British summers can be temperamental, but when the mercury rises, a good fan can be an essential. Given how quickly they sell out, it's worth investing in a good one before the first heatwave hits.
That's why the Good Housekeeping Institute has put the best tower fans to the test. These are their favourite buys to keep you comfortable all summer long:
What should I look for in a tower fan?
Tower fans work by blowing air over your skin, making living, working and sleeping more comfortable when temperatures are high.
Here's everything worth considering before you part with your cash:
Settings
The more settings, the greater control you'll have over the fan's air flow. Look for a minimum of three – many more and our testers found the differences between them negligible.
Modes
Many fans offer different breeze styles, allowing you to adjust the feel of the air. For example, our winning fan – the SmartAir Cool+ Purify Bladeless Tower Fan – has four different modes on top of its air settings, including a day mode and a night mode. The latter is the main mode to look for as it sets the fan to operate at a quieter volume, limiting any disruption to your sleep, and sometimes dims the display.
Oscillation
All the fans on our list rotate to some extent, but the models with greater ranges of motion can help improve the comfort of more people at once. For a living room, try the Dyson Purifier Cool Auto React, which rotates just shy of 360 degrees.
Weight
Keep this in mind if you're after a fan that you can easily move around the house. If it's going to stay in one place, a heavy one should be fine, but choose a lighter model if you'll be carrying it between rooms every day.
Smart capabilities
Want a fan that ties in with the rest of your smart tech? Look for a WiFi and voice control-enabled model that can be operated remotely or from another room in the house. Our tester found app control particularly helpful – no more struggling to get the remote to connect if you're not sitting right next to the fan.
Air purifiers
Not all fans do this, but some like the SmartAir and the Dyson also help to clean the air they're distributing. Some have filters that trap pollutants, while the Dimplex Ion Fresh Cooling Tower Fan freshens air around it by emitting neutralising ions.
Do fans use a lot of electricity?
We measured how much electricity each fan used and were pleasantly surprised with the results; they all proved inexpensive to run. The most energy efficient – the Igenix DF0038 WiFi/Alexa Tower Fan – would set you back just 1.2p an hour on average, based on electricity at a cost of 28p per kilowatt.
Even the least energy-efficient – the Princess Smart WiFi/Alexa Tower Fan – wasn't much more expensive, averaging about 3p an hour.
These costs will obviously add up if you run your fan for hours on end. But if you're after one for occasional use, none of the models on our list should add much to your energy bill.
Note that fans don't generate cool air, so limit their usage to when you're in the room and can feel the benefits. To get the most comfort from your fan, these GHI-approved tips will help you encourage it to circulate cooler air.
How we test fans
To test tower fans, we assess the control and comfort offered by each model.
Firstly, we consider its power, looking at the strength of each setting and the difference between them. To do this we use an anemometer to understand how much air it blows, measured in feet per minute. The greater the range of speeds and the wider the difference between them, the more you can adjust the fan to suit you.
We also measure each fan's noise levels to find the quietest for dozing off to, its energy efficiency to identify the most affordable to run, and its oscillation range to see how well the fan distributes air around a room.
Lastly, a panel of testers sit in a room of over 30 degrees with each fan for half an hour and assess how comfortable it makes them (yes, really!). Every model is then scored according to its performance, ease of use, design and product information.
These are the fans we'll be turning to this summer:
1
Best tower fan
SmartAir Cool+ Purify bladeless tower fan
Score: 92/100
Our winning fan is a strong all-rounder. With 12 air speeds, it can provide everything from a gentle breeze to a strong flow. It has a broad range of movement too, oscillating at up to 130 degrees to cover multiple people at once, or adjustable downwards if it's only catering to you. As a result, our testers found it successfully increased their comfort levels.
It's intuitive to use and smart tech adjusts the air flow in accordance with the room temperature. While bulky, it is one of the quietest fans we tested, making it suitable for night-time use. It doubles up as an air purifier, too. Note, you'll have to buy a warranty separately.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 12
Night mode: Yes
Dimensions: W25 x D25 x H109 cm
Weight: 10.3kg
WiFi connectivity: No
Remote control: Yes
2
Quietest and best oscillating tower fan
Dyson Purifier Cool Auto React
Score: 85/100
One of our go-to brands for vacuums, it's not surprising that this Dyson impressed. The air purifying fan was easy to set up and its controls were responsive; rather than lagging, it turns on instantly with the remote. It's moveable too, thanks to a lightweight yet stable design.
It has the widest range of movement of any fan we tested, with a whopping 350 degrees of oscillation. This is adjustable, too. What's more, it achieved full marks on our decibel test, proving no louder than our testing room's background noise.
It's certainly expensive, but it's economical to run and boasts 10 air speeds, as well as a night mode. Our panel declared its mid-way settings the most comfortable.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 10
Night mode: Yes
Dimensions: W20.4 x D12 x H105 cm
Weight: 4.99kg
WiFi connectivity: No
Remote control: Yes
3
Best budget tower fan
Igenix DF0030
Score: 82/100
Not sure about splashing out on something you may only need in the odd heatwave? Then this more affordable design is our pick. It boasts a higher maximum wind power than our two winners but only offers three speeds, so you don't have as much control.
