tested required a wattage varying from 22w for the Igenix mini tower fan up to 40.7w for the Dyson cool auto react, which make them (depending on energy prices and tariffs) approximately 1p per hour to run, which could make a big difference when considering your needs and the product’s affordability.
Tried and tested | Which tower fan is best?
- Best all round tower fan: Duux Whisper fan, £129.99
- Best mini tower fan: IGENIX DF0020 portable tower fan, £27.99
- Best quiet tower fan: SmartAir bladeless fan, £249
- Best for bedroom/home office: Dyson purifier cool auto react, £449
- Best tower fan all in one - cool, heat and purify: Vortex Air, £179.99
How we tested the tower fans
We considered everything from how clear the instructions were to their performance against the description, whether they were portable and how noisy they were, as well as value for money. Here’s how we scored them…
- Easy to use? (6 points): Clear instructions | If portable, were they light or heavy | Power source
- Features (6 points): Settings and attachments | LED display/dial/remote control/timer | oscillating fan | Heater | carry handles/wheels | Night light | Stylish
- Results (6 points): Does it do what it claims | Copes with size of room/position suggested | Responsive settings (low v high, how many speeds, temperature settings) | Noisy
- Value for money (2 points): Price | Warranty | Quality
We’ve tested a selection of the best tower fans, covering style, budget and smart tech features whether you want to keep yourself cool while you work at a desk or something that the whole family can feel the benefits of.
Looking for more ways to help you stay chilled? Check out our tried-and-tested round up of the best air coolers, as well as our pick of the best desk fans, and the best air purifiers.
The best tower fans for 2024
Duux Whisper fan
Score 20/20
Pros
- Excellent whole-room cooling
- 26 settings for maximum comfort
- Very quiet, even on its most powerful setting
- Auto-off function with versatile 12-hour timer
- Remote control
- Stylish modern design
Cons
- 34cm base is quite large if space is at a premium
For anyone who struggles to sleep with a fan on, I’d recommend giving this model a go.
What's in the box
The fan is mains powered with both a mini remote control (which uses one CR2025 lithium battery, that comes included) and a dial on the base for easy operation of the 26 cooling levels, two-way oscillation, 12-hour timer and Comfort and Night modes.
Are there many features?
With a whopping 26 cooling settings plus Comfort and Night modes, the Duux Whisper is designed to help you find the perfect personal temperature. First off, it has the power to cool a large room, with a wind range of 15m. As well as its impressive wind power, the Duux Whisper also features both horizontal and vertical oscillation, with a horizontal swing of up to 90 degrees and a vertical swing of up to 100 degrees for full air circulation.
With a handy carry handle, it’s also easy to move it around the room as needed.
The controls include a 1-12 hour auto-off timer and the option of using the remote control or dial on the base of the fan to operate the fan. As the name suggests, the Duux Whisper is also a quiet fan and is Quiet Mark approved. Available in white or grey, it comes with a 24-month warranty.
Will it keep you cool?
On full power, the Whisper cooled my open-plan living/dining room in seconds and could easily have cooled a larger room. Twenty-six wind settings combined with the up-down and left-to-right swing functions make this a really versatile fan as you can choose to have the breeze directed towards or away from you, depending on your preference, and still stay cool.
When it was time for bed, the carry handle made it easy to carry upstairs and the remote control meant I could adjust the settings from the comfort of my bed – perfect!
Duux whisper fan speed 1 to 26
And this brings me to my favourite feature – the Duux Whisper really is incredibly quiet. On the lower cooling settings it’s almost silent and this, combined with the Night mode and handy auto-off timer, made for a really comfortable night’s sleep, even in a very hot room with the windows closed. For anyone who struggles to sleep with a fan on, I’d recommend giving this model a go.
Should you buy it?
Overall, I love the Whisper’s stylish modern design (that looks way more expensive than it is), making it a fan I’m happy to have on display in my living room. With good looks and brilliant functionality, the Duux Whisper gets top marks from me.
