logo
'My new Whisper Fan has helped keep me cool through the heatwave'

'My new Whisper Fan has helped keep me cool through the heatwave'

Dublin Live30-06-2025
As the mercury continues to soar in this heatwave, we're all on the hunt for ways to stay cool, particularly as summer approaches. Opening windows can help (if possible) provided there's a breeze, but arguably the most effective method to maintain a pleasantly cool room is with a fan.
And I've managed to get hold of one that might just be the best fan I've ever used.
The biggest issues with fans tend to be their noise level, which limits when and how much you can use them, and a lack of options regarding speed and airflow. My new Whisper Flex 2 fan from Duux addresses both these problems.
Offering a whisper-quiet sound that makes it perfect for continuous use day and night, this smart fan also allows you to choose from a vast range of fan speeds and positions. Additionally, it comes with a remote control, app and voice control, meaning you can adjust your fan settings without even needing to be in the same room.
Since it arrived, this remarkably quiet fan has been running nonstop. Given that the heatwave appears to be sticking around for a bit, this fan has been a godsend throughout the day and night.
For those curious about setup, assembling this fan couldn't be simpler. The components are clearly labelled to assist during assembly, and the instructions provided are straightforward and easy to understand. I had mine assembled in less than ten minutes.
(Image: Meghan Coon)
The standout feature of this fan that quickly won me over is the incredibly low, almost imperceptible noise it produces while in operation. Naturally, the higher the speed setting, the more noise it generates, but it's so negligible that I've been able to sleep with it running on a high setting without realising it's still on.
Without any annoying rattling or whirring sounds, this fan delivers the perfect airflow at an impressively quiet volume.
When it comes to sleeping with this gem switched on, there's a specific sleep setting that's ideal for those (like myself) who prefer to sleep in complete darkness. The illuminated touchpad that allows you to control the fan from its base can be dimmed and turned off when the fan is in sleep mode, ensuring no additional light disturbs your sleep.
Grab the Whisper Flex 2 from Amazon Grab the Whisper Flex 2 from Amazon
Shoppers can snap up the Whisper Flex 2 from Amazon to help stay cool during the heat.
€228
AMAZON GET DEAL
Additionally, with the remote and the app, you can set a timer to ensure your fan doesn't run all night - perfect for those who enjoy falling asleep in a cool environment, but don't necessarily need the fan operating round the clock.
As I've previously noted, this first-rate fan boasts WiFi connectivity and is compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. This allows you to command the fan using your voice or utilise the convenient and straightforward Duux smart app, which enables you to modify the fan's speed, oscillation and set a timer.
For those who prefer not to download the app or lack access to Google Home or Alexa, the fan comes equipped with a simple remote control and an intuitive touch panel for easy operation.
(Image: Meghan Coon)
My Whisper Flex 2 standing fan offers thirty speed settings, which have proven useful during this spring heatwave with fluctuating temperatures and varying breeziness. It also features a natural wind mode.
The Whisper Flex 2 has several oscillation presets that allow you to direct airflow accurately around the room, ensuring you can find the perfect setting. Vertical oscillation can be set at 45° and 90°, while horizontal oscillation can alternate between 30°, 60° or 90°, allowing you to easily direct the breeze towards your bed, desk, sofa and so on.
The benefits of this adaptable fan extend further, as it can easily be adjusted between a 54 cm desk/table fan and a 92cm floor-standing fan, making it versatile enough to move from your home office to your bedroom effortlessly. Weighing a mere 4.2 kg, it's incredibly lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, allowing you to shift the fan from one room to another without any hassle - plus, it comes with a convenient handle feature on the back of the fan for even easier portability.
Currently, my new Whisper Flex 2 fan is available on Amazon for just over €200 here. If that is a little out of budget, there is this €40 fan availalable at Currys. Shoppers can also pick up the Whisper Quiet 2 fan from B&Q here.
Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The hidden freebies on your phone worth £100s – claim months of TV, music, games & books with hacks that everyone misses
The hidden freebies on your phone worth £100s – claim months of TV, music, games & books with hacks that everyone misses

The Irish Sun

time10 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

The hidden freebies on your phone worth £100s – claim months of TV, music, games & books with hacks that everyone misses

