[Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Duux, but all words and opinions are my own]
Over the years, there have been many battles over fans in our house. I’m particularly sensitive to temperature changes, so as soon as a heatwave hits I bring out an old electric fan and plonk myself in front of it. Worried by electricity bills, noise and the hazard of trailing power leads, Chris tends to turn it straight back off again! It’s bad enough when it’s just the two of us, but when we have guests over our little Victorian terrace quickly becomes hot and stuffy. Anything that can keep us and our visitors more comfortable (and stop us annoying each other!) is therefore welcome, so I was very happy when I was asked to try out the Whisper Flex Ultimate pedestal fan from Dutch brand Duux.
Duux has been making products to improve air quality and temperature for more than 20 years now, and I already use and love its Tag Ultrasonic humidifier. The fan sales blurb promised very little noise, energy efficiency, lots of flexibility and a wind range of up to 17m, so hopes were high. And thankfully it hasn’t disappointed.
The most notable feature of the Whisper Flex Ultimate is that it’s portable, with an easy-to-use charging pad and a battery pack that lasts for up to 12 hours. That means you can move it wherever needed, without having to worry about cables or whether or not there’s a plug socket nearby. You can even use it outside, which is a big plus in our south-facing and at times unbearably hot garden. During the week, the fan travels with me from my home office to the kitchen to the bedroom. And when we’re entertaining on balmy weekends like this extended Jubilee bank holiday, it seamlessly adapts to apertifs in the garden, meals indoors or out, and after-dinner drinks in the living room.
As well as tilting vertically and horizontally, the fan has an extender pole that clips in an out, meaning you can stand it on a table or the floor. I find the taller height particularly useful, as it doesn’t take up any surface space. Another pesky issue with conventional fans has been solved, too: the limited range of speed settings, which often means you have a choice between the merest whisper of air or a full-on gale. Whereas my old fan only had three, the Whisper Flex Ultimate has 30 – and, as you can control them with the remote, Alexa / Google Assistant or a smartphone app, you don’t even need to get up from the comfort of your chair or bed to change them. There’s even a ‘Natural Breeze’ mode that simulates real wind, and an auto setting where you choose your desired temperature and let the fan adjust itself as needed.
And it’s so quiet! I’m not exaggerating when I say that on the lower settings it really is barely audible, which means no annoying whirring when you’re trying to talk to guests, listen to music / the TV or just get a good night’s sleep. Most tellingly our cat Loki, who’s scared of hairdryers, heaters and any other whooshing noises, is totally unbothered by it.
Two other features that I’ve found useful are the night mode and timer, which mean you can dim the LED display and set the fan to turn itself off after a certain number of hours. The latter is particularly handy at this time of year, when I often go to bed feeling hot but will only wake up cold a few hours later if I leave a fan running all night.
Finally, the design is so much prettier than other fans I’ve come across, with minimalist lines and a choice between a matt black or matt white finish. It fits unobtrusively into our home rather than jarring with the pared-back decor, and I like the little touches such as the sleek circular dial and the slot at the back for storing the remote.
So, would I recommend the Whisper Flex Ultimate? Yes, most definitely. It’s cheaper than many other high-end fans on the market, but much more versatile – and, in my view, a lot nicer to look at. It’s already proved its worth, and I suspect it’s going to make our house a lot more bearable this weekend and in the months to come!
The Whisper Flex Ultimate fan is available to buy here and is priced at £249.99. Don’t use outside if it’s raining or leave outdoors after use.
All photography by Abi Dare
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