Bell + Howell My Foldaway Rechargeable Fan: A Comprehensive Review

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a fan GIRLIE. I will have a fan running nine months of the year, sometimes even in the dead of winter. I love to feel a nice breeze while I work, but even more than that, I love to sleep with the soothing white noise of a fan (hence the fan running in the middle of the winter).

If it’s already cool enough in my room, I’ll just turn on my fan and point it at a wall for that nice white noise. So, I consider myself to be as much of an expert on fans as an amateur fan connoisseur could be.

The Bell + Howell My Foldaway Rechargeable Fan might be my favorite yet because I can bring it EVERYWHERE with me! I work from home most days but occasionally have to go into the office.

Trust that I will be bringing my Foldaway fan with me on those days. It’s gotten to the point that my coworkers make fun of me for it, but I don’t care. It just makes my workday so much better.

What Is the My Foldaway Rechargeable Fan?

What is the My Foldaway Rechargeable Fan? It’s basically a portable fan that can fold up small to fit in your backpack or extend to be four feet tall. In other words, it can go with you everywhere that you go, which is pretty much my dream in life. It uses a rechargeable battery, so you don’t have to worry about cords or finding an unused outlet to plug it in.

Plus, the battery lasts up to 10 hours, which is totally doable. Even I — a fan aficionado — can’t think of a situation in which I’d need to use a fan for that long without being able to stop and recharge it. I’ve gotten into a rhythm of charging it overnight every few days, and that’s been the perfect duration and frequency for me not to have to worry about it dying on me when I need it most.

Design Features

Like all good fans, the Foldaway has three modes. I usually keep mine on the lowest setting, but that’s just my personal preference. In my expert opinion, the three speeds are exactly what you’d want out of a low, medium, and high setting on a fan, so unless you have super extreme tastes in fan speeds, I think you’ll be satisfied with what the My Foldaway has to offer.

The design is super sleek. Even when it’s extended the full four feet, it doesn’t take up a ton of space. This way, you can put it in a corner of your living room or bedroom and not feel like you’re ruining the whole feng shui of your space.

Or, if you have an itty-bitty kitchen like me, you can squeeze it in there to cool things off when you’re using the oven. Once you’re done, it folds right up, small enough to fit in a small storage cabinet, backpack, or even underneath your bed.

The one drawback about the four-foot extension is that it’s pretty easy to tip over. I’ve tipped mine over a few times already, and it’s still functioning like normal, so it definitely seems pretty durable.

But just be warned — the stability is not quite all there when it’s extended to the maximum length. If you do tip it over, it will probably be fine — but it’s definitely startling, and I’m sure it’s not good for the longevity of the product.

Risk-Free Trial

If you still haven’t been convinced by my glowing review (and let’s be real, why should you? I’m a total stranger, after all), rest assured knowing there’s an awesome money-back guarantee. You can test out your fan for a whopping 90 days before deciding if you want to send it back (for your money back!) or keep it.

The only risk of trying this thing out is that you’re going to start using it and never be able to put it down. Speaking from experience here, that’s highly likely.

I think there’s a deal going on right now where you can buy one and get one for 50 percent off, so that’s another compelling argument right there. Then you don’t even need to be like me and commute with it — you can just keep one at work and one at home.

Or you can buy one for your roommates or friends — you’ll all be surrounded by cooling breezes at all times. Um, hello! That sounds like paradise to me.

Maximum Power

What I find most compelling about this product, and why I’m so enthusiastically writing a long review about it, is that it’s both portable AND powerful. Usually, those two things are mutually exclusive as far as fans go — but not with this one. It packs a punch.

When you turn it up to the highest setting, it really is powerful enough to cool you down, even on the sweatiest day. I’ve used it to keep myself from sweating through my shirt on my morning commute sitting in subway cars with no A/C. I’ve even used it to keep myself from getting heat stroke while using the oven in my tiny kitchen in the middle of August.

And, of course, I use it to sleep almost religiously. The noise volume is quiet enough that I don’t feel like I’m bothering people in public but still loud enough that it lulls me to sleep at night. It’s perfect!

Yet, despite this power, I can also bring it with me nearly everywhere! I can bring it to the bathroom, my tiny kitchen, and my office cubicle. I can fold it up and drop it in a backpack or a very large purse.

I’m sure if I wanted to, I could easily fit it into a carry-on (although I haven’t gotten that desperate yet). This portability is great for keeping me cool, but it’s also AMAZING for storage purposes.

Compact and Travel-Friendly

I live in New York, and like most New York residents who have not found themselves in possession of a spare million dollars, my apartment is tiny. Having such an important and helpful tool in my possession that can also easily fit within the confines of my small living space is crucial to my well-being.

It’s how I feel about traveling with earplugs or having a water bottle that actually keeps my water cold — it’s such a little thing, yet it makes so much difference to my overall happiness and state of mind.

Let’s Recap

Listen, I know I’m kind of rambling about this fan. I don’t often buy things online on impulse like this, but Bell + Howell’s My Foldaway Rechargeable Fan has worked out so well for me that I have to spread the word.

So, aside from the lack of stability that causes it to tip over somewhat easily, I think this is basically a perfect product. If you’re looking for a fan to keep you cool, something to create white noise at night, or an easy solution for hot nights in your somewhat small living space, the My Foldaway Rechargeable Fan is definitely the solution for you. You can thank me later.