Switchbot Standing Circulator Fan (review)

Smart fans have been a recognised category in Apple Home, originally known as HomeKit, for many years. Despite this, compatible fans have remained relatively uncommon, largely perhaps, because few manufacturers have chosen to produce them. One of the earliest examples of a compatible smart standing fan, as distinct from a ceiling fan, was the Airmate SA35195R, which was briefly available in parts of Asia before disappearing from the market, presumably due to limited demand. Another notable example came from Smartmi, which released a smart fan with Apple Home compatibility, although it was only sold in Europe and was relatively difficult to find even there. With Matter now becoming increasingly widespread, you might expect more compatible fans to be appearing on the market. However, options remain limited, with Govee being one of the few companies to enter the category recently through the introduction of its Smart Tower Fan last year.

SwitchBot has gone part of the way towards solving the issue with a fan that is Matter compatible, albeit compatible only via one of the company’s hubs. More frustratingly, when added to Apple Home, the fan is only exposed as an on/off device, with none of its other controls available. Even so, these limitations do not necessarily determine whether it is a good fan or not. If you’re in the market for a new fan, this may, or may not, be the right option for you, so read on to find out more.

PACKAGING | CONTENTS

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The fan arrived in a smaller package than I had anticipated. However, given that it can be configured in one of three different heights, I probably should have expected it to arrive partially disassembled, allowing it to be packaged more compactly. Either way, the contents were well protected in transit.

The front of the box shows the fan at its maximum height and highlights its smart home compatibility, including support for Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts, IFTTT (yes, apparently people still use it..), and Samsung SmartThings. There’s no mention of Matter compatibility, however, as the fan itself does not support Matter directly, as noted earlier.

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One side of the box focuses on integration with the SwitchBot ecosystem, which is hardly surprising, whilst also highlighting the fan’s three height configurations. The opposite side draws attention to the built-in rechargeable battery for cordless operation, Alexa voice control, and an ultra-quiet 23dB brushless DC motor. Whilst these are all welcome features, none are especially groundbreaking. The previously mentioned Smartmi fan, for example, also includes a built-in battery.

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The box contents are fairly typical, comprising a power cable of a thankfully reasonable length, the fan base, the fan assembly itself secured within a protective frame, two extension sections for the different height options, the usual documentation, and a circular remote control.

A CLOSER LOOK

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The fan can be attached directly to the base, effectively turning it into a desktop fan. Adding one of the extension sections raises it to approximately knee height, whilst adding both sections brings it up to around waist height, at least for me.

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Each section screws securely into the next, eventually connecting to the base. In doing so, the components are connected electrically via a series of pins and contacts that transmit both power and data to the fan, enabling its various smart features.

The remote control comes in a rather distinctive puck-shaped design that generally works well and feels comfortable in the hand, although it is perhaps a little on the lightweight side. Unlike my Smartmi fan, which uses Bluetooth for remote operation, SwitchBot has opted for infrared here, with the remote powered by a single CR2032 battery.

All of the controls available on the remote are mirrored on the fan’s base, ensuring that no functionality is lost if the remote isn’t close to hand. The only exception is that one of the buttons on the base serves a dual purpose, providing access to two separate functions depending on how it is used.

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The base houses almost all of the controls you’ll need, with the same functions also replicated on the circular remote control. It also incorporates a simple LED display that indicates the current fan speed, whether horizontal and/or vertical oscillation is active, the selected operating mode, timer status, and power state. The timer button performs a secondary function too, allowing you to control the integrated light. Given that these controls are located on the base, I suspect most people will rely on either the remote control or the app for day-to-day operation.

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The rear of the fan is largely as expected, featuring a physical power switch alongside the socket for the included power adapter. There’s also a USB-C port, which allows the fan to be powered from an external source such as a power bank. This might initially seem unnecessary given the built-in battery, but if you’re using the fan outdoors on a warm summer evening, a power bank could significantly extend its runtime, making the addition a worthwhile inclusion.

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As for the integrated light, it’s a fairly basic addition, but one that could still be useful, particularly in a child’s bedroom where some ambient lighting may be welcome at bedtime. There are just three settings available: off, low brightness, and high brightness.

One aspect that may divide opinion is the colour choice for the fan guard. SwitchBot has opted for a caramel-like finish that reminded me of the ‘Caramac bar’, for any Brits old enough to remember it. Personally, I would have preferred a simple white finish, even if that’s the more conventional option. The faux wood-effect insert in the centre also feels somewhat at odds with the rest of the design and doesn’t really work for me aesthetically. That said, it does mean that it matches up well with the company’s own Air Purifier Table (video HERE, review HERE).

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The previously mentioned modes are represented on the display by their respective icons: a leaf for Natural mode, a moon for Sleep mode, and a baby’s face for Baby mode. Natural mode varies the fan speed automatically to mimic the ebb and flow of a natural breeze. Sleep and Baby modes are largely self-explanatory, with both operating at speeds lower than the standard lowest setting, Speed 1. Baby mode reduces the fan speed even further than Sleep mode, providing the gentlest airflow of the three.

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The large number shown in the first image represents the current fan speed, with Speed 9 being the highest setting available. Above this is a battery icon that indicates the current charge level. When the icon is solid, as shown in the image, the battery is fully charged. If the icon and any of the three battery segments are flashing, the battery is currently being recharged.

