Best Cooling Fans To Help Beat The Heat in 2023
5 min
The weather is heating up and you’re looking at ways to keep your cool. Whether you’re renting or you own your home, fans are not only an effective way to feel more comfortable in the heat, they’re more cost and energy efficient too. While a ceiling fan costs about 2c an hour to run, aircon costs between $1.49 and $1.94 per hour – a significant saving when cost of living pressures are on the rise.
The kind of fan you choose will depend on the size of the room you hope to cool, whether you rent or own and how much you have to spend. Where possible, ask for a demonstration of the fan and its features, taking note of aspects like noise and the speed at which the air is moving. You might also take note of details like lights, which can be annoying if you’re running the fan while you sleep.
1. The Dyson Pure Cool Tower Fan, $599
This stylish looking device is a cooling fan and air purifier in one, with Air Multiplier™ technology and HEPA filter to provide a steady stream of cool, purified air. It also has an oscillation feature to help you send the air wherever you want it to go. The bladeless design also means it’s a safe option around small children and pets.
2. AirDynamic 3D™ Connect Air Circulator, $299
This compact pedestal fan stands just 36cm high and has been described as ‘small but mighty’ in reviews. With nine blades and eight speeds, it is Amazon Alexa and Google Home compatible, allowing users to control it via voice or their phone. It has automatic vertical and horizontal circulation for an even distribution of air.
3. Dimplex 50cm high velocity wall fan matte, $249
No room? No problem. This three-blade wall fan from Dimplex can be mounted wherever you need it for directional cooling air. It has three speeds and oscillation for even distribution of air and comes with a remote for ease of use.
4. DeLonghi Dual Oscillating Tower Fan, $199
There’s a reason that this fan is a best seller. Standing almost a metre tall, it has three speeds and three wind modes and has an LED display that dims automatically after a minute – ideal when you’re trying to sleep. It has dual 360 degree oscillation and can be set to one, two, four or eight hour settings if desired.
5. Omega Altise Tower Fan, $119
The slimline good looks of this tower fan make it a great choice where space is at a premium. Standing 120cm high, it has three speeds, a 12-hour timer and wide angle oscillation. The display goes dark once set and the unit runs quietly, making it ideal for bedrooms. At 4kg in weight, it’s not much drama to move around if necessary.
6. Heller Metal Desk Fan, $69.95
The appeal of this desk fan is largely based on its cool retro looks, but it does all the things you want from a fan – it oscillates, has three blades and has an adjustable tilt. It’s available in silver but we like the gorgeous glow of the copper finish.
7. Breville the PopFan Foldable and Rechargeable, $79.
You’ll wonder how you managed without this compact, handy fan that can store up to 15 hours running time on low speed, or four hours on high speed. As the name suggests, this fan pops up when required offering 360 degree air delivery and four speeds. When you’re done, it packs away for easy storage. Rechargeable via a USB port, it’s a super convenient option for cooling down.
8. Fenici Pedestal Fan 40cm, $35
If everyone at your place is suffering through hot summer nights, this is the fan for you. At this price, you can buy one for every bedroom to create enough air flow to keep everyone comfortable as they sleep. The no frills option, it still has five powerful blades, three speeds, oscillation and can be adjusted up to 120cm high. It’s also stylish enough to have around the house without creating clutter.
How can I make my room cooler without AC?
For the best results, take action before the room heats up. That means closing windows and drawing blinds to stop the summer heat coming in. Appliances can also add to how hot a room feels, so turn off anything you’re not using. Cooling fans, whether they are ceiling, floor or desk lamps, will move warm air on and replace it with cooler air.
Is it better to sleep with AC or fan?
Whether it’s better for you to sleep with the fan or the AC on will depend on a few factors. AC certainly costs significantly more to run than AC, so if money is a concern, a fan can be a better option. AC costs more to run the cooler you want to go, so running the fan with the AC can create the best of both worlds. AC can also remove some of the moisture in the air. Depending on where you live, and the levels of humidity, that could be a benefit or a problem.
Do cooling fans actually work?
Fans work by moving air around. They make people feel cooler by cooling the sweat on their skin and moving warm air on. An AC unit, on the other hand, reduces the air temperature in the room. Fans can be extremely effective during heatwaves and in areas with high humidity, as they reduce the moisture in the air, effectively making spaces feel cooler.
