Fan technology has made huge leaps in recent years, with more powerful and quieter motors, misting attachments, and AI-powered person-tracking all promising to keep you extra cool when the weather warms up. But which fans actually deliver, and actually keep you feeling refreshed on sticky summer days?
We test dozens of new fans every year on TechRadar, and to help you pick the best one for you, I’ve rounded up the five that have really impressed me over the first half of this year, from brands including Shark, Dyson, and Dreo.
Dyson HushJet Mini Cool
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Release date: April 2026
Score: 5/5
It’s a lot pricier than your average handheld fan, but the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is also a lot more powerful, and unlike flimsy plastic devices, it’s built to keep you cool for many summers to come. Despite its small size, the HushJet Mini really packs a punch, even on its lowest setting, and the highest options feel like a cold hairdryer blowing in your face. It’s comfortable to hold, can stand on its end for use as a desk fan, and comes with a strap that lets you wear it around your neck. You can twist the angled nozzle to aim the airflow directly at your face and neck for quick relief on sweaty days.
Dyson claims battery life of up to six hours, but in my tests it continued running for almost exactly six and a half, which is impressive for such a compact device that shifts a lot of air even on its lowest setting. It’s not quite as quiet as the Shark ChillPill below, despite Dyson’s HushJet nozzle, but that’s understandable considering it’s basically a portable tornado.
Shark ChillPill
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Release date: March 2026
Score: 4.5/5
Another excellent handheld fan, the Shark ChillPill has a unique twisting design that lets you place it on a desk and angle the airflow at your face, plus three different cooling attachments: a regular fan, a misting fan (with a small reservoir for water), and a metal cooling plate that you can press against pulse points. The misting feature is my personal favorite, with continual and intermittent options — the spray is fine enough to evaporate on contact so it won’t make your hair and clothes wet.
It loses half a star compared to the Dyson fan due to its higher price tag and less powerful motor — the ChillPill can reach up to 25,000rpm, while the HushJet Mini Cool can reach 65,000rpm — but the Shark is quieter. During my tests it ranged from 46dB on its lowest setting through to 67dB on the highest, making it a more discreet option in public.
MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in Table Air Circulator
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Release date: May 2026
Score: 4.5/5
Air circulators are designed to move a large volume of air around a room rather than direct a focused stream in your direction, and the 10-inch version of the MecoFan Sefte Pro does this extremely well. You can run it directly from the mains, or from its rechargeable battery, so you can carry it around the house with you. This works particularly well when paired with the Sefte Pro’s Eco mode, which adjusts the air circulator’s power depending on the temperature.
I used the MeacoFan Sefte Pro during the last heatwave, and it was a real life-saver at night. Its sleep mode is almost silent, and its remote control means you don’t need to get out of bed to activate it, and it’s also available as a pedestal fan if you prefer. The biggest drawback is that it’s not currently available outside Europe.
Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S
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Released April 2026
Score: 4/5
The Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S is another fan that keeps you extra cool with a super-fine spray of water, and our reviewer Harry Padoan said that “it added a nice degree of coolness without making any mess or feeling too intense”. The 1.3-liter tank is large enough to keep misting for hours on end, and it’s easy to switch to fan-only mode once you’ve had enough.
It’s very reasonably priced too, coming in at $99.99 / £99.99 (about AU$140). That’s not bad at all for a misting fan with app controls, and compatibility with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, so you can operate it using voice commands.
Its lowest mode is quiet enough to avoid disturbing your sleep, though Harry found the turbo option loud enough to break his concentration, so it’s best reserved for exceptionally sticky days when you want to just slump on a chair and do nothing.
Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool
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Release date: June 2026:
Score: 4.5/5
As you can guess from the name, this fan’s key selling point is its ability to detect motion and follow you around the room, so you’re never beyond range of its refreshing jet of air, even when you’re doing chores, working out, or pottering about the kitchen — all of which are usually extremely unpleasant in hot weather. Paired with its extra-wide range of motion, this could make it the only fan you need.
It has Dyson’s signature bladeless design, and our reviewer John McCann said it “delivers smooth air flow that feels like a natural breeze moving through your home, rather than the harsh buffeting you get from some other propeller and tower fans.” It’s extremely quiet at night (dropping to as low as 20dB), but delivers real cooling power as well.
It’s the most expensive fan in this roundup (indeed, it’s one of the priciest fan/air purifier combos on the market) but it’s hard to argue with its sheer performance. If you’ve got the budget to spare, it’s packed with premium features that really work. I only wish it offered vertical oscillation as well as horizontal.
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catherine.ellis@futurenet.com (Cat Ellis)
