While a heatwave feels like a lovely thing in theory – hot days lounging in the garden, soaking in the rays without shelling out on a flight to sunnier climes – in reality it can be a bit of a nightmare. British summer heat is humid and claggy, and unlike being on holiday, we still have to go to work, do the food shop, take the kids out, and all of the other little jobs of everyday life.

However, having a portable fan can make all the difference when out running errands and commuting. Now, shoppers can get a handheld fan for £16.99 from Amazon with an 11% off deal, ideal for keeping cool in the sticky heat.

The portable handheld fan has a rechargable battery and even doubles up as a portable charger, so if shoppers’ phones are prone to running out of juice on the go, it could be an ideal two-in-one product. Plus, it’s super compact (1.3 x 1.3 x 4.7 inches), and has a wrist strap and built-in torch.

If this fan isn’t ticking all of shoppers’ boxes, they could try the John Lewis ANYDAY Handheld & Foldable Desk Fan for £12. This fan comes in four colours – white, sage green, blue and orange – and has a folding handle that means it can also be used as a mini desk fan for the office or home.

Alternatively, Dunelm has a cheap and cheerful 3 Inch Dual Position Handheld Folding Fan for £3 online, which is also suitable for handheld or desktop use and simply runs on 2 AA batteries, which are included.

Happy shoppers are loving the Amazon fan, which has a 4.4 star rating from over 5,500 reviews. One said: “For its compact size, the power is fine. It looks good, and just about enough power to cool my wife’s pregnant face! It is quiet, battery life seems good.”

Another said: “Moves a surprising amount of air for how compact it is. And it’s quiet (although not totally silent, wouldn’t recommend in a library), feels sturdy and not like cheap lightweight plastic. The flashlight isn’t a useless addition, it’s quite bright and will probably come in handy at some point. Will be using this for the trains and buses in the summer, they get intolerably hot and I wanted something small enough that wouldn’t compromise too much space in my bag, this is perfect.”

A third added: “I used this fan in Greece as a torch and also as a fan going through the night to help move the air conditioning further into the apartment. It charges quickly and doubles as a power bank for phones, incase you or the kids need a top up.”

Some did note a few issues. One said: “Looks good and the fan works well, and is a nice size for travelling, but it’s difficult to open and also the torch isn’t easy to turn on.”

Another added: “This is great I use it for my desk at work, and on public transport. The size is good and it closed so that it can fit in a small bag. It is not heavy. If you have long nails or bite your nails I would not recommend it as you need to be able to flip it open using your thumb nail.”

However, for an affordable solution to beat the heat this summer, the Amazon handheld fan might hit the spot.