Are you looking for an air cooling solution that would work perfectly even outdoors? If you said yes you might want to give misting fans a try. They are quite like your regular fans but with the added twist of mist, allowing you to enjoy the warmth of the summer without the discomfort of its heat.

What is a misting fan?

As the name suggests, misting fans create a super-fine spray of water that's then pushed across your patio by the fan's breeze. These devices are similar in design to the small handheld mist fans you might bring to a sporting event or the beach, but they’re much larger and can cool down a sizable space, not just one person.

If you’re wondering if a misting fan will get everything around it wet, the answer is no. The water droplets created by the fan are so small that you won’t feel wet—instead, the mist simply provides a cooling effect that feels heavenly on hot summer days.

In fact, some misting fans can even be used indoors, and in the right environments, these fans can reduce air temperature by 20 degrees or more.

However, because they add water vapor to the air, misting fans are most effective in hot, dry climates. If you live somewhere that gets especially humid in the summer, a misting fan won’t be able to reduce the temperature as much and may make you feel sticky instead of cool.

Cooling Area

A big factor in choosing your fan is the size of the area you want to cool. If the mist airflow is not powerful enough you won't get the desired cooling effect and if it is too powerful you may end up drenching your patio. There are two factors to consider:

The airflow of the fan (usually measured by CFM or Cubic Feet Per Minute)

The pressure level of water being pushed thru the fan (PSI or Bars)

How powerful the airflow of the fan is measured by the fans CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute), which is a unit that tells you how much air your fan can move in a minute when you have it at its highest speed. When it comes to misting fans the CFM can range anywhere from 200 CFM for smaller interior spaces to over 5000 for cooling large outdoor spaces.

Consider the Right Material

Most people use misting fans outdoors because mist can be a problem inside the house. When outdoors, your fan is going to receive a lot of beating from dust, wind, sunlight, etc. so the quality of the materials is an important factor to keep in mind. The plastic models have the advantage of being lighter and more affordable while the metal models are much more durable and lasting but that is usually reflected by the higher price.

The Water Storage

Once again, the choice of the type of water storage depends on your usage. A misting fan that has a water reservoir attached to it requires manual refills but has the advantage of being independently portable. On the other hand, you also have tankless misting fans that can receive water directly from a tap through a hose.

Fan Height and Speed Adjustment

 Make sure you can adjust the height and speed of your fan and check to see if it oscillates.