Are cooling fans as good as air conditioning? I put them head to head to find out
We shoot the breeze with experts on the air conditioning vs cooling fan debate
Since the recent heatwaves began, everyone has been asking, "are there any fans that are as good as air conditioning?" Air conditioning is still a rarity in many UK homes, portable units can be expensive (and often sell out during hot spells), and nobody wants to spend hundreds on something they'll only use for a few weeks each year. So, if a fan can deliver that same cooling relief for a fraction of the price, it's worth knowing about.
Over the past four years, I've tested dozens of the best cooling fans in real homes, from stuffy bedrooms and home offices to heatwave conditions that make concentrating or sleeping impossible. I've also tested DIY air conditioning hacks, spoken to experts in thermal comfort and indoor air quality to understand exactly what fans can do, where they fall short, and which models come closest to mimicking the refreshing feeling of air conditioning.
So, when it comes to fans vs air conditioning, which is actually the better way to stay cool? The answer isn't as straightforward as you might think. Here's how the two compare, and why the right fan might be all you need to beat the heat.
Air conditioning vs cooling fans - how do they compare?
When people compare cooling fans and air conditioning, they're usually asking a few questions: can a fan keep you as cool as an air conditioner without the higher running costs and installation? Is it worth installing air conditioning in the UK? What's the difference between the two? I've put all these questions to the test myself, alongside cooling window hacks and I have also asked the experts.
Michael Zohouri, founder of UK retrofit and home improvement specialist Pyramid Eco, sums up the difference saying, “the simplest way to explain it is that air conditioning cools the air and a fan cools the person." He adds that "air conditioning systems work by actively removing heat from the room and lowering the air temperature. A fan doesn’t have any impact on air temperature at all. It makes you feel cooler by moving air across your skin to help sweat evaporate and make you feel cooler.”
Michael is a specialist in home technology. Since 2011, he has been running Pyramid Eco, which specialises in planet-friendly, sustainable home maintenance and upgrades, including air conditioning, insulation, ventilation, and heat pumps.
The first part of our answers to the fans vs air conditioner debate depends on just how hot you are and whether the high temperature in your home is a permanent state or a passing heatwave.
Best for mild to moderate heat
+ Improve comfort via airflow
+ Low running costs
+ Portable and easy to use
- Do not lower room temperature
Best for persistent, intense heat
+ Actively cools the air
+ Removes humidity
+ Provides consistent temperature control
- Higher energy use and cost
What I found when testing cooling fans
This isn't just the best Shark fan you can buy, it's also our favourite fan of all time. With 360 rotation, you can sit this at the end of your bed with a stream of cool air flowing over the whole bed. It's powerful, smooth, and quiet too. There's also an "organic" breeze feeling that we love for a more natural feel.
A versatile option for all rooms in the home, the Sefte can sit on the bedside table on its lowest setting, but also works as a tower fan. The remote controls are some of the most sensitive and, if you're sensitive to noise, this broke records with its sound control.
There are plenty of portable fans under £20 on Amazon and there's no denying that they offer some sweet relief in the heat. This one takes things up a level, with a misting function and cold plate to touch against pressure points - it's incredibly quick and effective too.
Unlike an air conditioner, a cooling fan doesn't lower the temperature of a room. Chris Michael, co-founder of Meaco, explains that it's important to avoid fan mistakes and to use yours tactically. "A fan can make you feel more comfortable by moving air across the body, helping sweat evaporate and creating a cooling effect on the skin." Importantly, he explains that "it will not lower the room temperature like an air conditioner, but it can make warm rooms feel more comfortable, especially when used with lighter bedding and good ventilation."
Chris co-founded Meaco with his partner Michele back in 1991. Since then, they've expanded the brand to cover all air quality needs, from dehumidifying to air purifying. Their products have won awards for their quality.
Having tested all the fan hacks as well as a range of cooling fans in hot bedrooms, home offices and living spaces, there's a lot of variety in the world of fans. A poor-quality fan simply blows a weak stream of air that only works if you're sitting directly in front of it. The best cooling fans create enough airflow to circulate air around the room, reducing the stuffy, stagnant feeling that builds up during warm weather. Features like wide oscillation, multiple speed settings and quiet operation make a noticeable difference, especially if you're using a fan while you sleep.
The biggest advantage of a fan is that it's affordable to buy, inexpensive to run and ready to use straight out of the box. There's no installation, no venting and you can move it from room to room as temperatures change. The trade-off is that fans only make you feel cooler and they don't reduce the room's temperature. For most UK homes, that's enough on all but the hottest days, which is why a good fan is often the first cooling appliance I'd recommend.
How air conditioning actually works (and why it feels so different)
As one of the quietest models on the market, this is brilliant for running when you're trying to go to sleep (and in the hours beforehand.)
If humidity is what's making your home unbearable, this is brilliant. It doubles up as a dehumidifier as well as an air conditioner, so has purpose all year round too.
This can cover rooms of up to 32m and has a special window hose, making it the perfect choice for any large homes that have substantial cooling demands.
Unlike a cooling fan, an air conditioner actively changes the temperature of a room so is a brilliant way to keep your bedroom cool. It uses a refrigerant system to remove heat and humidity from the air before releasing the heat outside (or through some form of exhaust), leaving your home noticeably cooler. In particular, helping to reduce in humidity can make a huge difference during muggy UK heatwaves, when the air feels heavy and sticky.
According to Chris Michael, co-founder of Meaco, there are times when a fan simply won't be enough. "On the hottest evenings, a fan may not be enough on its own," he explains. Instead, he recommends using a portable air conditioner to pre-cool your bedroom before you go to sleep. "Turn it on a few hours before bedtime, keep the bedroom door closed and keep blinds or curtains shut," he says, "Then put the hose out of the window and use the window kit to seal the gap, so the unit can cool the room more efficiently." On some models, including Meaco's, "once the room has reached a comfortable temperature, you can switch to fan mode to keep the air moving with less noise overnight."
The downside is that air conditioning comes with a higher upfront cost than a fan, uses more electricity and, depending on the model, may require venting through a window or permanent installation. Chris also advises to " focus on cooling capacity rather than extra features that do little to improve comfort," he adds that "many people underestimate the size they need and then find the unit cannot cool the room properly on the hottest nights."
For most people, air conditioning is best suited to homes that regularly become unbearably hot or anyone who finds high temperatures make it difficult to sleep, while a good cooling fan is often enough for everyday summer comfort.
So, should you buy a cooling fan or air conditioning?
For most UK homes, a good cooling fan is the most practical place to start. It’s affordable (you can read more about how much they cost to run), easy to use and can make a big difference when a bedroom or living room starts to feel hot and stuffy. If you mainly struggle with a few warm nights each summer, or you want something to make sleeping, working or relaxing more comfortable, a good fan will probably do everything you need.
Air conditioning is the better choice for anyone who regularly finds heat difficult to manage, whether that’s because your home gets extremely warm, you struggle to sleep during heatwaves, you can't keep your bedroom cool, or you live somewhere that experiences long periods of hot, humid weather. Unlike a fan, it can actually bring down the temperature of the room and remove excess moisture from the air, making it a more powerful solution when temperatures really soar.
The simplest way to think about it is that fans improve comfort, while air conditioning changes the environment. For many UK households, a fan will be enough most of the year, but when a heatwave hits and the air feels heavy and impossible to escape, air conditioning is in a different league.
