Duux Whisper Flex 2 Smart Review: Modular Connected Fan

The Duux Whisper Flex 2 Smart is a hybrid fan designed to move between rooms rather than stay in one place. An extension tube lets it be set up either as a table fan or as a floor-standing model, giving an overall height of 54 cm or 92 cm depending on the configuration chosen. That makes it as suitable beside a bed as it is in the corner of a living room.

The Smart version adds a Wi-Fi connection and control through the Duux app alongside the touch controls and the supplied remote handset. The fan offers 30 speed levels, horizontal and vertical oscillation, a night mode, a natural-breeze mode and a timer running up to 12 hours. A battery is optional depending on the version and can be added later as a separate purchase.

One of the strengths of the Whisper Flex 2 Smart is that modular format. At a measured 4.2 kg it stays reasonable for a fan that can also work as a floor-standing model, and the carrying handle makes moves from room to room easy. It does not have the lightness of a small desk model, but it is handled without any particular difficulty and can follow everyday use between bedroom, study and living room.

That versatility has a limit. Switching from the pedestal format to the table format is less straightforward than adjusting a telescopic column: the upper block and the extension tube have to be removed, then the whole assembly rebuilt in the desired configuration. Nothing insurmountable, but not the sort of adjustment anyone will want to make several times a day.

In use the controls are convincing, even if reaching the touch panel on the base means bending down. The 30 speed levels allow the airflow to be set quite finely, avoiding the usual choice between a breeze that is too light and a draught that is too strong. The Duux app is complete and easy to learn, giving access to the main settings, the oscillation, the timer and the various modes without burying the user in menus.

The remote handset leaves a more mixed impression. It has the merit of existing and of stowing on a magnetic area of the fan, but it is very directional. The base of the appliance has to be aimed at fairly precisely for a command to register, which reduces its usefulness from a bed or a sofa. Most owners will quickly come to prefer the app.

On upkeep, this remains a bladed fan, so the grille and impeller need cleaning regularly to prevent dust building up. The design is conventional on that point, with no nasty surprises but none of the advantage of a bladeless model either.

The recorded measurements describe a fan that is effective at short and medium range. At 1 m, airflow was measured at 2.1 m/s in normal running and up to 2.9 m/s at full power. The draught is clearly present when the fan is placed close by, enough to improve the sensation of coolness quickly in a bedroom or a study.

At 2 m the flow remains perceptible, at 1 m/s at normal speed and 1.5 m/s at maximum. That is still comfortable for a room of reasonable size, all the more so because horizontal and vertical oscillation help distribute the air more evenly. The fan can therefore see out a warm night or a working day without having to sit right beside the user.

Useful reach was measured at 2.60 m, the point at which the flow is still perceptible at 0.3 m/s. That is consistent with a fan of this format, but it confirms that it should not be asked to stir a large living room effectively. The Whisper Flex 2 Smart is happier in close-range use or in modest rooms than in a large open volume. As with any fan, it does not lower the temperature of the room; it changes how warm the air feels.

Duux places considerable emphasis on how quiet this fan is, and the Whisper Flex 2 Smart is indeed discreet at its lower settings. That is where the 30 speeds make most sense: it is possible to find a gentle setting that circulates air without imposing an obvious draught.

The recorded measurements are nonetheless less spectacular than the minimum figure the brand advertises. At medium speed the level came out at 42 dB, audible but perfectly acceptable during the day or in a study. At full power the fan reaches 50 dB. The airflow then becomes more noticeable, without tipping over into the unpleasant.

The best compromise therefore sits in the intermediate speeds. For sleeping, working or reading it is best not to push it too high, but the large number of steps makes it easier to find a fine setting than on models limited to three or four speeds. The night mode completes the picture by dimming the display.

Consumption is one of the fan's strong points. Draw was measured at 3 Wh over an hour at medium speed, rising to 15 Wh over an hour at full power. Even when worked harder it therefore stays a very long way below the consumption of a more demanding appliance such as an air conditioner.

On a simulation of eight hours a day across four months, that works out at roughly 2.88 kWh at low speed and 14.4 kWh at full power. That is contained, particularly for an appliance most owners will run at a moderate setting most of the time. The Whisper Flex 2 Smart will not replace air conditioning during a heatwave, but it delivers its airflow while keeping electrical consumption low.