The Cycplus High-Power Smart Fitness Fan is – as the name suggests – a high-powered smart fan that can adjust its intensity based on your intensity. It can be controlled via remote or app, and there’s a lot of adjustability. It is expensive but a worthwhile investment if you are a dedicated indoor cyclist.
> Buy now: Cycplus High-Power Smart Fitness Fan for £223.47 from Cycplus
If you’re looking for a new trainer to go with your fan, check out our guide to the best turbo trainers.
Setting up
The fan feels solid and well built, with a sturdy stand and durable casing. Setting it up was quick and simple, taking just a few minutes to assemble. It’s not too heavy, around 5kg, so you can move it around the house if required.
The fan can be mounted to the stand or placed in the cradle at ground level and angled upward. The stand is adjustable and can go as high as you are likely to need it. On the ground, it can be set at different angles in the cradle to help you find the best airflow.
I found the fan most effective on the worktop beside me or in the stand. I didn’t find it as effective on the floor.
The cradle can also be used as a front wheel riser, although if you are spending over £200 on a fan, chances are you probably already have one.
After assembly, you will need to download the Cycplus app to maximise the benefits. In the app, you can connect your heart rate monitor, turbo trainer, or speed sensor. The interface for doing this is easy, and it remembers your devices. The app worked well, with no connection or crashing issues.
You can also use the app to control the fan, or there’s a a remote control on a lanyard and a handlebar attachment. I like this, as I don’t always want the fan on during my warm-up if my garage is freezing.
Modes
There are many customisation options. After syncing your turbo and heart rate strap, you can adjust the fan speed based on your power, heart rate and speed, manually or in smart mode.
You set your heart rate and power zones by inputting your ranges – for example, low power at 100bpm and max power at 170bpm. There are five fan intensities in total, which will be based on your values.
There’s a slight lag when you ease off the power, which is much appreciated; you don’t want it to immediately ease off at the end of a hard interval.
I found the smart mode the most suitable. You select which inputs you want – say, power and heart rate – and it will then use both metrics to determine the intensity of the fan. If your heart rate is still elevated after you’ve eased off the power, for example, it’ll remain at a high intensity.
I train in a cold garage, which can get sub 5℃ in winter, so the smart mode means I don’t have to adjust the fan during a long recovery period.
> Buyer’s Guide: Best indoor cycling accessories
I found the speed mode superfluous; you don’t want it to speed up as you are descending Alpe D’Zwift and putting out minimal power. You can deselect this option in smart mode, which is sensible if you ride mountainous virtual routes.
The fan power is excellent – the strongest setting was very cooling, ideal for intense efforts during Zwift races. When training at a lower intensity, setting two or three was most appropriate.
The airflow is concentrated, similar to other fans we’ve reviewed. This makes positioning it crucial in helping you stay cool. As I said earlier, there are numerous positioning options in the cradle, and the stand height is adjustable, ensuring optimal airflow – something that Dave struggled to achieve while testing the Vacmaster Cardio54.
Noise
The fan is claimed to be very quiet at 45 decibels. While it’s noisiest at high power, it is still quieter than my usual gym fan, turbo trainer and drivetrain. If you use it indoors early in the morning, it shouldn’t disturb anyone.
At lower power you could use it as a house fan in the summer – it’s quiet enough to sleep with it on. My usual turbo gym fan is a bit too noisy to have on at night, even at the lowest setting.
Value
At around £235, this is likely to be reserved for the serious indoor athlete who spends a lot of time on the turbo. Is it worth spending about four times the money over a decent-sized gym fan? Probably not if you do a once-a-week turbo in the winter. However, some of my friends do the vast majority of their training year-round on the turbo (then crash their bikes in triathlons); for them, this could be a good investment.
The Wahoo Kickr Headwind is the only similarly priced fan I know of, at £229.99. Dave gave it an underwhelming 5/10 back when it was launched.
Almost every criticism of the Headwind has been addressed by the Cycplus – bar the price.
Dave also reviewed the Vacmaster Cardio54 fitness fan, and thought it was very good. Four years later, it is surprisingly still priced at £99.99.
Conclusion
Overall, the Cycplus fan is a great choice for the dedicated indoor athlete, offering adjustable modes, power levels, and height settings. It is fairly quiet and can be controlled via a remote or app.
If you’re serious about indoor training and want a fan that responds to your effort, the Cycplus is one of the best options available, even if it comes at a premium price.
> Buy now: Cycplus High-Power Smart Fitness Fan for £223.47 from Cycplus
Verdict
For serious indoor training this is a great option with lots of adjustability
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Cycplus High-Power Smart Fitness Fan
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Cycplus says: ‘High-power fitness fan. Stay cool, train hard’
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Cycplus:
Five speed modes including power, heart rate and smart mode
Smart App Control
Dual mounting options
Auto memory
Noise reduction system
Remote control
It’s not light but easy enough to move if required.
It’s similarly priced to the Wahoo Headwind but has more features, but it’s still expensive for a fan – the Vacmaster Cardio54 is £99.99.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It performed really well, keeping me cool on the turbo during some pretty intense sessions. It was easy to adjust, too, so I didn’t freeze during recovery periods.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
So much adjustability across modes, heights and power.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
It is quite expensive for a fan.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
We’ve only tested two fans, the Vacmaster Cardio54, which Dave thought was good, and costs £99.99, and the Wahoo Headwind, which Dave also tested and thought was overpriced for the features and has gone up to £229.99.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes – if they train indoors a lot.
Use this box to explain your overall score
Overall, it’s very good. It does everything you’d want from a fan for indoor training. It is adjustable in height and power and responds to your effort. It is expensive, but if you are a serious indoor athlete you’ll be more than happy with it.
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 178cm Weight: 73kg
I usually ride: Specialized Roubaix My best bike is: Cervelo S3
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, Indoor
