Best Camping Fan

There’s nothing worse than being unable to sleep in a hot, sticky tent as soon as the sun rises when you’re camping. A hot climate can really overshadow your enjoyment of a trip, especially if there’s no escape from the heat and you’re outside all day.

A camping fan can be a gamechanger when it comes to keeping your tent cool throughout the day and when it’s humid at night, giving you a place to escape to cool down when the sun is blazing. However, with an array of camping fans on the market, how can you find out which one is the best for you?

Relax, we’ve got the answer for you.

We’ve come up with the top five best camping fans for you. Along with this, we’ve written a helpful buyer’s guide and covered some frequently asked questions that might have crossed your mind, too.

Say goodbye to waking up at the crack of dawn and hello to a full night’s sleep!

Take a look at our top pick below.

Best Camping Fan Buying Guide

There are a few factors you should take into account when purchasing a camping fan, but it primarily comes down to their source of power, their size and their portability.

You’ll need to take into consideration the type of fan that is the most convenient for you whilst camping. However, if you decide to buy a battery operated fan, you should try to avoid cutting corners on the battery quality.

You might find that your fan is burning through your batteries more quickly than you anticipated and that you’re not getting the most out of your purchase if it’s running on lower quality batteries. 

Take a look at the features below before clicking ‘buy’. 

Source of Power 

Something important to take into consideration when purchasing a camping fan is its source of power.

The source of power that you choose is entirely up to you, and will depend on where you’re camping and what type of utilities you will have at your disposal. Fans can range from a conventional corded fan to rechargeable fans, and replaceable batteries to solar-powered fans.

The choice in camping fan that you make will depend on your personal situation and where you will be camping, but it is likely that if you’re away from a power source that you’ll need either a battery-powered or solar powered fan. However, there are aspects you need to consider.

While battery and solar-powered fans tend to be more portable, corded fans have more power and last longer. Weigh up the pros and cons of the different types of fans and what utilities will be available to you, as this is likely to narrow down the search. 

Space

You will need to consider the space that you have available in your tent to set up the fan itself. Ask yourself: where do you want to put the fan? If the space is tight, do you want to hang it from the ceiling?

Take these questions into consideration when making your choice. 

The space is also important to note as if it is a bigger tent, it is likely that your fan will not cover the entire tent. Check the product information to see what tent the fan is marketed for, as a lot of mini fans are marketed for 2-3 person tents.

As a result, then, it will be better suited for a smaller tent as opposed to a larger one. This could in theory then affect the effectiveness of the fan, so it is worth knowing if you need to get a larger one. 

Durability

An important factor to consider is the durability of a product, especially when it comes to a fan that you’re likely to be using on a daily basis whilst you’re camping.

You want to know that you’re making an investment that will last, especially if it’s boiling hot outside and you’re relying on this fan to keep your tent cool!

A good way to know whether a product is durable or not is to check the product reviews. A lot of the time, customers who are not happy with the product will often voice their opinion in the product review section and can give you a better idea of whether you want to buy the product or not.

This section also divulges information about the customer service of the company itself, so if you’ve had problems in the past, this is also good to check. If in doubt, always check the customer reviews. 

Size & Portability

A big factor to consider when purchasing a camping fan is the size and portability. As you’ll have to pack the fan and travel with it, you’ll want a compact fan that you can easily fit in your bag with the rest of your belongings. 

After all, you don’t want a fan that’s going to weigh you down more than you already are with all of your camping gear. It will be much more convenient to get a compact, mini fan.

However, it is worth noting that the smaller the fan, the smaller the area it will cover. That being said, you can still get small camping fans that do the job! 

It is worth mentioning that a fan is supposed to make your camping experience more enjoyable, especially in hot weather, so take this into account when making your choice. If it’s too heavy to lug around, you might regret not buying a compact fan.

Speed Adjustments

When buying any kind of fan, you’ll want to take into account the amount of speed adjustments that it comes with. This is particularly important when you’re camping, as you’re more likely to experience a variety of different weather conditions.

Different speeds work best in different situations. For instance, a low speed setting is ideal for cooling effect while a high speed setting is perfect for drying out the tent when it feels damp after a heavy rainfall. That being said, you should opt for a fan that allows you to adjust the speed accordingly and conveniently. 

It is also important to mention that user discretion is advised when it comes to using different speed adjustments, especially with battery powered camping fans. This is because using battery-powered fans on high speed can rapidly deplete the battery.

As a result, you should always practice caution as you could go through spare batteries more quickly than you would have hoped. You should also pack plenty of spare batteries to avoid disappointment! 

Multifunctional

Something important to consider when purchasing a camping fan is whether it is multifunctional. This is because it will limit the amount of luggage you’ll need to carry, and can be handy to have an all in one product. Ask yourself, is it multifunctional?

A lot of camping fans come with LED lights that can light your tent as well as cool it down. This can be handy, particularly at night when you’re camping without electricity nearby.

Having a fan that is also a light will limit your need to buy extra torches to have around the tent at night, so it’s a great investment to get a fan that can do both! Some fans also come with timers, which are handy especially if you want to save battery throughout the night.

Not only this, but you can also buy camping fans to ward off flies. The airwaves created by the moving air helps ward off bugs and mosquitoes from entering your tent through the ventilation or the door.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you run a fan while camping?

The answer to this question entirely depends on the type of fan that you buy. Some can be battery or solar-powered, while others need to be connected to an electrical source. As a result, you will need to buy the right type of fan for you and where you are camping.

However, if you’re camping in the wilderness away from an electrical source, a battery-operated fan is a great option to keep your tent cool, just make sure that you bring plenty of spare batteries! 

Alternatively, if you know you’re going to be somewhere that’s consistently hot, you could look into getting yourself a solar powered camping fan.

Not only will the sun power your fan instead of you having to rely on batteries, but having a solar powered fan can be better for the environment, especially if you have a longer trip ahead of you, as you won’t have to remember spare batteries for when your others run out.

What are camping fans good for?

If you struggle to sleep when you’re camping due to the heat, a camping fan can be game-changing when it comes to keeping your tent cool throughout the day and when it’s humid and you’re struggling to sleep at night. 

Tents can become very hot as soon as the sun rises, meaning that you might have to get up as soon as the sun is up. This forced early morning is far from ideal if you’ve had an active day and a night of broken sleep, also. Not only do camping fans cool you down, but they can also circulate the air for a better night’s sleep.  

Camping fans are also great at creating a cool environment in your tent during the day, especially if you have it on a timer to ensure that you’re not wasting unnecessary battery whilst you’re away from the tent.

Camping in the heat can be tough, especially if you can’t escape the heat, and it can lead to more serious issues such as heatstroke.

A camping fan can aid you in creating a space you can get away for a little rest bite and it’s likely that you’ll be very grateful for it! This will also save you from sitting in the car with the air conditioning on for long periods of time, which in turn can lead to a much larger problem if you run your battery down!

Save yourself the hassle with a camping fan.