LOVE a freebie? Well, there are loads lurking on your mobile that are just waiting to be claimed. You can bag perks worth hundreds of pounds, getting you TV, music, games, books and even extra phone storage - if you know where to look... Advertisement 14 Spotify has plenty of free music – but it's not your only option Credit: Spotify 14 Amazon customers can bag free music too Credit: Amazon To save you searching, we've tracked down some of the most tempting freebies hiding on your phone or tablet today. FREE MUSIC It's no secret that Spotify offers a free tier. You won't be able to choose specific songs and you'll endure ads – but it's free. However, there are plenty of alternatives to Spotify that you might prefer. Advertisement One potentially cheaper option is Amazon Music Prime, which comes included with your regular Amazon Prime subscription. It gets you more than 100 million songs, and it's totally ad-free. So if you're already paying for Prime, then this is a great freebie that'll save you sitting through Spotify ads (or paying for Premium). If you're an Apple fan, you have two great options available to you. The first is Apple's "new device offer", which gives you three months of Apple Music for free. Advertisement This is Apple's own Spotify rival that normally costs £10.99 a month. You get it if you've recently bought an Set up your new device, then just launch the Apple Music app and your offer should appear right away. Claim it and away you go. Sky customers can claim delicious freebies in new giveaway scheme Apple Music can also be heavily discounted if you're a student. You can claim a one-month trial, and then pay just £5.99 a month for up to 48 months. Advertisement All you need to be eligible for the offer is to be enrolled in a degree-granting university. It means you'll save £240 over the course of four years. Not a bad saving. 14 Apple AirPods entitle you to a handy music freebie Credit: Apple FREE TV There's also no end of free telly available if you know where to look. In the Music section above, I mentioned how you could get half-price Apple Music. Advertisement Well, if you're eligible for that offer, Apple also chucks in Once you start the Apple Music Student subscription, just go to Apple TV and it'll work right away. The only catch is that you can't share it with Family Sharing. 14 Apple Music Student subscriptions also come with a special TV perk Credit: Apple You can also get Apple TV+ for free if you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac. You'll be able to bag three months of membership – normally that would be £8.99 a month, totalling £26.97. Advertisement And you can even share this with up to five other family members through Family Sharing. You'll just need to claim the deal within three months of first setting up new new Apple gadget. 14 Apple TV+ is packed with top telly, including hit footie comedy/drama series Ted Lasso Credit: Apple But what else is out there? If you're an Amazon Prime member, you probably know that you get Prime Video as part of your membership. Advertisement But you can also take a cut-price membership that only gives you Prime Video, which costs just £5.99 a month instead of £8.99 for full Prime. There's also a deal that gets you 14 Prime Video is loaded with amazing telly Credit: Amazon How much does Amazon Prime cost? Here's how the prices break down... Prime monthly (£8.99 monthly) – £107.88 a year Prime annual – £95 a year Prime Video (£5.99 monthly) – £71.88 a year Prime 18-22/student (£4.49 monthly) – £53.88 a year Prime 18-22/student annual – £47.49 a year Prime 18-22/student monthly + 6-month free trial – £26.94 for first year Prime 18-22/student annual + 6-month free trial – £23.75 for first year Picture Credit: Amazon An even thriftier option is to take advantage of the endless supply of free TV apps out there. Normally, the catch is that you'll need to view ads – but you'll also have to sit through commercial breaks even on the cheapest paid-for Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ tiers. Advertisement I tested a load of If you've got a Samsung TV, then you probably know that you can enjoy Samsung TV Plus for free. That'll get you loads of live TV channels. 14 Samsung TV Plus isn't just for televisions – it works on your mobile too Credit: Samsung But it's also possible to unlock Samsung TV Plus on Samsung phones and tablets too – something many telly fans miss. Just go into the app store and download Samsung TV Plus and you'll get the same enormous library of free telly. Advertisement FREE GAMES Obviously, there's no shortage of free games out there on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. In fact, I served up free top picks that you'll actually play for hours earlier this year – check out my guide to the 14 Apple Arcade is filled with premium games for you to play Credit: Apple But there are some great ways of playing premium titles for free, too. Once again, there's a nice Apple freebie available if you've snagged one of the company's gadgets recently. Advertisement If you've bought a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac, it comes with three free months of Apple Arcade (and up to six family members can access it). Apple Arcade is a special subscription service (normally £6.99 a month) that gets you access to more than 200 games. These are all free from ads, don't have any hidden fees or micro-transactions, and can't be found for free elsewhere. Just set up your device and then tap the Apple Arcade app within the first three months to claim your trial period. Next up, there's a nice perk for anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription. Advertisement Amazon operates a special "cloud gaming" service called Luna. It's a bit like Netflix, but for video games. 