Outside in the real world, air flows around you as you pedal, cooling the body — but indoors there is no airflow.Your body generates heat as you exercise and you’ll begin to sweat to cool down. Depending on how hard you're riding, your sweat might not cool your body down quickly enough and you’ll get hotter, sweatier, and more uncomfortable.
How we tested the fans
We freely admit that these are not scientific tests. Only using a room with controlled humidity, and monitoring our testers’ core body temperature would provide a definitive answer as to which is the best fan.
However, we did control the temperature of the room, and use the same room and training sessions each time. We asked a range of riders to test and we considered not just the cooling but cost, sound and quality of the units.
There are hundreds of fans available so instead of sifting through pages of results.
These are top fans we reviewed in each style, category and price.
Honeywell HT-900
£24 (at time of test)
Pros
Cheap
Powerful
Cons
The airflow dial is on the back of the fan so not easy to reach from the bike
Bit tricky to carry
Compact and lightweight with a carry handle. Weighing less than 1kg, it is compact enough to fit on a trainer desk and the fan head can be angled to suit. It even comes with a wall mount, if you’d prefer it on a wall. The three speed fan is quiet and you can feel the 312m3 ph airflow up to 7 metres away.
Available at Amazon, Argos, B&Q, Dunelm
USB Rechargeable Neck Fan
£9.99
Pros
Cheap
Directs airflow to face
Cons
Not enough airflow
Makes the back of the neck more sweaty
If you want focused cooling on your face and neck cool or you struggle with access to plug sockets, the this wireless fan runs for up to 9 hours before needing a recharge via USB. Whilst it boasts it can be used for exercise it isn't powerful enough to cope with the demands of indoor training. In the interests of trying different types of cooling systems we thought we'd give this a go, and we regretted it!
Available at Amazon
Princess Silver LED Bladeless Fan
£99
Pros
Very quiet
Very cool airflow
Remote control
Cons
Cannot be angled upwards so taller riders won’t feel the benefit
Not all bladeless fans cost the earth as the Princess Silver proves. It is quiet and sleek so it won’t look at odds in the corner of your living room. The fan requires 45 watts to run, which is about 1p per hour. There is a digital display and a remote control, allowing you to turn it up or down from your bike. It doesn't produce big gusts of wind like some of the other fans and whilst it does keep the room cool the feel of a breeze on your torso was missing.
Available at Dunelm, B&Q, Argos
Beldray 9" Desk Fan
£12.99 (at time of testing)
Pros
Adjustable
Cheap
Lightweight
Cons
Not as powerful as other fans
Buttons on back difficult to reach
Noisy
A classic, traditional fan offering plenty of value. The big head provides plenty of coverage across the body and can be angled wherever you need. It has a sturdy construction and works on a desk or the floor. The trade off is that it generates a fair amount of noise. Also available on a pedestal.
Available from Amazon, Argos, John Lewis
Futura 20" Floor Fan
£44.99
Pros
Wide, strong airflow
Angled head
Sturdy construction
Cons
Switch at back of fan
Very Noisy
Not easy to tilt/adjust when you are in the saddle due to weight
This is a classic gym/home workout floor fan. There are lots of similar looking fans available at varying prices, we test more expensive Pro Breeze (£89.99) and Von Haus (£59.99) brands who both offered really sturdy construction. But it was an Amazon dupe, the Futura 20" Floor Fan that ticked the boxes on price, airflow and power. If your home set up is in a garage or shed, these will stand up to rough and tumble. It is a big unit and creates a wide airflow with a wind speed of up to 11 miles per hour, which is the equivalent of a strong breeze on the Beaufort Weather Scale — enough to make an umbrella difficult to use.
This is one of our top picks, if you have the space.
Available from Amazon
VacMaster Cardio 54
£99.99
Pros
Wide strong airflow
Three angled positions
Sturdy construction
Wireless remote
Cons
Price
Looks
VacMaster manufactures all sorts of construction and outdoor devices from lawnmowers to carpet cleaners and dryers. Their Cardio 54 device is designed for home training. We were seriously impressed. Unlike the floor fans the unit is compact, easy to move, and generates a mega 33 mph of wind speed. Cardio 54 comes with a wireless remote control that clips to your handlebars. The horizontal shape of the airflow means, when tested by our very taller riders, they did not feel as much of a breeze on their faces unless they tilted the unit, which then compromised airflow to the legs.
Some of the other fans we tested could also be used in other applications, such as cooling your home whereas the VacMaster is a dedicated training fan.
Available from VacMaster, Amazon
Wahoo Kickr Bluetooth Headwind Fan
£229.99
Pros
Powerful
Adjusts to heart rate, riding power, interval
Wireless adjustment via app
Integrates with other Wahoo products
Cons
Expensive
When Wahoo launched their fan, there were plenty of riders who rolled their eyes. Are Wahoo trying to reinvent something that doesn’t need it?
Wahoo did more than create a fan; they made a smart cooling system. Its USP is powerful airflow that adjusts to your heart rate, interval intensity, and speed. Though pairing it with heart rate, it aligns closely with your body's temperature and feels like it keeps you cool. It is light enough to be portable, with the ability to adjust the direction of airflow wirelessly from the saddle and manually control the fan speed.
The maximum speed of the fan is 30 mph, giving it one of the highest velocities we tested. If you want to direct airflow to your face or torso you need to move it about 120–150 cm from the handlebars, which may not suit riders with small training areas. We really like the integrated cord hook feature so you can wrap away the power cable.
There are two legs which can be folded out should you want to rest the fan on a desk and this directs the airflow horizontally. It is a well thought out device with tons of power, and the smart airflow gives you one less thing to think about during your session.
Cooling tips and hacks
One thing to remember is that while fans cool you, they don’t actually reduce the air temperature in the room as an air conditioner would. It is likely you’ll be using your trainer in a small space which will warm up quickly and become humid, unless you do one of two tricks.
Chill the air
Place a bowl of ice water in front of a fan so that heat energy is removed from the air to melt the ice (this is the principle used in air coolers).
Smart plugs
If your fan doesn’t have a remote control, you can use a smart plug to turn your fan on and off via an app on your phone.
Dual airflow
Place a fan with its back to an open window to draw in cool air and a second fan facing another window to blow the warmer air out. This only works if the air outside is cooler than inside your home, though.
Wick away sweat
There is no need to wear a jersey when riding on the turbo. You can wear a lightweight, mesh baselayer which is designed to wick away sweat. In fact, tests at the University of Birmingham found that wearing a baselayer kept riders cooler than riding in just shorts.
Do you need a fan?
It’s not essential, but getting too hot will reduce your ability to continue to exercise effectively and get the best from your training session.
One option is to take your trainer outside. In the winter when the temperature is cooler this makes training easier, but unless there’s a breeze you won’t create airflow which has a cooling effect. You are also susceptible to rain. Then there are nosey neighbours listening to you pant and splutter for an hour.
Another option is hiding out in the garden shed with the door open, and whilst it’s probably the coldest room in your house you really need airflow moving around your body to create a cooling effect. Think of it like this: it feels cooler at the beach with a sea breeze than sitting around a pool inland.