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Vacmaster Cardio54 Fitness Fan

7
£99.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Want to blow masses of air in your face? Look no further
Compact
Powerful
Remotely controlled
Not adjustable enough
Remote needs waterproofing
Weight: 
2,500g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Vacmaster Cardio54 is a great fan to use with your indoor trainer. It pushes a lot of air and is more effective at keeping you cool than most other options. A few tweaks to the design would make it even more effective, though.

Okay, so first things first: this is essentially Vacmaster's Air Mover – a fan designed for drying out building work, or your carpets after a flood – with two alterations. The first is it's black and grey instead of building-site yellow.

The second is the remote. This you can mount on your bars (via silicone strap) to control the three speed settings of the fan. Vacmaster doesn't make any claims for the remote being waterproof, so it's probably a good idea to keep it out of the sweat zone, or else cover it with a towel or plastic bag.

> Buy this online here

I wrapped it in a bag and stuck it back in the silicone strap, which held the bag in place, and that worked perfectly.

2021 Vacmaster Cardio54 training fan - remote.jpg

I mostly used the Cardio54 on a KICKR table directly in front of me, and like that it certainly pushes plenty of air. It's a lot more compact than a gym fan too, which means more room for snacks or keyboards or nicknacks.

The '54' refers to the maximum air speed of 54km/h (you mean this isn't a pun on the infamous Studio 54 disco? That's just your jive talkin') and on full gas it's overkill for anything except a full race effort. It's the kind of airflow you get battering down a quick descent. Outside of races I mostly used it on the lower two settings, which are a bit less blowy.

2021 Vacmaster Cardio54 training fan - controls.jpg

The air column pushed out is quite focused, much more so than a standard gym fan, and in a similar way to Wahoo's KICKR Headwind fan. That's good if it's pointing in the right place, but herein lies the only major issue. It only has three positions: you get flat, 45 and 90-degree settings from the feet on the bottom.

2021 Vacmaster Cardio54 training fan - full 2.jpg

Realistically the 45-degree one is the only useful one for training, and the airflow is narrow enough there's every chance you'll be raiding your bookshelf for a suitably thick tome to adjust the angle. There's got to be something Dan Brown is good for, after all.

2021 Vacmaster Cardio54 training fan - book hack.jpg

Even neatly adjusted, though, the air column is so narrow that doing intermediate sprints in a group ride moved my turbo across the floor sufficiently that, by the time the ride was over, the fan was no longer hitting the spot.

> 15 of the best turbo trainers: Stay fit by riding indoors

Obviously this isn't an issue when you're drying the new plaster on your walls, and that's what this fan was originally designed for. But I think it needs a tweak: either more feet, or a way to angle the vent.

Adjust-a-gust

The other issue is that the air column is sort of in landscape mode – wider than it is tall. Again, for turbo use you really want it the other way round, so it points at more of your body.

2021 Vacmaster Cardio54 training fan - indoor setup.jpg

That would be a fairly major redesign, though, and probably making the current design more adjustable is all that's needed. I've already drawn up my plans for some kind of adjustable mount.

Value

In spite of these gripes, this is a great option if you're after some serious airflow in your pain cave. The Cardio54 moves a LOT of air, and when you've got the position dialled in it does an excellent job of cooling you down.

> The best indoor cycle training kit

At £99.99 it's half the price of the KICKR Headwind fan and just as effective; okay, you can't make it blow faster when you speed up, but that's daft, so you won't miss it.

If you've got the space, the three gym fans you could get for this kind of money might prove more adaptable, but the Cardio54 is easy to control and effective, and consequently it's easy to recommend.

Verdict

Want to blow masses of air in your face? Look no further

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Vacmaster Cardio54 Fitness Fan

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Vacmasters says: "The Vacmaster Cardio54 indoor training fan is designed to unlock your performance potential. A maximum 54km/h (33mph) targeted airflow helps you control your heart-rate and keep your core temperature down. Keeping you cool, so you can keep going. Comes with remote control and adjustable directional flow."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Product SKU AM1202R-01

Power Supply 220 - 240V Electric

Motor Power 124W

Noise Level 49dB(A)

Blower Function 3 Angles

Cord Length 3.6m

Dimensions (Complete Unit) H 31cm x W 23.5cm x D 28cm

Motor Voltage 240V

Weight 3.45Kg

Air Speed 54km/h (33mph)

