I never thought I’d own 10 fans. Then perimenopause happened.

There was a time in my life when I owned a fan. One. Like a normal person. Then perimenopause entered the chat.

I don’t know exactly when I became a woman with a fan collection, but at some point I looked around my house and realized I had fans everywhere. A floor fan. A clip-on fan. A neck fan. A little portable fan. Fans in different rooms. Fans that travel. I never thought I would own ten different fans. Now I completely understand why someone needs ten different fans.

And here’s the part nobody warned me about: this isn’t just a summer situation. I am hot all year. I am the weird woman driving around with her window down when it’s 32°F (0°C) outside. If you’re in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain or basically anywhere else that sensibly uses Celsius: yes, I mean literally freezing. My husband could be dressed for winter and I’m cracking the window because apparently my body thinks we’re driving through Miami.

If you’re entering perimenopause, already in menopause, or have suddenly found yourself standing in front of the refrigerator longer than necessary because it feels nice, you probably understand.

First: hot flashes are not just “feeling a little warm”

Before experiencing them, I thought a hot flash meant something like: oh, I’m warm. No. Sometimes it feels like somebody flipped a switch inside your body. You’re fine. Then you’re absolutely not fine. And night sweats bring their own special kind of nonsense, because now you’re trying to sleep while managing your body’s completely unpredictable climate-control system.

The clip-on fan: tiny but ridiculously useful

Of all my fans, the clip-on style is one of my favorites. It’s not glamorous. It is incredibly practical. You can clip one to a desk, nightstand, shelf or whatever happens to be nearby when the heat wave arrives. I especially like this style when I’m working, because I don’t want a giant fan blasting papers across the room. I just want air pointed directly at me.

Best for: desk · nightstand · walking · bathroom · travel · small spaces

The neck fan: I get it now

There was absolutely a time when I would have seen somebody walking around with a fan around her neck and wondered whether that was really necessary. I apologize to that woman. She knew things I didn’t know yet.

A neck fan makes complete sense when you are hot but still have things to do. You’re cooking. Cleaning. Working. Walking around outside. At an event. Traveling. Or simply refusing to spend the rest of your life standing directly in front of a box fan.

Best for: errands · travel · outdoor events · housework · theme parks · commuting

Same sidewalk. Different internal thermostat.

Drag the handle. Nothing about the route changed.

BeforePerimenopause Hello, airflow →↔ Slide to meet perimenopause→

The serious floor fan

Now we need to talk about actual airflow. I grew up poor, and there are certain things from childhood that never leave you. One of mine is appreciating a really good fan. When it’s hotter than hell, I don’t want a whisper of air gently floating in my general direction. I want to know that fan is ON. I want air movement. I want commitment.

Best for: serious airflow · bedroom · patio · garage · pets · outages · camping

The desk fan for when you don’t need a tornado

There’s a difference between I AM ON FIRE and could somebody please keep a little air moving around me? For the second situation, I like a desk fan.

Best for: office · desk · bedside · smaller rooms · homes with pets or kids

The little fan that goes everywhere

Once you become a fan person, eventually you need a purse fan. This is where things have gone terribly wrong, because now we’re accessorizing the fans. But I understand it.

Best for: purse · travel · cruises · camping · beach · road trips

Camping fans are secretly useful at home too

You don’t have to camp to appreciate a rechargeable camping fan. A rechargeable fan doesn’t care whether you’re in a tent. It also works when the power goes out, or when you want airflow somewhere without dragging an extension cord across the room.

Best for: bedroom · power outages · travel · camping · patio

And then I discovered cooling bedding

OMG. If you’re a hot sleeper and haven’t looked into cooling bedding yet, this is the section I want you to read. Because fans are wonderful. But if the thing wrapped around your entire body is trapping heat, you’re fighting an uphill battle.

I used to think bedding was bedding. Not anymore. Cooling sheets are a must for me, and this isn’t even seasonal. I use them through winter. Remember, I’m the woman cracking the car window at 32°F (0°C). And apparently I have become so committed to the cooling lifestyle that I buy cooling bedding for my dogs too. My dogs didn’t request a menopause-friendly bedroom. They got one anyway.

Cooling sheets vs. cooling comforters

These solve slightly different problems. Cooling sheets are the layer directly against your skin, so that’s where I would start. Then consider the comforter.

Best for: hot sleepers · night sweats · summer · year-round hot sleepers · pet households

What “hot” means around the world

Cashmere Brunch has readers outside the United States, so I’m going to start including Celsius alongside Fahrenheit whenever temperature actually matters. The quick cheat sheet:

For my readers in the United States, I’ll lead with Fahrenheit. For readers in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and most of the rest of the world, Celsius will always be right beside it. And no matter what measurement system we’re using, driving with the window down at 32°F / 0°C probably means we’ve officially joined the same club.

A few rules I follow when recommending products here

I want Cashmere Brunch to stay useful. That means I’m not going to pretend every product that appears here has been sitting in my house for six months.

If I own it and use it, I’ll tell you. If I haven’t tested the exact model linked, like the floor fan in this piece, I’ll tell you that too. If a manufacturer provides specifications, I’ll identify them as manufacturer information rather than pretending I personally measured the airflow in my living room. And if a product is part of an Amazon commission campaign, that doesn’t automatically make it good. It just means I may earn a little more if you decide it’s right for you.

That’s the arrangement. You get my increasingly specific opinions about fans. I get to keep writing them. Seems fair.

The goal isn’t to own ten fans. The goal is to stop thinking about how freaking hot you are every five minutes.

So, do you need 10 fans for menopause?

No. Absolutely not. Please don’t use me as the benchmark for reasonable fan ownership.

Start with your bedroom. If nights are miserable, I’d put the money into cooling sheets and a good fan first. Then pay attention to where you’re getting hot during the day. At your desk? Get a clip-on or desk fan. While moving around? Try the neck fan. Traveling? Get something rechargeable. Want serious airflow everywhere? That’s when you bring in the floor fan.

And if you eventually look around your house and realize there are fans everywhere? Welcome. We have airflow.

Until next time—keep your coffee warm, your boundaries clear, and your standards high.