During the day, I kept the fan pointed at me while sitting at my desk and stayed totally comfortable. On top of that, it runs quietly enough that it wasn’t disruptive when I was in meetings. While air conditioners can change the temperature of a room and reduce humidity, a great fan can still keep you cool and circulate air throughout a room. They’re more energy efficient than an air conditioner since they just cool you—not an entire room.
However, the Vornado offers one of the widest pivot ranges, at nearly 90 degrees, whereas most others are closer to degrees at most. Just like everything else in your home, your pedestal fan needs regular cleaning and maintenance to keep it working alen breathesmart well. Most fans have a way to remove the front grill, which can be wiped or washed, along with the blades themselves. Obviously, you’ll need to avoid getting the motor wet, but even regular dusting will help you make the most of your fan.
I typically need my fan at night while I’m sleeping and while sitting at my desk during the day. If you can’t buy a fan fully put together, this is the next best thing. The pieces are lightweight besides the motor that’s in the fan head but even that piece is manageable. The fuse within the plug detects any electrical hazards, and it will stop the current of power to the fan to protect against any damage.
It oscillates over 90 degrees for a widespread cooling breeze. It stretches from 38 inches to 54.5 inches tall so you can adjust it where you need, and the head pivots to tilt upward. A good pedestal fan can make all the difference during a hot summer, while a bad one can leave you cursing your decision to buy it. By testing these fans side by side, we hope that our comparative analysis helps you find the one that melts your sweat away and keeps you cool. The powerful Vornado fan I usually use sits comfortably on top of my dresser to avoid taking up floor space. Adding the Lasko pedestal fan into my room was a tight squeeze and did block some of the walking space in my room.
For a futuristic-looking fan, it still has the old-school oscillation knob on the unit, with no button to control it remotely. It chirps loudly and obnoxiously with every setting change, and though the lights dim, they never turn off. Switching between speeds, the unit we tested also had considerable difficulty finding the right rotation rate, shifting awkwardly between several speeds before settling at a constant pace. At the end of the day, though we find much to like about this quiet, effective fan, we’re not quite sure its shortcomings make it worth the hefty price tag.
You can also adjust the height and command it from across the room through the included remote control. There’s a lot to like about this pleasantly quiet fan from Rowenta. The Rowenta VU5670 Turbo Silence Extreme 5-Speed offers an impressive range of speeds, which we measured as low as 4.7 mph and as high as 12.9 mph.
As a light, plastic unit, ours bounced and vibrated at every speed — not audibly, but visibly. Unfortunately, the lights on the base also don’t dim or turn off, and this is one of the loudest, highest-pitched fans of the bunch, making it not a great option for picky sleepers or for use when watching movies. Though, if you’re a fan of white noise and a powerful breeze, you may just love this big unit exactly as it is. While those that love simplicity will appreciate this straightforward 3-speed design controlled by a simple knob, the Vornado 683 is likely to disappoint if you’re after settings and features. It has no remote, no extra modes, no timer, and doesn’t even oscillate.
The Lasko Cyclone is also quite powerful and has the added bonus of oscillation and a timer, both of which the Vornado lacks. Also notable for their similarly high top speeds are the Honeywell Double Blade and Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme 5-Speed. Although the Silent Turbo is one of the quieter fans, it beeps rather loudly every time you change a setting. This is not exactly ideal when attempting to operate the fan in a quiet bedroom. A couple of the modes seem very similar, and it took several seconds to settle into the correct speed when changing a setting. Despite having 12 different speed settings, the highest rate of airflow measured at just 10.5 mph, which is below average for this group of contenders.
Be sure to always unplug your fan from the outlet before taking it apart. A major perk to this Lasko pedestal fan is how customizable it is for any space. Depending on where you need it aimed, it can stand as tall as 4 and a half feet. The Lasko Elegance & Performance Pedestal Fan claims to run quietly at one of its three speeds.
With temperatures up, you will need a way to keep cool beyond ice cream and cold drinks. If you don’t have air conditioning, the right fan could help circulate otherwise stagnant air in your home and keep you cool. Oscillating fans, which move side to side, up and down or both, move cold air around a alen breathesmart room, rather than in one direction. ◊Pricing, selection, and availability of store clearance items are determined by each store. Items may be display models or not exactly as shown and may not be available in all stores. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support our work.