I’m glad I had this powerful and silent fan ready to go for this week’s unnaturally hot weather

It reached 26 degrees in some parts of the UK this week. 26 degrees? In April? Madness. And while it would usually be another couple of months before I dive into the back of a cupboard to retrieve a fan, I’ve already cleared a path to a purchase I made that’s really come in clutch the last couple of days.

After getting fed up with a series of loud, clunky, and inefficient fans over the years, I decided to invest in the Shark FlexBreeze Fan last summer. After a hot couple of days and some slightly uncomfortable nights, I’m so glad I’ve had it to keep cool, as it solves all the problems I had with other cheap fans.

Let’s run through the positives. Mainly, it’s powerful and quiet. Even on a low to medium setting, it blasts out enough cool air to have an immediate impact. And because it’s so quiet, I have no problem leaving it on overnight, where other fans might whir or click and disrupt my sleep more than the heat.

I’ve found that the portability is a huge plus, too. You can use it as a standard tower fan, either plugged into the mains or go cordless for up to 24 hours. You can also take the main fan off the base and set it on a desk, side table, countertop, or wherever you need if space is tight.

Yes, it’s more of an investment than some fans, but I think the price is worth it compared to cheap fans that might break down and need replacing every year. Handily, it’s also on sale right now, so you can save a good chunk of money off the full pedestal version, or pick up just the more portable fan head for a record-low price.

With the classic rush for fans in the hotter summer months, I think now’s a smart time to buy.