From styling your hair to drying your socks 5 ways to use your portable fan in between heatwaves

Date:
Sun, 16 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Description:
Don't toss your fan in a drawer when the temperature eventually starts to
drop a little it can do so much more than just keep you cool.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter A handheld electric fan makes a huge difference during summer heatwaves, but there's no need to stash it away in a drawer when the weather cools down. Whether you need an ad-hoc hair styler or a quick way to cool your kids' dinner without blowing on it, your mini fan can be your best friend.

Great fans don't have to be expensive, either. I recently tested five
portable fans from across the price spectrum , and the most expensive model was outranked by a humble model costing a fifth of the price. 1. Drying your hair When reviewing the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan , I noted that "even on the lowest setting, you can really feel it; dial it up to maximum and its as powerful as some hairdryers Ive used" and it seems some fan-owners follow that thought to its natural conclusion, using their portable coolers to help dry and style their locks without heat though it might not yield
particularly sleek results. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

"Drying my hair on electric fan sounds less damaging than blow drying it," said one user in Reddit's haircare community . "My genuine question is: does it contribute to the frizziness of my hair?"

According to experts, cool air from a fan might do exactly that. We recently interviewed Dr Julie Chung , CEO and founder of haircare brand T3, who suggested that heat styling can be a better choice for the health of your hair. You may like Get more from your air conditioner and fan 9 top tips
from the experts Are you using your fan properly? 3 top tips for keeping yourself cool Small but powerful, the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool packs a serious punch The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan is powerful, but one of the company's hair dryers would be a much better choice for styling your locks (Image credit: Dyson) "Heat in general has been sort of demonized incorrectly," she tells told us. "Women always think, 'Oh heat is terrible for my hair, I'm
just gonna let it air dry, I'm gonna shower and just sleep on it.' Hair is actually in its most fragile state when it's wet. It tends to be much easier to break that tensile strength is decreased and it's more likely to snap.

"And not to mention when you air-dry your hair, usually the hair is very frizzy and it tends to look even unhealthier if your hair is already in a dried out state." Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. 2. Drying laundry Portable fans are particularly popular in Singapore, where the hot and humid summers make them a necessity for daily life, so it's no surprise that members of the Ask Singapore community on Reddit have some particularly creative ideas.

One inventive traveler explained that they use their portable fan to dry
small items of laundry, which could be a helpful hack when you're on a long vacation and don't have enough socks to last the whole trip.

Just don't try washing your underwear in the hotel coffee machine . The bathroom sink will do just fine. What to read next 9 fantastic fans to help you beat the heat recommended by a former tester I tested 5 portable fans from 17 to 130, and the winner came as a real surprise Can't find a fan? No sweat I've found 7 models from big brands still in stock 3. Drying nail polish You can buy electric fans specifically designed for drying nail polish , which can cost up to $70 / 50 / AU$100, so it makes sense to save your cash that instead to finish your manicure in record time.

"Whether you're at a salon or home, cold air from a fan or blow dryer will help the polish harden faster," Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder of nail products company Olive & June, told beauty site Byrdie in an interview. Rather than blowing on your nail polish to dry it, some professionals suggest using a small fan for quick results (Image credit: Getty Images, Christine Schneider) However, opinion seems to be divided on whether this actually helps, or if it's more likely to spoil the finish of your polish.

"[Many] people use fans or blow dryers to speed up the drying process, and while it works by evaporating the solvents faster, you can run into bubbles forming in the polish," said professional nail artist Amy Oung.

Perhaps give it a try and see what you think. Of course, this will only work on regular nail polish gel polish needs to be cured with a UV light. 4. Cooling hot food Many handheld fans have stands or folding stems that allow them to double as desk fans, which can be a handy tool for parents.

"My handheld fan can prop on the table," one parent said . "Very useful for when the food is too hot for my kid to eat but [I'm too lazy to] blow. I just blast the fan at it for few seconds."

Not as cute as the cat-shaped drink-cooling robot Nkojita FuFu, which we saw at last year's IFA show in Berlin, perhaps, but certainly more affordable. Nkojita FuFu is a cute plastic cat that cools food and drinks by blowing on them, but a portable fan will get the job done too (Image credit: Yukai Engineering) 5. Fidgeting Fans aren't just for purely practical purposes
they can also provide something to occupy restless hands. One fan-owning Singaporean Redditor said they originally "Bought it for survival, kept it
for emotional support."

"I use it waiting for buses, walking between MRT exits, in crowded lifts, and weirdly when Im anxious or bored," they explained. "Its basically a socially acceptable fidget spinner at this point."

Do you use your fan for something other than keeping cool and comfortable?
Let us know using the poll below, or in the comments. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Today's best portable fan deals Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan 99.99 View See all prices John Lewis High Power Handheld Fan 20 View See all prices Warmco Portable Handheld Turbo Fan 24.98 View See all prices Tunise Portable Handheld Fan 15.98 View See all prices Shark ChillPill 137.20 118.22 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/air-quality/from-styling-your-hair-to-drying-yo ur-socks-5-ways-to-use-your-portable-fan-in-between-heatwaves


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)