The new Shark fan can blast blades of air in any direction, and it's set to make summer far more bearable
- New Shark TurboBlade is a powerful, bladeless fan with an unusual design
- Arms can pivot and twist to send directional blasts of air
- Currently only available in the US, for $249.99
Released earlier this week, the new Shark TurboBlade reimagines what a fan should look like and how it should behave, and I think it could be absolutely amazing when the hot weather kicks in. The fan part is made up of two arms, each of which blasts out a blade of concentrated air. These arms can be angled up and down, to direct the airflow, and the bit they're attached to can also be rotated – so they can blast air horizontally ('Blanket mode') or vertically ('Tower mode'). The whole thing is height-adjustable too.
The two blades are independently articulated, which means you can position them so one is pointing in a completely different direction to the other – so one can go high and the other low, or one can go right while the other's going left.
Like most of today's best fans, it can still be set to oscillate, too. For that, the blades are oriented into 'tower mode'. The whole pillar will then turn, widening the cooling field up to 180 degrees. On maximum power, the TurboBlade can blast out air up to an impressive 80 feet.
There are 10 different settings to explore. In Sleep mode, sounds are muted, lights dimmed and fan speed is optimized for minimal disturbance. For night-time use, you might also want to deploy 'AirBlanket' mode, where the fan will expel a wide, horizontal jet of air, and do so quietly (kudos to whoever came up with that name; I've never wanted a chilly night's sleep more).
Or if you're feeling experimental, you could try 'Natural Breeze' mode. Here, the fan will randomize its airflow so it feels like you're on, I guess, a windy mountainside or something, rather than stuck in a sweltering living room.
This brand has form when it comes to innovative fans – last summer saw the release of the Shark FlexBreeze, which doesn't just blast air but can also mist you with water vapor, to intensify the cooling process. The TurboBlade doesn't do that, but it's innovative nonetheless. Bladeless fans are fairly common now, but I've never seen one designed quite like this. In fact, I could imagine someone mistaking the TurboBlade for a lamp (and getting a surprise when switching it on).
While it looks a little odd, I'm really coming round to this design. While overall it's on the larger side, the footprint is small and it can be adjusted into a space-saving upright orientation when not in use. Being bladeless, there are minimal nooks and crannies to trap dirt, so keeping it clean should be easy (the inlet grille has a removable, easy-clean filter to ensure the insides don't get clogged up, too).
It's currently only available in the US, at a list price of $249.99, in a charcoal colorway with a white option due soon. No news yet as to whether it'll also be coming to the UK, Australia or elsewhere.
