Best Portable Camping Fans in Australia – Stay Cool Outdoors!

We all know how hot it can get in Australia, especially around the time of year when the weather is great for camping. We all know as well, that it doesn’t have to be very hot at all for our tents or caravans to become stuffy and uncomfortable, especially when it’s time to sleep.

Part of the idea of camping is to move away from the comforts of home and to 'rough it' a little while away. For those that really don't like the heat, portable camping air conditioners are an option, however, they are expensive and need mains power to really work well.

For everyone else, fans are the way to go. You can use a fan that runs on a lot less power than an AC unit, they are safe to use inside of tents or caravans and all have a guard to prevent little kids from putting their fingers inside them.

We have reviewed the best fans for camping in Australia, so read on, and gather our insights and you may find the fan to keep you cool next time you head out for a camping trip.

Best Portable Camping Fans

Outdoor Connection Breezeway 12V Fan

The Outdoor Connection Breezeway 12V fan is a great camping fan that runs off your vehicle’s accessory charger. It has a nice 30 cm width that will provide a good steady airflow in your tent to cool it down and allow a couple of people to sleep soundly.

It is a simple plug and turn on style fan that comes with its own little stand and a carry handle that you can use to hang it up higher if you wanted. The fan has three speeds it can run on so you can choose to just get the air moving around your tent space or have it flat out on very hot nights.

The majority of reviews are positive for this fan, with most people having no issue at all and happy with its performance. You need to have your vehicle close by or have a long extension cord running to your tent if you do plan on using the vehicle charging point rather than a separate 12V battery.

There are some negative reviews too, a small group of people complained the noise on the highest setting was too loud for them to sleep, while a smaller group found the fan breaking and needing replacement.

Still, the simplicity of this fan and the cooling breeze it provides has been keeping campers cool and happy for years now.

Companion Aerobreeze 30cm Lithium Rechargeable Fan

Companion are known for a wide range of camping equipment and accessories and their camping fan is another quality product. This fan, like the Outdoor Connection above, has a 30cm diameter to maximise the airflow into your tent or caravan.

It has two speeds, can stand on its own or hang from its carry handle easily enough. What makes this fan stand out is its oscillating function, which can move the air around a closed space more efficiently and give everyone who is inside the tent some cooling breeze.

This fan also is very flexible in that it can be run off your vehicle's accessory charger, by its own batteries or by mains AC power and all the required cables are included.

The only negative with this fan is a few reports of it being noisy and making it hard to sleep, but like the Outback Connection, the Companion AeroBreeze 30cm Lithium Rechargeable fan is probably only noisy with a smaller percentage of people who are light sleepers.

If you are looking for a reliable fan for your next camping trip that can run on a variety of power options, can keep a larger tent cool and comes with its own LED light source – then look no further than the Companion Aerobreeze.

Coleman Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Fan 8"

Here is another fan that can run on batteries, AC or DC power, giving some flexibility to how you use it. It also has its own independent light source and two speeds to choose from. It has smaller blades at (20 cm instead of 30 cm) which means it won’t quite produce the same air flow.

The Coleman Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Fan is a solid performer for a single person tent or a small two-person space but isn't great at larger spaces. The majority of reviews where people are happy with this product is when it's used as an individual fan, not a fan for four kids in a medium-sized tent trying to sleep.

It also has a blue power indicator light that is actually quite bright and can keep people awake by illuminating their tent. Another small issue is that it struggles to reach a full battery charge if using solar panels out in the bush after a full day of sun.

It charges on AC power quickly with no problem. This is a fan best suited to one or two people in a small tent, with a bit of tape over the power light for a good night’s sleep.

Coleman Lighted Tent Fan & Stand

Coleman has made a fan that looks and sounds more impressive than it actually is. This compact fan with its own light is designed for use in small spaces.

The foam blades, while quiet and safe, don't actually produce as much airflow as a harder plastic fan, making the Coleman lighted tent fan an underperformer.

It also runs on 4 x D cell batteries meaning you will have to have a load of spare batteries if you are out camping for a long time. If you are close to AC power, you can choose to use that but it requires an extra cable that's not included.

Nobody is super happy with this fan, its intentions are good but at the end of the day, it just doesn't provide enough airflow to be really effective.

Small children, with one of these fans each, is a safe option and it also has a night light too in case the little ones get scared of the dark. Overall, it’s not really recommended apart from some specific use cases.

What To Look For When Buying A Camping Fan

Portable Camping Fans FAQ

Are battery-powered fans any good?

Yes, they are, they just come with some limitations. They generally run for 5-10 hours on a single set of batteries or on a rechargeable battery, depending on the model and if it's on high or low.

Battery-powered fans offer the flexibility to work anywhere, provided you have spare batteries or the ability to recharge them. They can often be quite small too and if positioned in your tent space correctly, keep everything nice and cool.

Are tent fans worth it?

Yes, very much so. Even in colder times of the year, a little bit of sun can heat a tent up until it becomes stuffy and unbearable. Even a small fan can reduce this stuffiness by a large margin and allow you to be more comfortable whilst in your tent, not to mention being able to get to sleep after a long day.

You can manage without a fan, even in summer, but you need to site your tent so its shady most of the day and keep as many doors and windows open as possible. However, you don’t always have the ability to keep your tent shaded, so on these days, a small fan moving a bit of air around can feel like heaven.

Can you use a car battery to run a fan?

Yes, two of the reviewed products above, the Outdoor Connection and the Companion Aerobreeze can run directly off your vehicle’s accessory charger, which when the vehicle is turned off, runs straight off your car battery.

You do need to be careful when doing this, however, as there is a risk of flattening your car battery if you run the fan for more than 3-6 hours. Running your car engine for a few minutes will top up your battery and ensure you don't go flat.

Conversely, you can also run a fan directly off an external 12V battery with the correct adaptor no worries and this setup will power your fan for quite a while without any risk of not being able to start your car.

Final Thoughts

If you are heading out camping during the summer months, pretty much anywhere in the country, it's going to be hot and potentially humid. Air conditioners can be useful, especially for the elderly, however, they are expensive and tend to work best with you having access to mains power, as you would in a caravan park for example.

Poorly sited tents that receive the sun all day can become little hot boxes that are unbearable to sleep in and any of the fans we reviewed above can play a part in cooling that down.

The best fans for medium-sized tents where two or more people are sleeping are the Outdoor Connection Breezeway and the Companion Aerobreeze as they both run on AC, DC or battery power and will cool your tent down easily.

For a smaller tent or space, the more individual style of fans like the two Coleman fans may be all you need, but be aware that smaller fans are not as flexible as often needed to be pointed right at you while you try to sleep.

At the end of the day, being able to sleep soundly is going to make your whole camping experience far better and as such – a capable fan is a great piece of gear to include on your next camping adventure.

PS. If you plan on camping in an RV or caravan, check out this list of the best caravan fans instead!