Vortex Air Cleanse by HotSnap - bladeless air purifier hot and cool fan
Score 18/20
- Buy now from Amazon, £179.99
Pros
- Heats, cools and purifies in one
- 10 speed setting
Cons
- A little noisy on the faster speeds
The fact that this tower fan can heat and cool, makes this a great addition in the home all year round - no need for finding space to store the fan during the colder months as this can be useful to boost the heat in the room too.
What's in the box
I found the Vortex Air Cleanse straight forward to set up, there are no additional parts to add, so once it’s out of the box and plugged in it’s ready for use. The instructions are brief and focus more on cleaning the fan and maintaining the filters rather than discussing the fan’s features, but after playing around with the remote I found it easy to navigate around the model’s functions.
It comes with a remote, however, four simple buttons on the base of the unit allow you to switch it on, adjust speed settings, oscillate and move from heating to cooling - great if you can’t easily keep track of the remote - or one of the kids has stolen it and hidden it under the sofa while you weren’t looking!
The tower fan can be moved, but there is no specific carry handle and you’re advised to not carry from the top of the loop. As the Vortex Air cleanse isn’t as tall as some other models I found it easier to carry and less awkward too.
Are there many features?
Ten speed settings and a 120 degree oscillating function in a bladeless design make this an appealing model. Controlled via a comprehensive remote, there is a small screen to help identify what setting I’d put it on. A timer function is a great safety feature, which can be set between 1 to 9 hours.
Both the remote and manual button on the model’s base made it easy for me to switch between heat and cool, while purifying the air too.
The heat mode, warmed the room in minutes and can be set to warm the space up to 35degrees, before cleverly sensing the temperature and stopping so as not to overheat.
Shorter than some other, similar, models its design is neat and compact, while the bladeless feature enhances its safety features making it ideal for use in the bedroom or around little children with inquisitive hands.
Will it keep you cool?
The fact that this tower fan can heat and cool, makes this a great addition in the home all year round - no need for finding space to store the fan during the colder months as this can be useful to boost the heat in the room too. The model boasts a HEPA filter to help clean the room’s air, removing 99.97% of dust, allergens and mould for a healthier lifestyle. However, as the fan doesn’t display any information about the air quality, I was left hoping it was doing its job, rather than seeing that it was!
The fan coped with the size of our average sized living room, the air flows out of four long slots cut into each side of the loop which cooled or heated the space easily. For a cooling breeze on those uncomfortably hot days, it would be better if the fan blew from around the whole loop section.
The fan was responsive at all 10 of the speed settings, I felt it was very powerful even at the lower settings which helped to make it more efficient in a shorter period of time. However, I felt it was a little too noisy on its fast speed setting,
Should you buy it?
The Vortex Air bladeless air purifier hot and cool not only comes with a two year warranty, but also a 30 day money back guarantee. I loved this offering as it allows you to try before you fully commit which is reassuring when laying out money for this type of investment.
At £189.99, it’s cheaper than other leading brands, and arguably offers more with the heating element too. I think it definitely justifies its price tag, offering a 3-in-1 solution that I would use all year round in my home, rather than just the hotter months.
The sleek, bladeless design makes it family friendly and the temperature shut off offers peace of mind too. A great investment gadget.
- Buy now from Amazon, £179.99
IGENIX DF0020 portable tower fan
Score 17/20
Pros
- Lightweight
- Great desk top fan
- Portable
Cons
- Only 2 speed settings
This is a no-frills desk top tower fan that does exactly what it says on the box. Its compact and lightweight design makes it easily moveable and allows it to sit on surfaces with limited space easily.
What's in the box
This mini, portable tower fan is extremely easy to use - simply unpack from the box, plug it in and we were ready to go. The instructions are simple, but explain exactly what you need to do and how the dial works.
At the back of the tower fan, at the top, there is a notch which you can pop your hand into for ease of carrying the fan to where ever you need - your desk, bedside table or kitchen work top - which makes it a great option if you need a portable model that can be moved to where ever you need it with very little effort.
