Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Evaporative cooler vs fan UK

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are looking at a fan price and a cooler price, and you want the room thermometer to fall. An evaporative cooler vs fan UK choice is simpler than the titles suggest, and stricter. A fan on the [room cooling comparison](/hub/cooling/room-cooling) moves air across you. The one water-tank unit, the BLACK+DECKER BXAC65014GB, can cool the stream it blows and it adds moisture. Peter F. compared that listing with Energy Saving Trust, NHS, CIBSE, and GOV.UK on 20 October 2026. We did not measure a degree drop. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. On a humid day, neither machine is air conditioning.

You are looking at a fan price and a cooler price, and you want the room thermometer to fall. An evaporative cooler vs fan UK choice is simpler than the titles suggest, and stricter.

Our top picks

Dr. Prepare Dr. Prepare desk tower fan

Best overall

Dr. Prepare Dr. Prepare desk tower fan
8.3/10about £35.99
View offer
Schallen Schallen 16 inch pedestal fan

Best value

Schallen Schallen 16 inch pedestal fan
7.6/10about £29.99
View offer
BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BXAC65014GB air cooler

Rank 3

BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BXAC65014GB air cooler
5.3/10about £87.29
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A fan moves air across you
  2. 2.A 6 litre evaporative cooler cools the air it blows and adds water
  3. 3.What the listing and the reviews show
  4. 4.Which to buy, with the condition attached

A fan moves air across you

Energy Saving Trust says a fan does not lower room temperature. It moves air across your skin. NHS says that helps below 35°C. Above 35°C, stop using the fan as the plan, and do not aim it at your body. A tower or pedestal moves air across a room. A desk fan or the Warmco of about 399 g moves air across one person. This page does not rank the eleven fans. The order is the room cooling fan buying guide. A 40 W fan for eight hours is about 8 pence at Ofgem’s 26.32 pence per kilowatt-hour in England, Scotland, and Wales from 1 October to 31 December 2026. That sum is not a Northern Ireland tariff.

A 6 litre evaporative cooler cools the air it blows and adds water

Energy Saving Trust describes an evaporative cooler as a unit that cools air near itself by passing it over water, and it adds moisture. Ventilate, keep internal doors closed while it runs, and unplug it when you stop. Humid days leave it little to do. The only cooler here is the BLACK+DECKER BXAC65014GB: a 6 litre tank, 65 W, three speeds, a remote, a weekly timer, a sleep mode, and 300 cubic metres an hour. The body is 61.1 × 24.3 × 29.5 cm and 2.15 kg. No exhaust hose is stated. Silent is a claim with no decibel figure.
Dr. Prepare Dr. Prepare desk tower fan

Testsieger

Dr. Prepare Dr. Prepare desk tower fan
8.3/10about £35.99
View offer

What the listing and the reviews show

The BLACK+DECKER is £87.29 and 2.9 from 288 reviews. Some buyers like the breeze with water or ice. Others call it a fan with a tank. Use 6 litres, not the 7 litres in one review. You fill from a jug with the tank partly out, because of the pump, and you empty it when you pack it away. Both 220 V and 240 V are printed. BS 1363 is not stated, and the letters GB are not a plug. There is no top-pick badge and no best-value badge. Eight hours at 65 W is about 14 pence in England, Scotland, and Wales. A refrigerant portable air conditioner, about £4.62–£5 for 24 hours in Great Britain, is not on this shelf.

Which to buy, with the condition attached

Choose a fan when you want moving air without extra humidity, at a shelf price around £30–£80, including on a humid day. Consider the 6 litre cooler only when you want that nearer, wetter stream, you can ventilate, and you have read the plug gap. You should not expect the room thermometer to fall. If you need the whole room colder, neither choice here is air conditioning. Stop if the plug is hot, cracked, or sparking. Window and aim steps are on how to use a fan in a heatwave.

Common questions

What is the difference between a fan and an evaporative cooler?
A fan moves air across you and does not lower room temperature. An evaporative cooler passes air over water, so the stream near the unit can feel cooler, and it adds moisture to the room. Energy Saving Trust says you should ventilate and keep internal doors closed while the cooler runs. A fan does not need a tank. A cooler does not reject heat through an exhaust hose on this listing.
Does the BLACK+DECKER BXAC65014GB work as air conditioning?
No. It is an evaporative air cooler with a 6 litre tank, 65 W, and no exhaust hose stated. Reviews at 2.9 from 288 often say the room temperature does not drop, and some call it a fan with a tank. It is not a refrigerant portable air conditioner. A sleep mode and an app do not change that. Do not expect a whole-room degree drop from this ASIN.
Will a 6 litre tank cool the whole room on a humid day?
You should not plan on it. Evaporation does less when the air is already humid, and the unit adds moisture. Energy Saving Trust limits the effect to air near the cooler. Reviewers of this model say it helps if you sit in the stream and that the thermometer in the room may not move. Ventilate if you run it. If you need the room colder, look at refrigerant cooling in another comparison.
When is a fan the better buy on this shelf?
When you want moving air without adding humidity, and when a lower price is part of the decision. Towers and pedestals cover a room’s airflow. Desk and battery fans cover one person. A 40 W fan for eight hours is about 8 pence in England, Scotland, and Wales at the current Ofgem rate. The fan still will not lower room temperature, and you still stop at 35°C.
Does an evaporative cooler use much more electricity than a fan?
On this shelf the cooler is 65 W and several fans are 16 W to 45 W. Eight hours at 65 W is about 14 pence in England, Scotland, and Wales at 26.32 pence per kilowatt-hour. Energy Saving Trust’s 24-hour band is about £0.27–£0.39 for an evaporative cooler in Great Britain and about £0.34–£0.48 in Northern Ireland, against about £0.14–£0.30 for a fan in Great Britain.

Related pages

Best room cooling fan UK

Room cooling

Quiet bedroom fan with timer UK: lights, plug, lead

Room cooling fan buying guide: job, plug, then watts

How to use a fan in a heatwave UK: shade first, then stop

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings are the figures stored for this comparison. Shelf date 20 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test.

  1. NHS heatwave advice (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK beat the heat checklist (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Energy Saving Trust: keep your home cool (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. CIBSE heatwave advice for residents (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. OPSS product safety report, T-SUN floor fan (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. British Red Cross: keep your home cool (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Centre for Sustainable Energy: keep your home cool (retrieved 20 October 2026)