Shark Flexbreeze HydroGo review: I tried the viral misting fan
But this summer, one fan in particular has been catching everyone's eye.
I've reviewed the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan, which has a unique cooling mist function and is designed to be highly portable.
It's also perpetually out of stock, so I wondered if it's worth the struggle to get your hands on.
5
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan, £129.99
Launched at the start of the summer, this well-timed gadget has the potential to be a seasonal must-have.
It's different to any fan I've owned before, most notably in its super-compact size and design.
The "hydro" in the name is a nod to the fan's misting function, something that's unique to this range and that I haven't seen from any of the other top fan brands (including Dyson, Meaco or Duux).
Just like you get on holiday, it promises a super-fine spray that cools you down without soaking your furniture.
You can use it inside or outside, although I did initially wonder if this was a gimmick; is anyone really going to use a fan outside in the UK?
Pros:
Cordless capabilities
Misting function is a unique, welcome addition
Small and lightweight for travel
Powerful for its size
Cons:
Doesn't oscillate
Size doesn't cover a huge area
Overall rating: 7.5/10
How I tested the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan
5
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan, £129.99
For a true test, I used the HydroGo during and after a heatwave.
My main considerations were how powerful it was, if the unique features were realistic for everyday use, and whether it offers good value for money.
I used it both inside (in my lounge and bedroom) and outside in the garden, switching between the misting and normal fan and testing out refilling the water tank.
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan: Quickfire Q&A
How much does the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan cost? At full price, it's £129.99, and its popularity means it doesn't tend to go on sale.
Who is it best for? Those who want a fan that's easy to move around and are intrigued by the misting function.
What I loved: The lightweight and portable design.
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan: The Nitty Gritty
First impressions
5
To get going with that all-important misting option, you'll need to lift up the flap at the top and fill it with water. Then, you open the latch at the centre of the fan.
Switching between settings is easy; there are only three buttons. One is for speed (of which there are five), another is for natural breeze (two to choose from), and the third is for the mist (you can set it to spray in intervals or continuously).
My hope when unveiling the fan was that it would be as compact as promised, and it did not disappoint. If, like me, you want a fan you can carry around the house with you, you'll be thrilled.
The handle is the first thing you notice, and you can grab it with one hand as it's super-lightweight. There's nothing to actually set up, so you can start using it immediately; the only thing you need to do is charge the fan if you want to use it cordlessly.
Does it deliver?
5
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan, £129.99
I can't speak highly enough of the misting function - it is highly effective, at both cooling you down and avoiding too much dampness on furniture.
Both the interval and consistent mist emit water with the same force but the interval option is great for making the most of the air and the mist.
When the mist is on, it is louder than using just the fan setting, but it's still pretty quiet and unobtrusive.
My main worry was whether the mist would soak me or my furniture, but as long as you position the fan at least one metre from you, the mist will evaporate after it hits your skin.
I tested the mist while I was on the sofa, and it didn't leave any dampness on the fabric either.
If this summer's anything to go by, it could be a great investment for the future, especially when temperatures hit the 30s.
I won't lie, I wasn't blown away by the design, though. It's a cut above cheap, plasticky fans (as it should be for the price point) and feels sturdy enough, but it's not going to win any style awards.
That being said, I rated the portability. Originally unsure whether the cordless aspect would be genuinely useful, I'm now convinced that it's genius.
As someone who loves camping, it struck me that this would be ideal for reducing the temperature in the tent during the summer, and it could really improve a festival experience, too.
The cordless battery life is decent, if not mindblowing. If you're using it on its gentlest speed, it can last for up to 12 hours, but this is heavily reduced on full power.
It's easily compact enough to chuck in the car, and because of how lightweight it is, I had no trouble moving it from room to room when switching between working from home at my desk, to the sofa and finally to bed.
Small but mighty, in spite of its size, the Shark fan packs a punch, with a powerful airflow.
The fan can't oscillate, though, and because of the compact size, the airflow is restricted to a small area. This essentially means you can only direct it at one person.
My partner and I usually sleep with a fan oscillating around the room, so we'd have to stick with our old fan for this, but it is great for working from home or if you live alone.
How much is the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan?
At the time of testing, the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan retails for £129.99.
It's not the most affordable fan money can buy, but it's specific in its features and its uniqueness puts it is in its own category.
The versatility also helps with value for money, as it can be used in just about any scenario.
Where to buy the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan
As well as on Shark's website, the fan is stocked by several other popular retailers.
However, its popularity means that its often out of stock; one of the only places to buy it at the time of writing is Robert Dyas.
£129.99 at Currys - buy here
£129.99 at B&Q - buy here
£129.99 at Robert Dyas - buy here
£129.99 at John Lewis - buy here
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan alternatives
5
While I would recommend the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo, it is rivalled by several other brands, and it's always best to put some consideration into your household investments.
