I hate the heat, so I'm a big fan of this big fan

If you’re looking for an effective room cooler but can’t afford, don’t want or can’t fit one of the best air conditioners, I think I might have found the perfect answer. It’s a clever fan that costs a fraction of what you’d spend on a Dyson Hot+Cool and that can shift serious amounts of air without making a lot of noise.

It’s called the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, and I bought the desktop version (there’s a pedestal one too) based on T3’s five-star review – that, and accidentally walking in front of one in Costco on a hot day. It cost around £100 and I think it’s excellent value for money. I’ve spent a lot of cash over the years on various air coolers and movers and I think this is the best fan I’ve bought. 

Why I'm a fan of this fan

I live in the UK, where buildings are designed to keep heat in rather than out, and because I’m Scottish I have the hair colouring and skin tone that means if I go outside on a warm day I burst into flames.

AC is relatively rare here, and because I’m in a rental I can’t fit a standard unit anyway. The best portable air conditioners aren’t an option for me neither, because the windows here are too big and the wrong kind for any portable AC device. I’m using the fan for me at the moment, but I really bought it for my kids’ room, which gets unbearably warm in summer evenings.

The Air Circulator isn’t like other fans. I already have a large pedestal fan, but when I put it on full I can’t hear the TV - it sounds like a small plane taking off. The Air Circulator is really quiet, even at full pelt. I think it’s quieter than my Dyson Hot+Cool. And, unlike the Dyson, it oscillates vertically as well as horizontally so the air in the room really gets moved around.

There are some areas where it isn’t as good as a Dyson fan, however.

It doesn't work as a heater in the winter, which my Hot+Cool does. Plus, because it uses traditional blades, it needs cleaned from time to time. There’s also a bit of buffering that you don’t get from Dyson’s typically high-tech airflow system.

Thankfully though, these are minor issues, as is the rather odd appearance - it looks a cross between a fan, R2-D2 and a large football – but while my retro fan looks nicer it simply can’t shift air as effectively or as quietly as the MeacoFan does.