Stay cool in a heatwave: The best desk fans of 2024

We love both the style and functionality of this Pro Breeze 1-inch fan. For us it strikes the perfect balance between something that just needs to function and an item that will look good on the desk. With nine fan speeds and automatic oscillation, you really can just set this up in the right spot and let it do it's thing. The air vortex tech Pro Breeze has used really helps the air to circulate for better cooling, too. Some users report that it doesn't tilt downwards, but we think that's a minor nitpick for a fan that's designed for desktop use.

Best of all, it has several modes to help keep things efficient and silent, and a handy little remote. The LED display is nice and clear and the noise level is low. It's the ideal all-around fan for your desktop.

Yes, USB-powered fans are ten a penny, but this one from Russell Hobbs stands out for being both affordable and solidly-built. The four-inch diameter is larger than most and it's power is also a cut above the rest. We also like how compact this is, meaning it'll fit into the corner of all but the smallest desks.

Although Russell Hobbs don't mention the decibel level, users report that it's nice and quiet – just what you need to stay cool and maintain your concentration. It does only have one speed, though, but moving and tilting it is an easy way to control the airflow as needed. As budget fans from reputable brands go, it's the one of the best.

Many of the fans in our list come with decently low decibel ratings, but this one stands out for producing a lowly 28.5dB at top speed. The Dreo Smart Table Fan is also packed with high-tech perks – such as app control and Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility. That alone makes it a must-buy for smart-home fans of course, but elsewhere the seven inch blades with an advanced design and four speeds really help this to become a little powerhouse of a fan. It's design helps it to circulate the air rather than just blow it, too.

While we love any automatic oscillating fan for its ease of use and effectiveness, this one does only oscillate horizontally, so you'll have to set the vertical tilt manually to suit. That aside, it's a great looking piece of kit that will work brilliantly on any desktop.

Yes, USB fans are ten a penny, but the SmartDevil Desk Fan really blows our expectations out of the water. Firstly, this one has not one but three speeds – that's much more than the standard single speed we see on most USB fans. Secondly, the 360-degreee vertical tilt makes for some really flexible positioning and cooling options.

One nice extra is the ability to mount this onto an adhesive plate, for those of you who need a desk fan but prefer to mount it on a nearby wall. But, don't expect miracles when it comes to sheer power – being USB powered this won't rival larger mains fans, but kept on your desktop it'll do the trick nicely.

Granted, you're going to have to have a stunningly large desk to be able to fit this 18-inch monster onto it, but if you have the space you'll be the coolest person in the room. Given the size, the three speeds are an essential feature here, as you can adjust it's powerful breeze downwards if you have to tweak things.

We also love that this could be placed safely on the floor if you need to, with the super-sturdy build able to take the odd accidental kick now and again. But. with great power comes a louder noise. For us it's an acceptable 60dB (at the lowest setting) – a little louder than a washing machine. If you want serious cooling power, this is it.

Sometimes a fan can have a lot of speed and power, but just can't project that airflow very far. This TurboForce Power Fan from Honeywell uses bespoke engineering and design to move the air up to seven metres away. It's also a decent size with an 11.3-inch diameter and three speeds gives you plenty of control.

Once again, the power here means it's a little louder than some others, but at something close to the level of a quiet conversation we think it's fine given the fans ability to circulate the air in a large space.

Not all of us work at an office style desk, and this Bosch Cordless Portable Fan UniversalFan is perfect for those hobbyists and DIYers who need to stay cool in a workshop environment. It's fitted with some pop-out hooks too, so if you need to keep your workspace clear it'll hang where you need it to. One feature we really like is the variable speed controller – ideal for tweaking the airflow depending on what you're working on. It's cordless as well, so placement is much easier in a workshop with limited mains sockets.

One slight downside is that, being cordless, it doesn't come with a battery or charger as it's part of the Bosche universal power system. The upside here, though, is that those battery packs will power drills, saws and a lot of other Bosche tools. For a robust and practical 8-inch model it's an effective desktop or worktop fan for anyone who's work is more hands-on and practical than computing.

12-inch fans are probably the most popular variety out there. They're ubiquitous in offices and homes and are a highly practical choice that balances power with size. However, this one from Russell Hobbs has a fantastic design that bucks the all-chrome trend in favour of a sophisticated Scandinavian-inspired look. If you're just as much about home décor and aesthetics as you are about staying cool, it's black housing and wooden blades combine with three speeds and oscillation for the best of all worlds.

Once again, however, the increased size and power comes with an increase in noise at high speeds, so don't expect silent operation. That said, most users find the sound level to be fine. All in all, we think this is one of the best looking fan designs we've seen and from a solid brand, too.

Although many of the fans on our list are easily portable, this one from Honeywell takes the crown for being so flexible when it comes to size and power. The first thing you'll notice is that this is very foldable and compact, making it easy to pop into your laptop bag and take out and about with you. But, it's the inclusion of both USB and battery power options that make it truly practical for anyone working from various desks around the home or office. If you're not using a computer and there's no USB port handy, you can simply use four AA batteries to power it.

As with many fans here, some users say it's noisier than others – but we think this is all about the limits of engineering. If you want a fan to do a better job you'll need to increase the speed of the motor and that's going to create more noise. In the main, though, most users say it's noise level is as expected for its size. For us, it's a well built and designed super-portable way to stay cool.

We love the innovative design of this fan from Dr. Prepare. It's a tower fan that's compact enough to sit on your desk, but the two things we really like are the twin five-inch fans and wide automatic oscillation. Being mains powered, it's much more powerful than USB options and has three speeds to help you get your cooling just right. Noise levels are impressive too, at around 60dB. A couple of minor downsides though are that it doesn't oscillate vertically and it has no remote – but given that we're talking about desktop fans, we don't think these are a big issue.

Design-wise, we really like the mini tower approach which make it ideal for perching in the corner of any busy desk. The controls are handily placed in the centre of the base as well, so changing settings to suit is just a short reach away.