The Tristar Pedestal Misting Fan, available at B&Q, is a standing alternative to the Shark fan. It also has a misting function, and being a much larger model, it also has a considerably larger water tank.
It does, however, serve a largely different purpose, being a standing fan that would be tricky to transport.
Or, if you did want a Shark fan, you could blow the budget on the standing version, the Shark FlexBreeze Pro Mist Indoor & Outdoor Fan & Outdoor Misting System, for £249.99 (though it's currently on sale for £219.99).
You can read our Shark FlexBreeze fan review here.
On the more affordable end, the Beldray 3-in-1 LED Cordless Foldable Fan, priced at £39.99, is not to be sniffed at - packing in a cordless design, LED light and super-compact folding mechanism into one ideal-for-travel fan.
Still unsure? Take a look at our pick of the best desk fans in a bumper round-up, all tried and tested.
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Some millionaires might be happy frittering away their hard–earned cash on speed boats, golfing holidays, and perhaps the odd football team or two. But William Sachiti is far from your run–of–the–mill businessman. Much more Blofeld than Bill Gates, Mr Sachiti has decided to use his millions in a far less conventional way. Naturally, that meant buying a Cold War RAF base and firing up the radar station to hunt for UFOs. From his 'supervillain lair' in the nuclear bunker beneath former RAF Neatishead, Norfolk, Mr Sachiti is building what may be the world's most sophisticated UFO–hunting machine. But don't let the secluded compound, legions of robots, and enormous leather swivel chair fool you – Mr Sachiti isn't taking his role as Norfolk's latest supervillain too seriously. 'I'm a bit of a hedonist,' Mr Sachiti told Daily Mail from the freezing cold control room beneath the radar station. 'There's no point being the richest man in the graveyard, I just want to have fun and let people track UFOs.' Mr Sachiti, 41, is a British Zimbabwe–born inventor and entrepreneur best known for making autonomous delivery vehicles for the RAF, robots for the NHS, and for a particularly unsuccessful appearance on Dragon's Den. In 2017, Mr Sachiti founded The Academy of Robotics with the goal of developing autonomous vehicles, robots, and AI systems. His crowning achievement was the creation of Kar–go, a company which, in 2019, made the UK's first roadworthy autonomous car. It was this goal, rather than the hunt for extraterrestrials, which actually led Mr Sachiti to make the unusual business decision to purchase a disused RAF radar station. During the height of Cold War paranoia, RAF Neatishead was a key part of the UK's air defence network, keeping a watchful eye out for a potential nuclear attack. 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There's guns being shot on my property, how could I have my kids in the garden? 'I don't have investor days anymore because you never know who's coming or whether they're going to vandalise the place. I wish people would just call it out more when they see people being horrible online for no reason.' In that isolation, however, what Mr Sachiti does have is a nearly endless amount of time and energy to work on new creations and build his AIs. In fact, part of the reason he invited Daily Mail to the base along with a group of his investors and former RAF radar operators was to prove that this system really worked and that he hadn't just 'been spending too much time in the bunker'. 'There's no such thing as done when you're surrounded by a cluster of super–intelligent AIs and you're tinkering until three or four in the morning,' he said. It was in the depths of such an AI–powered late–night tinkering session that Mr Sachiti's UFO–hunting side–hustle began. Buying the base purchase had come with a catch: to get planning permission, he was required to conduct restoration and renovation on the listed buildings – including the Type–84 radar station. With RadarBot's assistance, Mr Sachiti soon had the Type–84's radar receiver up and running, but was stumped as to what he should actually do with it. That's when Mr Sachiti decided to post on Reddit to see what the internet thought. Whether it was a joke or not, the reply soon came back decisively: Mr Sachiti should hunt for UFOs. 'I think what happens when you work in tech for so long is that certain things become intuitive and just look like they should be possible,' said he said. 'Then when people say it's not possible, it just became a bit of a challenge.' Although it might sound bizarre, Mr Sachiti seems to have seen the prospect of turning the UK's Cold War defences into a UFO–hunting network as a nice way to wind down after work. 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But although there's only a 0.3 per cent genetic difference, the smartest chimp on Earth doesn't even know we're here. 'It doesn't know about electricity, the Hubble Space Telescope, all this tech. So if there's a being that's as much smarter than us as we are smarter than chimps, we wouldn't even know it was there. 'Nature didn't evolve from snails, go up to chimps, then to humans and stop there. Nature went past that ages ago, we just can't see it.' However, despite his absolute conviction in their existence and having spent months building a system to find them, Mr Sachiti says he's not bothered about looking for UFOs himself. He said: 'A person who makes a shovel isn't going to go digging for gold. 'I've made the tool and it's my job to make it the best tool I can, and when they find aliens, I hope they'll tell me.' WHAT IS RADAR? HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIO WAVES DEVELOPED DURING WW2 TO AID FIGHTER PILOTS Radar is an acronym, which stands for Radio detection and ranging. 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