THERE’S only one thing on everyone’s minds this weekend: “Oh my GOD it’s hot”.
Unsurprisingly, Google searches for home fans have risen sharply over the last few days.
I’ve got my hands on what I think is the best home fan around: the brand-spanking-new Shark FlexBreeze.
The ProMist’s showpiece feature[/caption]
FlexBreeze Pro Mist Indoor & Outdoor Fan, £249 £219 from Shark
During the hottest week of the year, I’ve been reviewing the bells-and-whistles model, the FlexBreeze Pro Mist.
However, the FlexBreeze line includes a range of cordless models, and thanks to a conveniently timed sale, you can get your hands on one for less than £100.
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How much is it? The top-of-the-range model I tested is £220 in the current sale, but you can get a desktop version for as little as £99, which isn’t bad considering its quality.
Who’s it best for? This weekend? Everyone.
What we loved: Almost everything. It’s whisper quiet, super easy to control, has a wide range of settings and is extremely portable.
What we didn’t: I’m nitpicking here, but it’d be nice if the fan remembered the settings it was left on before it was turned off; it’s a bit annoying to have to put it back to your preferred setting every time.
- FlexBreeze Pro Mist Indoor & Outdoor Fan,
£249£219 from Shark – buy here
If you have the budget, I wouldn’t hesitate to splurge for the high-end model I tried: it does almost everything that all of the other models do, in one nifty device.
I’m never convinced by “three-in-one” claims, but broadly, this does have three distinct functions.
Firstly, it operates as a typical pedestal fan. Admittedly, if this is all you’re using it for, then £220 is a lot to pay, but it does its job flawlessly.
There are five power settings, plus another two settings that undulate between gentle and intense. You can control all of these from a handy remote control, too.
The FlexBreeze can function as a normal pedestal fan, with a great array of settings[/caption]
FlexBreeze Pro Mist Indoor & Outdoor Fan, £249 £219 from Shark
At its most powerful, I can feel it at one end of my flat when standing at the other, which is a full 25 feet away.
There are also three oscillation modes, including one that goes a full 180 degrees, which is perfect when you’ve got a lot of people over.
And it’s whisper-quiet; so quiet, in fact, that for the first few seconds I used it, I didn’t think it was working.
Its second guise is as a desk fan; it easily slips out of the base at the click of a button, revealing a foldout stand that can be put on a desk, dresser or — my preferred place — on the kitchen worktop while you’re cooking. (Just make sure you don’t put it in a place where it might blow over, say, a nice pile of neatly shredded herbs).
This is where its cordless capabilities come in really useful; it can last for up to 24 hours on its lowest power, and I’ve found it can last a full night’s sleep on its second-to-lowest power.
The final way you can use the Shark fan — and this is the real party trick — is as a misting device.
You know when you go on holiday, and you walk past restaurants or grocery stores that refresh you with a mist of cool water? The Shark FlexBreeze brings that into your home.
Well, actually, not “into” your home, per se — you can’t use it in your house, unless you want really slippy floors (yes, I tried it) — but into your back garden.
If you do want a fan that mists indoors, go for the Shark HydroGo Misting Fan, which is just £99 at the time of writing.
If you’re a keen backyard sunbather, I can see this setting being a lifechanger.
Plus, it’ll give your garden some much-needed moisture during the warmest months of the year.
The Verdict
Part of me thinks that this fan's headline function — its misting abilities — are probably designed more for the searing heat of Greece or Italy than the UK.
However, if you plan on spending a lot of time lounging in the garden this summer, I think the Shark FlexBreeze ProMist would be a refreshing purchase.
And even if you don’t plan on using its misting abilities, this is still a nearly-flawless indoor fan; it’s got great battery life, doubles up as a desk fan, and it’s whisper quiet — so much so that I have to sleep with white noise on, which I never had to do with my last fan.
Sure, it’s a splurge, but if you can get it on sale, this is a purchase you’ll thank yourself for.
Rating: 9.5/10
- FlexBreeze Pro Mist Indoor & Outdoor Fan,
£249£219 from Shark – buy here
