It’s another hot summer in Aotearoa, but if you can’t hit the beach or pool, then fans become an essential tool to keep your house cool. Choosing a cost-effective, energy-efficient cooling system can be a difficult decision, but thankfully there are quite a few ways to prevent hitting boiling point at home.
Ceiling and standing summer fans
A pedestal fan is the most budget-friendly solution to your overheating woes, although it’s not always the most efficient option. If you can spring for two, however, face one out the window to push warmer air out, and the other one facing inward to circulate the cool air inside for maximum efficiency.
A ceiling fan cuts down on the bulky downsides of a fan and is cheaper to run over air-conditioning. They are a great option if you’re limited on floor space and need a less obtrusive alternative.
Tip: Don’t let a noisy fan disturb your chill time. Check the decibel level on the ceiling fan prior to purchase to see how loud the unit runs.
Which direction should a ceiling fan turn in the summer?
Ideally, you should set your ceiling fan to spin counterclockwise during the summer months. This way, the rotation of the blades will create a downforce, pushing cool air down into the room.
Portable pedestal summer fans
The beauty of these cooling units is their easy-to-use portability and budget-conscious price tag, making them a prime option for renters. In summer, move them around the house as you go, whether you’re in the kitchen during the day or the bedroom at night. A wheeled option will make this all the easier yet again.
Heat pumps and air conditioners
Often forgotten in the summer months, don’t overlook the magic of a heat pump for its air-conditioning ability. When selecting a model, it must have enough capacity to work quickly and effectively, which often means a higher capacity than needed for heating. However, installation costs can be pricey, ranging between $650 and $3500, depending on the unit capacity and difficulty of installation. Once installed, heat pumps are capable of cooling single rooms, multiple rooms or ducted throughout the house. If it’s only mildly humid, consider using the fan setting instead of the cooling setting for a refreshingly cost-efficient option.
Shop our favourite summer fans below
Purifier Cool Purifying Fan
$1,049 at Dyson
Best for: Purifying the air while cooling the room
With the ability to rotate a full 360°, 20 per cent quieter than other models and compatible with hands-free voice-activating technology, this purifying cooling fan really does it all.
It comes with a remote control, 360° glass filter and a two-year warranty. A magnetic curve in the top of the fan creates a secure space to store your remote, so it won’t be easily lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Dyson is also always running fantastic bundle and save deals, so if you’re in the market for any other tech gadgets, be sure to have a browse.
Size: Weight 4.65kg, height 105cm, base diameter 22cm, cord length 1.8m
Colours: White/Silver
Key features:
- 360° rotation
- Automatically purifies
- Removes 99.95 per cent of ultrafine air particles
- Connects to the MyDyson app
- Two-year warranty
- 45 day trial period
Workshop Electric Fan Heater
$549 at Trade Tested
Best for: Practical people who spend hours in a workshop or studio at a time
While this powerful workshop heater easily warms spaces up to 300m² in the height of winter, it also has a powerful 110W cooling fan setting which is perfect for the summer heat.
At 57 decibels, it runs slightly quieter than your average dishwasher, and an adjustable thermostat time delay system allows you to set it to begin heating or cooling right on time or just before you’re due to get to work. There’s nothing more satisfying than walking from sweltering heat into a cool workspace.
Set it up in the corner of a shed, workshop or studio to remove all temperature-related work issues, so you can focus on what really matters.
Size: Cable length 1.6m, decibel rating 57dB, weight 20.6kg, length 49.5cm, width 52cm, height 86cm
Colours: Black/Yellow
Key features:
- Three-year warranty
- Adjustable thermostat with time delay
- 15kw fan heater
- Insulated handle and feet for protection against overheating
- AS/NZS compliant
Small USB Desk Fan
$25.26 at Amazon
Best for: Anyone who spends long hours sitting at a desk
This affordable Amazon desk fan easily plugs into the side of a work laptop or wall plug with a USB port, so it can sit beside your screen while you work. It rotates up to 310° vertically, so you can tilt it to an angle that hits you perfectly, and runs at below 40dB so will cause you no distractions.