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4 min
The marketplace has spoken and, at least for now, it’s showing preference for hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) over battery electrics. That makes Toyota’s foot dragging on EVs (and full speed ahead on hybrids) look fairly wise, though the timeline along a bumpy road still gets us to full electrification by 2035.
Italian supercar producer Lamborghini, in business since 1963, is also proceeding, incrementally, toward battery power. In an interview, Federico Foschini , Lamborghini’s chief global marketing and sales officer, talked about the new Urus SE plug-in hybrid the company showed at its lounge in New York on Monday.
Lamborghini
The Urus SE SUV will sell for US$258,000 in the U.S. (the company’s biggest market) when it goes on sale internationally in the first quarter of 2025, Foschini says.
“We’re using the contribution from the electric motor and battery to not only lower emissions but also to boost performance,” he says. “Next year, all three of our models [the others are the Revuelto, a PHEV from launch, and the continuation of the Huracán] will be available as PHEVs.”
The Euro-spec Urus SE will have a stated 37 miles of electric-only range, thanks to a 192-horsepower electric motor and a 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery, but that distance will probably be less in stricter U.S. federal testing. In electric mode, the SE can reach 81 miles per hour. With the 4-litre 620-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine engaged, the picture is quite different. With 789 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque on tap, the SE—as big as it is—can reach 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and attain 193 mph. It’s marginally faster than the Urus S, but also slightly under the cutting-edge Urus Performante model. Lamborghini says the SE reduces emissions by 80% compared to a standard Urus.
Lamborghini’s Urus plans are a little complicated. The company’s order books are full through 2025, but after that it plans to ditch the S and Performante models and produce only the SE. That’s only for a year, however, because the all-electric Urus should arrive by 2029.
Lamborghini
Thanks to the electric motor, the Urus SE offers all-wheel drive. The motor is situated inside the eight-speed automatic transmission, and it acts as a booster for the V8 but it can also drive the wheels on its own. The electric torque-vectoring system distributes power to the wheels that need it for improved cornering. The Urus SE has six driving modes, with variations that give a total of 11 performance options. There are carbon ceramic brakes front and rear.
To distinguish it, the Urus SE gets a new “floating” hood design and a new grille, headlights with matrix LED technology and a new lighting signature, and a redesigned bumper. There are more than 100 bodywork styling options, and 47 interior color combinations, with four embroidery types. The rear liftgate has also been restyled, with lights that connect the tail light clusters. The rear diffuser was redesigned to give 35% more downforce (compared to the Urus S) and keep the car on the road.
The Urus represents about 60% of U.S. Lamborghini sales, Foschini says, and in the early years 80% of buyers were new to the brand. Now it’s down to 70%because, as Foschini says, some happy Urus owners have upgraded to the Performante model. Lamborghini sold 3,000 cars last year in the U.S., where it has 44 dealers. Global sales were 10,112, the first time the marque went into five figures.
The average Urus buyer is 45 years old, though it’s 10 years younger in China and 10 years older in Japan. Only 10% are women, though that percentage is increasing.
“The customer base is widening, thanks to the broad appeal of the Urus—it’s a very usable car,” Foschini says. “The new buyers are successful in business, appreciate the technology, the performance, the unconventional design, and the fun-to-drive nature of the Urus.”
Maserati has two SUVs in its lineup, the Levante and the smaller Grecale. But Foschini says Lamborghini has no such plans. “A smaller SUV is not consistent with the positioning of our brand,” he says. “It’s not what we need in our portfolio now.”
It’s unclear exactly when Lamborghini will become an all-battery-electric brand. Foschini says that the Italian automaker is working with Volkswagen Group partner Porsche on e-fuel, synthetic and renewably made gasoline that could presumably extend the brand’s internal-combustion identity. But now, e-fuel is very expensive to make as it relies on wind power and captured carbon dioxide.
During Monterey Car Week in 2023, Lamborghini showed the Lanzador , a 2+2 electric concept car with high ground clearance that is headed for production. “This is the right electric vehicle for us,” Foschini says. “And the production version will look better than the concept.” The Lanzador, Lamborghini’s fourth model, should arrive in 2028.
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