The Igenix is mains powered with a 150cm cable, so finding a surface for it to sit on nearby a power socket isn’t a problem.
Are there many features?
The 12 inch tower fan boasts two speed settings and I could choose whether to have these while it oscillated or not. A simple dial on the top of the unit allows me to quickly turn the fan on, turning it left for speed settings one and two while stationary, or right for oscillating speeds.
A groove cut into the back of the fan meant I could pick up the fan with my fingers in the notch and thumb on top - it’s extremely lightweight so moving it about in this manner is easy and comfortable.
The Igenix is available in both a black and silver or white and silver design. The tower-style keeps the unit compact, while being a neat addition to my desk.
Will it keep you cool?
The ‘mini’ nature of this tower fan means that it’s best kept closer to you to keep you cool if you’re sitting working at a desk or in an armchair or even in bed.
It did help to cool a smaller room overall, but I felt it was most effective when kept nearby, when I wasn’t moving around so much, to really feel its benefits.
There are only two speeds offered on this tower fan, they both work well but I would have liked to have another option to vary the speeds of the fan. The fan oscillates to a 45 degree range and on its lowest setting was a quiet model - this was ideal when I used this in a work environment and didn't want the distraction while taking calls, etc.
Should you buy it?
Priced at £24.99 I thought this was great value for money. It’s simple and easy to use and not too noisy, which I found was a great bonus when working. It comes with a two year guarantee that makes the price even more appealing. The sleek design and neat carry handle meant I could easily take the fan wherever I needed it, making it more of a personal tower fan rather than one that could cool a space for the whole family. There is no timer or safety cut out with this model which I thought let it down slightly, but otherwise a neat addition to keep you cool while you work this summer.
Dyson purifier cool auto react
Score 17/20
Pros
- Quiet
- Stylish design
- Remote
Cons
- Price
I tested the fan in an average sized living room and it had no problems dealing with the space. The room was quickly cooled and I could feel the breeze even when sitting on the other side of the room.
What's in the box
I had to add the filters to the base of the fan unit, plug it in and then it was ready for use. The instructions leaflet is very brief as the brand wants you to scan the QR code for full instructions, with short videos, which show you how to use and make the most of the fan. Although it’s handy to have an instruction manual, the videos were great and left little room for error or questions, so I liked them for a faultless explanation of this model.
The Dyson purifier cool auto react can be moved and isn’t too heavy, but as you need to pick it up from the base, rather than carry from the loop, I found it a little awkward to manoeuvre. But once the fan was in place, there was no real need to move it.
The fan is mains powered so it was positioned nearby a plug socket in the corner of our living room so that we could feel the fan’s effect around the whole room.
Are there many features?
The Dyson purifier cool auto react boasts 10 speed settings, giving a wide range of speeds and air flow. There is also the function to direct the air straight out of the front of the loop, or out of the sides too. The air comes out of the whole loop of the fan, rather than just the sides like other brands, which I felt made for a more effective air flow and cooling.
You must use the sleek remote to control this fan, there are no buttons on the unit to control simpler functions which would have been a handy addition. The fan can be set to oscillate at 45, 90, 180 or 350 degrees, I thought it was great to be able to set this to your preference depending on where it’s positioned and avoiding blowing air in an unnecessary direction definitely makes this more efficient. The huge 350 degree range was also a highlight as I felt I wasn’t restricted with where the fan was as it would reach the whole space easily because of this.
This Dyson model doesn’t heat or have an easy carry handle, yet its stylish good looks and instantly recognisable design speaks for itself.
Will it keep you cool?
The Dyson purifier cool auto react is a very efficient model, the purifier function identifies pollutants in the air and worked harder, as and when necessary, to clean the air in my room. The neat display screen on the base displayed information about the air quality and offered updates on its improvements - I was surprised at how quickly it dealt with the ‘dirty’ air, moving through red, orange, yellow and green to show the air cleaning progress.
