TechRadar Verdict
The Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan is powerful for such a small fan, and at its lowest speed it delivers up to 15 hours of cooling from a single charge. It doesn't oscillate, but you can adjust its vertical tilt by up to 90 degrees, and it's lightweight and portable. However, it does produce a droning noise that you may find intrusive.
Pros
- +
Impressive airflow for its size
- +
Up to 15 hours between charges
- +
Lightweight and very portable
Cons
- -
Noticeable droning noise
- -
Battery lasts only four hours at full speed
- -
No oscillation
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Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan: two minute review
Type: desktop
Speeds: 4
Oscillation: none
Dimensions (HxWxD): 6.7 x 11 x 7.4 inches / 17 x 27.9 x 18.7cm
Controls: power and speed buttons
Battery life: 4-15 hours
Noise level: 36dB to 43dB
Dimplex makes lots of floor, table and pedestal fans, and the Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan is designed to address one of their weaknesses: they can only go where your plug sockets or extension cables can go. This affordable fan works as wired one via its USB-C port but also includes a rechargeable battery delivering up to 15 hours of air, or around four hours at full speed. That means you you can take it into the garden on a hot evening or take it to your bedroom and run it overnight.
The Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan doesn't oscillate but you can tilt it vertically up to 90 degrees, and it folds down almost flat so it's easy to keep in a drawer or toss into a bag. There are four speed settings here but the high speed one is not recommended while charging, as it depletes the battery faster than the USB-C connection charges it.
The fan works well and is fairly quiet, but it does make a noticeable drone at all speed settings; on a hot day, running the fan at high was very distracting. Of course all fans make some noise, but as this is a small fan with a 6.7 inch / 17cm diameter and 5.1 inch 13cm blades, you need to have it close to you to feel the benefit. In my home office the Dimplex on quiet setting at half a meter distance was noticeably louder than a much larger air circulator running at 50% speed one meter from me. If noise annoys, this may not be the fan for you.
Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: price and availability
- Launched July 2025
- UK only
- £34.99 (about $50 / AU$70)
The Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan, model DXRCFN, launched in the UK in July 2025. It has a recommended retail price of £34.99 (about $50 / AU$70), making it the most affordable model in the current range of Dimplex cooling fans and about £10 more expensive than a similarly sized wired desktop fan. It isn't currently available in Australia, and Dimplex doesn't sell its home cooling products in the US.
This fan has been cheaper – it was £25.45 during Prime Day 2026 – but I wouldn't expect to see any price cuts during the summer months in the UK.
Value for money: 4/5
Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: design
- Supremely portable
- Finger-friendly grille
- USB-C charging
The design of the fan is rather clever. It's been made for maximum portability, folding in on itself to resemble a small squashed football for travel or storage. It charges via USB-C and takes about four hours to charge fully. Because it's USB you can charge it with a phone charger or power bank, which makes it a good option for travelling. The battery is sealed inside and is not user-replaceable.
In addition to its internal bladed fan there's a circular louvred grille on the front that rotates and enhances the airflow. Although it spins quickly, the front grille is finger-friendly and won't hurt you or a child if you or they touch it (although you can lock it in place if you don't want it to spin).
The Dimplex fan doesn't oscillate, but you can adjust its vertical tilt by up to 90 degrees by moving the fan section up or down. It stays put without having to be screwed in place. Controls are simple, with just two buttons: power and speed. There's no remote control and no smartphone/smart home features.
Design: 4/5
Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: performance
- Decent airflow for its size
- Four speed settings
- Distracting sound
There are four fan speeds — quiet, low, medium and high — and I found that for my home office desk the quiet setting delivered a nice breeze without making me feel like I was in a wind tunnel. High speed was a bit intense up close but worked well from a little further away. Dimplex recommends only using High when you're on battery power as it can still deplete the battery when you're recharging it; at its lowest, quiet setting I managed 14+ hours from a single charge.
The Dimplex moves a decent amount of air for its size and it's fairly quiet in terms of its overall volume, which ranges from 36dB to 43dB. However, it does make a noticeable and constant droning sound that rises in pitch as you increase the speed. All bladed fans make some motor noise, of course, but desk fans are designed to sit very close to you, which means any noise is much more noticeable. For me it was too distracting at any speed when I sat it on my work desk, although in the bedroom at its lowest setting it didn't keep me awake.
Performance: 3/5
Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: should you buy it?
Value | Not much more expensive than a wired fan of similar size | 4/5 |
Design | Designed for maximum portability with fold-flat design, but no oscillation feature | 4/5 |
Performance | Good airflow for such a small fan but we found the noise a little distracting. | 3/5 |
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: also consider
Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: how we tested
I tested this Dimplex fan for a week during summery weather as both a desktop fan in my home office, and as a bedroom fan overnight. Both locations are in my house, where indoor temperatures were around 69.8°F to 75.2°F / 21ºC to 24ºC during the daytime and around 66.2°F to 68.0°F / 19ºC to 20ºC at night.
First tested July 2026
