This portable misting fan doesn't leave my side in summer

I don't know about you guys, but now that summer's hit, I'm feeling ever so slightly sweaty in the office, in bed, and just generally always.

Over the past few weeks alone, we've faced heatwaves, sticky humidity, and hot rain. An effective cooling fan is essential to avoid melting in the hotter months.

Enter my new favourite fan: the adorable Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Portable Fan. Though small in stature, it's an ultra-powerful, ultra-portable fan that refreshingly mists both outdoors and indoors.

Dare I say this is a fabulous investment purchase, and allow me tell you why.

NOTE: Prices are accurate at the time of publishing

The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Portable Fan at a glance...

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Weight: 1.76kg

Dimensions: 28.2 H x 20.3 W x 22.8 D

Colour options: Quartz, Lilac, Honeydew, Dove, Glacier or Charcoal

Run time: Up to 12 hours

Settings: Boost mode, Natural Breeze mode, 1-5 speed modes

Cooling range: 20 m

What comes in the box: The fan and charging cable

First impressions

Firstly, it's adorable. I know that's not the most important feature when it comes to home tech, but often household appliances like fans and humidifiers can be an eyesore. For those who like a pop of colour in their space, it comes in pink, green, blue, and purple. And for those who prefer a neutral palette, there's also the option of grey and black.

It's also very compact. It doesn't take up much room at all. It can be easily slotted into a corner of your desk, bedside table, or pretty much any other surface.

What I liked...

The lengths it goes to

The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Portable Fan packs a punch with up to 20 metres of cooling power. So much so that on full whack, my whole row of desks reaps the refreshing reward of this fan.

There are five different fan settings designed for: quiet operation, moderate cooling, balance of noise level and fan power, air circulation, and high-power cooling. You can also activate BreezeBoost for maximum airflow power and NaturalBreeze, which simulates strong and gentle wind conditions. There's truly a setting for every required body temperature and experience.

It's also super quiet. On the lowest setting, I can barely hear that it's on. And even when it's turned up full pelt, it won't disrupt your sleep.

Its portability

I'd never really considered the use of a portable fan of this size. Normally, you buy a bedroom or living room fan, and it just lives there for eternity. So this is actually a game-changer.

You can take it with you when you move between rooms. When you're cooking dinner, you can have it in the kitchen; when you're watching a movie, pop it next to the sofa; when it's time for bed, you can have it on your bedside table. Whenever you need to cool down, it's there for you.

I also love that, as it's portable, you can take it literally anywhere you like. With up to 12 hours of runtime, this can be taken down to the beach, away on camping trips, or even to the gym.

The head of the fan can also be manoeuvred to point upwards and downwards depending on your needs.

Refreshing misting

After experiencing the joys of a light misting on a hot day, I now question the use of a fan that doesn't have a built-in mister.

You simply fill the water tank until you see that it's full through the clear side panels (it doesn't require much water at all, roughly 150mL!) and press the misting button. You have the choice between consistent and interval misting. I hadn't filled it to the top, but the misting ran for about 30 minutes before it emptied.

Misting will automatically stop after one hour in consistent mode and two hours in interval mode. This is great for when you want to sleep with misting, as you can trust it to stop when you finally doze off.

It wasn't too aggressive (no one wants to be soaked sitting at their desk), and the ability to change the settings means you can have as much or as little as you like.

What could be improved...

For seamless misting, my advice would be to keep topping up the tank. As the water begins to run low, the misting cuts in and out, and it takes a gentle jiggle of the fan to keep it going. It's not a huge issue. A fix would be an alert when the tank is running low, however, it also doesn't hurt to be proactive and check the little window on either side of the fan to see where your water level is at.

Is it worth the price?

If each year you find yourself buying a cheap fan that actually does very little, and inevitably sending it to landfill once summer ends, I truly believe this is a good investment. Particularly if you struggle in the heat come summer. It's durable, easy-to-use and made to last thanks to Ninja's thoughtful design.

Many of us don't have the luxury of AC in our homes, so for me, this fan is a cheap and effective way of cooling my spaces.

It seems that each year we forget how hot it can get, so I feel at peace knowing I have my Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Portable Fan primed and ready to use.

Are there any other options?

If you are looking for a more permanent fan feature in your place, then Shark has other options, too!

Shark FlexBreeze Pro Mist Indoor Outdoor Pedestal & Table Fan With Water Tank

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Shark FlexBreeze Fan With Misting Attachment

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READ MORE: Shop the very best bedroom fans to keep you cool on hot nights