Swap out your creaky old box fan for a new model that lights up, mists, or even follows you around the room.
Vornado Ara for $290: This tower fan is a little chunkier and a lot pricier than nearly every other tower fan I tested. However, it does offer ambient light and a sleek, high-end aesthetic, with an amber strip light that runs down the back and around the base. My teen son had one in his bedroom for about a year, and other than the grille attracting visible dust, it’s been extremely reliable. (And comes with a five-year warranty.)
Shark FlexBreeze for $180: This was my favorite misting fan of last year. I love that it’s rechargeable, so it can be used without an electrical outlet nearby. I also enjoy that the head detaches from the pedestal with legs that fold out, allowing it to double as an easy-to-transport floor fan. Shark claims the FlexBreeze can reduce nearby ambient temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit with the misting attachment. Though I was never able to measure a reduction of more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit using multiple thermometers, the difference in air temperature using the FlexBreeze versus without is dramatic enough to make the difference between an unbearable summer dinner outside and a pleasant one. However, the mist deployed by the detachable misting attachment (Shark now makes a version with a tank, but I haven’t tried it) is a bit on the heavy side. It made most of my deck quite wet and dampened the clothes of anyone sitting within 5 or so feet. On the plus side, this meant the mist didn’t immediately blow away, as was the case with the FlexBreeze’s portable sibling, the HydroGo (below).
Photograph: Kat Merck
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo for $80: I loved the original Shark FlexBreeze (above), but not the fact that it had to be connected to a hose, so I was very excited to see a rechargeable, portable version in fun colors. Shark says it can run for 30 minutes with the mister consistently on, or 60 minutes in “interval mode,” and after testing it at my son’s soccer practices, I found these estimates to be more or less accurate. However, the mist that comes out of the middle is so fine and in such a small stream that it blew away quickly, before it had a chance to cool anyone farther than a few inches away.
Lasko Whirlwind Orbital Pedestal Fan for $85: This fan looks a lot like Dreo’s TurboPoly 508S, and indeed sports some of the same features—it oscillates vertically 105 degrees or horizontally 150 degrees, it’s quiet (I clocked 27 dB on low), and it’s got a remote. It’s not smart, it doesn’t have RBG lights, and you’ll hear some occasional noises from the oscillation, but if you’re looking for a more affordable pedestal fan that offers 3D oscillation, this isn’t a bad option.
Vornado Transom Window Fan for $130: I was impressed with the features of this fan—it’s got a remote control (there’s also a version with Alexa compatibility), air can be sucked either inside the room or out, and it’s relatively quiet. It’s definitely a step up from less expensive versions. However, the foam blocks for fitting in the window didn’t provide as tight a fit as I’d prefer, the fan can only be installed horizontally, and the thermostat is located on the inside of the fan—a problem that plagues space heaters as well—so it struggled to cool a south-facing bedroom during my testing.
-SOURCE-Kat-Merck.jpg)
Photograph: Kat Merck
Vornado Strata for $143: Though most Vornado fans are roundly—and justifiably—beloved, the Strata seems to have engendered mixed feelings among online commenters. After using it in my husband’s office for an entire summer, I have to agree it’s a puzzling design. Shaped like a boxy, high-tech hair dryer, the 18-inch-tall Strata pulls air in and pushes it upward through an approximately 1-by-14-inch slot in the front, a maneuver that’s designed to mimic a taller tower fan. This rather narrow and very direct stream of air feels somewhat jarring when you’re in its path, but the Strata is still an air circulator, meant to sit on the floor and not necessarily blow air directly onto a user. If you want to feel the breeze, you’d be better off with a tower fan.
Windmill Smart Air Circulator for $69: At a solid 2.5 pounds, this desk-sized fan punches above its weight when it comes to airflow. Add the Windmill app that you can use to automate and schedule the fan, an easy-to-use remote, and Google Home and Amazon Alexa compatibility, and it becomes more than just a little fan. The smart fan has a minimalist modern silhouette that stands less than a foot tall and comes in colors like pink, white, yellow, and black. While it hums along at the barely audible Whisper setting, it gets louder with each fan speed, coming in at a noisy 54 decibels on its highest Boost setting, somewhere around the sound of a conversation. It can be adjusted vertically, but it does not oscillate. While the Windmill had excellent airflow, higher settings come with higher noise volume—at its highest, the fan is touted as being an “air circulator.” I would have loved to run the fan at an oscillating Whisper setting. Still, the Windmill, along with its price tag and five-year warranty, is a welcome addition to my home. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Photograph: Kat Merck
Dreo CF312 Desk Fan for $40: Dreo’s been after Vornado’s crown for years now, and this little model is a direct competitor to classic Vornado circulators like the 630. In fact, it’s extremely similar, except that the Dreo comes with a wall-mounting option, and the screen pops off to access the internal parts for cleaning. You’d be fine with either the Dreo or Vornado versions, but the Vornado wins out on its longer warranty—five years to Dreo’s one.
Rowenta Fresh 180 Tower Fan for $120: The Fresh 180 is a pretty basic tower fan with three speeds, timer options, and a remote. It’s noisy at high speed and has a flimsy build quality, with nowhere near as many options as you’d find in other brands at this price point. That said, there actually aren’t many tower fans that oscillate a full 180 degrees, if that’s a feature you’re looking for.
