Meaco’s new whisper-quiet portable fan blows Shark’s viral fan out of the water – and it’s £50 cheaper

by Furnishly | Jun 28, 2025 | Design Inspiration

This summer is set to be a scorcher, and as someone who’s already tested Shark‘s viral FlexBreeze HydroGo in the early heatwaves, I am always on the lookout for the latest cooling gadget that’ll keep me cool so I can carry on.

Enter the Meaco’s Sefte 8″ portable table fan, RRP £79.99. A cordless wonder that turns out to be everything I wanted in a cool summer companion. And with its sister, the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, RRP £104.99, rated our best fan overall, I was keen to give it a whirl.

In fact, I’ve had this little fan whirring away at my desk, by my bed and even out and about to cool the whole family to put it through the initial paces.

The Meaco Sefte 8″ first look

At first glance, it’s a great compact design, weighing in at 2kg, and totes a clean, modern-looking design that’s intuitive, bar the touch buttons on the base, which were a little hit or miss (thanks be for its savvy little remote).

Having tested both this fan and the Shark Flexbreeze HydroGo fan (RRP: £129.99) in nearly the same month, I can confidently say that the Meaco Sefte 8″‘s battery life beats the Shark’s hands down.

With its promise of 11 to 17 hours of run time (depending on speed and oscillation, of course), I’ve clocked a full day using it on medium setting, without it needing a charge. Plus, with its replaceable lithium-ion battery, it also feels like a smarter long-term purchase.

While I still love the misting function on the Flexbreeze HydroGo, for what I use a portable fan for, the Meaco seemed to outdo it and here’s why.

Meaco fans have always been known for their quiet operation, and this model is no exception to this ‘whisper-quiet’ rep, delivering ultra-quiet airflow from just 26.9dB.

Even on high speeds, the sound is a soft whoosh, if anything and works well when on calls at your desk or having it on to cool down a babe as they sleep.

I also love the night mode, which dims the display right down and reduces the fan speed incrementally as you sleep. Plus, the eco-mode is also a standout feature to shout about. It automatically adjusts the fan speed to the room temperature, so you get just the right amount of chill.

And with that functionality, it saves energy and means I’m not fiddling with the settings. Speaking of eco, it also uses as little as 1 watt, and runs for less than 1p per hour. How’s that for keeping fan running costs down?

OK, it may not be weatherproof like the Shark fan, so it may not be suitable for outdoors during intermittent showers, and may not have the extra cooling mist included, but the Sefte 8″ delivers a genuinely quiet, effective breeze all day long and doesn’t take up much space while doing it. That counts for a lot in my book.

Needless to say, it’s a go-to heatwave appliance, giving even the Shark a run for its money. And with it retailing at £79.99, it’s £50 cheaper than the FlexBreeze HydroGo too, even when it’s on sale.

You can pick one up with a nifty little storage bag on Meaco’s site and on Amazon now.

Will you be picking up the new Meaco Sefte 8″ portable table fan to beat the heat? Let me know in the comments!

Meaco’s new portable fan is a budget alternative to Shark’s viral fan – and it’s whisper-quiet

by Furnishly | Jun 28, 2025 | Design Inspiration

This summer is set to be a scorcher, and as someone who’s already tested Shark‘s viral FlexBreeze HydroGo in the early heatwaves, I am always on the lookout for the latest cooling gadget that’ll keep me cool so I can carry on.

Enter the Meaco’s Sefte 8″ portable table fan, RRP £79.99. A cordless wonder that turns out to be everything I wanted in a cool summer companion. And with its sister, the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator, RRP £104.99, rated our best fan overall, I was keen to give it a whirl.

In fact, I’ve had this little fan whirring away at my desk, by my bed and even out and about to cool the whole family to put it through the initial paces.

The Meaco Sefte 8″ first look

At first glance, it’s a great compact design, weighing in at 2kg, and totes a clean, modern-looking design that’s intuitive, bar the touch buttons on the base, which were a little hit or miss (thanks be for its savvy little remote).

Having tested both this fan and the Shark Flexbreeze HydroGo fan (RRP: £129.99) in nearly the same month, I can confidently say that the Meaco Sefte 8″‘s battery life beats the Shark’s hands down.

With its promise of 11 to 17 hours of run time (depending on speed and oscillation, of course), I’ve clocked a full day using it on medium setting, without it needing a charge. Plus, with its replaceable lithium-ion battery, it also feels like a smarter long-term purchase.

While I still love the misting function on the Flexbreeze HydroGo, for what I use a portable fan for, the Meaco seemed to outdo it and here’s why.

