I'm a home tech editor and this is the 1 vital appliance I urge households to get for surviving summer heatwaves – my home stays cool and my allergies are gone
My home stays cool, and my allergies are gone

As temperatures soar across the US this summer, staying cool has never felt more urgent. And while air conditioning is effective, it isn't the most cost-effective solution, especially during a long heatwave.
That's where an air purifying tower fan comes in. Combining one of the best fans with one of the best air purifiers results in an appliance that can rapidly cool you down while cleansing the air of pollution and allergens, while using up much less energy than your AC.
I've been using the Dreo Air Purifying Tower Fan MC710S for almost a year, and it's saved the day countless times during heat waves. It has also banished harmful gases and pollutants, reducing my allergies to virtually none.
Why I love this Dreo air purifying tower fan
Choose between 10 fan speeds and three purification levels to cool down and purify the air of the largest rooms in your house. On the Dreo app, you can set daily schedules, choose the oscillation angle (you can even make it asymmetric to fit the shape of the room), and select between auto, manual, and sleep mode.
Read more in my full Dreo MC710S review.
The only downside to using a fan is the fact that it blows dust and other common household allergens into the air, worsening your allergy and asthma symptoms.
However, Dreo's combination of a fan and air purifier gives you the best of both: you can cool down in a heatwave and cleanse the air of harmful pollutants. And as the fan creates a breeze, it can pull pollen, dander, smoke, and other particles from further parts of the room.
A major benefit is improving air quality when living in a city or anywhere with outdoor pollution, as opening the windows to improve your home's ventilation can bring in air that's dangerous to breathe.
It's also a savior when cooking, as you can keep the kitchen cool while removing harmful cooking gases from the air. Ignoring VOCs from cooking is one of the more surprising mistakes compromising your air quality.
But perhaps most important: sleep. Sleeping with a fan on at night can be comforting, especially in the sweltering heat, but it can affect your breathing and dry your throat if you're inhaling dust. The Dreo purifying fan can blow clean air all night, thanks to its True HEPA filter that captures 99.9% of pollutants.
Another great feature is its dual motor, meaning you don't have to run the fan and purifier at the same time. If your air quality is good and you just need a breeze, or if it's a cold day but the air quality is poor, the MC710S can adjust to that, and do it automatically if you set it to.
I've been using the Dreo MC710S for just under a year, and it's been a lifesaver during the hot days of summer when allergy season is in full swing. I also love its app connectivity and the complete customization I get over every setting.
Buy the Dreo Air Purifying Tower Fan MC710S for $299.99 with code AOD15.
What to shop
Not what you're looking for? We've tested 22 fans and air purifiers at Homes & Gardens and can recommend plenty more.
All prices were correct at time of publication.
The Coway Airmega Aim sells for around half the price as the Dreo MC710S. It isn't technically a fan, but its designed so that you can aim the purified air in any direction. It's great for a small bedroom or office, or paired with an affordable air purifier.
Read more in our full Coway Airmega Aim review.
For $100 more than the Dreo MC710S, this 3-in-1 purifier from Shark works as a fan and a heater, meaning you can get use of it all year round. We loved it on test, as the fan, heater and purifier elements all work exceptionally well, without being too noisy.
Read more in our full Shark Air Purifier 3-in-1 review.
Home cooling doesn't get better than this, the only fan we've awarded five stars on test. It can cool you instantly using a strong airflow that makes hardly any noise, even when oscillating. And it's completely portable with a rechargeable battery, so you can easily take it to any room of the house, and even detach from the base to make it a tabletop fan.
Outdoors, you can hook it up to a faucet to gently mist the area.
Read more in my full Shark FlexBreeze review.
Next, learn what not to do in a heatwave, and the home remedies to stay cool without spending.
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Dan is the Home Tech Editor for Homes & Gardens, covering all things cleaning, smart home, sound and air treatment across the Solved section. Having worked for Future PLC since July 2023, Dan was previously the Features Editor for Top Ten Reviews and looked after the wide variety of home and outdoor content across the site, but their writing about homes, gardens, tech and products started back in 2021 on brands like BBC Science Focus, YourHomeStyle and Gardens Illustrated.
They have spent more than 200 hours testing and reviewing vacuums for Homes & Gardens, and have even visited Dyson's engineering labs for the full low-down of the ins and outs of our trusty cleaners.
Dan has a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Magazine Journalism. Outside of work, you'll find them at gigs and art galleries, cycling somewhere scenic, or cooking up something good in the kitchen.
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