In one look
Expert Note
Benefits
- Transforms from pedestal to table fan
- Almost completely silent
- App and remote control
The inconvenients
- assembly required
- Control panel on the device difficult to read
- No thermostat integrated into the device
Our verdict
You can buy fans for much less, but if you have the budget, this sleek, quiet model will be a source of quiet comfort in your home.
The Whisper Flex is an ultra-quiet oscillating fan with smart features and a remote control. And its transforming feature means you can use it just about anywhere. But all these features don’t come cheap, so read on to find out if it’s worth it.
Design and construction
- Four color options
- Digital display
- Magnetic remote control
The Whisper Flex is a pedestal fan that you can turn into a table fan, simply by removing the center column, which is a quick job once you get the hang of it. It measures 81 cm high as a pedestal fan and 51 cm as a table fan and its base has a diameter of 34 cm.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
This means it’s too large to place on the side of your desk while you work, but it gives you plenty of options for use around your home.
It comes in four color options: black, white, true gray (a warmer gray), and cool gray. We really like that Duux gives people a choice of shades and even more that the entire fan is a single matte color, which gives it a less functional look than most fans and helps it blend into the decor.
Its build quality is pretty good. It’s made mostly of plastic, with a metal extension tube, but overall it doesn’t feel as sturdy as, say, the Meaco Sefte fan. The Sefte also has the advantage of having a built-in thermostat, which allows it to automatically adjust its fan speed to the room temperature. (The Whisper Flex is a better-looking fan, though, and it has the advantage of smart features.)
I also found that the Whisper Flex attracted cats’ fur. So pet owners might want to opt for one of the lighter colors, which will hide the hair better.
We really like that Duux gives people a choice of shades and even more that the entire range is one matte colour.
It comes boxed and in pieces, so your first task will be to assemble it. I wouldn’t recommend doing this when you’re already hot and tired because, although the instructions are comprehensive, it’s a bit of a fiddly job.
Duux provides everything you’ll need and there’s only one screw to complete the job – but it’s tiny, and after rotating it across the room a few times, I really needed m sit next to a fan.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
The fan control panel is one of its best aesthetic features. It’s a round digital display built into a dial that you turn to choose fan settings.
But I found it unattractive rather than easy to use. For starters, it’s set into the base of the fan, so in stand mode you’ll need to be at ground level to use it. Even in tabletop mode, it’s not incredibly accessible as it’s right under the fan head, and the reflective screen and tiny symbols mean you’ll need to be close to read it.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
However, this isn’t a big deal as you can also control the Whisper Flex on your phone via the Duux app or using the supplied remote control, which is colour-matched to the fan and magnetically attaches to the carry handle on the back for safe keeping.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Performance and features
- 26 fan speed settings, oscillation, choice of modes
- 13 dB operating volume
- Scheduling via app
The Whisper Flex has 26 fan speed settings, ranging from a gentle, barely light airflow to a fairly powerful airflow, although it’s not up to par with the air circulation fan Incredibly powerful Dreo.
It’s the silence of the fan that most people will love – Duux claims an operating noise level of just 13 dB
But the range of speeds allows you to tailor it precisely to your comfort. It can also oscillate vertically (by 100°), horizontally (by 90°), or both at once, although you cannot limit the degree of oscillation. The fan will remain in the position it reached at the point you turn off the oscillation.
You have the choice between three operating modes: normal, natural (air flow variation) and night (display dimming).
But it’s the silence of the fan that most people will appreciate: Duux claims an operating noise level of just 13dB and it’s hard to argue with that as it feels almost perfectly silent.
Then there are the smart features, which you can use when you’ve downloaded the Duux app (available for iOS and Android) and connected the fan to your home Wi-Fi network. This was simple to do when we tested it, although we lost connection a few times during the testing period – but it came back without the need to re-pair the fan.
In the app you can change fan speed, mode and turn oscillation on or off. It’s also easier to set a sleep timer (which you can do in one-hour increments, up to 12 hours) than using the device controls or remote.
There’s also the option to set up a schedule for the fan in the app, which is easy to do and convenient if you plan to use it in a home office or bedroom. You can vary the schedule depending on the day and it’s easy to do.
In general, I found the smart features to be a definite plus and tended to use my phone rather than the remote, partly because you don’t need to aim it closely at the base of the fan to use it. Smart features can also link the fan to your home assistant for voice control.
Finally, the Whisper Flex has a power consumption of between 3W and 29W, making it one of the most economical fans we tested. Even at full power, it will cost you less than a penny per hour.
Pricing and availability
The Duux Whisper Flex smart fan is widely available in the UK. It has a recommended price of £169.99, but you can get it from most retailers for £144.49. Buy it for this price from Duux and Amazon. It’s even cheaper at Argos, where it’s currently £113.90.
If you’re in the US, you can buy the Whisper Flex at Harrods, import duties included, for $186.
It’s far from the cheapest fan we’ve tested, but considering its features and quiet operation, we think it offers good value for money. For our top recommendations across a range of prices, take a look at our roundup of the best fans we’ve tested.
Should you buy the Duux Whisper Flex smart fan?
The Whisper flex isn’t perfect – I might point to its hard-to-read control panel as a problem. But its other control options make up for it, and its overall design, features, and ultra-quiet operation make it a very attractive purchase.
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