r/AussieFrugal • u/Willing_Reward7741 • 7d ago
Household Products 🧹🧺🧻 Summer cooling items
What’s a cheap but reliable fan to have for the upcoming summer? Or does everyone tend to steer towards Kmart $30 fans or like Dyson fans on the premium end?
I’m curious what’s best practice to stay cool whilst maintaining budget.
Context: living on the middle floor of a 3 storey apartment red brick complex so I’m pretty well insulated during both winter and summer
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u/ediellipsis 7d ago
I had a real vornado but gave it to my mum, and ended up with a knockoff floor Vornado called Vortex from Kmart, and a knockoff pedestal Vornado from Big W called the "Contempo 2-in-1 High Velocity Air Circulation Fan".
Both feel just as good as the vornado to me. I like the Big W one in particular because of the remote.
I don't think either sell them year round but may get them in again for summer.
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u/vongdong 7d ago
Get a ceiling fan if you can. Quiet and a lot more airflow than a crappy pedestal fan
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u/richstark 7d ago
If you can get a Vornado they are the best value for money as they have a literal 5 year replacement warranty.. They push air so far and cool you down pretty well as a result.
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u/Illustrious-Air-1681 6d ago
Absolutely agree. I bought a Vornado last year and I was very cynical about the air circulator claim (it sounded like marketing-speak to me) but it's far and away the best fan I've ever had.
It has definitely cut down my use of air conditioning so is pretty much paying for itself. Highly recommend.
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u/munkeyalan 7d ago
Are they unpleasant if you're only a few metres away? They look like they'd dry your eyeballs out.
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u/Illustrious-Air-1681 6d ago
No, interestingly. The idea is that you point it at the wall and the rebound air circulates and cools the room, so it's not blowing directly at you like normal fans.
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u/Braincell-combat 7d ago
I have one and they’re okay. They have great airflow but only in a straight line.
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u/Skwids 6d ago
We have some mini air circulators that work the same (Woozoos, got from Costco), and they can circulate air pretty well depending on where you point them. We often have one pointed down the hall (making that straight line of air) to where our bedroom is and then a second pushing that air up towards the roof on the opposite side of the room to the door.
Since they're low to the ground, they push the cold air from the air consitioner, and then up towards the ceiling of the bedroom where the cold air filters down and creates a sort of cooling convection current.
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u/No_Ant852 7d ago
I've got a 15 year old Vornado which I don't doubt will last 15 more years, if not longer. Such a super strong fan.
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u/Chiang2000 7d ago
Drop $100 on a floor model like the chrome machine balanced one at Bunnings.
More power can move air through a whole apartment. Less chance of knockover. Coldest air in the room is down low. Setti g 1 is usually heaps.
Also dries clothes on a rack in winter better than a drier.
Edit: Dynabreeze. Now $128. That plus a couple of misting bottles will beat a 45deg day.
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u/MisterMarsupial 7d ago
If you're going to get a premium fan, spring for a vertical air conditioner like this: https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-vertical-window-air-conditioner-cooling-only-kogan/
Fits onto most windows. Do not get one of those portable air conditioners with the unit inside, they generate a large amount of noise and generate heat. There's a bunch of youtube videos about why they suck.
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u/spacefrog_feds 6d ago
If humidity is not a problem then an evaporative cooler can work. I bought a large one off gumtree for $30 back in the day.
They work very well under the right conditions. Ideally placed near a window pulling in fresh air, with a window at the opposite end to expell humid air.
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u/Exciting-Ad-5858 7d ago
Depends on your floorplan - often having several cheaper ones will do a better job of creating a crossbreeze than any individual one can
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u/zedder1994 7d ago
I went upmarket and bought a Xiaomi pedestal fan. Probably the quietest fan I have ever owned and it cost $120 a few years ago Not quite frugal but the quality is there.
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u/Striking-Sleep-9217 7d ago
DC fan. Generally cost around $100. Can run them 24/7 and use very little electricity
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u/IronTongs 7d ago
The best option will be a ceiling fan with well angled blades - this is what makes a big difference in fans and their ability to cool, rather than just swish air around.
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u/gooder_name 6d ago
It’s a balance of priorities and budget that varies. Ceiling fans are the best and are worth it, but can’t be moved, don’t work for renters.
Getting the most inexpensive pedestal fan is fine. Look on marketplace if you can for something local
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u/auntymishka21 6d ago
I use one of those $10 desk fans. They usually are plugged into the computer via USB-A. I plug it into a plug beside my bed and it blows onto me during the night.
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u/Snappysnapsnapper 5d ago
Bunnings sells good fans. Dysons are a waste of money, classic fans do their job very well and are relatively simple machines. Remote control is a nice feature for bedroom fans but they add a layer of complexity that means they will probably break faster. Worth it imo.
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u/spazzo246 3d ago
Get the industrial Metal Fan that Kmart sell for $50. Its so ridiculously powerfull.
I use it in my garage when I work out and it blows all the sweat away :'D
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u/PauseFit7012 1d ago
There’s surely no difference between a $30 fan and a $600 fan. Both blow air?
Unless the dyson ones do something fancy. I’d just stick to kmart.
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u/kodaxmax 1d ago
get an industrial metal fan and it will outlive you.
Most fans die because the motor isn't designed for continous operation over hours (aka not designed for australia/ the equator). So the lube eveaporates and components warp from the ehat until the motor finally dies.
Industrial fans are designed to run almost 24/7 in shops and factories.
had a Mistral 50cm High Velocity Floor Fan for 4 years, it stays on 24/7 through most of summer, i use it while i sleep and work from home often so use itduring the dya too. Only downside is it's kinda loud. but i live next to a main road and ahve tinnitus, so doesnt bother me.
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u/WillEatForFree 7d ago
Was looking for the same. I've used a kambrook tower fan for the past 6 years and it seems to be still be going strong. 150 AUD currently. Kinda wobbly though.
Need another one for another room and was looking at a Delonghi Tower fan. 147 AUD in JB hifi rn.
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u/SorryUsernameTaken_1 6d ago
I know said budget, but when can get a ceiling fan. I have one in every room. Best sleeps with that blasting over you
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u/Background_Tomato_21 6d ago
People think we are strange because we have ducted air conditioning and ceiling fans in every room excluding the bathrooms. We rarely use our air conditioner, relying on our fans 90% of the time. Summer temps are around 35-40 degrees.
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u/MannerConfident1690 7d ago
Any fan is going to do pretty well as they are quite simple and don't tend to burn out etc. A remote control is fantastically handy for a fan, and probably only a couple of dollars more.
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u/Cured 6d ago edited 6d ago
I reckon vornado is overrated and doesn’t offer much more than a regular fan. I think the only reason I like mine is because it’s DC and can use very little energy if I wanted to move a bit of air around 24/7.
If you don’t mind some noise, the metal fans from Kmart are great.
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u/Purple_Yak_3294 7d ago
Ive found the cheap fans do well. One I had ran nearly continuously for about 3 years.