I tested the fan in an average sized living room and it had no problems dealing with the space. The room was quickly cooled and I could feel the breeze even when sitting on the other side of the room.
The fan’s speeds go up to 10 offering a real range in air output. It was really quiet, which for me is a great bonus. The buttons on the remote don’t make the unit beep, so I could move through fan speeds and modes with ease. This was a major bonus for me, as I could use it in our bedroom, or my children’s, and adjust the settings in the night without waking anyone with bright lights or unnecessary beeps. The night mode instantly reduces the speed setting to number 4, which is super quiet and offers a gentle breeze to cool over night.
On full power it was one of the quietest tower fans I tested, and the type of noise it omits is a deeper, rounded sound rather than a high pitch whirl which I experienced with some other models tested.
Should you buy it?
The Dyson purifier cool auto react comes with a two year guarantee which is a great plus point as the entire model is operated via the remote, so reassurance with the tech is helpful. This is the most expensive model I tested, and it packs a lot in to its stylish design. If you’re looking to invest in an air purifier that can give you all the information and a break down of the air quality in your space this is a great model – and that in itself can be costly. The fact that this model includes that with a stylish, bladeless tower fan to cool your room effortlessly and quietly helps to justify its price tag. However, there are other models available that can offer similar features without the hefty price tag. If the air purification and its comprehensive analysis is an important feature to combine with a cooling fan for you, this could fan could be the one for you!
SmartAir bladeless fan, cool and purify oscillating tower fan
Score 16/20
Pros
- 12 Speed settings
- Timer function
- Quiet
Cons
- Requires 1m clearance all around the fan
This is a great tower fan for being able to customise your air cooling and purifying needs, the array of features allows the fan to tackle different sized rooms, temperature, air quality and personal requirements effortlessly with the press of a button.
What's in the box
Once I’d got the filters into position, which was a little tricky as one of the clips to release the panel was stiff, the instruction’s quick start guide had us up and running.
Our first stumbling block was that the fan needs to be positioned with a minimum of 1 metre of clear space all around, fortunately I had the space in my living room but it did mean that it protruded into the room using up floor space where the kids play. The fan measures 109cm tall, and when placed further out from the wall with kids running around made it a bit vulnerable. I’d prefer to position a tower fan nearer a wall or in the corner for it to more discreet and less intrusive, and in our bedroom there just wasn’t the space to position it with the clearance required without it being in the way, so the 1 metre clearance space was a downside for me.
The SmartAir bladeless fan is the heaviest I tested, so not easily portable if you wanted to move it around throughout the day. It’s awkward to carry due to the weight and height, so once you have it in position its best left where it is!
Are there many features?
This tower fan is packed with tech features to make it a useful addition to your home. It has a whopping 12 speed settings and it oscillates at 30, 60 or 120 degrees so I could tailor it exactly to our needs and the space.
Among the settings are a night and baby mode, night mode is quieter offering 3 fan speeds, while two speeds are available on the baby mode which are nice and quiet. A particularly clever feature is the SmartAir setting, which senses when it’s hot and the fan will increase its speed and volume, then once it’s cooler the speed and volume will decrease – I thought the was a great feature that saved me time and effort changing the fan to suit the temperature.
The clever timer function is another handy addition, I could set it for how long I wanted the fan on for, but also how long I wanted before I needed it to start up - this could be particularly handy on a hot summer’s day where you can plan your time.
The display on the top highlights the functions you have in use so you can keep track of the settings. But the remote allows you to operate the fan from a distance with ease – I also loved the magnetic space at the bottom of the fan’s loop where I could store the remote, a handy design touch.
Just above the model’s filters there are two bands which can omit a cool blue light, which add to the fan’s sleek design.
This tower fan also incorporates an air purifier - using dual filtration and a HEPA filter it claims to remove over 99% of particles from the air and the ioniser sterilises the air for cleaner living. However, this model doesn’t show you updates on the quality of your air, but if you are affected by allergies I’m sure you’d notice the benefit of these features.
