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See the 20 tests

1. In the box
2. Charging
3. Built-in power bank
4. Fan modes & speeds
5. Airflow distance
6. Noise level
7. Fan run times
8. LED ring light & lumens
9. Ring light run times
10. Fan & light run times
11. Sleep timer
12. Power indicator
13. Ball-head tripod
14. External tripod
15. Handle
16. Removable fan hood
17. Waterproofing
18. Overall quality
19. Weight & size
20. Best tent fan with light
21. Pros, cons, recommendations
22. Bonus – MUST read!

In the Box

I picked up this Nitecore fan direct from Nitecore, though you can also get it on Amazon at this link here. Here’s what it looks like still in its packaging:

And here’s everything I got out of the box:

• Nitecore fan
• Carabiner
• User guide
• Ball-head tripod
• Included USB-C charging cable

Charging

At the back of the fan there’s a rubber flap, and behind it you’ll find the:

• USB-C input
• USB-A output

To charge, plug the included USB-C cable into the fan.

• Charge time 4.5 hrs

Built-in Power Bank

The USB-A output charges your phone or other small devices.

Here are my results charging an iPhone 12:

• Day 1: 14–98% charge (2.5 hours)
• Day 2: 14–96% charge (2.5 hours)
• Day 3: 14–25% charge (0.25 hours)
• Leftover fan usage: 5 mins (high) or 20 mins (low)

• Battery 10,000 mAhli-ion
• Output 5V / 2A

That’s a surprisingly large battery for such a tiny fan.

Fan Modes & Speeds

The NEF10 has three fan modes – low, medium, and high. I measured each with a mini anemometer:

• Low 2.7 m/s (8.9 ft/s)
• Medium 3.7 m/s (12.1 ft/s)
• High 4.2 m/s (13.8 ft/s)

Airflow Distance

Using the same anemometer, here’s how far the airflow reached on each mode:

• Low 5.8 ft
• Medium 7.7 ft
• High 10.1 ft

Note For tent camping I’d use this fan in a 4-person tent at most. My 6-person Coleman Sundome was a tad too big, but manageable.

Noise Level

I measured each speed with a sound meter:

• Off 41 dBA
• Low 45 dBA
• Medium 51 dBA
• High 56 dBA

The brushless motor keeps it quiet – noticeably better than I expected.

Fan Run Times

I ran each fan mode to test the full-charge runtime:

• Low 9 hrs
• Medium 14.75 hrs
• High 32 hrs

LED Ring Light & Lumens

The NEF10 also has an LED ring light with three brightness modes. I measured the output of each with a lux meter:

• Low 34 lumens
• Medium 71 lumens
• High 124 lumens

The light quality is decent – the frosting is nice and doesn’t hurt my eyes the way some tent-fan ring lights do.

Ring Light Run Times

Using just the lantern (no fan), here’s how long each brightness lasted:

• Low 75 hrs
• Medium 38.5 hrs
• High 23.5 hrs

Nitecore markets a 100-hour max for the light, but I got about 25% less (75 hours).

Fan & Light Run Times

What if you run the fan and the LED ring light together? Here are my results:

Mode	Run-Time	Decrease
Fan (High)	9 hours	0
Fan (High) + Light (Low)	8 hours	11%
Fan (High) + Light (Med)	7.25 hours	19%
Fan (High) + Light (High)	6.5 hours	28%

Sleep Timer

To conserve battery over multiple days, use the sleep timer to shut the fan off after you fall asleep. There are three settings, and I timed each with a stopwatch:

• 1 hour 0:59:58
• 3 hours 2:59:51
• 5 hours 4:59:50

The timer was very accurate – give or take about a sixth of a second.

Power Indicator

The power indicator light sits next to the fan-mode lights. Here’s what each color means:

• Blue: Charging mobile devices
• Red: Charging the battery
• Green: Fully charged
• Blinking red: Critically low battery

Ball-Head Tripod

The NEF10 comes with a detachable ball-head tripod that screws into the thread at the bottom. Its three legs make it stable on uneven ground.

I really liked the ball-head – it turns a full 360 degrees, so you can point the fan up, sideways, or at any angle you like.

External Tripod

There’s also a standard 1/4-inch tripod thread, though the screw hole is deeper than I’d like – it wouldn’t fit my external tripod, so your mileage may vary with other stands.

Handle

A small handle at the back gives you a grip to carry it. Clip the included carabiner to the handle and you can hang the fan in your tent.

Removable Fan Hood

The fan hood comes off too – just slide it anti-clockwise – which makes cleaning the blades easy.

Waterproofing

I couldn’t find an IP rating on the Nitecore, so I rain-tested it myself. Light rain – about 15 minutes – was fine and everything kept working.

But another 30 minutes of heavy rain blew out the fan. It took about 4 months to dry out before it finally worked again.

Overall Quality

The fan is made of high-grade plastic that feels decent in the hand.

• Warranty 12 months

Weight & Size

• Weight 23 oz
• Fan face 7 x 7 in
• Depth 4.5 in
• Fan blades 5.25 in diameter
• Tripod legs 8 in

Overall a very portable fan – especially since the tripod legs come off and pack separately.

Best Tent Fan with Light

I own two other tent fans with built-in lanterns – the Coleman CPX 6 and the Odoland Camping Fan – so here’s how the Nitecore compares on the features that matter to me.

Feature	Coleman CPX 6	Odoland	Nitecore NEF10
Fan Speeds	2.8-3.7m/s	2.6-3.6m/s	2.7-4.2m/s
Airflow Distance	21in	70in	121in
Noise Level	55-61 dBA	59-63 dBA	45-56 dBA
Lumen Output	150-470 lumens	230-398 lumens	34-124 lumens
Mobile Charging	No	No	Yes
Sleep Timer	No	No	Yes
Removable Hood	No	No	Yes
Fan Run-Times	25-35 hours	21-40 hours	9-32 hours

• Fan speeds Nitecore has the highest top speedminimums are about the same across all three
• Airflow distance Nitecore reaches much further
• Noise level Nitecore is much quieterthe others’ low speeds are as loud as the Nitecore’s high
• Lumen output Nitecore is the least harsh on the eyesit looks dim on paper, but I found the other two too harsh
• Light diffusion Nitecore is the most frosteddimmer, but far easier to live with
• Features Nitecore is the most feature-richmobile charging, a sleep timer and a removable hood
• Run times Nitecore is weakest here at 9 to 32 hoursthe other two last a little longer, but run on expensive D-batteries

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Nitecore NEF10?

Great fan speeds

Three speeds from 2.7 to 4.2 m/s – a higher top speed than most tent-and-lantern fans I’ve tested.

Great airflow

On high the airflow reaches 10.1 ft, easily enough for a 4-person tent.

Quiet

The brushless motor keeps it to 45–56 dBA, noticeably quieter than rival lantern fans.

Comes with an attached lantern

The built-in LED ring light runs 34–124 lumens with nicely frosted, easy-on-the-eyes light.

Feature-rich

Mobile charging, a sleep timer, and a removable hood for cleaning the blades – more than most fans this size.

Large battery capacity

A 10,000 mAh li-ion battery is huge for such a small fan, and it doubles as a power bank.

Reasonable price

For everything it packs in, it’s priced fairly against other lantern fans.

Doesn’t take to rain well

Light rain was fine, but 30 minutes of heavy rain killed the fan, and it took 4 months to dry out before it worked again.

Bonus – MUST Read!

Every figure above is from my own testing – measured by hand, bought with my own money.