Articles, Gear Reviews

Coleman OneSource Multi-Speed Fan

July 25, 2020

Before a recent trip I found my trusty Coleman CPX Fan to be in need of more batteries. The fan has worked great over many years. I have enjoyed the cool air it has provided. The fan operates off a 4 D cell battery pack. The CPX system was design to use a single battery source for multiple devices such as spot lights, lanterns, and fans. The concept was good but the D cell battery pack and rechargeable pack did not perform well for extended use. The system was also limited in what the battery pack fit to. The battery pack was approximately 3u201dx 3u201d box.

The fan was fairly durable for the years I have had it. The fan blades were of foam construction which kept them from being broken. There is a hanger on the top and folding stand at the bottom. The biggest problem was the batteries. There is currently nothing in my house or truck I use D cell batteries for except this fan. Trying to make sure there were D cell batteries became obnoxious for this one device.

While walking through the local Bass Pro shop I happened upon the new Coleman One Source Multi-Speed Fan. The fan is part of the new Coleman system using a Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery. The new fan claimed to operate for approximately 15 hours on low and 6 hours on the high setting. The battery can also act as a charging device for tablets and phone via USB port. The battery claims to be able to charge a phone twice and tablet once. The Li-Ion battery can be charged via a USB to USB-c cable by outlet or via a DC charger. Charging times were said to be 2 hours from a 2.4 AMP USB output or 5 hours with a 1 AMP USB output. The price for this fan was $64.99.u00a0

Additional items were on display as part of this new ONE SOURCE system. A set new lanterns, wireless Bluetooth speaker, and flashlights. There are other items which are part of this system air bed pump, 10×10 canopy, new 4 person ground tent with fan and light attachments, and a new 6 person ground tent with fan and light attachments.

The new battery technology has potentially caught up to Colemanu2019s original plans for a single battery source for their camping gear. The smaller size and more battery life was a great opportunity for Coleman put out more types of gear such as the air pump, Bluetooth speaker, and flashlights. The other great thing is that I can charge the batteries in the vehicle while traveling. Whether it be in the back in my camper or the cab I have the ability to keep the battery charged and ready for use. Seeing the potential I purchased the Coleman One Source Multi-Speed Fan.

The fan was used on a week long trip. The battery was only needed to be charged once. The fan was used at night when in the Habitat settling in for bed. The fan ran for approximately 8 hours the first night on the low setting. I did not charge the battery. The second night the fan ran for approximately another 8 hours on the low setting. The battery was showing a single light out of three so it was charged. The charge took approximately 2 hours while I cooked dinner and cleaned up the following night.

The fan has two fan speed settings, low and high. The high is pretty strong especially if sitting/hanging close by.

The fan has three locking legs and a metal hanging hook at the base surrounding the battery. u00a0The construction of the fan primarily made of plastic.

The fan head articulates vertically 180u00ba. The fans diameter is approximately 7u201d.

The Li-Ion batter twist locks into the base of the fan. There are two ports on the battery. One is the charging port which utilizes a USB-C connection. The second is a USB port for charging devices. There is a single button on the battery. The button when pressed displays the battery life. There are three blue lights when fully charged. If the button is held for approximately 4 seconds a LED flashlight turns on. To turn off hold the button for approximately 4 seconds again.

Overall I like the fan. The fan moves a significant amount of air. The battery has a good amount of life. The versatility of uses for the battery is encouraging. I like not having to carry multiple batteries for only one device. I have some interest in potentially buying a few more items like the air pump, u00a010x10 canopy, and lanterns in the future. Each comes with a battery and expands your run times.

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