Best fan 2025: Our tried and tested roundup of the best fans for your desk, bedroom and more

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While the UK isn’t known for its hot weather, we’ve been experiencing more heatwaves over recent years, making a good fan an essential piece of kit for your home. Whether you need a fan for your desk, office, living room, kitchen or even outdoors, our tried and tested list of the best fans has something for everyone.

We’ve put a number of brands through their paces including big names like Shark, Meaco and John Lewis. Even if a brand isn’t popular, we’ll still give it a chance because sometimes lesser known brands end up being some of the top performers.

If you’re in a hurry, we’ve listed our favourites and what they’re best for below. Otherwise, read on for individual reviews of the best fans to buy right now.

Best fans at a glance:

• Best overall fan: MeacoFan 1056P air circulator
• Best fan for sleeping: Duux Whisper Flex 2
• Best desk and office fan: MeacoFan Sefte 10
• Best value pedestal fan: Beldray 16in pedestal fan
• Best handheld fan: John Lewis handheld fan
• Prestige pick: Shark TurboBlade bladeless fan

How we test

We put every product we review through its paces with a series of tests that consider performance, design, features, ease of use and value. For fans, this includes testing wind speed, noise levels, special settings (like night mode) and more.

Our aim is to find you the best fan for your specific needs. So whether you're looking for the most powerful, the quietest or one that looks great in your home, we've got you covered with our rigorous testing practices.

Just a few of the fans we tested for our roundup - not all made the cut

Why trust us

Our reviews experts have been testing home and gardens products for years. With over two decades of experience between them, you can be sure you're in good hands when it comes to product recommendations. All of our reviews are unbiased and are not influenced in any way by brands. 

Read more about how we test and why you can trust us. 

The best fans to buy in 2025 

1. Best overall fan: MeacoFan 1056P pedestal air circulator

2. Best fan for sleeping: Duux Whisper Flex 2

3. Best desk and office fan: MeacoFan Sefte 10

4. Best value pedestal fan: Beldray 16in pedestal

5. Best handheld fan: John Lewis handheld fan

6. Prestige pick: Shark TurboBlade bladeless cooling fan

Verdict

For the perfect balance between value and performance, my recommendation is the Meaco 1056P. It’s quiet on low modes, powerful enough and is height adjustable. It performed admirably in my tests and while it will set you back over £100, I think it’s well worth it if you need something long term.

Those looking for a cheap and cheerful option should turn to Beldray. This fan is super basic but is incredibly powerful, making it good for the hottest days of the year. Just be aware it requires a fair bit of assembly.

Sometimes the simplest fans are the best ones

FAQs

Are fans expensive to run?

Fans are generally very cheap to run, especially compared with other ways of keeping cool. 

A standard desk or pedestal fan will use as little as 20 to 50 watts of power, which can cost just a few pence an hour. For example, even if a 50W fan were left on for 10 hours straight, it would use about half a kWh of electricity, costing less than 20p depending on energy prices. 

This makes them one of the most affordable cooling options for households looking to stay comfortable during the warmer months.

My favourite handheld fans from John Lewis

Fan vs air cooler vs air conditioner

Fans simply circulate air, making a room feel fresher without lowering the actual temperature.

Air coolers use water to create a cooling effect that can drop the temperature slightly, though they work best in dry conditions and need regular refilling.

Air conditioners are the most powerful option, actively lowering the room temperature and controlling humidity, but they use much more electricity and can be expensive to run.

For UK homes where warmer months are less frequent, a fan is usually the most practical and economical choice, while an air conditioner may only be worthwhile if you struggle with heat regularly.