Camping fans are handy to own, even if you rarely pitch a tent. They help people weather the storm or cope with a roadside breakdown thanks to extra features such as LED lights and power bank capacities. To help you choose the best camping fan, we’ve rounded up our nine favorites and dived into their pros and cons.
The best camping fans are:
- Toyizo Camping Fan – Best Overall
- Kitwlemen Camping Fan with LED Lantern – Best mAh
- Drchop Portable Fan Rechargeable – Lightest Powerful Fan
- SISMEL Portable Camping Fan – Best Tripod
- Supology Camping Fan – Quietest Mid-Powered Fan
- JISULIFE 8000mAh Mini USB Camping Fan – Detachable Blades
- Amazool Portable Camping Fan with LED Lantern – Lightest Fan
- Odoland Portable LED Camping Lantern with Ceiling Fan – Best Value
- IPOW Mini Handheld Fan – Best Handheld
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Best Overall  | Best mAh  | Lightest Powerful Fan  | Best Tripod  | Quietest Mid-Powered Fan  | Detachable Blades  | Lightest Fan  | Best Value  | Best Handheld  | |
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| Rating /5 | |||||||||
| Features | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.0 |
| Battery Life | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Durability | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Portability | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| Value | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| Review | An excellent all-rounder that is super durable. | ||||||||
Best Camping Fan Compared
Pros
- Water-resistant
- Power bank capabilities
- 10,400mAh
- 3 wind speeds
- 3 brightness levels
- 9-60 hours work time
- 270° rotation
Cons
- Doesn’t hang
- No remote
The Toyizo Camping Fan is an excellent all-rounder. It is the most durable model on the list. It is water resistant and built to withstand being dropped. We don’t encourage testing its robustness, but it’s good to know since accidents and sudden rain showers happen.
The fan is far from tiny, measuring 8.7 x 3.13 x 10.53. But it only weighs less than 2 lbs. In addition, its compact and flat shape makes it easy to pack, and you could stuff it into a day sack with room left over if required.
The Toyizo offers good value for its mid-range price. It has the second-best worktime of 9-60 hours, LED lighting, and can double as a power bank. Its USB charging cable means you can even juice it up as you drive. A handy fan to have in emergencies, camping, picnics, and around the house.
Pros
- 20,000mAh
- 4 fan settings
- 3 brightness settings
- Power bank capabilities
- Rotates and pivots
- Foldable hook for hanging
- 8-100 working time
Cons
- No remote
- Expensive
- No auto rotation
The Kitwlemen Camping Fan with LED Lantern has the highest mAh rating and is our second-best fan on the list. While it is the biggest on our list, it is tiny for a 20,000mAh fan. It offers many features, including power bank capabilities and a powerful LED lighting system.
Due to the high mAh rating, this fan offers the highest airflow, which is needed to help keep bigger tents cool. However, using it on its strongest setting will mean it drains the battery faster. But on its lowest fan or light setting, it can last many hours longer than any other fan on the list. In addition, its brushless motor helps keep the noise down.
The Kitwlemen can hang, despite weighing nearly 3 lbs. It offers a wide range of positioning but will not auto-rotate.
Nor does it have easy hand holds, so it is harder to use as an industrial flashlight. Instead, it is best as a spotlight or room lighting, depending on the brightness setting. Also, its shape does mean it is harder to pack than the Toyizo.
Pros
- 10,400 mAh
- Pretty quiet
- Power bank capabilities
- 270° rotation
- Brushless Motor
Cons
- The hanging hook doesn’t rotate
- No remote
The Drchop Portable Fan Rechargeable is the most affordable and lightest of the 10,400+ mAh fans. It is also slightly quieter. Most fans on this list can get as little as 30dB, but Drchop falls marginally less on its lowest setting. Like the better fans, it also has a brushless motor to eliminate the hum.
Its work time figures are not too shabby. You get 8 hours on the highest fan setting and 36 on the lowest. The LED lights work on three settings. It isn’t really meant to be used as a flashlight, but there is a top handle to help should you need to adjust the angle of the beam or move a few paces.
Pros
- 10,400 mAh
- Foldable tripod
- 8-36 worktime
- 3 light settings
- Power bank capabilities
- Oscillating
Cons
- The tripod legs don’t adjust lengths
- The hook doesn’t swivel
The SISMEL Portable Camping Fan is unique because it can stand on its base or tripod. However, the tripod is not detachable, only foldable and not height adjustable. But it does add stability and aids with positioning.
Like many on the list, it has LED lights with three brightness settings. Since the base is easy to grasp, it makes for a decent emergency flashlight when needed, in addition to lighting up a tent.
Its power bank capabilities do work, but after charging a phone, there will only be a few hours of fan time remaining.
The swivel head is only 120° horizontally, but you get 180° vertically. So altogether, it gives pretty good coverage. But its hidden hook does not rotate, so you must be mindful of placement. Overall, for something that weighs less than 2 lbs, it provides a pretty good amount of airflow in a handy package.
Pros
- Remote Control
- Timing mode
- Works well as a backup flashlight
- Hanging hook
- Power bank capabilities
Cons
- Charging a device drains the battery
- Not a very strong breeze
- LEDs don’t get as bright as expected
The Supology Camping Fan – Quietest Mid-Powered Fan is the quietest on the list. However, part of this is achieved due to the reduced breeze it produces. So it’s a nice size for a 1-2 person tent. But if you have anything bigger, you need a second one or a stronger fan.
