Portable personal fans are really useful for humid summer days as well as for hot flashes during menopause or anxiety attacks. When it comes to buying your own, you need to look at a number of different factors to help you find the best one. That's where we come in! Whether you're looking for a small cooling fan for your work desk, a quiet one for sleeping or a wearable neck fan for travel, you're in the right place.
In this guide, we'll discuss the various types of personal fan and give you guidance on how to choose the perfect one. Then, we'll review the best products on the market from sites like Amazon and John Lewis, so you can order your very own mini handheld fan right to your door!
Quick List - Top Personal Fans
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Handheld fans are the most popular type, fitting neatly in your handbag or car door. You can take them anywhere and they can be carried in hand luggage on the plane ― perfect for summer holidays! Also, it goes without saying that they're a must-have for road trips to cool down between pitstops.
They're definitely the most user-friendly option in terms of portability and affordability, but not all of them come with a stand, so you will need to check for this if you want the option of giving your hand a rest while working or studying!
To cool down at the office, check out our superb selection of desk fans.
When you don't have any hands free to hold the fan yourself, look for a neck fan to hang over your shoulders and provide effortless cooling. This is a great solution when you're busy at work, pottering in the garden or out on a walk.
Wearable fans may feature blades but some are bladeless, with the latter being a safe option for those with longer hair! If you're looking for something to keep you cool with almost no effort involved, a neck fan will be a comfortable solution for you.
While you could use the fan to circulate room temperature air, you might prefer to buy a model with multiple settings so that you can choose whether you want the air strength to be low, medium or high. On average, fans can have two or three speeds but you'll find a few products on our list with up to five.
Be careful, though, because if the fan is running at top speed then the battery will run out much quicker. As long as you stay on top of charging it or carry a portable charger on journeys, this shouldn't be a problem and you can enjoy the luxury of a high-speed fan to keep you cool during the hot summer months.
The number of blades that your fan has will determine both its strength and noise level. For example, a fan with five or six blades is more likely to be quieter than one with two or three, which will appeal to students using public study spaces and those who work in corporate offices.
In addition to lower noise levels, a fan with many blades will create a stronger airflow to cool you down quicker. Models with more blades are therefore ideal for those who struggle with hot flashes as they'll swiftly regulate your body temperature.
While there will almost always be a cable in the box, knowing which charger your fan requires means you know what to buy if the original one does somehow get lost or damaged.
In addition, you might want to check if the fan will be compatible with your phone's USB charger. Newer Huawei phones use a USB-C charger, while Samsung phones still use a micro-USB cable. However, the cable required to charge an iPhone is much smaller and won't fit in a fan's USB slot.
If you're planning on using your fan while you're out and about, you should make sure that it has enough battery life to last multiple trips. This will save you from having to charge it every time you get home!
A fan can last from as little as one hour to as long as 26 hours, depending on the battery life, how long it's been charged for and which speed setting you have it on. As with most devices, if you use the highest setting, it's going to run out quicker.
We recommend investing in a bedroom fan or a ceiling fan to keep you cool all night.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GOAMZ Lazy Neck Fan | ![]() | Powerful, Flexible and Incredibly Affordable | |
2 | SPOLEY Mini Handheld Fan | ![]() | A Fashionable Choice for Cooling Down In Style | |
3 | HandFan Neck Fan | ![]() | A Highly Effective Air Conditioning Gadget | |
4 | TSHINY Portable Neck Fan | ![]() | Has Flexible 360º Arms and Three Speeds | |
5 | ANYDAY Handheld and Foldable Desk Fan | ![]() | Impressive Power and Includes a 2-Year Guarantee | |
6 | VersionTECH Handheld Fan | ![]() | Features LED Lights and Seven Powerful Blades | |
7 | FUNME Handheld Fan | ![]() | Cute and Easy to Use, Making It Ideal for Kids | |
8 | AMACOOL Neck Fan | ![]() | Offers Plenty of Power for a Low Price | |
9 | Ai-fangog Portable Handheld Fan | ![]() | A Versatile Fan to Hold, Wear or Use At a Desk | |
10 | Genround Handheld Fan | ![]() | A Basic, Inexpensive Handheld Fan to Get Started With |
Stay cool on the go with this hands-free neck rest fan. With three different speeds, this 7-blade fan will keep you at the perfect temperature no matter what the weather is like. It also has an aromatherapy function to keep you calm or energised at work, depending on your choice of essential oil.
