The Shark flexbreeze hydrogo arrived in the depths of a UK heatwave, so I was very grateful that it came with some charge already in the battery. There’s nothing worse than unboxing a gadget designed to cool you down, only to discover you need to wait several hours before using it.
Getting started is refreshingly simple. The fan arrives with removable stickers showing you what each button does, highlighting a power button, a mist button (which also switches between constant and intermittent mist modes), and a fan button that cycles through the five speed settings.
The removable information stickers make setup simple (Izzy Howells/The Independent)
The biggest selling point is, of course, the hydrogo misting feature. The mist is refreshingly fine, so it won’t leave you feeling like you’ve accidentally stood too close to a garden sprinkler. This meant that I felt comfortable using it indoors, although I’d still avoid placing it directly on anything precious, such as suede furniture, just in case. It’s also worth noting that the water reservoir runs out relatively quickly (between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on what mode you use), so keep that in mind if you want to be misted while out and about.
Shark says it projects up to 20m on its maximum setting, and in practice I thought the airflow was excellent for its size. During testing, I found the third speed setting was usually enough, with the higher settings feeling almost too powerful for personal use on my work-from-home desk. The main downside is the lack of oscillation. While the fan head can manually tilt up and down by around 45 degrees to help you find the right angle, it won’t sweep across a room. This means it’s best suited to keeping one person cool rather than circulating air around a larger shared space.
The misting function is ultra fine and refreshing on hot days (Izzy Howells/The Independent)
One feature I particularly like is the natural breeze mode. Instead of blasting you with a constant stream of air, it varies the airflow to feel more like a natural breeze. As someone who struggles with dry eyes, I appreciated not having a relentless powerful stream of air hitting my face.
Noise levels are also worth mentioning. On the lower settings it’s fairly unobtrusive, but the higher speeds are noticeable. If you’re a very light sleeper looking for an overnight cooling solution, this probably wouldn’t be my first choice. The misting function itself, however, is extremely quiet and almost unnoticeable.
Battery life is reasonable, with up to 12 hours available on the lowest setting without misting. However, higher speeds drain the battery much faster, with maximum airflow lasting closer to 90 minutes or so. The charger is also surprisingly chunky in comparison to the fan’s size, so keep that in mind if you’re looking to pack this fan away for a trip.
Key specifications:
- Weight: 1.71kg
- Dimensions: 22 cm x 21.21cm x 29.11cm
- Battery life: Up to 12 hours on low setting
- Settings: Five fan speeds, two natural breeze settings, constant misting and intermittent misting
- Charging: 3 hours to full battery from empty
- Colours available: Black, blue, green, grey, lilac, pin, limited edition pink diamond