Duux Globe table fan review: a world of cooling

The Duux Globe table fan review in a sentence: if you like Meaco's fans but want an even lower price, look no further than this futuristic air multiplier. Now, if there's one thing that this summer has taught us so far, it's the value of fans and air conditioners. The UK's heatwave has seen these devices flying off the shelves, and the best fans have been hard to come by. 

So, it was very fortunate timing for me to receive this Duux model to test just as the temperature was heating up. It also meant that I was able to give it a very thorough testing, as I've had it running solidly for over a week now. You can read more about T3's review process on our how we test page. 

While a portable air conditioner will ultimately be more effective at cooling a very hot room, a fan can create enough of a breeze to make even stifling conditions bearable. Depending on where you're going to use it, you'll be choosing from freestanding tower models and desktop typical, round fan-type models. 

The Duux Globe is a desk or table-top fan. You could place it on the floor but it will be more effective when sat on something higher. If it's a desk fan you're looking for this is a great choice, with one small caveat: you'll need a decent amount of space on your desk or table to house it. 

Duux Globe table fan review: price and availability

The Duux Globe is available in a stark choice of white or black with a list price of £79.99 / EUR 79.99. However, it typically sells for under £60. This model is not available in the US or Australia. 

Duux Globe table fan review: design and features

The Duux Globe isn't unique in its design. There are plenty of desk fans that opt for this spherical design, most notably – in the UK at any rate – Meaco. However, the way that it sits low on the wide stand is somewhat classier than most. It reminds me of somewhere between those fancy tracer spotlights your get at events and a Star Wars droid. Though it does also just look a bit like a globe on a mount. 

The droid similarities really come out when you turn the fan on. It offers both horizontal and vertical oscillation, and with both engaged, the fan spins around in multiple directions, blasting air to all corners of the room. You get 80-degrees movement horizontally and 90 degrees vertically, so it really will point straight up to the ceiling if required. 

Of course, you can pause both the vertical and horizontal movement at any time, to freeze the fan into any single direction. This is more flexible than a standard fan, that you manually adjust the tilt on, but it does take longer – as you need to wait for the fan to slowly move into position. 

Aside from the movement controls, there are only two other buttons on the unit: a power button, which also changes the speed, and a timer button. All of these are touch-sensitive areas of the case, rather than physical buttons, which looks pretty stylish. It also comes with a simple remote control. 

There are three speeds of fan to choose from. The first being gentle and almost silent, the second being a good breeze for close operation and the third a decent blast that you can feel across a room (up to seven metres, according to Duux). The timer functions allow for a one or three-hour shut-off, so you can set it before going to bed and know it won't stay on all night. Though with a power consumption of just 2-12 watts, you probably could leave it on. 

Though the casing is 26cm (around 10 inches) wide, the fan itself is only about 18cm (7 inches) wide. Most 7-inch fans are a lot smaller than this, in fact, there are probably 12-inch fans that take up less room on the desk – though they lack the movement this has. 

Duux Globe table fan review: performance and operation

For what is actually quite a small fan, the Duux Globe is pretty powerful. This is thanks the fact that while those blades aren't particularly wide, they are deep, which allows them to pull a lot more air through. 

Three speed settings feel a little pedestrian, but it does cover everything you'd want. The 1 is a nice gentle breeze from a few feet away, the 2 setting is a decent force from a close distance or a gentle breeze across the room, and the 3 setting is ideal for good room coverage – and probably too much to sit right next to. 

I found the touch-sensitive buttons a little hard to get on with, as you need a first press to activate, if it's not been touched for a while, and a second to actually change the setting. To turn the fan off you need to press and hold the power button, and often I ended up changing the speed first. 

The remote therefore comes in very useful and means you can ignore the touch buttons altogether. The remote doesn't have the same stylish design as the fan itself, which is a shame, but it is functional and small enough to sit on your desk or bedside table without taking up much space. 

The flexibility of having both horizontal and vertical movement from the fan is impressive but a little excessive unless you are cooling the whole room. It would be handy if you could limit the movement rather than just turn it on or off. The main use is to position the fan for the right set position, or to just the height while leaving the horizontal movement. And doing this is slower than it would be with manual adjustment. 

Duux Globe table fan review: verdict

If you're looking for a powerful tabletop fan and have the space, the Duux Globe is a great option. It's fully adjustable to cover just about any angle, it has plenty of power, and it looks great too. 

Considering the price, this is also great value and proof that you don't have to choose between style and affordability. Plus, if you're going for some kind of sci-fi theme to your room, this fan will fit right in. 

Duux Globe table fan review: also consider

Meaco offers a range of fans that have a similar spherical design to the Duux Globe, if slightly less attractive. The Meaco 650 is a powerful desktop model with 12 speeds, a timer and a remote. It costs slightly more than the Duux though and has manual tilt adjustment (and only horizontal oscillation). 

There's also the smaller Meaco 360, which also offers 12 speeds and a 12-step timer. It has near silent operation and will take up less space on your desk than the 650 model.