14 Amazon Luna lets you stream console-quality games over the internet – and you don't even need a console Credit: Amazon So instead of needing a console, you can just Normally this would require paying for an £8.99-a-month subscription to Amazon Luna+. But if you have a Prime subscription, you can play a rolling selection of games for free. These are console-quality games. Advertisement One of them is Fortnite, a shooter game that's one of the most popular titles in the world. AMAZON LUNA – CAN YOU PLAY? Here's what you need to know... Amazon says that you need a minimum internet speed of 10Mbps. You can check yours online at For web browsers on your iPhone, iPad, or Android, you need the following: Chrome web browser (version 83+) for PC, Mac, and (version 86+) Chromebook. Microsoft Edge web browser (version 90+) for PC and Mac. Safari web browser (iOS 15+) for iPhone and (iPadOS 15+) iPad. Chrome web browser (version 86+) for Android (Android 10+) devices. Compatible controllers for iPhone and Android include: Luna Controller PlayStation 4 DualShock Wireless Controller PlayStation 5 DualSense Wireless Controller Xbox One Controller Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Google Stadia Controller Picture Credit: Amazon All you need is a joypad – even an Xbox or PlayStation one you've got lying around – that can connect to your telly or Amazon Fire Stick. Then just download the Amazon Luna app and away you go. No console needed – and no Luna+ subscription either. Another nifty option is available for free if you have Netflix. Your Netflix TV subscription includes access to a load of Advertisement 14 Your Netflix subscription comes with a treasure trove of free mobile games Credit: Netflix Just go to the Netflix app on your mobile, scroll down to Mobile Games, and then you'll be able to download them via the App Store. Your Netflix subscription will grant you access to play them for free instead of paying. There are a bunch of great options on there right now, including: Stranger Things: 1984 Exploding Kittens Game Reigns: Three Kingdoms RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch Squid Game: Unleashed Oxenfree Dead Cells: Netflix Edition GTA: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition Asphalt Extreme Blood Line: A Rebel Moon Game There are loads more titles too, and Netflix is constantly adding extra games. So make sure you're making the most of these bonus freebies. Advertisement Finally, for a fun free option, go into Instagram and open a DM with someone. Send an emoji – it can be anything, like a heart or football – and then tap it. It'll take you through to a 14 Your Instagram DMs are hiding a fun free game Credit: The Sun / Instagram FREE BOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS If you're happy to read virtual books – or listen to audiobooks – then there are some great free options. Advertisement For a start, Audible has a brilliant free tier that gets you free audiobooks without paying a penny. There's a rolling library that Amazon (which owns Audible) updates, and you don't need to have a membership to claim them. And if you've got Amazon Prime, you can start a 30-day Audible trial to claim two free audiobooks of your choice instead of one. 14 Audible is a great option for thrifty book fans Credit: Amazon / Audible For e-books, Amazon Prime members are able to enjoy select books for free through Prime Reading. Advertisement And you can also take advantage of Amazon First Reads to choose one of next month's Kindle books for free too. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can use Apple Books to check out a load of free ebooks. This includes a load of classics, plus some newer titles too. Spotify members can get involved too. If you have a Premium membership, you get 15 hours of audiobook listening time every single month. FREE PHONE STORAGE Always running out of phone storage? Often the advice is to back up your media to the cloud – but that fills up pretty quickly too. Advertisement Thankfully there are some ways to get free cloud storage. For a start, Apple offers 5GB of cloud storage for free through iCloud. You'll have to pay for extra – but it's at least something. 14 iCloud comes with 5GB of storage for free Credit: Apple Then every Google account comes with 15GB of free storage. You'll be able to use that in Google Drive or Google Photos (but it also pulls from Gmail). So if you want to just store photos and videos, consider setting up a second free Google account to put those there – and keep the storage on your main account for emails. Advertisement Amazon also hosts a cloud storage service that offers up 5GB of free storage. But if you have Amazon Prime, you can bag unlimited storage for photos. That's a pretty generous offer, so consider taking advantage of it for backing up your pics. 14 Google also offers up free cloud storage for your files Credit: Google Microsoft's OneDrive also offers 5GB of free storage with a Microsoft account, and Dropbox Basic gives you 2GB of no-cost storage.