The fan’s stand makes a nice handle if you need to use it as a flashlight. The beams from LED are fine, but they don’t achieve the brightness of the fans higher up on the list.
The power bank capabilities are nice to have in an emergency. But once you use it, don’t expect your fan to work much or at all until it is juiced up.
Lastly, while the remote and timing features are nice, no sleep mode exists. Thus, the glow from its battery lights will illuminate for as long as it is on.
Pros
- 8000 mAh
- Detachable blades
- Hanging hook
- 4-speed fan
- Timer
- Remote
Cons
- No LED lights
- No battery indicator
- Bit expensive for what it does
The JISULIFE 8000mAh Mini USB Camping Fan-Detachable Blades is pretty powerful for its size. It’s dense, hence the 1.8 lbs. But it is compact, so when you take the blades off, it can happily dangle outside your pack while you hike. You could also stuff it in a bag, as it doesn’t take up much room.
It moves air pretty well, despite being so small. Depending on your four fan settings, it has a work time of 8.5-25 hours. The remote easily allows you to set the timer and adjust the speeds.
However, this isn’t a fan with lots of extra features. So it isn’t going to light up your tent or even tell you how much battery you have left. But as a small fan, it performs well and is highly portable.
Pros
- 11.3 oz
- 5.5-40 hours work time
- Quiet
- 360° rotation
- Hanging hook
- LED light
Cons
- Awkward packing shape
The Portable Camping Fan with LED Lantern-Lightest Fan has 5,000 mAh, which is powerful for something that doesn’t even weigh a pound. It has a light that can be adjusted to three brightness settings. They’re not the most illuminating, so it isn’t a spotlight. But it’s enough for a person to read by.
The design isn’t the most durable, so be careful when packing it. Nor is its shape the most stuff-in-backpack friendly. But it’s a cute little thing that does the job. Would do well on a desk.
Pros
- Excellent value
- 1 lb
- LED lights
- Nice handles
Cons
- Battery-operated, not rechargeable
The Odoland Portable LED Camping Lantern with Ceiling Fan packs a lot of use at an affordable price. It is made with more than camping in mind. Its powerful LEDs can be used as a proper lantern or flashlight to help you find your way in a storm. You can easily hold on to it thanks to its clever design.
The handles and fan fold into a compact, packable unit when you are on the go. It’s just a pity it is battery-operated rather than USB rechargeable. But this is an excellent fan-flashlight to keep in your car for emergencies.
Pros
- Small
- Compact
- Can stand on its base or be held in your hand
Cons
- Only 2,500 mAh
- Weak breeze
The IPOW Mini Handheld Fan is an excellent fan to store in a handbag to cool its user when on public transport. It could easily be stuffed in a backpack and taken on hikes, too. However, it’s really a handheld fan, despite being able to stand on its base.
Thus, if you want a fan you can just hold it near your body to cool off; it will do the job without taking up much space or money. But this won’t even keep a one-person tent cool, so you’ll have to use other beat-the-heat camping hacks. So while it is the least expensive on the list, it doesn’t provide the biggest bang for your buck.
Camping Fan Rating Criteria
Features
Modern camping fans are often expected to do more than blow air around. The KITWELMEN offers almost everything people want aside from a remote:
- 16 LED beads with 3 light settings that set independently from the fan
- 270°-degree pivot
- 360° rota-table
- Hanging or upright
- 4 fan speeds
- Brushless motor to keep the noise down
- Power bank capabilities for 5V/2A
- Battery indicator
- Sleep mode
- 8-100 hours work time
Strength/mAh
The mAh reading isn’t a complete picture of a fan’s strength and work time. Other aspects of the build can impact these features. However, the amount of energy a battery stores heavily influences a fan’s power and longevity. The KITWELMEN is in a class of its own, with 20,000mAh, nearly double the next strongest.
Worktime When Fully Charged
The KITWELMEN is also the winner when it comes to fully charged work time, with an 8-100 hour range. Following that is the lighter, more durable, and less expensive Toyizo, with a 9-60 hour range.
Durability
The Toyizo is the only water-resistant fan on the list. It is a much more durable fan than the KITWELMEN while offering similar features. However, it can’t hang and only has a mAh of 10,400, the second-best rating shared with the Drchop and SISMEL.
Weight/Portability
The Portable Camping Fan is the lightest model. However, the IPOW and JISULIFE are easier to haul. The IPOW is slim and compact, making it easy to slip into a handbag. The JISULIFE has detachable blades, so its base can be clipped on the outside of a backpack with no fear of damage. Nor does either model weigh that much more to matter unless you are a real long-haul backpacker.
Value For Money
The Odoland Portable LED is the best value for money. It is a few bucks more than the IPOW, but it’s a more versatile and durable product. It is lightweight, has an excellent LED light system that will last 37 hours with the fan off, is higher powered, and, most importantly, provides enough air circulation that you don’t need to hold it right in your face.
In addition, its grab handles make it much easier to use as a large flashlight rather than general room illumination, as provided by the Portable Camping Fan. It’s an essential feature if you want to use this in emergencies, such as changing a tire at night or helping you get through a hurricane.
Final Verdict
The two top choices are the durable Toyizo and the long-lasting KITWELMEN. But if you just want a small fan for not much money to keep the lights on, then the humble Odoland Portable LED offers excellent value.