The rubber pads underneath the base prevent any vibrations on your desk from the movement of the blades, and a detachable cover allows for easy cleaning and maintenance. If you’re looking for a small but mighty desktop fan, this one is calling your name.
Size: Height 15cm, width 6cm, depth 4cm, weight 218g, cable length 1m
Colours: Black, Dark Blue, Pink, White, Grass Green
Key features:
- Four speed settings
- USB powered
- Lightweight and portable
- Below 40dB
- 1m long cable
Bladeless Floor Fan
$109 at Kmart
Best for: Families with young ones
Rotating fans can be a bit of a hazard when you’ve got little fingers roaming the house. If this is a concern to you, this bladeless floor fan is a child-safe and super-effective home cooling option that you should consider.
It relies on touch control so there are no small and fiddly pieces that may be dangerous to little ones, and includes a remote control if you want to change the speed settings or turn it off or on from a distance.
It’s also strong enough to circulate 21 cubic metres worth of air through it each minute, so you can feel confident that it’ll cool your room effectively in no time.
A Kiwi customer recently rated it five stars and reviewed it, ‘These are gonna sell out… holy smokes it’s good I love it.’
Size: Height 85cm, weight 4.3kg
Colours: White
Key features:
- 10hr timer
- 12 moth warranty
- Four speed settings
- Touch control
- Requires 2 x 1.5V AAA batteries
Goldair Platinum Ceiling Fan
$317 at Mitre 10
Best for: A quiet and efficient ceiling option
There’s something to be said about a ceiling-mounted fan in the summer. They’re quiet, out of the way and make all the difference when you just can’t seem to escape the heat.
This modern design is sleek and subtle, and its eco-friendly DC motor uses less energy than a typical ceiling fan does.
As if that wasn’t enough, we absolutely love the eight-hour timer. As this fan runs very quietly, so you can leave it on while you sleep on the extra humid evenings and trust that you won’t wake up to an astronomical power bill.
Colours: Matte White, Matte Black
Key features:
- Five speed settings
- Two year warranty
- Eco friendly motor
- Eight hour timer
- Remote control
Pedestal Fan
$19 at Kmart
Best for: Cooling on a budget
This Kmart pedestal fan is perfect for students in university halls or people who are watching how much they spend. If you’re after a cost-effective quick fix for the summer heat, fans like this one are your first port of call.
This one is cheap, lightweight and reliable. It oscillates horizontally, as well as angles up and down so you can really manipulate it to cool exactly where you want it to.
Size: Weight 2.52kg, cage 40cm in diameter, blades 34cm
Colours: White
Key features:
- 12-month warranty
- Three adjustable speeds
- Fixed and oscillating functions
- Tilt adjustments
- Radial grill guard
Shark FlexBreeze Fan With Misting Attachment
$349.99, at Shark
Best for: When you need something a little extra
Regular fans just aren’t cutting it? This ultra-powerful Shark fan comes with an additional misting attachment – which you can connect or use without, of course – to help soften the intensity of the heat. Previous customers have reported that it makes temperatures feel up to a whole five degrees cooler.
It’s also incredibly versatile, as the pedestal detaches from the fan itself so you can take it outside, prop it up on a desk, stand it at the end of a picnic table or find a place for it wherever your hot little heart desires. When you use it this way, we find it’s best to detach the cord as well and make the most of its full 24 hour cordless runtime.
The weather resistant body makes the elements less of an issue than ever, and it can even be controlled by a handy remote.
Honestly, what more could you really want from your summer fans?
Size: Height 93cm, width 36cm, depth 36cm, weight 5.7kg, cable length 4.5m
Colours: White, Black
Key features:
- Beast mode setting
- Five adjustable speeds
- Oscillation
- Optional misting attachment
- Two year warranty
- Cor or cordless use available
- Detachable pedestal
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
