How to Pick the Best Fan for Tent Camping Under $30
Table of Contents
There are a lot of different options to choose from when selecting a portable fan for tent camping. I’ve compiled a list of things that you should consider when choosing a portable camping fan for you and your friends and family.
Whether you are looking for a tent fan to keep the inside of your tent cool at night or a portable fan to keep your campsite cool this guide will help you on your search.
Size
The size of your portable camping fan is going to be a major factor in how well it is able to blow air on you to keep you cool during the hot summer months. The larger surface area of the fan the more that fan will be able to push forward and the more cooling area the fan would be able to provide.
Max Run Time
If your portable camping fan is battery powered you would want to see what the max run time is on your tent fan and take that into consideration when choosing one from this list.
The longer the max run time of your tent fan the longer you would be able to run the fan without having to recharge it. It would still be a good idea to charge the fan before you head out on your camping trip to make sure that it’s fully charged before you need it.
Weight
If you are going to be taking your portable fan backpacking with you the weight of your fan is going to be a large consideration. If you are just going to be using your portable fan for tent camping the weight of the fan should be less of a consideration in your purchase.
Noise
Another factor with portable fans for tent camping is going to be the noise that the fan outputs. If the tent fan is too loud at night it may interrupt your sleep and keep you from sleeping soundly.
If you will not be using your portable fan at night while you are sleeping this may be less of a factor. Also, take into consideration that some people like sleeping with fans so the noise may not be that big of a deal when selecting one.
Power Type and Portability
One item to keep into consideration is the type of power used to power the camping fan. If you want your fan to be easily portable around your campsite you will probably want to go with one that is battery powered and could be recharged. If you don’t need your fan for tent camping to be portable then you could go with one that is powered by electricity at your campsite.
Cost
Another consideration when choosing a portable fan for tent camping is going to be the cost of the tent fan. Usually, the higher cost tent fans are going to have more features than cheaper ones. Some have power bank functionality and lights built into them to help you see in your tent at night if you can’t find your flashlight.
Blade Type
When choosing a camping fan there are a few different options in regards to the blade type. If you are going to have kids around the portable tent fan or if you are clumsy it may be a good idea to go with one that is enclosed or that has foam blades, this would ensure you and your family are not hurt by sticking your finger in the blade of the fan while it is on.
Durability
If you want your portable camping fan to last you a long time it would be a good idea to look for one from a reputable manufacturer and take a look at the warranty that the manufacturer has on the product. If it doesn’t have a warranty associated with the tent fan it probably was not built the best, to begin with.
Other Features
Some portable fans are designed to be able to run off of multiple power sources such as D-cell batteries which is nice to have as a backup in case your battery operated fan runs out of juice. Some tent fans will also feature a built-in light so that they double as a flashlight within your tent.
Best Portable Fan for Tent Camping
O2 Cool 10 inch Battery or Electric Portable Fan
Tent fans are specifically designed to be hung within tents and will typically be smaller than other battery operated fans. However, tent fans can also have other features such as a tent light that is built into the tent fan.
Tent fans will also typically feature a hook attached to it so that you can hang the tent fan from the inside of your tent. Many tents will have a hook at the very top of them for this specific purpose.
If you are interested in checking out the current prices on Amazon for this O2 Cool Tent Fan click this link here.
Battery Operated Fans for Camping
OPOLAR 6700mAh Battery Operated Fan
If you are not looking specifically for just a tent fan but just a battery operated fan for your campsite then you may want to go with one that is specifically designed to be used at a campsite or on a table rather than within a fan.
Usually, a battery operated fan will also be larger than most tent fans and have more features than tent fans as tent fans are typically designed to be hung at the top of the tent instead of being sat on a table.
If you are interested in checking out the current prices on Amazon for this OPOLAR Battery operated fan click here.
Related Questions
What is the best camping fan? The best camping fan is a camping fan that works for you. If you are at a campsite that doesn’t have electricity then you are going to want to invest in a battery operated fan if you want to stay cool.
Say you do plan on camping at with electricity. In that case, you could go with a 12-volt fan and you wouldn’t have to mess around with recharging battery packs. You could also opt to go with both. You could have a large box fan for your tent and have a smaller battery operated fan to keep you cool on your picnic table.
How do you cool down a tent when camping? The best way to cool down a tent when camping is to use a fan to circulate air in the tent. If you keep fresh air circulating in and out of the tent then it won’t get as hot. It’s also a good idea to open up the windows of the tent and remove any rain fly from the outer shell to allow hot air to escape from the top of the tent.
Remember hot air rises so a rain fly will aid in keeping the hot air inside your tent. While this may be useful in the winter months in the summer months you will want to remove your rain fly and open up your tent windows at least during the day.
If you plan on leaving your campsite it would be a good idea to reinstall your rain fly to protect the items inside of your tent from the rain while you are away from your campsite.
What are some 12 volt fans for camping? If you decide to go camping at a campsite that has an electrical plugin then you are in luck because with an extension cord you should be able to bring any sort of 12 volt fan along with you to your campsite. If you are planning on camping out a lot during the summer months you may want to invest in a box fan.
A box fan is a large fan that can be used to move a vast amount of air around inside of a tent. If a box fan is too large to use inside of your tent you may want to invest in a smaller oscillating fan. An oscillating fan is a fan that will move side to side. This helps keep air circulating throughout your tent.
What are some fans for car camping? If you are going car camping you likely will want to go with battery operated fans. Obviously, it’s not smart to keep your car engine running the whole time you are camping.
Therefore you won’t be able to use a 12-volt fan to keep your car cool while car camping. You likely will be constrained to using battery-powered fans while car camping. One thing that you can do to ensure that you have enough battery power for your electronics while car camping is buying a large battery pack.
That way you can charge your electronics and battery powered fan. You can also invest in two battery packs so that you can charge one while you are using the other one.
What is the best way to power a fan while camping? If you are at an electric site then it’s probably best to use the 12-volt plug in to plug in your tent fan. If your campsite does not have electricity then you will need to come prepared with battery operated fans.
You can now buy battery packs that are designed to store electrical energy that can then be used to charge other devices like a fan battery or a cell phone battery down the line.
Best Fan for Tent Camping – Conclusion
Now that you know what to look for in finding a camping fan you should be able to find one that will work well for you and your family. Below I’ve listed some of the most popular camping fans currently on Amazon.
Image Portable LED Camping Lantern with Ceiling Fan
The Image Portable LED Camping lantern also comes with a ceiling fan so this is a combo pack.
It features a fan that you can stand either on a table or the ground as well as a tent fan that’s designed to be hung from a tent.
The tent fan also features a built-in light. If you are interested in checking out the current price for this Camping Tent Fan and LED light on Amazon click here.
If you are interested in using more than just a fan to cool down your tent in the summer time check out my other article Best Portable AC Unit for Tent Camping.
