These are the best tower fans to buy now
When the mercury rises, a good fan is vital. And given how quickly they sell out, it's always worth picking one up in advance. That way, it's ready and waiting to provide you with much-needed relief when the heatwave arrives. Plus, for those who run hot, they can be a year-round essential.
That’s why we put the best tower fans to the test at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Keep scrolling to find our favourite buys to keep you comfortable.
If you're in a hurry and after a good value buy, look no further than the Igenix DF0030 which costs £32.99 and scored 82/100.
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 the thermometer rises (for when switching to your summer duvet is not enough.
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 – any more and our tester found the differences between them negligible.
Modes
Many fans offer different breeze styles, allowing you to adjust the feel of the air. For example, 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 a key one to look out for as it sets the fan to operate at a quieter volume, and sometimes dims the display, limiting any disruption to your sleep.
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 several 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 you can easily move around the house. If it’s going to stay in one place, a heavier one should be fine, but opt for a lightweight 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 purification
Not all fans do this, but some, including every Dyson and the SmartAir, 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. Most would set you back about 1p an hour running on their highest setting, based on an electricity rate of 25p per kilowatt.
Even the least energy-efficient – the Princess Smart Air Cooler – wasn't much more expensive, averaging about 2p 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 (apart from this Princess model, which houses a water tank), 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 tips will help boost its ability 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 measure each fan’s noise levels to find the quietest models for dozing off to, as well as its energy efficiency to find out how affordable it is 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 kept at 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 best fans we’ll be turning to when we need to keep our cool.
Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde
Score: 93/100
Dyson’s latest fan has claimed our top spot thanks to its outstanding range of air speeds, which helped our testers feel comfortable in hot conditions. They found it easy to use, and praised the versatile design that also acts as an air purifier and humidifier – an effective feature on test, which will come in handy if you find fans quite drying.
While its top setting was fairly noisy, its night mode means you can still enjoy a quiet sleep. It wasn’t too pricey to run either and it has an intuitive accompanying app. It is an investment buy, but Dyson’s trademark good looks mean it should fit sleekly into your home, ready to help keep you cool whenever called upon.
Cool+ Purify Bladeless Tower Fan
Score: 92/100
Our (joint) runner-up 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 the integrated smart tech adjusts the air flow according to 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.
Classic Tower Fan
Score: 92/100
As soon as our testers turned this powerful fan on, they noticed an improvement in their comfort levels. It has 12 air speeds, with notable differences between each. Testers said they were all relatively quiet, too.
While this fan was one of the better models we’ve tried, it boasts a more modest price tag than many, making it a standout value buy. It wasn’t the most stable, and its 90 degrees of oscillation is on the narrower end. Our experts would have liked a longer power cable, too. But this economical fan has a remote control, a clear LED display and an intuitive design (complete with detailed instructions).
HEPA Cool Formaldehyde TP09 Purifying Fan
Score: 89/100
Drumroll please, there’s another Dyson on the podium. This sleek fan is similar in design and functionality to our winner, just without the humidifying function. As a result, it costs less (although unsurprisingly it does come at a premium).
This is still an investment in quality though – it has 10 air speeds, several modes including a night one, and 350 degrees of oscillation, so you can enjoy a comforting breeze wherever you’re sat. Our panel enjoyed using it too. Even though some trial and error was required to find the right settings, they said there was lots of choice and it notably cooled them down.
It’s easy to connect to the app if you want to control it via your phone, and it comes with a remote. Lovely stuff.
Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde Purifying Fan Heater
Score: 86/100
This will keep your home environment just right all year round as it also doubles as a heater (read what we thought of its warming capabilities here.) As a fan, testers rated its adjustable oscillation, which goes up to a whopping 350 degrees and means it can reach multiple people dotted around the same room.
Testers found its selection of air speeds improved their comfort nicely and it was generally quiet too, although not on its highest setting.
Its controls are intuitive with a responsive magnetic remote that can attach to the fan’s body for safe keeping and a clear digital display. You can even monitor your air quality and control it from your phone with the My Dyson app. While pricey, it’s the most versatile buy on our list.
