In this guide, let's check out the best solar powered fans for cars.
While most products on the market are similar in design, there are many models to consider. We have narrowed down to 8 options based on functionality, size, ease of use and cost.
Let's check them out.
Best Solar Powered Fans for Car
We choose this unit for its sleek design and adjustable panels.
The Ferryone comes equipped with a backup battery. This means that you can reduce the internal temperature and circulate the air in your vehicle even when direct sun exposure is not possible. A control panel on the unit allows you to choose whether you want to pull energy directly from the solar array or from the backup battery bank.
Sleek and discreet - The fan faces into the vehicle, meaning that from the outside only a sleek, flat vent is exposed
High-efficiency - The solar panel is adjustable to multiple angles allowing for maximum absorption of sunlight. The unit is also engineered with a double duct and double motor design improving the rate of exhaust expulsion
LED temperature display - The display tells the internal temperature of the car as well as the solar recharge rate
We choose this brand because of the long-term guarantee on the solar panels, as well as the interactive control panel.
The highest rate of air exchange - The user ou can choose how many fans you want running to control your energy expenditure. For example, if your battery is running low but the car is stuffy you can activate one or two of the three fans.
Added backup battery - A control panel allows you to switch between pulling energy from the panel and pulling energy from the battery bank as needed.
Boosted motor speed - Double duct and double motor design are built in to boost the speed and effectiveness of the exhaust process.
Livoty made our list due to its compact design and effortless installation.
Compact design fits any car - The unit only takes up about six inches of window space. This is due to the fact that it only requires two high-efficiency fans.
Added mode selection - The fan comes equipped with a control unit that allows you to choose between one fan or two, as well as between running off of solar power or the backup battery. There is also an LED screen monitoring internal temperature.
Lowered noise level - The system operates silently, giving you peace of mind while you drive.
Easy to install, remove & relocate - Livoty’s product is easy to install, remove, and relocate. This means it is easy to move the unit from window to window as needed.
This unit made our list because of its adjustable solar panels and highly user-friendly instruction manual.
Added battery status display - This unit comes fitted with a solar recharge display and switch control between solar and battery draw.
Included installation instruction - V.I.P. provides in depth installation and use instructions for their customers.
Adjustable angle - The solar panel is adjustable to multiple angles to allow for the greatest sun exposure.
TUZECH’s ability to include the effectiveness of three motors within an ultra-compact design landed itself a place on our top nine listing.
Takes less space - Fit a three-motor design into the compact 6 inch clip model, meaning you get all the effectiveness of a full-sized fan with half of the standard space.
Eliminated fan noise - This fan operates without producing any noise, meaning you will never notice it running except for the cool, fresh air.
Easy to install and uninstall - Great portability for moving from car to car or accommodating varying passengers in your vehicle.
We chose Volwco for their seamless gasketing and their innovative angled fans
Multi directional fans - Added two angled fans allowing for air circulation throughout your car instead of only in one direction.
Great insulation - meaning no bugs, rain, or wind coming in through the gap in your window where the unit is installed.
Works when cloudy - Added backup battery for cloudy days as well as a digital temperature gauge.
XIUNPR-6 may have made our list as the budget option, but the brand more than earned its place! The MINIFit design paired with monocrystalline panels won this fan a place on our top list.
Universal MINIFit design enables this unit to fit on any car window. The unit has no battery and only one fan, making it much smaller in comparison to the other units on this list. This is however at the price of stored power and increased efficiency.
To make up for lacking a rechargeable battery, this unit comes equipped with a monocrystalline solar panel. This type of panel is far more efficient and effective than its polycrystalline counterpart- the panel type used in most other units on the market place and nearly all on this list.
While acool is far pricier than other brands on our list, you get what you pay for. We chose this brand for its custom fit and high wattage solar array.
Added 2 more fans - This product comes equipped with a filter, foldable 50-watt solar panel, and four blower fans. This is more running motors than any product on our list.
Seamless car window mount - Made to fit your vehicle, meaning there is finally a seamless guarantee.
Featured on Kickstarter - A redefined product that solves all of the problems of the modern day solar powered car fan.
Advantages of Using a Solar Powered Car Fan
There are tons of benefits that come with investing in a solar powered car fan. Below we have fleshed out the top five reasons to add one to your shopping list today!
Cooling Capability
The main reason consumers decide to invest in a solar powered car ventilator is that they want to reduce the internal temperature of their parked vehicle, and for good reason. According to WMC Action News 5, it takes a mere thirty minutes for the temperature inside your car to reach 104 degrees on a sunny 70-degree day. That is nearly a 50% increase in temperature!
This heat is more than just uncomfortable. It can be fatal! On average, 38 children and hundreds of pets die each year from being left in a hot car. While it is still inadvisable to leave children and pets unattended in your vehicle, an air exchange system such as this can help to prevent these tragedies.
A less serious yet still important consideration is your valuables and gadgets that get left behind in the hot car. Most of our smart gadgets are expensive AND fairly sensitive to excessive heat exposure. And we are not only referring to your Iphone and Fitbit here! Even your built-in car radio and navigation system have an upper-limit when it comes to heat exposure.
