Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan review: keeps you cool on the go, but is it worth the price?

Price on writing: £150 | Buy now from

How I tested

I tested the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan over the course of a month, including a two-week heatwave.

I used it in my home office while working from home, paying attention to airflow strength, background noise, comfort during calls and how effective it was as a personal cooling fan during long desk days. I also tested it outdoors in the garden, using the misting function, moving it between different surfaces and checking its stability.

I used it cordless throughout testing, filled the integrated water tank through the top cap, monitored how often it needed refilling and emptied any remaining water after use before leaving the cap open to dry. I also assessed how easy it was to carry, store, adjust and live with day to day.

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My verdict

The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan is a clever portable fan that makes the most sense outdoors on those stuff heatwave days you have to make the most of in the UK.

I tested it over a month, including a two-week heatwave, using it in my home office and in the garden on hot days. As a personal cooling fan, it's excellent. The airflow is powerful enough that I mostly used a medium setting, as the higher speeds felt too strong for me. It doesn't oscillate, so it isn't designed to cool an entire room. It's best aimed directly at you, ideally with a cold drink within reach.

The misting function is what sets it apart. The mist is very fine, refreshing and pleasant without leaving you feeling wet. Outdoors, it's excellent. Indoors, I wasn't convinced. Shark says it's suitable for indoor and outdoor use, and that the mist won't wet surfaces, so I would use it in the kitchen to take the edge off making a roast during a heatwave, but I wouldn't use the misting mode in a home office or living room. I'd be concerned about moisture settling on paper, books, fabrics or wooden furniture, even if the droplets are unlikely to soak anything.

The main annoyance is the water tank. The integrated 150ml tank is easy enough to fill from a tap or water filter, but there's no filling jug included, so topping it up outdoors can be awkward. During testing, it lasted around 30 to 45 minutes depending on the mist setting. That's fine for a quick cool-down but less useful for a long afternoon in the garden or a BBQ.

At £150, it's far from an impulse purchase. There aren't many days each year when most people need a portable misting fan, and the same money would buy a decent oscillating pedestal fan capable of cooling a larger area. Even so, campers, gardeners, beachgoers, people with a suntrap balcony and anyone who takes their picnic kit seriously will get plenty of use from it.

Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan: what's in the box?

The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan comes with the essentials. There's no filling jug included, which feels like an oversight given how often the tank needs refilling.

• Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan

• Charging cord

The charging cable is surprisingly substantial for a small portable fan. It includes a power pack partway along the cable, much like a laptop charger. That's no issue at home, but it's worth bearing in mind if you're packing it for a day out.

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What's the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan like to set up?

Set-up is straightforward. The instructions are printed on stickers attached to the fan, so there's no need to hunt for a manual before you get started.

There are three main buttons: on/off, fan and mist. A light display shows the fan speed and mist mode. I found it easy to understand after a quick look. The fan offers five speeds, breeze modes and mist settings, giving you plenty of adjustment without making things complicated.

The water tank is built into the fan and filled through a flip-up cap on top. The opening is wide enough to fill from a tap, water filter or jug.

Adjusting the angle isn't quite as smooth. You need to hold down a button on the back, and I found it required a fairly firm press. The mechanism feels a little clunky, but once the fan is in position it stays put.

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What's the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan like to use day to day?

During a two-week heatwave, the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro earned a permanent place in my home office. I used it cordless throughout testing and never ran out of battery while using it - in fact, it can run for up to 29 hours on one charge, according to Shark. It was the water tank that needed more attention than the battery.

The airflow is powerful. I mostly stuck to a medium setting because stronger airflow isn't particularly comfortable for me, and the higher speeds felt too cold. On medium, it was quiet enough to run in the background without disrupting calls.

Because it doesn't oscillate, it works best as a personal fan. Point it at yourself and it performs brilliantly. Expecting it to cool an entire room is likely to lead to disappointment.

The design is practical and appealing. My sample came in a soft pink finish, and it's available in a myriad of colours - from neutral black to lilac. It has a chunky, retro look with a useful carry handle, like an old-school boombox. I can easily imagine my teenage daughter taking it to the beach with friends. Personally, I'd have preferred a brighter colour, but the black version would blend into most homes.

Storage is easy too. The squat shape takes up less room than a desk fan with a neck or stand. It feels sturdy when in use but doesn't become awkward when it's time to put it away.

How well does the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan perform indoors?

As an indoor fan, it's powerful, portable and compact. I used it regularly in my home office and found it made hot working days far more comfortable.

It's worth remembering that this is a personal fan. It doesn't oscillate and won't circulate air around an entire room. It works best on a desk, beside a chair or in a particularly warm corner of the house. You can tilt the fan up and down to get the angle just right, but for cooling a bedroom or living room more widely, I'd choose a larger oscillating fan.

I wouldn't use the misting function indoors. Shark describes the mist as ultra-fine and suitable for indoor use, but I'd still be wary around paperwork, books, fabrics and wooden furniture. In my office, I stuck to fan-only mode.

How well does the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan perform outdoors?

Outdoors is where this fan really comes into its own. The mist is cooling and refreshing without leaving you feeling damp. On a hot day in the garden, it's a pleasure to use.

The base is excellent. I used it on uneven surfaces and it remained stable throughout testing. It would take quite a lot to knock it over accidentally, which is reassuring around children, pets and garden furniture. Shark says it's rain-resistant and UV-resistant, with an IPX5 rating, and it certainly feels built for outdoor use.

The mist works best when the fan speed is stronger than the breeze around it. On calm days, or when the fan is running faster, the mist goes where you aim it. In windier conditions, especially on lower settings, the mist tends to drift with the breeze instead.

I'd be happy using it around children and pets outdoors. I'd simply avoid aiming it towards books, paperwork or anything else I'd rather keep dry. The mist is fine enough that it's more likely to drift away than settle heavily.

The main drawback outdoors remains the tank capacity. Depending on the mist mode, I got between 30 and 45 minutes before needing a refill. That feels fairly limited if you're gardening, hosting a BBQ or spending a long afternoon in the sun, but great for a quick cool-down after exercise or during a hot flush.

Is the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro Misting Fan good value for money?

At £150, this is an expensive fan for what is ultimately quite a specialised product.

If your priority is cooling a whole room, there are better ways to spend the money. A similarly priced pedestal fan with oscillation will move air around a much larger space. If you're shopping for a bedroom, living room or office fan, that's probably the more practical option.

Viewed as a portable, cordless outdoor misting fan, though, the Shark performs very well. It's powerful, sturdy, easy to carry, compact to store and extremely refreshing to use outdoors. The battery never caused any problems during testing, and the misting function is excellent when the weather is hot enough to justify it.

The bigger question is how often you'll reach for it. Campers, gardeners, beachgoers, people with sunny balconies and dedicated picnic enthusiasts are likely to get good value from it. For everyone else, it may end up being something you love for a couple of weeks each year before packing it away until the next heatwave.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the products Mumsnetters swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials like steam irons, vacuum cleaners and heated throws.

From a highly recommended retractable washing line to the best quiet fans money can buy, and Mumsnet's favourite dehumidifier to the steam generator iron that'll cut your ironing time in half, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the very best products on the market.