Netta Tower Fan Review

The Netta tower fan is a straightforward, honest budget buy: it cools a desk or bedside area adequately, runs quietly on the lowest setting, and undercuts most rivals on price. It will not cool a large room and lacks any extras such as a remote or timer, but for a first fan or a spare room under £35 it is a sensible choice with no real surprises.

At around £35, the Netta tower fan sits at the entry point of the UK market, targeting buyers who want a simple cooling appliance without stretching to a mid-range or premium product. It is a popular choice for spare rooms, first flats and offices where the budget is the main constraint. The question is whether cutting costs here means cutting too many corners.

Design and build quality

The Netta is a compact tower fan at around 80 cm tall, which makes it easy to fit into smaller spaces such as under a desk or beside a bedside table. The slim profile and plain neutral finish blend into most interiors without drawing attention.

The casing is lightweight plastic, as you would expect at this price. It does not feel fragile, but it lacks the solidity of mid-range or premium fans. The touch controls on the unit are straightforward to operate, though the tactile feedback is minimal and requires a firm press to register.

The fan is light enough to carry between rooms with one hand, which is a practical advantage if you want to use it in different spaces throughout the day. The base is broad enough to prevent tipping on most surfaces, though it can be a little unstable on uneven carpet. For safety tips on using tower fans around the home, Electrical Safety First offers useful guidance.

Airflow and cooling

Three speed settings are standard at this price, and the Netta delivers a serviceable airflow across all three. On the low setting it is a gentle, steady breeze suitable for desk use or adding light background airflow to a room. The medium setting is more noticeable and practical for personal cooling on warm days. The high setting produces a stronger draught but feels close to the limit of what the motor can comfortably sustain.

Oscillation is included, which at this price is a worthwhile feature. It spreads the airflow across a wider arc rather than directing it in a fixed direction, helping with general room comfort.

The Netta is realistically a personal fan rather than a room fan. Positioned close to you it does a solid job; expected to cool a large, warm bedroom from across the room, it will feel inadequate. The tower fan buying guide explains what to look for if you need more room coverage.

Noise

On the lowest setting the Netta is genuinely unobtrusive. The motor produces a steady, consistent hum rather than a rough or variable noise, which is more important for sleep quality than the raw volume: a fan that changes pitch or pulses is more disruptive than one that holds a single note. Most people would find the low setting tolerable as background noise overnight.

The middle setting is louder but acceptable for daytime use. The top setting is clearly audible and is not suited to sleeping or quiet work environments. As with most fans at this price, the useful sleeping speed is the lowest one, and the top speed is for those moments when you simply need the most air possible.

Running costs

At about 45W, the Netta costs roughly 1.1p an hour at the Ofgem price cap of around 24-25p per kWh. Running it overnight for eight hours adds around 9p to your electricity bill. Tower fans are a very energy-efficient way to stay cool compared to air conditioning, and the Netta’s modest power draw keeps costs minimal. See our tower fan running cost guide for more detail.

Features

Three speeds and oscillation are the extent of the Netta’s feature set. There is no remote control, no timer, no sleep mode and no additional modes. For a fan at this price, that is to be expected rather than criticised. The controls are simple and work reliably.

If you want even a basic set of extras such as a remote or a timer, the Honeywell HO-5500RE offers both for around £10 more and is worth considering if those features matter.

Is the Netta tower fan worth it?

For what it is, yes. The Netta delivers a reliable, quiet-at-low-setting, oscillating tower fan at one of the lowest prices available in the UK. It is not going to impress with its airflow, noise control or feature set, but none of those things are really on offer at this price.

It earns its place as a starter fan, a spare room option, or a fan for a space where you simply need some air movement without spending much. If you later want more, the best cheap tower fans guide covers the next step up, and the best tower fans roundup shows where this category peaks.