Alongside the speed indicator are two icons that represent the vertical and horizontal oscillation functions. These illuminate whenever the corresponding oscillation mode is active. One point worth noting is that whilst both the controls on the base and the remote allow you to enable or disable these oscillation modes, neither allows you to adjust the oscillation angle itself. This can only be done within the app, where the fan offers a selection of preset oscillation ranges rather than simply operating at its maximum sweep angle.

Finally, the timer allows you to set a countdown of up to nine hours before the fan switches itself off. Each press of the timer button adds an additional hour to the countdown. If the setting remains at zero, as shown in the second image, the timer is effectively disabled and no countdown will be started.

IN APPLE HOME

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As previously mentioned, the fan offers only very basic functionality in Apple Home and can only be exposed via a SwitchBot hub with Matter support. One reason for this is that the fan itself uses Bluetooth to connect to a Switchbot hub, and as Matter doesn’t have a ‘Matter over Bluetooth’ option, this is one of the main reasons it has to go through a hub.

Once added, you do at least get a dedicated fan tile along with a simple on/off control, but that’s the extent of the available functionality.

Because the fan is effectively presented as a generic binary device, much like a smart plug, Apple Home allows it to be displayed as a light, a power outlet, or, thankfully, a fan. Beyond that, there are no additional controls for fan speed, oscillation, modes, or lighting.

It’s also worth noting that, because the fan itself is not a Matter device and relies on the SwitchBot hub for Matter integration, it cannot be shared independently with other smart home platforms in the same way that a native Matter device can.

SWITCHBOT APP OPTIONS

 

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As expected, full access to the fan’s features is available within the SwitchBot app. Whilst I would still have preferred at least the fan speed controls to be exposed to Apple Home, the app does provide access to everything you could reasonably want.

From the app’s main screen, simply tapping the fan tile provides quick access to power controls and the various operating modes. Tapping the ‘More’ button when the fan is off gives you access to the integrated night light controls. Once the fan is switched on, however, the interface expands to reveal virtually all available settings and features.

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This includes a slider for adjusting the fan speed, with the nine preset speed levels clearly displayed above it. There’s also a scheduling feature that allows you to set the fan to turn on or off at specific times. Thankfully, the scheduling options extend beyond simple power control, allowing you to specify both the fan speed and operating mode that should be used when the schedule is triggered.

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Additionally, you can configure both the horizontal and vertical oscillation functions, with preset sweep angles of 30°, 60°, and 90° available for each. This is where things didn’t work quite as I had expected. With vertical oscillation, changing the angle only affects the upper limit of the fan’s movement. At 30°, for example, the fan tilts from slightly below straight ahead to around 30° above that position.

Selecting 60° or 90° increases the upper limit further, but the lower limit remains unchanged. This is due to a physical limitation of the fan itself, as it simply cannot tilt any further downwards than its lowest fixed position. Whilst this makes perfect sense once you realise what’s happening, I had initially assumed that the oscillation range would be centred around the fan’s current position rather than extending upwards from a fixed lower limit.

I had no issues with the three horizontal oscillation settings, however, all of which behaved as expected. That makes sense, given that there are generally fewer physical limitations when it comes to side-to-side movement than there are with vertical oscillation.

There are a few additional settings available for those who want them, including an Advanced Settings section. Here you’ll find options to disable the indicator light, turn off the audible feedback tone, which is already very quiet, and enable automatic fan alignment. There’s also a child lock option, which, as you’ll see in the video review (HERE), I wasn’t aware of at the time.

To my mind, the child lock setting shouldn’t really be buried within a third layer of menus. Given that it’s a feature many parents may want quick access to, it would make more sense for it to appear on the main settings screen. It’s only a minor criticism, but one that SwitchBot could hopefully address in a future app update.

Lastly, under the Third-party Services section, you’ll find support for Siri Shortcuts. These provide access to all of the functions available via both the remote control and the controls on the base of the fan, making it possible to automate or trigger them via Siri on phone, iPad, HomePod, Apple TV, or the Shortcuts app.

As such, the only features that still require the SwitchBot app are the vertical and horizontal oscillation angle settings, as these cannot currently be adjusted via Siri Shortcuts, the remote, or the controls on the fan itself.

IN USE

 

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Even though I’ve been critical of the limited functionality available in Apple Home, I am still using the fan on a daily basis in our dining room. We’re only at the beginning of what is likely to be a long, hot summer, and even at 8am it’s hot and humid here, but it’s capable of keeping the room cool enough that we don’t need to switch on the air conditioning. The inclusion of a physical remote control is also a definite plus, as it’s something my wife is immediately comfortable and familiar with.

Oddly enough, I would almost argue that the fan’s reliance on Bluetooth works in its favour, at least in my particular setup. Given that I’m keen to avoid adding unnecessary Wi-Fi devices to my network, and considering SwitchBot’s apparent reluctance to embrace Thread, the fan offers the rare opportunity to use a connected device without introducing another Wi-Fi client.

In all honesty, I feel that Bluetooth has long since outstayed its welcome as a primary smart home protocol for device control. Nevertheless, this is one situation where I’m willing to make an exception. At least, that is, until someone finally releases a Matter over Thread fan…