The Best Fans to Cool Any Space
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Best Fan for Most UsesVornado 660Read more
If You Also Need an Air PurifierDreo Air Purifier Tower FanRead more
Best Pedestal FanVornado 683 Medium Pedestal Air CirculatorRead more
Best Tower FanDyson Cool Tower Fan AM07Read more
Even though summer is winding down, its last few weeks can often be the hottest part of the year for many areas of the US. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures can swing wildly from 65 degrees Fahrenheit and rainy to over 90 degrees. Even though we have central AC, my family relies on fans the majority of the time in our two-story home—we have fans of every type in nearly every room of the house, with many serving different purposes.
While hunting for the best fans, I looked at popular models available at Amazon and other well-known retailers such as Home Depot and Target, as well as fans reviewed favorably elsewhere and from brands I've come to know and trust through my own fan-buying experiences. I considered available features, value, and ease of use, and tested each fan in both an office during the day and bedroom at night, as well as measured wind speed in feet per minute with an anonemeter and noise with a decibel meter. Features including warranty length, oscillation, and bonus accessories like a remote were also taken into consideration.
For more ways to keep your indoor air quality under control and cool, read our Best Indoor Air Quality Monitors, Best Air Purifiers, and Best Window ACs guides.
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Things to Know Before Buying
So, you're in the market for a fan. But what kind? The first step in untangling this question is to ask yourself where the fan will be located. Does it need to blend in with the existing furniture and decor, or can it be on the floor, hidden behind something so that looks don't matter? Is a direct stream of air required in a specific location, like for someone sitting at a desk, or is just general air circulation the goal? Are there kids and pets in the house that could knock it over or have fingers or tails injured by spinning blades?
Second, it's important to know that fans can't actually cool down a room, but they can move hot air away from people, which can create the feeling of a room being cooler. How hot and/or humid the room gets might determine whether you prefer air moving gently around you, as you would get with an air circulator or oscillating tower fan, or directly at you, as with a pedestal or box fan. For a roundup of the main categories of fans, see “What Type of Fan Is Best for You?” below.
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- Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Fan for Most Uses
Vornado 660Vornado’s 660 is the Swiss Army Knife of fans. The front grille unscrews for easy cleaning, the back has a handle for carrying around (which is easy to do, as it weighs only about 7 pounds), the three speed buttons are simple and easy to press, and it has a generous five-year warranty. You can put it on a table or on the floor. It's great in the living room tucked out of sight, at the bottom of stairs to push air conditioning to a higher floor, in an office so it doesn't blow papers around on a desk or bulletin board, or in the bedroom because there are no lights and it doesn't blow air directly on your face.
I have used many fans over the years, and if I had to choose just one, this would be it. There's a smart version with Alexa (Vornado 660AE) for just $17 more, and if you want something a little cheaper, the smaller Vornado 630 usually runs about $70. WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu has one and confirms that it does a great job of pushing air through his living room.
Features Smart app: Yes if you get the 660AE Remote: No Wind speed on high: 1,083 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 63 dB/42 dB Oscillation: No Warranty: 5 years - Photograph: Kat Merck
If You Also Need an Air Purifier
Dreo Air Purifier Tower FanMy family loves this combination air purifier and tower fan. Though it is quite large and looks almost like a cylindrical patio heater, it costs hundreds less than its competitor, the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP 10, offers 99.97 percent HEPA filtration and an air quality sensor, and has control capability through a remote, the Dreo app, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. Both the 12-speed fan and purifier can operate independently, and the large, heavy base with its blue or orange motor just looks cool.
After several months of nightly use, the filter ($40 for replacements) is still at 93 percent capacity. One caveat is that I've had issues with the reliability of other Dreo fans (see the Dreo Smart Air Circulator PolyFan, below), but given my success with this model, it's worth recommending. I will update this review if that changes.
Features Smart app: Yes Remote: Yes Wind speed on high: 1,024 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 52 dB/31 dB Oscillation: Yes Warranty: 1 year, or 2 ½ years with registration
- Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Pedestal Fan
Vornado 683 Medium Pedestal Air CirculatorThis fan is all business. There’s no remote, it doesn’t oscillate, and there are no smart features—which sometimes can be a good thing, as I discovered when my previous pedestal fan pick, the Dreo Smart Air Circulator PolyFan 704S, died while updating its firmware for the Dreo app. The Dreo cost almost twice as much as the 683 and had more features, but none of those matter if the fan doesn't work.
Vornado has been around for almost 80 years and stands behind its products with a five-year warranty. At just 7 pounds with adjustable height, this three-speed fan is super-lightweight and easy to carry around the house, garage, or shop. With a head that's only 11 inches across, it's not overly top-heavy, which can be a legitimate concern with a lot of pedestal fans—especially in households with young children and large dogs. There may be models out there with more features, but for its blend of reliability, price, and ease of use, the 683 is hard to beat.