Meaco fans have always been known for their quiet operation, and this model is no exception to this ‘whisper-quiet’ rep, delivering ultra-quiet airflow from just 26.9dB.

Even on high speeds, the sound is a soft whoosh, if anything and works well when on calls at your desk or having it on to cool down a babe as they sleep.

I also love the night mode, which dims the display right down and reduces the fan speed incrementally as you sleep. Plus, the eco-mode is also a standout feature to shout about. It automatically adjusts the fan speed to the room temperature, so you get just the right amount of chill.

And with that functionality, it saves energy and means I’m not fiddling with the settings. Speaking of eco, it also uses as little as 1 watt, and runs for less than 1p per hour. How’s that for keeping fan running costs down?

OK, it may not be weatherproof like the Shark fan, so it may not be suitable for outdoors during intermittent showers, and may not have the extra cooling mist included, but the Sefte 8″ delivers a genuinely quiet, effective breeze all day long and doesn’t take up much space while doing it. That counts for a lot in my book.

Needless to say, it’s a go-to heatwave appliance, giving even the Shark a run for its money. And with it retailing at £79.99, it’s £50 cheaper than the FlexBreeze HydroGo too, even when it’s on sale.

You can pick one up with a nifty little storage bag on Meaco’s site and on Amazon now.

Will you be picking up the new Meaco Sefte 8″ portable table fan to beat the heat? Let me know in the comments!

Experts warn you’ve been using your fan wrong this summer – where to place it to cool a home fast

by Furnishly | Jun 28, 2025 | Design Inspiration

Have you been using your fan wrong this summer? You may well have been, as experts say you need to point the fan out of a window if you want to cool a room fast.

If you’ve invested in one of the best fans, you can feel massively frustrated if you still feel hot and sticky at home. Fans work by creating a breeze, but on super hot days, this can just feel like hot air being blown around the room.

Enter one of the more unusual fan positioning cooling hacks. It may sound counterintuitive, but facing your fan towards an open window will help cool a room quickly. Here’s how it works.

How does the hack work?

The hack is incredibly simple. All you need to do is open two windows and invest in a portable fan that you can place either on the windowsill or facing out of the window. The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan (was £129.99, now £99.9) is an excellent choice because it is small, portable and powerful (and comes in an array of pretty colourways). Alternatively, if you are on a budget, the Bush Chrome Tilt Desk Fan is currently £20 at Argos.

If you’re looking to cool a bedroom, the hack works by creating a funnel of cool air, rather than simply circulating hot air around your room.

‘Pointing a fan out of a window helps push the warm air inside your home out. It’s most useful in the evening when it starts to cool down outside or first thing in the morning before it gets hot again. To get the best results, you’ll need to open another window or door elsewhere to let cooler air flow in to replace the hot air you’re pushing out,’ explains Chris Michael, founder of Meaco.

How efffective is this cooling hack?

This hack is both easy, effective and cheap, making it a great way to cool a space if you don’t have one of the best portable air conditioners. However, it does rely on the temperature outside being cooler than the temperature inside, so it is best used at night or in the morning.

‘This approach is energy-efficient and can significantly cool your living space without air conditioning by exchanging hot indoor air for cooler outdoor air through natural ventilation enhanced by fans. It’s a simple trick that could make a noticeable difference, especially at night, when outdoor temperatures drop,’ says Les Roberts, energy expert at Bionic.

With more hot weather expected over the weekend, give this hack a try and feel cool relief in your home.

Switching from a normal fan to this game-changing alternative has saved me as a hay fever sufferer and hot sleeper during this heatwave

by Furnishly | Jun 26, 2025 | Design Inspiration

Like many other Brits, I’m very fickle. I complain when it’s cold and rainy, but when it’s finally hot and sunny, I’m still not happy. But can you really blame me? As a hot sleeper and hay fever sufferer, I ultimately spend the spring and summer months sleep deprived with scratchy eyes and a blocked nose. Well, I used to, anyway.

Ever since investing in an air purifier fan (which, you guessed it, is the perfect combination of the best fans and the best air purifiers), I’ve finally been able to enjoy the warmer months and actually get some sleep while I’m at it – and to say it’s been a game-changer would be an understatement.

Although I’ve been using an air purifier fan for a few months now, I’ve started using it religiously since learning that you should never sleep with a fan running, especially if you have hay fever like me.

Yep, despite helping to keep the bedroom cool, the air circulation process of a traditional fan can actually make hay fever symptoms worse as it spreads pollen and allergens around the room when you’re trying to sleep. And back in the day, that meant that I’d often wake up at midnight… albeit nice and cool, but also unable to breathe and with tears streaming out of my eyes.