This fan has a solid frame with flexible arms, which means it can double up as a desktop fan for hot summer days spent at the office. A brilliant, powerful all-rounder for a fantastic price!
Available in a variety of colours, this portable mini fan is a great buy for anyone who likes to stay stylish during summer. It doesn't just look like a perfume bottle ― it actually has an optional fragrance disc inside!
In addition to three adjustable speeds, it stands up by itself so you can either hold it to your face or leave it on a table to cool you down at restaurants. The best part? It's smaller than your phone so you can carry it in your handbag or pocket.
This adjustable wearable fan features flexible arms and a turbocharged motor for quick cooling. Providing a powerful airflow without the loud whir of a blade fan, its curved shape sits comfortably around your neck and regulates your body temperature no matter how hot the weather is.
Best of all, this gadget lasts for up to 26 hours on the lowest setting and 3.5 hours on the highest setting. That's plenty of cooling time, whether you're heading out on a long walk or simply nipping down to the local shop for an ice lolly!
Another amazing find here, with over 5,000 highly rated reviews on Amazon. Its seven blades create a strong airflow and the arms can rotate 360º so you can direct the cool breeze to wherever is most convenient.
This gadget is ideal for runs or walks and can be used at night thanks to its LED function. Choose between a single colour or an automatic colour changing light party! At less than £15, it's a total bargain that's sure to carry you through summer.
This compact handheld fan from ANYDAY has an impressive amount of power and offers 3-speed settings. It even has a fold-out stand so you can pop it onto your desk and stay cool while working at the computer.
The battery life is decent too, operating for 9 hours on low speed, 6 hours on medium speed and 4 hours on high speed. Sure, there are other options on our list that last longer, but this is a high-quality portable fan with a 2-year guarantee included.
This mini fan is great for dog walks, shopping trips and much more, thanks to its seven blades and wind reach of three metres. The best part? It lasts for up to twelve hours on the lowest setting, meaning that you can stay cool for the whole day.
With colourful lights to set the atmosphere, you can use this fan as a nightlight to keep you or the kids cool whilst you sleep through those warm August nights. It has five different speeds too, so you can choose the mode you prefer.
Want to enjoy the practicality of a standing fan with the added luxury of being able to take it everywhere? Try this gadget by FUNME, which has six powerful blades designed to cut through the warm air and cool you down instantly.
With three modes to choose from, you can run this fan for up to six hours ― perfect for summer road trips and festivals. The thin plastic material is a little flimsy but overall it's an easy-to-use option that's ideal for kids.
This lightweight neck fan with flexible arms is a useful aid for flushes, sweats or just general warm weather. It also charges in a few hours and has a decent battery life considering the price. It's available to buy in black or pink too, so take your pick and enjoy the four powerful levels of air circulation that this fan has to offer.
It has been noted that there's very little protection between the fans and the open air, with large gaps for hair to get wrapped up and tangled in. While it's a powerful fan, it might be a risky purchase for anyone with long hair!
Stand this versatile fan up on your desk, hold it while you're out and about or even wear it ― it's super lightweight so you'll be able to take it anywhere with ease. Running with extremely low noise, this fan is also ideal for anyone with an office job or for students who want to stay cool in the library.
One downside of this gadget is that it has a pretty weak airflow, as a few reviewers point out. As a result, it may not solve the problem for those struggling with hot flushes or who needs cooling down sufficiently on a very hot day.
With plenty of good reviews and a high overall rating on Amazon, you can be sure this handheld fan will do the job. It charges with a micro-USB cable so Android phone users can rest easy as you'll always have a suitable charger to hand.
The fan's battery runs out after three hours which is a bit disappointing, especially for people on the go who don't have time to charge it every few hours. That said, it's a quick and cheap solution for shorter trips.
Written and researched by Annie Speight
No. 1: GOAMZ|Lazy Neck Fan
No. 2: SPOLEY|Mini Handheld Fan
No. 3: HandFan|Neck Fan
No. 4: TSHINY|Portable Neck Fan
No. 5: ANYDAY|Handheld and Foldable Desk Fan
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