Cool off
Yes, it's summer time here in the Northern Hemi (as we call it), and yes the UK is currently experiencing some hotness in terms of weather. But before you resign yourself to simply being 'too hot' all the time, or dunking your head repeatedly in a vat of ice cubes, read this 'ere review. We've been testing the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan and we think you should give it a 'spin'. Arf!
The headlines here are that the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan is a simple, mostly plastic house fan designed for small to medium sized rooms. The 'smart' element in the name comes from the interconnectivity of the device, being compatible with the likes of Google's Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Yes, this is a voice activated fan.
However, there is more to this than simply chatting to it. The Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan has been designed to be as versatile as possible, allowing you to modify how it works and easily move it around your home.
The version we were sent was the most basic version, in that it did not come with a removable battery pack and charging dock. Instead, there is a power cord (decently long, BTW) that plugs in to provide the juice you need. The more expensive version features the battery, allowing you to move it around into places that the power cord might not reach. However, in use in a standard UK home, we could never foresee a place that wasn't in reach of a plug socket, so can't easily see the need for splashing the cash.
Whichever model you opt for, both provide an array of features to make the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan highly adaptable. Included is a remote control, so there is actually no need to link with a smart assistant, should you prefer not to. In all honestly, although we were initially very excited to switch on the fan with our voices via google, after a a week or so of use we tended just to reach for the sleek little remote.
With it you can change the oscillation of the fan head. Up and down, as well as side to side can be toggled on and off, while the intensity of the... erm... 'blow?' can be adjusted. That 'windy power' is very good, with 25 different levels of force. Set to the highest, the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan will keep the average living room, kitchen, or bedroom cool all day.
The fan can also be set to mimic a more natural wind effect, where the intensity of the gust subtly alters over time. This is nice for a more gentle cooling of a space, and certainly this setting is far quieter than the full-on level 25. However, despite that, the overall noise of the fan is surprisingly low. Duux have designed the blades of the head in such a way that they carefully scoop up the air and blast it forwards and not tear at it like older, more traditional rotatory fans.
Combine all that with an adjustable height setting (you can entirely remove the central stand to make it perfect for desks or side tables) and the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan is a great choice for the summer weather. And, y'know, potential climate change.
Check it out.
Around £149.99
Available from very.co.uk