One of the items on my grid-down wish list has been a house fan. Even though we quit using air conditioning years ago, we rely heavily on fans to keep the house tolerable. But what to do if the power is out for an extended length of time? This is why I was extremely pleased to be asked to review the Marchpower 10-inch rechargeable, portable, folding fan.
First impressions
When I unboxed the components, I was pleased with their weight and sturdiness.
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Fan, fold-able stand, remote control, USB
charging cord, carabiner, and owners manual. |
The fan itself has a carrying strap.
Used with the carabiner, the fan can be hung overhead. Nice! And being battery powered, there are no cords!
The tripod stand is metal and heavy. I like that.
The height is adjustable, so from floor to the top of the fan can be anywhere between 27.6 to 46.5 inches. Two safety precautions I would recommend are 1) make sure the folding legs are locked before putting the fan on top. And 2) that the tripod is set up on a level surface! Those are pretty much common sense, but worth noting. Without the stand, the fan can sit nicely on a table top or shelf, so there are a lot of choices here.
Also included is a remote control, but I like that the fan itself has control buttons. I feel that gives me more options for operation, especially if the remote's battery needs changing.
I very much appreciate a real, paper owner's manual, because sit isn't always convenient to go online to read a PDF.
Battery energy consumption is 1 to 12 watts when running, depending on the speed.
Charging the fan battery
Battery charging is via a USB port (with included cord). So it can be charged off of a computer or USB wall socket. In my case, I can recharge it from the solar charge controller or inverter on our back porch, if I choose.
Charging time is between 3.5 and 5.5 hours. I don't know how much of a charge the fan arrived with, but I plugged it in to charge, which took about
Bonus feature: the fan can be used while charging.
Using the fan
First time, the fan needs to be turned on with it's power button. After that, the remote can be used. The remote is said to operate up to 33 feet (10 meters), even through walls!
It has four speeds, and of course, operating time depends on the speed used. These are advertised to be:
- 28-30 hours on lowest speed (breeze wind)
- 10-12 hours on second speed (soft wind)
- 6-7 hours on third speed (brisk wind)
- 3-4 hours on high speed (strong wind)
Here's a shot of the control buttons on the fan itself:
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| From left: oscillate button, on/off button, timer button. |
It oscillates! Tilt and oscillation are up to 60 degrees.
Pressing the power button first turns the fan on. Repeat pressing to take it through the speed choices and then turn it off.
Timer. Another handy feature. Offered settings:
- 0.5 hour
- 1.5 hours
- 4 hours
- 8 hours
Testing the fan
I did not test operating time on all speeds, but I did check out the speeds. To give you all a visual, I used a piece of surveyor's tape on a stick for photos at the various speeds.
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| Off |
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| Speed 1 (lowest) |
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| Speed 2 |
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| Speed 3 |
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| Speed 4 (highest) |
As you can see, it promises to do a good job. And it's quiet! Another plus.
Conclusion?
Absolutely recommended for homesteaders, campers, picnickers, preppers, and anyone who sometimes wants a fan when they're outdoors. Its portability makes it perfect for a variety of uses: any indoor activities, outside kitchens and dining areas, sitting on the porch, camping, and for anytime the power goes out, or you're in an off-grid situation in hot weather.
Special Offer!
For my blog readers, I have a special 10% off discount offer.
Discount code: Z68HGJZ6
The code expires Sept. 1, 2024, just in time for early Christmas shopping!