X-Sense Link+ Pro Smoke Alarm review: fire safety in the home gets smart
X-Sense Link+ Pro Smoke Alarm review: fire safety in the home gets smart

Irish Daily Mirror

time12 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

X-Sense Link+ Pro Smoke Alarm review: fire safety in the home gets smart

I've been testing out the X-Sense Link+ Pro Smoke Alarm with Base Station, a great example of the future of fire safety. It's a smart wireless fire protection system with real-time alerts, remote monitoring and seamless app control. The FS31 bundle includes three smoke alarms and a base station. Other kits are available with more alarms if you need them. READ MORE: Microsoft Surface Laptop 13in review: the best everyday ultra-portable notebook I've tested in 2025 READ MORE: Ugreen Nexode Retractable Chargers review: ideal power bank for festivals such as All Together Now X-Sense Link+ Pro in everyday use What you get in the X-Sense Link+ Pro (FS31) box (Image: X-Sense) Setting up the X-Sense Link+ Pro only takes a few minutes. You just plug in the compact 110mm x 110mm base station with a USB-C cable and power adapter included in the box. Then connect it to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network using the free X-Sense companion app and pair it with the three smoke detection units. Installing the smoke detection units is equally simple - you screw the base plate into the ceiling but the alarm can be easily removed in case you need to change the CR123 battery which incidentally should last up to five years. An LED beneath the central button blinks green every 60 seconds to let you know it's working, and it flashes brighter and red during an alarm incident. The big selling point of this smart system is the instant notifications. The base station and the smoke alarms are all managed and controlled using a free cloud service and the X-Sense smartphone app. If smoke is detected, the alarms and base station all sound loudly like a traditional smoke alarm, but your phone will also receive an alert, no matter where in the world you are. You're supposed to test smoke alarms once per week by pressing the test button, which can be tiresome with regular smoke alarms. On the X-Sense Link+ Pro, however, you can do this remotely from the app. You can also do it manually if you wish but pressing one alarm tests all the units on the system which is handy. There's also a clever Family Sharing feature which enables up to 12 users to receive notifications and control the system. X-Sense Link+ Pro verdict The X-Sense Link+ Pro (FS31 combo pack) is essentially three smoke alarms for the price of one and it's a fantastic addition to your smart home that points to the future of fire safety. The X-Sense software is well-designed and easy to use and this system is an easy one to recommend. X-Sense Link+ Pro pricing and availability X-Sense Link+ Pro (FS31 bundle) costs €96 on Amazon. For comparison, Google Nest Protect costs €119 from Harvey Norman. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

Amazon fiasco is bad news for Ireland Inc
Amazon fiasco is bad news for Ireland Inc

Irish Times

time18 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Amazon fiasco is bad news for Ireland Inc

Taoiseach Micheál Martin was quick to say he will 'delve into' the circumstances of Amazon scrapping plans for a bid industrial plant in Dublin. The tech behemoth cancelled the €300 million project because it could not secure a power supply on time. Finding out what happened should be no more difficult than arranging a phone call between the Taoiseach and Terence O'Rourke, chairman of the State-owned ESB since 2020. Martin might also make enquiries of Amazon, one of the biggest and most valued client companies of IDA Ireland, the inward investment agency. The prospect of 500 new jobs was lost when Amazon's cloud-computing arm, AWS, abandoned plans to build high-tech server racks at Ballycoolin. Such racks are a form of specialist shelving used in data centres to drive AI technology, a priority area for foreign direct investment strategists. [ Amazon scraps Dublin plant and hundreds of jobs over failure to secure power supply Opens in new window ] The loss of this individual project is bad enough, the reputational damage worse still. Whatever way you cut it, the signal has gone out in a very public way that the electricity network in certain parts of Dublin can't meet new industrial demand. This is on top of housing delivery being hampered by serious constraints in power and water networks. READ MORE No surprise, then, that the Government is redoubling efforts to spur infrastructure investment. Given rapid population and employment growth, the need is obvious. But a report from Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers highlights how it can take seven years to develop electricity substations and a decade to build a small water treatment plant. This is extraordinary, although it hardly comes as news to the electricity, water or transport sectors. Nor indeed to people waiting for utility suppliers to deliver the goods. [ Slowing pace of capital project delivery has knock-on effects for Irish society Opens in new window ] The ESB has one job: to supply power to customers. Surging demand and consequent network pressures have been apparent for years, already prompting special measures to curtail new data centres. Still, AWS electricity demand at Ballycoolin would be nowhere near data-centre levels. This prompts obvious questions for Martin: Why was the ESB unable meet such demand? And what will it do to avoid any repeat of the situation?

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store