Tahni Mesann
My social media algorithm hardly ever aligns with my husband’s, but one afternoon, we were both served product review videos featuring a fan with wings that could blast air along the entire surface of a bed or sofa. Minutes later, we worked out that the genius gadget was Shark’s TurboBlade Ultra Powerful Bladeless fan. “How has no one thought of this before?” I asked.
So when Shark offered to send me a fan to review for Better Homes and Gardens, I jumped at the chance. I was even more excited when I discovered that interior designer Darren Palmer is also a fan … of the fan.
“There are so many fans on the market that don’t have a nice design,” says Darren, when I asked him what he loves about the TurboBlade. “If I’m putting anything in a room, it’s considered part of the scheme and needs to fit in. The TurboBlade is refined without being overly designed.”
Meet the reviewers
Tahni Mesann is Better Homes and Gardens’ digital editor. She runs hot in most situations and can’t fall asleep in spring or summer without a fan running. She’s passionate about home technology that genuinely makes life easier, and she has a sharp eye for the details that matter – noise levels, aesthetic design and everyday practicality.
Darren Palmer is an interior designer, TV presenter and, most recently, host of the Almost Home podcast. Darren is known for elevating everyday spaces and champions design-led appliances that help people feel truly at home.
What is the Shark TurboBlade Ultra Powerful bladeless tower fan?
The Shark TurboBlade is a bladeless fan with a frame that can be turned horizontally (for cooling the entire surface of your bed) or vertically (for a targeted breeze). It has two panels that can swivel to pinpoint exactly where you’d like the breeze to go. It retails for $399.99 (but is currently on sale for Black Friday at $349.99).
What’s so good about the Shark TurboBlade Ultra Powerful bladeless tower fan?
The Shark TurboBlade is one of the most innovative fan designs I’ve seen in a long time. Sure, it circulates air just like any other fan, but the difference is that this appliance allows you to direct the flow of air exactly where you want it, with swivelling vents and, on the oscillation setting, sweep a full 180 degrees.
And I have to agree with Darren, this fan is actually seriously good-looking! On top of that, the sleek, bladeless design makes it safe to use around kids and pets, and is easy to swipe clean with a microfibre cloth (no more hunting for the world’s tiniest screwdriver to get into the pedestal fan cage and wipe away the thick layer of dust that accumulates on it).
Shark TurboBlade review verdict
- Our rating: 7 out of 10
Pros
- Sleek design that blends into the style of your home
- Endless ways to customise and direct air flow
- Magnetic remote with intuitive controls
- Undetectable noise on lower settings
- Provides a lovely breeze across a large area
- In the vertical position, the unit is quite slimline and would be easy to store away or out of sight.
- Easy to wipe clean
- Safe to use around kids and pets
Cons
- High settings make a lot of sound. If a bladed fan sounds like white noise, this fan, when running on a high setting, sounds more like a range hood fan or a car on idle.
- This is an impressive fan, but at this price point, I’d expect a few more features, including an air purification filter and even a heating option.
- This might be a me problem, but my child couldn’t resist playing around with this fan. I wish there were a child lock setting for the remote control and a way to ‘lock in’ the position of the fan so kids can’t move things around after you’ve set everything up just right.
What comes in the box?
In the box you get the fan base, the fan shaft (with attached vent) and a second vent. Everything is thoughtfully packaged in eco-conscious wrapping (kudos to Shark!). Everything slots together easily and no tools are required for assembly. Using the fan for the first time is easy, with stickers attached to the appliance telling how how to get started.
Watch this to see everything that comes in the box:
How did my Shark TurboBlade Ultra Powerful bladeless tower fan test go?
I’ve been using this fan in my open-plan living room for about three weeks now. It has been so easy to use, versatile and family-friendly. It’s a wonderful fan to have in an open-plan space, as the settings can be adjusted to create a gentle breeze if you’re sitting nearby, or to blow fiercely if you’re feeling hot and bothered while cooking dinner in a hot kitchen.
While testing this fan, I found it did everything it promised it could do. There were only a couple of minor flaws that I could think of. The first is that I wish it had more features! Heating, in addition to cooling, would be incredible. An air purification system would also be welcome. The second drawback is that while the high speeds are indeed powerful, those with sensitive ears may find the low mechanical whirring sound grating after a time.
The main ways I’ve used the fan so far include:
- Staying cool while watching TV – I recommend using settings 1-3 if you want a quiet, gentle breeze
- Drying my tiled floors after mopping (to prevent toddler slips). For this, I selected a high setting and pointed the vents towards the floor. The floors dried within a minute!
- Beating the heat while cooking in the kitchen (also to circulate the air so cooking odours don’t linger longer than they need to)
- Drying freshly picked and washed herbs. Parsley was taking over my herb garden, so I gave it a good haircut, washed it all thoroughly and spread it out on a tea towel to dry. Blasting it with the TurboBlade fan meant everything was washed, dried and ready to store away within a couple of hours.
Overall, is it worth it?
This is a sleek fan that is a definite upgrade on the clunky, unattractive pedestal fans of old. As Darren says, it will fit right into your home’s aesthetic. “The Shark TurboBlade is refined,” says Darren. “There are plenty of others on the market that simply don’t look as good.”
As for its cooling ability, it is perfectly capable of creating both a gentle breeze and a powerful gust at the touch of a button. “The cyclone mode is brilliant,” says Darren. “You hit the button, and it pumps out so much air, you can feel it 20 metres away.”
Before I owned the TurboBlade, I would regularly use the ‘fan’ setting on my reverse-cycle air conditioner to create a cool breeze or to circulate air through the house. Since using the Shark TurboBlade, I haven’t reached for my air conditioner remote control at all. That’s because I’m able to direct the TuboBlade’s breeze exactly where I want it, rather than settling for vague and imprecise ‘vane’ settings on my air conditioner.
You will love this fan if you’re looking for a cooling solution that doesn’t cramp your home’s style. It’s also ideal for families with young children and pets, thanks to its bladeless design that keeps little fingers and paws safely away from moving parts.
Where to buy the Shark TurboBlade
- Shark, $349.99 (normally $399.99)
- Amazon, $329 (normally $499.99)
- David Jones, $349 (normally $499)
- Myer, $349 (normally $499.99)
- Bing Lee, $319
