Best Indoor Cycling Fans for Zwift: Stay Cool During Your Workouts

A fan for cycling indoors is one of the best accessories you can buy to supercharge your indoor cycling experience. Heat builds up a lot more when indoor training, since there is no natural wind to stop you over heating. Meaning a fan becomes essential if you are to keep cool and successfully complete your indoor training sessions.

We’ve created a list of the best rated fans on the market. From the latest high-tech indoor cycling fans, to budget options that offer a simple solution to beating the heat.

How to Choose the Best Indoor Cycling Fan for Zwift

1. Connectivity

The latest fans for cycling indoors come with connectivity to your other ANT+ devices. This means the fan can adjust based on your effort. If your heart rate, speed or power increases, then the fan will also up the power. This comes with the benefit of not needing to keep adjusting fan speed, meaning you can focus on riding.

2. Power

A key factor in determining the effectiveness of a fan. The fan needs to match the demands of keeping your space cool. Cycling-specific fans often suggest a certain windspeed they replicate, giving you a feel for how powerful the fan is.

3. Price

Fans can range hugely in price, with the indoor training specific fans costing up to £279.99 / $349.99 / €290.00. The main idea is to keep cool, so it’s definitely worth choosing a cheaper fan with basic features over not having a fan at all.

JetBlack Trainer Fan

The JetBlack Trainer Fan is designed especially for the demands of Zwift. Providing powerful and focused airflow where you need it most. This allows you to stay comfortable and focused from start to finish, whether that’s a long endurance ride or intense Zwift Race.

Key features of the JetBlack Trainer Fan:

• Targeted Airflow: The airflow pattern and adjustable feet let you direct the breeze exactly where you need it. Meaning you can swap between face, core, and legs, keeping you as comfortable as possible in the process.
• Wireless Remote with Four Speeds: Wirelessly control fan intensity with four fan speeds. Keep the remote close so there is no need to interrupt your session to make adjustments.
• Flexible Control: Prefer to control manually? You can, giving you complete control over your comfort.

The JetBlack Trainer Fan is available for £119 / $149 / €149.

Wahoo KICKR HEADWIND Indoor Cycling Fan

The Wahoo KICKR HEADWIND is a pioneering smart fan that adapts to your effort. The first of its kind, the KICKR HEADWIND connects with ANT+ sensors, like heart rate monitors or smart trainers, to adjust airflow based on your pace or intensity. 

Why the KICKR HEADWIND is a top pick:

• Adaptive Speed: Responds to your cycling intensity or heart rate, delivering optimal cooling when you need it most.
• Manual Control: Prefer a hands-on approach? Choose from four pre-programmed fan speeds or control the fan remotely via the Wahoo App.
• Powerful: Max wind speeds reach up to 48 km/h. Just like riding outside, this keeps you cool during the hardest efforts.

The Wahoo KICKR HEADWIND costs £229.99 / $319.99 / €279.99.

Elite Aria Indoor Smart Fan

Similarly to Wahoo’s model, the Elite Aria is designed to replicate the refreshing feel of outdoor rides by adapting to your effort. The Aria also claims to be more than just a fan by improving the quality of the air that you breathe.

Why it stands out:

• Intelligent Airflow Management: Aria pairs via Bluetooth or ANT+ with your smart trainer, power meter, heart rate monitor, or body temperature sensor.
• Customisable Power: With wind speeds of up to 50 km/h and 10 adjustable tilt positions, you can direct the breeze exactly where you need it for a personalised cooling experience.
• Air Quality Enhancement: Integrated activated carbon filters help purify the air, making every session cleaner and more invigorating. Especially useful in dusty or humid environments.

At the top end of the indoor cycling fan market, the Elite Aria is available for £279.99 / $349.99 / €290.00.

Lasko Tower Fan

Moving on to cheaper options that aren’t cycling-specific, but promise to keep you cool, the Lasko Tower Fan is perfect for bedrooms, home offices, or any space where consistent airflow is needed. Unlike any of the fans on this list, this Lasko fan is a tower fan, meaning it saves space for already busy indoor cycling setups and is designed for low noise.

Key features of the Lasko Tower Fan:

• Low Noise: Gentle, low-noise airflow makes it ideal for keeping concentrated during sessions.
• Oscillating Design: The oscillating function distributes air evenly across the room, ensuring consistent cooling wherever you are.
• Remote Operated: With a remote you can adjust speed and oscillation while training.

The Lasko Tower Fan is available for £56 / $75 / €65.

Honeywell TurboForce Power Fan

A classic option chosen by many indoor cyclists, the Honeywell TurboForce Fan is a simple yet powerful fan that promises to deliver cooling performance you can feel from up to 7 meters away.

Why it stands out:

• Powerful and Efficient: Despite its compact size, the TurboForce produces strong, directed airflow.
• Adjustable Comfort: Choose from three speed settings and enjoy a 90-degree oscillating head to circulate air effectively across your indoor training setup.
• Flexible Placement: Compact and lightweight, it can be used on tables, floors, or even wall-mounted, allowing you to adjust cooling based on what suits your setup.

The Honeywell TurboForce Fan is available for £32.49 / $43.80 / €32.72

Do You Need A Fan For Indoor Cycling?

This depends on your turbo training setup. For the majority of people a fan will improve your enjoyment and the effectiveness of cycling indoors.

Keeping your body cool is one of the biggest barriers to cycling performance. This is no more prevalent than in professional cycling, where cyclists use dozens of cooling strategies – from ice vests to frozen bottles – so that they can perform at their best.

The same applies to amateur cyclists too. If you can prevent the body from over heating, you’ll perform better and find it easier to complete indoor cycling sessions.

A fan works by replicating the breeze of cycling outdoors. Which works both in a cold garage or if you’re training in an apartment or house.

Tips For Keeping Cool While Cycling Indoors

1. Create Airflow When Cycling Indoors

The key is to get the air circulating. This is why a fan is so beneficial. Whether you open a window or door, or you use a fan to circulate the air around the room, getting the air moving will make the space cooler. 

Why is this? When you exercise your body heats up, and when you’re warm the air surrounding you also becomes warm. If this air isn’t circulating, you’ll be stuck under a blanket of warm air. So getting air moving will help replace warm air with colder air, keeping you cool in the process.

2. Hydrate and Replace Nutrients

Sweating is one of the body’s top cooling strategies. But if you’re dehydrated, the body will begin to conserve liquid and in turn prevent sweating. So keeping your fluids topped up will mean your body can cool itself effectively.

It’s definitely advised to keep a couple of water bottles nearby when you train. You should also look to keep hydrated before a big ride so that you’re topped up ahead of time.

Your body won’t just lose water though, you’ll also lose electrolytes. These are tiny charged minerals that keep your muscles, nerves, and hydration systems working properly. To keep your body functioning optimally it’s good practice to replace these electrolytes when cycling and/or after your session. 

There are plenty of options out there from nutrition brands, or you can opt for a DIY sports drink solution of 250ml orange juice, 250ml water, and a pinch of salt.

3. Dress For Indoor Cycling

Dressing for indoor training will also make a big difference. A typical cycling jersey isn’t necessary when riding indoors. If you miss the pockets for holding snacks you can simply keep them within arm’s reach of your setup.

Other suggestions include opting for a moisture-wicking sleeveless baselayer; some studies show that this can improve cooling and overall indoor cycling performance. 

Some riders also opt for a cap or sweatband to directly mop up any sweat, in addition to a towel on the handlebars or in an easy-to-reach location.

Take cooling to the next level. Browse indoor training accessories at the Zwift Shop.