Air Volume 15 mtr3 per min / 518 Cubic Feet per Min

Variable Speed 3 Settings

Plug Type UK 3 Pin 240V

Guarantee 2 Year Guarantee

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Remote could do with being waterproof.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Certainly makes indoor training more comfortable.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Pretty well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Moves masses of air, and it's compact.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not adjustable enough.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's a lot more than a gym fan, but a lot less than a KICKR Headwind.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This could easily be an 8 or 9 with a few tweaks, but it's a good fan nonetheless.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 47  Height: 189cm  Weight: 94kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura, Dward Design fixed

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

2021 Vacmaster Cardio54 training fan - book hack.jpg

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

Add new comment

10 comments

Avatar
Freshmn09 | 2 years ago
0 likes

https://www.cleva-uk.com/products/vacmaster-air-mover

 

if you want exactly the same fan but  don't need remote control have a look at the link above!  1

Avatar
froze | 2 years ago
0 likes

Help me out here, I now have to spend $142 for a "special" to use my turbo trainer that a $40 16 inch circular bladed fan that has adjustable height can't do?  Funny, I've been using that cheap fan for about 10 years and it seems to work just fine.  Or why not the  Lasko U12104 High Velocity Pro Pivoting Utility Fan, that looks exactly like the one highlighted in this article for a $100 less!  The Lasko has an adjustable nozzle so you don't have to put a book under it, and it even has two plug outlets so you can plug something into it.   Oh, wait, that's right, it's the same sort of fan but they put words Cardio54 Fitness into the title so gullable cyclists will spend more money because somehow that fan is FAR superior to any other fan used for any other purpose, this is a joke.  This sort of nonsense happens all the time in hobbies, and it happens a lot in cycling.  It's why I don't spend $150 for a cycling jersey that I can't feel the difference in heat or stink management vs a cheap $15 jersey I got from Costco, oh wait, the little pockets they put in the rear of the cycling jersey cost $135 to put on...

 

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to froze | 2 years ago
0 likes
froze wrote:

Or why not the  Lasko U12104 High Velocity Pro Pivoting Utility Fan, that looks exactly like the one highlighted in this article for a $100 less! 

TBF to road.cc you can't seem to get the Lasko in the UK (with UK sockets anyway) and the nearest equivalent is almost the same price as the Vac-Master.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XPower-P-230T-Utility-Restoration-Plumbing/dp/B...

 

Avatar
Trickytree1984 replied to froze | 2 years ago
0 likes
froze wrote:

Help me out here, I now have to spend $142 for a "special" to use my turbo trainer that a $40 16 inch circular bladed fan that has adjustable height can't do?  Funny, I've been using that cheap fan for about 10 years and it seems to work just fine.  Or why not the  Lasko U12104 High Velocity Pro Pivoting Utility Fan, that looks exactly like the one highlighted in this article for a $100 less!  The Lasko has an adjustable nozzle so you don't have to put a book under it, and it even has two plug outlets so you can plug something into it.   Oh, wait, that's right, it's the same sort of fan but they put words Cardio54 Fitness into the title so gullable cyclists will spend more money because somehow that fan is FAR superior to any other fan used for any other purpose, this is a joke.  This sort of nonsense happens all the time in hobbies, and it happens a lot in cycling.  It's why I don't spend $150 for a cycling jersey that I can't feel the difference in heat or stink management vs a cheap $15 jersey I got from Costco, oh wait, the little pockets they put in the rear of the cycling jersey cost $135 to put on...

 

 

There are 2 problems with your ill conceived rant.

1) you can't buy those "half the price products" in the UK. This is a UK site and a review for UK buyers for a product sold in the UK with a UK plug. So, mentioning, products availibe only in the US, with a US plug from US retailers isn't that helpful. 

2) last i checked, the fan you mention is missing the one feature that makes this cycling specific. A remote control to vary on/off/speed. Can that be achaived in another way. On/off, for sure, power....not in this product no, not unless you want to spend DOUBLE on the whaoo headwind. 

So, please if you could suggest a fan of this power, with the remote, availible in the UK, with a UK plug and for cheaper than this, please go ahead an enlighten us. 

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
0 likes

Mine is this turbo fan. A bit smaller if you don't have space but can direct the air directly in a localised cone and can be still put on a desk or chair. 

 

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
0 likes

I've got one exactly like that and the cardio 54 is in a different league in terms of how much air it'll blow at your face. It's the nature of the air column rather than the volume. More focused and much faster. Now I have the 18" fan on the floor blowing at my legs...

Avatar
RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
0 likes

50CM fan on amazon (a pretty good one) is £50. you'll probably think youre visiting the wizard of oz if you set it on its maximum setting 

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
0 likes

How noisy is it in real life terms?

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
1 like

Not very, actually. I mean it's noisier than my turbo, but about the same as my other fan

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to dave atkinson | 2 years ago
0 likes

Thanks Dave!

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