Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan review: is this the quietest fan you can buy?

Price on writing: £130 | Buy now from Amazon

How we tested

Mumsnet editor Poppy put the Duux Whisper Flex Smart to the test in her three-bedroom home in Sussex. Taking detailed notes on ease of use, quality and how effectively the fan cooled her and the room, she tested the fan over the course of a month.

Our verdict

When we're hit by a heatwave, Brits are often as unprepared as we are for heavy snow. While warmer countries plan ahead with fitted air conditioners, we're left sweating at our WFH desks and tossing and turning at night. While it doesn't make much sense to make big changes to our homes or invest in costly equipment for unpredictable weather, having an effective pedestal or tower fan at home is a real lifesaver when the weather heats up. Bringing relief from stuffy, hot conditions indoors, the only drawback is the noise fans make.

That's why Mumsnetters believe the best pedestal fan is a quiet one. Highly recommended on our Talk forums and holders of a coveted Quiet Mark Certification, Dutch company Duux make some of the best quiet fans around.

While the Whisper Flex Smart was a little time-consuming to assemble, it's genuinely extremely quiet. at just 13dB on its lowest setting, the fan is barely noticeable. For context, it's quieter than a little handheld fan, a kettle boiling in the next room or a dehumidifier on another floor, all of which I could hear clearly over the gentle hum of the Duux.

Its quietness is its main selling point, but it has lots of other features that make it a pleasure to use. There's an app where you can set schedules, hook it up to your smart home or voice assistant, and even connect it to local weather (although this feature wasn't available where I live at the time of writing).

The fan is lightweight and has a handle at the back, so its easy to move from your office to your bedroom and back. There's a battery pack version available too - the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Ultimate, £255 - which is rechargeable up to 12 hours, so you can use it cordlessly.

How easy is the Duux Whisper Flex Smart to set up and start using?

The Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan comes in quite a lot of pieces, so assembly takes a bit of time. There's just one screw to fit though, and an allen key is included so there's no need to get the toolbox out.

The fan can be built at two height settings, but isn't adjustable without taking it apart again, so it's best to decide whether you want a pedestal or desk fan before you start.

The fan comes with a remote control, with buttons to control fan speed, oscillation, a timer function, eco and night modes. There's also a big button with a digital display on the base, which allows you to turn the fan off and on, and controls WiFi pairing. I found myself using the remote control rather than the app, but if you want to set automatic schedules and get the most out of your fan, you'll need to download the free Duux app.

Pairing the fan with Wifi was a little frustrating, as the fan's WiFi mode kept timing out before it could pair with the app. You need to turn the fan off then hold down the side of the dial on the base for the app and fan to find each other.

Once the app is set up, you can set automatic schedules, connect it to your local weather, as well as controlling the fan's speed, oscillation and mode.

Read next: The best neck fans, tried and tested

What's the Duux Whisper Flex Smart like to use day-to-day?

The Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan is very effective. It provides a powerful stream of air when its pointing at you, as well as efficiently circulating the air around it to cool down up to 15 m2 - impressive for such a lightweight fan. With a huge 26 fan speeds to choose from, you can get just the right amount of circulation going to suit you perfectly.

In night mode, the digital display goes off, it still beeps when you adjust something, but it's a quieter beep than in standard mode. These thoughtful extra features made it a brilliant fan for my bedroom.

Eco mode allows you to set a target temperature. Once that temperature is hit, the fan will switch off until it gets hotter again. I found this a good setting for the changeable British weather - it rarely gets hot enough for a long enough time to warrant setting a weekly schedule, but setting a temperature in eco mode meant the fan would come on automatically on sweltering days.

I appreciated the handle at the back of the fan, which makes it comfortable and easy to move around the house with you. Whether I'm working from home, chilling out or sleeping, I don't want a noisy fan making a racket, so unless you're going to splash out on a Duux for every room, it makes sense to invest in a fan that's portable enough to move around the house as needed.

Read next: The best air coolers for hot weather

Does the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan offer good value for money?

With an RRP of £170, the Duux Whisper Flex Smart is by no means cheap. Similarly priced to Mumsnetter faves Meaco, Duux's focus on quietness makes this fan a savvy choice for those looking for the lowest decibels on the market.

For comparison, the Meaco 1056P retails at £150 and operates at 20dB, while the Duux Whisper Flex Smart is just 13dB. Both are extremely quiet - the sound of leaves rustling is about 20dB, and a whisper is around 30dB - but the Duux is quieter.

At the budget end of the market, this Pro Breeze Mini Tower Fan is 52dB and will set you back £30.

All in all, we think £170 is a very reasonable price for such a smart, quiet and lightweight fan.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She's been researching and reviewing baby and child products for 2 years, with a particular focus on baby essentials, toys and books for toddlers and outdoor play equipment. From potties to paddling pools and bunk beds to bedtime stories, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the best products out there.

Poppy is also an award-winning, best-selling children's and parenting author of books such as Don't Worry, Be Happy, The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy and Mother Power. She specialises in children's mental health and her books are used by therapists, teachers and SENCOs across the UK. She won a The Week Junior Book Award in 2023, her books have been translated into several languages and she's been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Sun.

After earning a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Leeds and a PGCert in Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism from University of the Arts London, she worked in fashion for most of her 20s. When her children were young, she undertook an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester and re-trained as an author and freelance writer.

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