14 best tower fans to keep you cool this summer, tested by experts

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.

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.

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).

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.

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 in our best electric heater review.) 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Score: 82/100

If you want to turn your home into a wind tunnel, this is the fan for you. It had the highest air speed of all the models we tested, blasting out air at a rate of over 800 feet per minute. Unsurprisingly at that level, things got noisy, but fear not, its lowest setting would be quiet enough for bed-time.

It’s straightforward to set-up and use and its remote allows you to control it from a distance. Its 90 degrees of oscillation should give you ample coverage and it’s easy to move around the house, thanks to a well-placed handle.

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.

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.

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.

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.