Airmax 3400 Oscillating Tower Fan
Score: 86/100
It’s little surprise that sleep expert Silentnight has produced a fan that would fit right in to any bedroom. Testers found it quiet to run, not going above 50 decibels on test, even when we tried its top setting. It’s relatively discreet and has a dedicated sleep mode, which is why it's a good pick for hot nights.
It was simple to use too, with a clear LED display and a timer that extends to nine hours. They recorded a good difference between its lowest and highest air speeds, and when positioned nearby, it improved their comfort in a hot room. It only oscillates at 90 degrees, and there aren’t as many speeds (four) as some, but with three additional modes (including a breeze one), there should be enough variety to tailor it to your liking.
Purifier Cool Auto React
Score: 85/100
One of our go-to brands for vacuums, it’s not surprising that Dyson claimed several top spots in our line up. This dedicated fan (and purifier) 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.
Like its hot and cold counterpart, it has 350 degrees of oscillation, which is also adjustable. What’s more, it achieved full marks on our decibel test, proving no louder than our testing room’s background noise.
It’s still 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.
Air Pro Bladeless Tower Fan (Heater & Cooler)
Score: 84/100
While similar in style and function to the bladeless fans that took the podium spots in our test, this one cashes in at a more affordable £170. It has 10 speed settings, giving you great variation in air flow, and a timer that lasts up to nine hours, so you can enjoy it all night should you wish. Testers also found it quiet and economical to run.
It doesn’t have the biggest oscillation range, but you can angle the head, making it a good buy for home offices. It also has heating features for winter, but there’s no app control.
Smart Air Cooler
Score: 83/100
Thanks to a built-in water tank and accompanying ice packs, this clever gadget from Princess actually does cool the air it circulates. When full, the water tank does make the otherwise portable fan trickier to move, but it lasted a long time (only half the tank was used over four hours), and it quickly helped bring down our testers’ body temperatures. Note, it won’t cool the whole room; you’d need air conditioning for that.
Like Princess’ traditional tower fan below, this connects to a user-friendly app and is compatible with voice control. It also feels sturdy and has a good range of air strengths. It's not tall though, and it only oscillates 50 degrees, meaning it works best when positioned nearby and directed at one or two people.
It wasn’t the quietest fan we tested, but if you’re not a light sleeper then it shouldn’t disturb. It also used more electricity than most (2p when running for one hour on high), but this isn’t too surprising given its additional functionality. It’s undoubtedly one to turn to in a heatwave.
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. Overall, though basic, it’s easy to use and reliably boosted our panel’s comfort.
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 can change settings even if you're in a different room. 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 models we tested, this was also the quietest on high.
It used more energy than most, though it 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.
Ion Fresh Cooling Tower Fan
Score: 79/100
The clear 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 also 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 testers liked its digital room temperature display.
DF0038 WiFi/Alexa Tower Fan
Score: 78/100
This model's slimline design will help if you're after a precise air flow directed toward just one person. 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, 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.
£109.00 at applianceworldonline.com
Tower Fan 32 Inch
Score: 73/100
If you want a fan you can easily move about the house, this lightweight model (the lightest we tested) makes 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 little 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 £35.
The verdict on tower fans
You’ll see a lot of Dysons on our list, but which is the best one for you? Ultimately, it depends on the range of functionality you’d like, but the best performer in our lab was the Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde.
Our runner-up, the SmartAir Cool+ Purify Bladeless Tower Fan. is a great buy if you're looking to spend less, but still want a fan that will connect to your phone.
Finally, if you’re in need of a last-minute affordable heatwave helper, let us point you in the direction of the Silentnight Airmax 3400 Oscillating Tower Fan (£45), or the Igenix DF0030 Oscillating Tower Fan (£33).
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
We’ve been testing products for 100 years at the GHI, so our experts know how to create rigorous protocols that will truly measure whether products match up with their claims.
Fans are no exception. Our homes testing manager Blossom Boothroyd looks after this category, making sure we thoroughly analyse and review each model to find the ones that will improve your comfort the most when the weather heats up.
Hannah Mendelsohn, our homes editor, is always on the lookout for new fans for us to test, and makes sure that the reviews are written in a way that will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision.
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