Will it keep you cool?
This is a great tower fan for being able to customise your air cooling and purifying needs, the array of features allows the fan to tackle different sized rooms, temperature, air quality and personal requirements effortlessly with the press of a button.
Despite the 12 speed settings I found it to be one of the quietest tower fans, making it ideal for use in the bedroom or a child’s room, providing you have the clearance space.
The air flows out, in one direction, from the two vertical sides of the loop and was extremely powerful at the higher speed settings making it an efficient way to keep us cool, even in larger rooms.
Should you buy it?
At the upper end of the budget of the fans I tested, this tower fan is packed with tech to be super efficient, helping to make life easier with different modes, speeds, timers and an air purifier too. I personally found it a little too pricey, plus the 1m clearance required for its positioning was just too restrictive in an average room, and impossible for use in my bedroom which was disappointing as it was among the quietest and more powerful fans I tested. In the right space this fan could be highly beneficial, just be mindful of its drawbacks before you take the plunge to invest.
- Buy now from Amazon, £249
Draper Tools 230V tower fan
Score 15/20
Pros
- Carry handle
- Timer function
- Remote
Cons
- Noisy
I did find the fan to be noisy in general - the fan’s highest speed and the button beeps - so bear this in mind when making your fan choice too.
What's in the box
Once I’d unpackaged the tower fan from the box, I needed a cross head screw driver to fix the two semi-circular plastic pieces to the bottom of the tower to become its stand and base. While the pieces are only plastic it supported the unit well.
Built into this fan’s sleek black design is a carry handle on the top, so I could easily pick the unit up to reposition it. It’s fairly lightweight so it didn’t require too much effort to move it around. The fan is operated by mains power via a 160cm cable and I didn’t have a problem finding a socket and the ideal place to position it to have it be most effective for us.
Are there many features?
The Draper tower fan has three speed settings and also a night mode which then gives a different style of breeze to keep you cool. At the top of the unit there is a display that uses red LED lights to highlight the functions it’s currently operating to. For convenience, the fan comes with a remote control which allowed me to set it to oscillate, place it on timer mode, adjust the fan speed, select night or day time mode and also switch it off completely - a handy addition if using it in the bedroom.
The addition of the carry handle that’s built in to this fan’s smart, black design makes this a great, portable model. Three varying fan speeds and the oscillating function makes this a versatile model, while the timer boasts the ability to program it to stay on from a range of 30 minutes right up to 7.5 hours, giving great flexibility too.
A stylish, black design embodies this fan, as well as being slimline and light weight – which I found made it blend into our room easily and seamlessly.
Will it keep you cool?
This fan does what it says, cooling while being flexible and offering features to help make life easy. While there are only three settings, I thought they were each powerful and omitted a strong wind to cool the room quickly and effectively. It’s only let down was the noise level, particularly on the highest fan speed I felt it was loud and distracting – not something I could sleep alongside.
I also noticed the loud beeps the machine makes when you press the buttons to alter speed, mode, movement or timer - whether using the remote or touching the buttons on the screen direct, each press resulted in a loud beep. I found this to be rather annoying after using this for only a short while - even in night mode the buttons beeped, which were definitely loud enough to wake someone up if placed in a bedroom.
The night mode breeze was also a little distracting. When placed on this mode, the tower fan emits an intermittent breeze, briefly stopping around every 10 seconds before starting again. I found this to be more of a distraction than a relaxing comfort. I personally prefer a constant noise, almost to act like white noise, from a device like this when I sleep.
Should you buy it?
For a larger, room cooling tower fan I thought this was good value. The three powerful speed settings, oscillating function and timer make it good value for money, Draper Tools also offer a 12 month warranty for peace of mind too.
However, if you’re after a tower fan that can be used at night time then be weary of the intermittent breeze style on this quieter setting - while the breeze strength was good for sleeping I found the on/off wind style more irritating, especially with the fan in oscillating mode meaning you could miss out on the breeze as it moved passed. But this is also down to personal preference, and some may find the gentler wave of air more relaxing to sleep to - it just wasn’t for me! I did also find the fan to be noisy in general - the fan’s highest speed and the button beeps - so bear this in mind when making your fan choice too.