A solar powered fan can help to extend your gadgets overall lifespan by lowering the internal temperature of the vehicle by 12%.
Air Purifying Capability
Referenced hawkenvironmental.com
In addition to regulating your vehicle’s internal temperature, solar powered ventilators also help to regulate air purity by conducting a constant exchange of inside and outside air. In fact, it is said that the average solar fan will completely replace the air inside your vehicle every 20 minutes.
To compare, an electric air purifier in your home will take up to two hours to recycle the air in an average sized room.
This air exchange helps to eliminate stale air along with foul odors, for example leftovers heated up by the sun, sweat, cigarette smoke, and more. Most importantly, a fan can help to eliminate toxic gases released from your car’s interior.
Many paints, polys, and plastics are made with toxic chemicals and other additives such toluene. Non-biodegradable polymers can be degraded and fragmented by various mechanisms including heat and light exposure, meaning high temperatures in your car can produces toxic fumes.
Toluene is an irritant to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract and can cause systemic toxicity by inhalation.
It is important to note that this degradation only begins at very high temperatures, however it is always better to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to the health and well-being of yourself and your loved ones.
Budget Friendly
Despite using technologically advanced and ecologically sound energy production, solar powered car fans are financially in reach to almost every consumer.
The average fan is priced in the teens, with the highest sticker price our team has come across (excluding custom designed systems) being less than $80.
Environmentally Friendly
Using solar panels is an environmentally friendly technique to harness energy from a renewable and infinite source. Solar energy saves eco-systems by moving people away from energy sources that require mining raw materials that leads to deforestation.
Energy consumed through the burning of fossil fuels also risks illness and fatality to those working the mines due to exposure to deadly fumes, radiation, and excessive inhalation of dust.
Easy to Install and Use
Solar fans are uncomplicated to install and even easier to use. The unit itself simply clicks on to the top of the window. You then trim to the rubber gasketing to fit and slide it over the top of the window as well.
Carefully roll your window up until the gasketing meets the weatherstripping and the top of your window frame, and your installation is complete!
Some solar fans will automatically start working when sunlight is available to the panel. Others have a controller that monitors internal temperature and will activate when the inside temperature of the vehicle goes above a designated safe range.
Both models work autonomically requiring no action on your end.
Disadvantages of Using a Solar Powered Car Fan
While the advantages of using a solar powered car fan are seemingly endless, there are a few matters to keep in mind as a consumer.
Inability to Entirely Close Window
The unit requires the window to be left slightly cracked open, which may increase the chances of theft.
While there is a rubber gasketing that seals this opening off, it would in theory be easier to break into a car with a solar fan installed on it in comparison to car with a fully closed and locked window.
The solar fan may also attract people to the car as they may be curious what the unit is.
This also presents an increased chance of leaks. The rubber seal is supposed to be water-tight, however it is likely to be a weaker seal than the built-in weatherstripping from the car manufacturer.
Loss of Window Use
The window that the unit is installed on will no longer be functionable, as rolling the window up and down could cause damage to the fan. Some consumers do carefully operate their windows with the fan attached, however it is not advised.
The installation process is designed in a way that is supposed to make removing and reattaching the fan simple, but according to past consumers it can still become a bit of a pain to constantly be moving. This means that for most people, you will simply lose use of the window you choose to attach the fan to.
An upside to this issue for a driver that doesn’t typically have a full car is the ability install the unit on a back window that is likely to be used less frequently anyways.
Reliant on Available Sunlight
Since the fan runs on solar energy, it is reliant on available sunlight to operate. This means that it will not work at night and will lose efficiency on cloudy days. A solar powered fan also will not work on cars with tinted windows since the panel is installed on the inside of the car window.
In order for the fan to work, sunlight will need to be available while your car is parked. That means you must make it a point to park with your panel facing the sun. This also rules out parking in shady locations- counteractive to the point of keeping the car cool.
Some fans come equipped with backup adaptors to plug into your cigarette lighter to offset this drawback.
Does Not Replace A/C
While the fan can reduce the temperature in your car by 12%, it is by no means a replacement for your air conditioning system. The fan not only works to reduce the temperature at a slower rate, it also will not reduce the temperature at as significant of a level as the AC unit will.
It is important to note that the solar-powered car fan should not be in use while driving. It is possible this could cause damage to the unit.
Furthermore, the unit can not be mounted on a front seat window while driving as it would be considered an obstruction of vision and therefore could land you a ticket.
This technology should be used in conjunction with your current cooling system.
Wrap Up
As you can see, there are many options to choose from when it comes to solar car ventilators. We outlined nine of the most competitive brands on the marketplace today.
As you probably noticed, many brands carry similar features and specifications. All options on this list are sound, however you will need to choose the best brand for you based on your individual needs.
For example, for the utmost effectiveness paired with a certain fit we recommend acool’s customized product, while for the budget conscious consumer we recommend the XIUNPR-6’s fan fitted with a highly efficient monocrystalline panel or Womdee’s low-cost unit with a guaranteed sealed design.
No matter the brand you choose, we are sure that you will be happy in your vehicle knowing that you are breathing clean air- purified and temperature regulated by means of clean, renewable energy.