Russell Hobbs 12" Inch, Lightweight, Portable Desk Fan, 3 Speeds, Wide-Angled Oscillation, Powerful Airflow, Quiet Operation, Perfect for Bedroom or Office, White - RHPDF1221

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However, there aren't really that many settings to choose from, so once you've chosen your desired setting, I suppose it's likely you might just leave it running without much adjustment. Still, it would have been nice to have the controls on the fan base stand. At this price, I expected the fan to be fairly noisy, and it is, especially on the medium and high speed settings. But whilst it definitely can't give the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan or MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator a run for their money in the quiet stakes, it is still a lot quieter than the budget Honeywell Turbo Force Power Air Circulator Fan, and it's half the price and certainly looks far more stylish. The air it delivers certainly isn't as cold as the powerful MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator can deliver, but it does make a difference when you're feeling hot and bothered. There are three speed settings – low, medium, and high – and then a toggle that you push in to make the fan oscillate left and right through 90 degrees, and pull out for static, directional airflow. The controls aren’t very ergonomic or nice to the touch; they feel pretty basic. And the corrugated edges of the speed button in particular are quite uncomfortable to hold and left some big indents in the thumb after twisting through the settings. But, the controls are manual and don't involve any clever (faffy) touch screens or tiny (easily lost) remote controls to be operated, and they produce a good stream of air that has a cooling effect on a hot day.

This is a bit awkward, as it means you need to reach behind the fan to adjust the settings, and seeing as it's intended to be used as a desk fan, that means that when you’re sat at a desk you need to stand up to operate the controls. The last thing to note is the Russell Hobbs 12” Scandi Desk Fan's size. Pictures make this appear a fairly compact design – perhaps because the grill is see-through rather than solid like the MeacoFan 1056 Air Circulator – but in practice this fan is really pretty large, especially so if it's going to be sitting on your desk next to you. You will definitely need a desk larger than mine.

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Screwdriver found, and the screw undone and refitted, you then remove the base plate securing nut from the standing pole, thread the standing pole through the base plate, and refasten the securing nut. The limited settings are both a plus point – how nice not to be overwhelmed with 30 speed settings the Duux Whisper Flex Smart Fan boggles the mind with – but at the same time a little more variation would have been welcome in practice. This was a little disappointing considering nearly every other fan I’d tested came ready assembled – and because I couldn’t find anywhere that warns that the product would need self-assembly on the box.

Then you slot on the rear grill and secure it with the nut you’ve just loosened. Next, it’s the fan blades and then the fan blade securing cap. Followed by attaching the fan cover. Annoyingly this needs a screwdriver to undo and then refasten the small screw at the bottom of the grill plate, and no tools or allen keys are provided in the box. The need for a screwdriver also isn't mentioned on the box or in the assembly instructions, which is a little frustrating. Other than that, the settings are limited, and a little awkward to use, but if, like me, you're not a fan of temperamental touch screens or app connectivity, then its manual operation may be another plus point.