These days, it feels as though no household appliance is excluded from having a smart makeover - including the fan.
Over the years, the hot weather essentials has undergone extensive upgrades, from Dyson’s revolutionary bladeless design to advanced additions like voice control, as is the case with Duux’s Whisper Flex 2.
Here on the Standard Shopping desk, we see a range of tech imbued with such smarts, and we wonder why. Do we really need to see dishwasher water usage stats? Is it essential to get mobile notifications when the washing cycle is done? Can my poor phone’s storage really make room for yet another companion app? And more often than not, the answer is firmly no. However, Duux’s latest fan proves that some tech advancements can, in fact, prove rather helpful.
When a heatwave hits and sleep becomes a struggle, we can go to bed dripping with sweat only to shudder awake in Arctic temperatures in the middle of the night. But Duux’s pairing with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa means you can literally ask the fan to power down or turn off without needing to get up to do it yourself.
The smart Whisper Flex 2 lives up to its name with its super quiet operation. But it also offers additional, welcomed functions, including a customised cooling experience with 30 speed settings, vertical and horizontal oscillations and different modes to suit individual preferences. The pedestal fan has a sleek touchscreen display and a remote and it can work cordlessly. You’ll barely notice the difference in your bills either; it costs just a penny to run per hour.
Duux Whisper Flex 2 key specs
Set-up
Following the step-by-step instructions included in the box was a complete, ahem, breeze. Clear pictures detail where each part goes (base to pole, pole to fan head), and it comes with an Allen key that slots into the underside of the base once you’re done. This is to unscrew the head and place the bolts inside the design, but helpfully, it will always be on hand should you need it. Nice touch. There is also a remote with a battery included.
Functionality
The first thing you’ll notice about the Whisper Flex 2 is the attractive colours. I chose a soft pink hue with a matte finish that makes it far less of an eyesore than the typical fan. It doesn’t rival the Dyson aesthetic, but you’ll be far less concerned about the real estate that it takes up in your home.
The next feature that will become apparent is the whopping 30 different speed settings. If you thought the standard three was decent, welcome to a new era of cooling. What’s more, you can customise the power, whether you’re looking for a soft breeze or an ice-cold chill.
Then there’s the choice of oscillation. Remarkably, the fan can move vertically as well as the more commonly seen horizontal. It can be angled parallel to the ceiling, useful for dissipating collected heat or if you’re looking for a Marilyn Monroe moment.
Honourable mention goes to the Night Mode. This is a relatively quiet fan compared to others on the market already, but when you press the moon button on the remote, the Whisper Flex 2 becomes all the more so. In this setting, it doesn’t matter if you crank up the speed to the late 20s, it will maintain a sleep-friendly hum. As a fussy sleeper, I enjoy the white noise of a fan and find it soothing, but for those who find it disruptive, you’ll appreciate Night Mode all the more.
Now, let’s get on to the capability that makes this fan stand out from the crowd and brings it into the realm of smart. While a remote is included in the box, you can also connect it to smart home assistants so that it works via voice commands. Picture this: it’s the middle of the night, and you’re feeling cold, you simply have to say “Hello Google, turn the fan down”, and it will do so without rousing you from your precious slumber. It also allows for scheduling.
Verdict
Duux Whisper Flex 2
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The first thing you’ll notice about the Whisper Flex 2 is the attractive colourway. I went for the soft pink hue and it has a matte finish that makes it much less of an eyesore than the typical fan. It doesn’t rival the Dyson aesthetic, but you’ll be far less concerned about the real estate that it takes up in your home. It also comes in white and black.
The next feature that will become apparent is the whopping 30 different speed settings. No longer do you have to make do with three, but you can customise the power, whether you’re looking for a soft breeze or an ice-cold chill. And then you have the different oscillations. Remarkably, the fan can move vertically as well as the more common horizontal - and in terms of the former, it can go flat towards the ceiling should you be looking for a Marilyn Monroe moment.
Honourable mention goes to the Night Mode. This is a relatively quiet fan compared to others on the market already, but when you press the moon button on the remote, the Whisper Flex 2 becomes all the more so. In this setting, it doesn’t matter if you crank up the speed all the way to the late 20s, it still hums at a sleep-friendly noise. I personally enjoy the white noise of a fan, and find it soothing, but for those who find it disruptive, you’ll appreciate this mode all the more.
Now, let’s get on to the capability that makes this fan stand out from the crowd and brings it into the realm of smart. While there is a handy remote included, you can also connect it to smart home assistants. Picture this: it’s the middle of the night, and you’re feeling cold, you simply have to say “Hello Google, turn the fan down”, and it will do so without rousing you from your precious slumber. It also allows for scheduling.
Buy now £179.99, Amazon