It has a good range of movement and a 1.8-metre cable for maximum manoeuvrability. It's on the noisy side though, and it doesn't have a night mode or remote. Though basic, it's easy to use and reliably boosted our panel's comfort.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 3
Night mode: No
Dimensions: W24 x D24 x H76 cm
Weight: 3.44kg
WiFi connectivity: No
Remote control: No
4
Most powerful tower fan
John Lewis & Partners 30-inch black and white tower fan
John Lewis & Partners
£50.00
Score: 82/100
If you want to turn your home into a wind tunnel, this is the fan for you. This tower fan had the highest air speed of all the fans we tested, blasting out air at a rate of over 800 feet per minute. Unsurprisingly at that level, things got noisy, but fear not, its lowest setting would be quiet enough for bed-time.
It's straightforward to set-up and use and its remote allows you to control it from a distance. Its 90 degrees of oscillation should give you ample coverage and it’s easy to move around the house, thanks to a well-placed handle.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 3
Night mode: Yes
Dimensions: W24 x D17.5 x H80.3 cm
Weight: 3.8kg
WiFi connectivity: No
Remote control: Yes
5
Best smart tower fan
Princess Smart WiFi/Alexa tower fan
Score: 81/100
You can control this fan via its accompanying app, voice command or a traditional remote. Its instructions are clear, as is the app, which our tester connected in less than two minutes. It works from different rooms, and we found the voice activation effective too.
The buttons on the fan could be more responsive, but we were impressed with the noticeable differences between the three air flow settings. Of the fans we tested, this was the quietest on high.
It used the most energy, though still wouldn't be too costly to run, and we found it didn't quite rotate the 80 degrees it claimed. For its smart capabilities, though, it makes a nifty home addition.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 3
Night mode: Yes
Dimensions: W32 x D32 x H103 cm
Weight: 5.4kg
WiFi connectivity: Yes
Remote control: Yes
6
Easiest tower fan to use
Dimplex Ion Fresh cooling tower fan
Score: 79/100
Instructions complete with text and images make this fan a breeze to set up and use. It's well-made with thoughtful design details, including the option to tilt the body of the fan, offering extra control over the direction of air. Its highest setting was notably strong and quiet too.
Surprisingly, its lowest setting wasn't that energy efficient, but its night mode will come in handy if you're after versatility. Ion technology also sets it apart; by generating ions, it freshens the air in your room.
It's not the most stable of units, and it had a smaller oscillation capacity at 70 degrees, but we liked its digital room temperature display.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 3
Night mode: Yes
Dimensions: W31.1x D31.1 x H107 cm
Weight: 5.6kg
WiFi connectivity: No
Remote control: Yes
7
Most energy efficient tower fan
Igenix DF0038 WiFi/Alexa tower fan
Score: 78/100
Using an average of 0.044 kilowatts per hour, this was the most energy efficient fan we tested and would be the cheapest to run. It has built-in WiFi and voice control, but while we found the set-up instructions detailed, getting started on the app was awkward at first. Once connected, it was intuitive to use, with the fan responding well to our instruction. The remote was similarly effective.
Its low setting was barely audible, but its high air speed was the loudest on test. It has a sleep mode and it's slimline, which helps with precise air flow, but it has the smallest range of oscillation at just 53 degrees. It was a tad wobbly, too, so mind you don't knock the base.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 8
Night mode: Yes
Dimensions: W29 x D29 x H96 cm
Weight: 4.7kg
WiFi connectivity: Yes
Remote control: Yes
8
Best basic tower fan
Dunelm 42-inch digital tower fan with remote
Score: 77/100
Sometimes simple is all you need, and this basic fan has a lot to recommend it; it's easy to use and assemble, easy to position and easy to control, with three different air speeds. We measured its rotation at 77 degrees, and its height also contributed to its comforting distribution of air.
It proved energy-efficient, even on its highest setting, but it wasn't as well-made as some other models we tested. Its buttons, on both the unit and the remote, were stiff and not that responsive. It felt somewhat flimsy too. It's fuss-free, but it does its job at a reasonable price.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 3
Night mode: No
Dimensions: W26 x D26 x H105 cm
Weight: Unspecified
WiFi connectivity: No
Remote control: Yes
9
Best tower fan for manoeuvrability
Beldray 32-inch tower fan
Score: 73/100
If you want a fan you can easily move about the house, this lightweight model (the lightest we tested) will make a good choice. Its well-placed handle gives you something reliable to grip, and its 1.5-metre cable means even sparse plug sockets won't pose a problem.
It was easy to set up, but attaching its base was a tad fiddly. Again, this isn't a premium design, wobbling if knocked, and it only distributed a narrow stream of air. That said, it was quiet even on its highest setting, and our testers were impressed with how comfortable it made them for under £30.
Key specifications
Air speeds: 3
Night mode: Yes
Dimensions: W24 x D24 x H81 cm
Weight: 3.1kg
WiFi connectivity: No
Remote control: No
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