Honeywell QuietSet fan HTF210BE
Score 15/20
Pros
- Good personal cooling
- Handy auto-off function
- Small size
- Low price tag
- 3-year guarantee
Cons
- Despite its name, this isn’t the quietest fan we’ve tested
- There are better looking fans on the market, though they do come with a higher price tag
This mini tower fan is simple to set up as you just plug-in and go.
What's in the box
There’s no remote control but the panel on the front of the fan is intuitive and easy to use, allowing you to switch between the four cooling levels – Power Cool, Refresh, White Noise or Sleep and set the Auto-off timer, which is pre-set to either two, four or eight hours. There’s a set of easy-to-follow instructions in the box too.
Are there many features?
Small, compact and very lightweight at less than 1kg, the Honeywell QuietSet HTF210BE is a personal fan designed to sit on a desk or bedside table and has a carry handle so it can be moved around with ease. The fan has an unfussy design in black plastic and, as it’s mains operated, you’ll need access to a socket but it has a decent cable length of 1.5m.
There are four cooling levels, from a gentle Sleep mode to Power Cool for the hottest days and it has a horizontal oscillating motion. There’s also a handy Auto-off timer which is pre-set to turn off in two, four or eight hours so you can set the fan to go to sleep when you do.
Duux whisper fan speed 1 to 26
Will it keep you cool?
Testing this fan on a warm but not boiling hot day, I ramped up the central heating to max and heated my loft bedroom to an uncomfortable temperature which felt comparable to last year’s mini heatwave! I positioned the Honeywell QuietSet on my desk and thankfully the cooling effect was excellent, with the highest Power Cool setting easily able to cool me to at a comfortable temperature while sitting in my very stuffy room.
The oscillating motion also meant that the fan was able to cool a wider area. This setting is pretty quiet compared with some fans but it’s not silent, so if you are noise sensitive there are other (usually pricier) options which can offer a quieter cooling experience. And, if you’re looking to cool the whole room rather than just yourself, look for a larger option with more power.
The other three cooling settings are steadily quieter as you decrease the fan speed and give a gentle breeze, enough to keep you cool on a warm day, with the Sleep setting creating a steady hum that wasn’t silent but one I was able to fall asleep to. I liked the auto-off setting at night, as a way to help save money and energy by turning the fan off once the room was naturally cooler, but I would have also liked a remote control for added flexibility.
As a tower fan, this is a safe option if you have young children as there are no blades to worry about if this is picked up or accidentally knocked. Design-wise, this is an entry-level fan so the design is functional and lightweight rather than super stylish, but as an affordable desk or table fan it is a decent option that will do a good job of keeping you cool this summer.
Should you buy it?
This is an affordable tower fan, offering good value for money for an effective fan with some useful features, plus it has a three-year guarantee for peace of mind.
FAQs
Which is the best tower fan?
Choosing the best tower fan often comes down to size and features, and this will vary depending on your personal requirements. The larger the fan, the better the air flow and the quicker it can cool your space. But if you have a smaller space to cool you won’t need a tower fan that feels like a sky scraper in the corner of your room! A mini, desk tower fan could be the ideal solution for a work space or small bedroom set up.
Noise levels are often one of the most important factors on a tower fan – often used throughout the night in the summer months, no one wants a noisy fan distracting them from their slumber. Look out for bladeless tower fans as they tend to offer the quieter solutions.
Common functions also include oscillating tower fans and timer settings, allowing you to set the fan to cool an entire room effectively and safely too.
Positioning of tower fans is another key consideration, some require a specific clearance space around the device, so make sure you can accommodate this before you buy. The length of the power cable can often be an issue - no one wants extension leads or power cables trailing around the room to ensure their fan is in the optimum position, so planning your space first could save you hassle later.