And although I use air purifiers throughout the day in my home (in fact, I’m currently testing the Dyson Big+Quiet Air Purifier that also doubles as a fan), I didn’t know that air purifier fan combos existed until I tested the Russell Hobbs Bladeless Air Purifying Fan a little while ago. And they’re perfect for nighttime use.

Sadly, the model I use proved to be so popular with other hot sleepers and hay fever sufferers that it’s now sold out everywhere, but there are so many other options on the market. And the best thing? Now I can actually cool my bedroom and sleep in the hot conditions without wanting to scratch my eyeballs out at the same time.

Don’t just take my word for it, as there’s science backing me up too. In fact, the 2023 Dyson Global Indoor Air Quality Study found that the most polluted indoor air (which can trigger hay fever symptoms) is recorded between 6 pm and midnight, which is right when people are trying to get to sleep. Couple this with summertime temperatures, and you’re in for a rough night.

But with an air purifier fan at your disposal, you can remove these indoor pollutants, help your hay fever, and cool yourself and your bedroom down at the same time, just like I do. However, those who want to pollen-proof their homes aren’t the only ones who can make the most of these air-purifier fans.

Anyone conscious of their home’s air quality or their overall health can still opt for an air purifier fan. After all, they act in the exact same way as a regular fan; they just have an added feature that will only serve as an advantage in your home. Many even come with dedicated ‘Sleep’ modes so you don’t have to worry about it keeping you up at night, too.

Plus, it saves having to buy (and store) two separate appliances. So, it’s fair to say that air purifier fans are worth it in my eyes.

The best air purifier fans

So, will you be investing in an air purifier fan? I really couldn’t recommend one more!

I thought my allergies meant I was destined for hot, sleepless nights until I bought this alternative to a normal fan — now I won’t ever go back

by Furnishly | Jun 26, 2025 | Design Inspiration

Like many other Brits, I’m very fickle. I complain when it’s cold and rainy, but when it’s finally hot and sunny, I’m still not happy. But can you really blame me? As a hot sleeper and hay fever sufferer, I ultimately spend the spring and summer months sleep deprived with scratchy eyes and a blocked nose. Well, I used to, anyway.

Ever since investing in an air purifier fan (which, you guessed it, is the perfect combination of the best fans and the best air purifiers), I’ve finally been able to enjoy the warmer months and actually get some sleep while I’m at it – and to say it’s been a game-changer would be an understatement.

Although I’ve been using an air purifier fan for a few months now, I’ve started using it religiously since learning that you should never sleep with a fan running, especially if you have hay fever like me.

Yep, despite helping to keep the bedroom cool, the air circulation process of a traditional fan can actually make hay fever symptoms worse as it spreads pollen and allergens around the room when you’re trying to sleep. And back in the day, that meant that I’d often wake up at midnight… albeit nice and cool, but also unable to breathe and with tears streaming out of my eyes.

And although I use air purifiers throughout the day in my home (in fact, I’m currently testing the Dyson Big+Quiet Air Purifier that also doubles as a fan), I didn’t know that air purifier fan combos existed until I tested the Russell Hobbs Bladeless Air Purifying Fan a little while ago. And they’re perfect for nighttime use.

Sadly, the model I use proved to be so popular with other hot sleepers and hay fever sufferers that it’s now sold out everywhere, but there are so many other options on the market. And the best thing? Now I can actually cool my bedroom and sleep in the hot conditions without wanting to scratch my eyeballs out at the same time.

Don’t just take my word for it, as there’s science backing me up too. In fact, the 2023 Dyson Global Indoor Air Quality Study found that the most polluted indoor air (which can trigger hay fever symptoms) is recorded between 6 pm and midnight, which is right when people are trying to get to sleep. Couple this with summertime temperatures, and you’re in for a rough night.

But with an air purifier fan at your disposal, you can remove these indoor pollutants, help your hay fever, and cool yourself and your bedroom down at the same time, just like I do. However, those who want to pollen-proof their homes aren’t the only ones who can make the most of these air-purifier fans.

Anyone conscious of their home’s air quality or their overall health can still opt for an air purifier fan. After all, they act in the exact same way as a regular fan; they just have an added feature that will only serve as an advantage in your home. Many even come with dedicated ‘Sleep’ modes so you don’t have to worry about it keeping you up at night, too.

Plus, it saves having to buy (and store) two separate appliances. So, it’s fair to say that air purifier fans are worth it in my eyes.

The best air purifier fans

So, will you be investing in an air purifier fan? I really couldn’t recommend one more!