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(More customer reviews)This is a great example of a wonderful product that I'd normally be thrilled about, except that it has one fatal flaw...
As for me, I like O2 products, and have known about them for years. They generally are one of THE best names in battery-powered fans. I've owned a few of their fans before, and have been very pleased with them, which is why I thought I'd try this one out, even though it's a bit pricier than the rest.
For starters, I love the concept - a decent sized fan that can push alot of air, yet is designed to be light enough to hang from the fabric ceiling of your tent. Now, every battery powered fan that I've owned (a total of 6) that has had any real UMPH has required the exact same compliment of batters: 8xD. Eight D batteries are HEAVY, so the idea of making a battery fan with gusto so that it was light enough to hang from a tent ceiling has been kinda a fantasy until now. The way they do it is they have a nice light fan with a fairly long cord that hangs down and attaches to a battery pack that sits on the floor. The idea seems alittle strange at first, but it really solves the problem nicely. They give you an on/off control on both the fan and the battery pack itself, which is also nice, since you can keep the controller right next to your bed. They also give you a second cord so you can plug it into a regular AC power outlet, which is useless for me, but still another nice touch.
The fan itself feels very light and, I daresay, a bit flimsy; but I forgive them for that and you should too, because having the fan portion be as light as possible is the whole point. As light as the fan portion is, it still seems well made. They've also given you THREE different ways to mount the thing: by a simple hook, by neodymium magnet (the strongest of magnets, for attaching it to a metal surface), or by magnet plate (which lets to fix it to a fabric surface, like a tent ceiling). Again, they were really trying to think of everything here. No small amount of thought went into the design, and I gotta give them props for that.
Where the product falls flat is the design of the battery pack - and specifically, its closure. For the most part, I like the battery pack, as it's more than "a bunch of batteries in a box," and has a couple nice little features to it. But the problem is that the closure for the battery compartment does NOT close tightly. That particular part wasn't designed well, and if the closure is just a tiny bit loose, or not properly seated the contacts do not touch the batteries inside of it, and the fan simply does NOT power on. So essentially, I had the same experience as one of the other reviewers - the fan worked with the AC cord, but appeared lifeless when used with the DC battery pack. The only difference is that I figured out what was going wrong, and when I squeezed the battery closure very tightly with my hand, viola! the fan started to run.
When the fan does run, it moves a good amount of air - every bit as much as you'll get any other battery fan to deliver. But who wants to deal with a product that's so finicky?! The weak, poorly designed battery pack closure makes the whole product pretty unreliable. If I took some extra care, I might be able to get it to work for awhile, but with this kind of problem fresh out of the box - a problem that can squarely defeat its whole functioning - how long a life can I realistically expect this product to have for me? Filled with doubt about whether or not this thing will see me through even one sweaty camping trip without it being a pain in the ass, and with little confidence that it will last me more than a few trips before the closure breaks completely, I must return it for a refund and hope that O2 releases an improved version at some point in the future.
Dear O2: Please don't give up! You obviously put alot of thought into this product, and if you fix the battery pack closure so that it would seat properly and work reliably, your fan would be damn near perfect. Not only would I rebuy the improved model, I'd give it 5 big stars. But as it stands, I'm sorry to say that this one major defect is a deal-breaker for me.
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O2Cool 1092 10-Inch Hanging Tent FanExperience powerful performance and exceptional convenience with this 10-inch hanging tent fan. The portable unit comes with a 12-foot cord and a multi-purpose battery pack (batteries not included) for up to 72 hours of cordless operation, making it a nice choice for a social gathering under a canopy or when camping by the lake. In addition, the hanging fan offers quiet operation, high and low speed settings, adjustable height, and the option to position the fan in three ways--vertically, horizontally, or at a 45-degree angle to keep air moving in the right direction. Other highlights include durable plastic construction, a stable base, and a lightweight design for easy transport. The 10-inch hanging tent fan measures approximately 10-2/5 by 10-2/5 by 6 inches.
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