Nothing screams Aussie summer quite like the feeling of a fine mist of water hitting your face in a beer garden, but misting fans aren't just for commercial spaces. Residential misting fans are effective, cheaper than air conditioners, and can be used outdoors to take the bite out of the afternoon.
Misting fans: Are they any good?
3 min read// Is there a Mrs Fan?
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The TLDR
- Misting fans have low running costs when compared to air conditioning.
- They can decrease temperature by multiple degrees in the immediate area of the mist.
- There aren't many misting fans available to purchase in Australia, but retrofitted misting kits are cheap and easy to come by.
What is a misting fan?
A misting fan is a fan that also sprays water in a fine mist. These are especially popular in outdoor venues in the Australian summer, but they can also be installed residentially, and even come in portable variants.
How do misting fans work?
The quick answer
When the misted water evaporates it creates a cooling effect.
Misting fans use flash evaporation to create a cooling effect to the immediate area. Flash evaporation is the result of a sudden drop in pressure, which can transform liquid into vapour almost instantaneously, and is proven to drop temperatures by multiple degrees.
While the fan aspect of these devices circulate air, a fine mist of water is sprayed which quickly evaporates in the heat. When evaporation occurs, the water absorbs heat which in turn cools down the temperature. Misting fans can make a drastic difference in the heat, but like pedestal fans, or ceiling fans, are only effective cooling devices when they’re in operation. Once they’re turned off, the cooling effect stops.
Misting fan benefits
Efficient cooling: The evaporation process can drop temperatures by several degrees almost immediately, which makes misting fans remarkably efficient.
Environmentally friendly: Since these fans only use tap water, and don’t need coolant or refrigerant no additional substances are added to the air through their use, in turn helping protect the environment.
Low running costs: Compared to portable air conditioners, fans including the misting variant have low running costs. Most residential fans cost less than one cent per hour to run in Australia, and while you’ll need to factor in a bit extra to account for the water usage it is still much cheaper than running the aircon.
Can deter mosquitos: As an extra bonus, mozzies aren’t the biggest fans of getting sprayed with water or quickly circulating air. As such these fans can help keep them at bay.
Where to buy misting fans in Australia
Kmart misting fans
While Kmart has had larger mist fans in the past, for the 2025 season you can only get your hands on a portable version. The mini handheld is only $2, holds 300ml of water, and needs two AA batteries. It currently has a customer rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
Alternatively Kmart also has an Evaporative Cooler which is ultimately the same thing as a misting fan. At least in this instance. Like the handheld, this device is portable and charges over USB. It works by blowing air over a frozen block rather than creating a mist, and should last for five hours on a full charge. Consumers aren't overly impressed by it however, with it's rating sitting at just 2.8 stars.
Shark misting fans
Shark, known for its Dyson dupes and novel home appliances, recently released the Shark FlexBreeze fan in Australia. This 2-in-1 can convert from a pedestal fan to a tabletop fan, and comes with an InstaCool Mister, a remote, and can even be charged up and used without a cord for 24-hours. The device is made for both indoor, and outdoor use, connects straight to your hose, and Shark claims it can reduce the ambient temperature by up to 5 degrees. It currently retails for $299.99
Bunnings misting fans
Even Bunnings doesn’t have the largest collection of misting fans available. At the time of writing there were three, ranging from just $29 for a portable USB powered option, through to the Breezer O2 Titan Misting and Cooling Industrial Fan for an eye-watering $7,165. Sitting in the middle is the Dynabreeze 350mm Low Pressure Misting Ring that can be added on to your existing standing fan. For $79 the system connects to a standard garden hose, and is compatible with any wall, pedestal, drum or floor fan over 400mm wide.
Big W misting fans
Likewise Big W has a handful of misting fan options to pick from. The Artic Air Outdoor cooler is an evaporative cooler which is ultimately the same thing as a misting fan but with more letters. It can either be connected to a hose, or has a large in-built tank.
The more permanent option is the Heller 40cm Pedestal Mist Fan which is a standing fan with a 2.8L tank. Big W claims this tank should allow for eight hours of misting, but it doesn’t specify whether the device is rated for outdoor use. Prices start from $142.
FAQs
How much water does a misting fan use?
How much water a misting fan uses will depend on the model. The Big W Heller fan for example uses 2.8L of water over eight hours, which is the equivalent of 350ml per hour, while misting fan kits can handle 108L per hour. Turning down the water pressure at the tap can help to bring that overall number down however.
Can you make a misting fan at home?
As outlined above there are plenty of affordable misting fan kits available from various retailers like Big W and Bunnings. These kits can usually be retrofitted (see: zip-tied) to any pedestal fan with a 40cm span on above, and connect to your garden hose.
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