Expert Rating
Benefits
- Powerful
- Portable
- Up to 9 hours of use between charges
- Folds into standing mode
The inconvenients
- 5 hour charging time
- No way to attach it to a bag
Our verdict
With a few minor adjustments this fan would be perfect. As is it is powerful, durable, intelligently designed and great value for money. For a very small investment you can be comfortable wherever you go for the rest of the summer.
The summer has been mixed, with grey days and scorching hot days. But the sunny days have shown how ill-adapted the UK is to extreme heat. Unlike other countries, we don’t move from one air-conditioned space to another when we’re outside, and our buildings are designed to retain heat, not ventilate.
Equipping yourself with a few cooling devices can make a huge difference. A good fan in your bedroom and another in your home office will go a long way in helping you stay comfortable at home. Check out our roundup of the best fans we tested to keep you cool this August.
But as soon as you step outside, you are at the mercy of the dampness outside or the stuffiness of the public spaces inside. You board a train looking fresh and leave it shiny and faded. Waiting rooms are unventilated. Festivals and concerts are stifling.
It was actually at a gig that I first saw John Lewis’ Anyday handheld fan, in the hand of the only person in the packed venue who still looked cool (but not unflappable).
Design and construction
The Anyday fan is 25 cm long and its head has a diameter of 10 cm. It is also lightweight: only 184 g, about the same weight as an average smartphone.
It comes in four attractive matte colours: white, sage, lake blue and yellow. At the time of writing, the blue and yellow models are sold out, but you can buy the sage (pictured) or white fan from John Lewis for just £8.40.
Unfortunately, this model is not available in the US, but you can browse a selection of similar hand fans on Amazon.
It’s well made, much sturdier than other hand fans you’ve tried. And its seamless design makes it a nice item to carry around with you.
Once you arrive at your destination, you can fold it up into a standing position and use it on a desk, table or shelf. You can even adjust its tilt, although there are only two possible settings.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
But its performance is even better than its design.
For starters, it’s powerful. More than enough to keep you from breaking a sweat at your desk or on public transport. And it’s quiet too, especially on the first two of its three operating speeds. In my opinion, the middle speed is the Goldilocks setting: quiet enough to not be intrusive and powerful enough to be effective.
It won’t leak or fail after half an hour. You’ll get nine hours of use on low speed, six on medium speed, and four on high speed, which will get you through a workday or an evening.
Charging time is a little less spectacular, however: it takes five hours to fully charge it. But since it comes with a standard USB cable with a Type-A to Type-C connection, it’s pretty easy to do. It even has a charging indicator light. It goes from red while charging to green when the battery is fully charged. The light glows blue during normal use and flashes blue when the battery is low.
In a perfect world, it would have a clip or loop on the end so you could attach it to your bag. Yet, it can easily fit into a shoulder bag, too.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Should you buy the John Lewis Anyday hand fan?
In a word, yes. It’s such a small investment to stay cool. I wish I had discovered it earlier this summer.
For more help staying comfortable in the heat, check out our best home fan recommendations.
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