Features Smart app: No Remote: No Wind speed on high: 984 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 66 dB/46 dB Oscillation: No Warranty: 5 years - Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Tower Fan
Dyson Cool Tower Fan AM07There’s no denying that there's nothing quite like Dyson’s iconic ellipse. It's a beautiful, high-tech-looking statement piece that fits into any decor, with a small footprint of about 8 inches. Its lack of blades makes it easy to keep spotlessly clean and is safe for kids and pets, and the assembly instructions are refreshingly intuitive.
It's not the quietest fan when set on high, but it was a standout in our noise tests on low, coming in with the second-lowest decibel reading. It's not a budget fan, for sure, but in this case you get what you pay for—this is a fan you won't have to stuff into a closet in the offseason.
Features Smart app: No Remote: Yes Wind speed on high: 708 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 58 dB/31 dB Oscillation: Yes Warranty: 2 years
- Photograph: Lisa Shapiro
Best Desk Fan
Windmill The Windmill FanThere’s a lot to love about the Windmill Fan; at a solid 2.5 pounds, the Windmill punches above its weight when it comes to airflow. Add the Windmill app that can be automized and scheduled along with an easy-to-use remote, and Google Home and Amazon Alexa compatibility, and it becomes more than a little fan. The smart fan cuts a minimalist modern silhouette that stands less than a foot tall and comes in colors like pink, white, yellow, and black. Its outsize base makes it particularly sturdy. I appreciated the fan’s nearly 6-foot cord.
It’s the ideal fan for the office or any room that needs a breeze. And 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. Fifty-four decibels is somewhere between the sound of moderate rainfall and a conversation, And while the fan can be adjusted vertically, the Windmill fan does not oscillate. I found this limitation frustrating, because I felt that while the Windmill had excellent airflow, and at its highest settings Windmill touts the fan as being an “air circulator,” those higher settings come with higher noise volume. I would have loved to run the fan at an oscillating Whisper setting. Still, the Windmill Fan, along with its price tag and 5-year warranty, is a welcome addition to my home. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Features Smart app: Yes Remote: Yes Wind speed on high: N/A Noise (on high): 54 dB Oscillation: No Warranty: 5 years - Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Misting Fan
Shark FlexBreeze Fan With InstaCool Mist AttachmentUnlike more utilitarian misting fans, the FlexBreeze looks great—with its matte-black finish and contemporary gold accents, it wouldn't be out of place amid a style-forward deck or patio setup. It also helps that it has a remote, allowing for discreet adjustments of its angle and five speed settings. It also happens to be one of the quietest fans I've tested. The mist deployed by the detachable misting attachment 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—but since I live on the drier West Coast, this was but a temporary annoyance. If you live in a more humid environment, you may want to set it farther away.
The Shark is rechargeable, so it can be used without an electrical outlet nearby, and 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 with the misting attachment, and though I was never able to measure a reduction of more than 6 degrees 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.
Features Smart app: No Remote: Yes Wind speed on high: 906 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 55 dB/30 dB Oscillation: Yes Warranty: 2 years
- Photograph: Kat Merck
A Stylish—but Strange—Option
Vornado Strata Compact Oscillating Tower FanThough 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 all 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 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 is somewhat jarring, but given that 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—it's still worthy of consideration, both for its sleek, modern appearance and the fact it's one of the strongest fans I've tested.
Features Smart app: No Remote: Yes Wind speed on high: 1,161 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 66 dB/35 dB Oscillation: Yes Warranty: 5 years - Photograph: Kat Merck
Best for Travel
Toyizo Camping FanAn obvious attempt at replicating the DeWalt 20V Max Jobsite Fan ($99), this Toyizo Camping Fan is less than half the price and, though it may not be IP-rated like the DeWalt, has a USB port for charging devices and puts out about as strong a breeze as a larger tower fan.
It may not be a travel fan in the traditional sense—it doesn’t fold and, at nearly 12 inches tall, definitely takes up a lot of space in a duffel bag or suitcase—but my family travels multiple times a year with a child who can't sleep without a fan. We have been through countless cheap travel fans that are small or fold up, and they all either break after a trip or two or just aren’t strong enough. This one runs all night and hours into the next morning on one charge, even while using the light, and has survived being knocked over and banged around in a suitcase on multiple flights. If you have the space in your luggage, and you’re done messing around with weak fans that break after a few months, this is an excellent option.
Features Smart app: No Remote: No Wind speed on high: 708 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 53 dB/39 dB Oscillation: No Warranty: 12 months
- Photograph: Walmart
A Budget Box Fan
Lasko 20" Save-Smart Box FanI bought these Lasko fans from Home Depot earlier this summer while dealing with an extended issue with the central air conditioner. They're not especially quiet or powerful, but they are cheap and sturdy, with a bulletproof build. At higher speeds, they're loud enough to replace your white noise machine, which is great for nighttime service but may leave you sweating in your desk chair on work calls. The Laskos are cheap enough to buy a few if you have a lot of windows where you want to place fans and the square design makes it easy to stick them in place with a window or sliding glass door. —Martin Cizmar
Features Smart app: No Remote: No Wind speed on high: N/A Noise (on high/on low): N/A Oscillation: No Warranty: 12 months 
Photograph: TargetHonorable Mentions
Good but not a top pick• Honeywell QuietSet Whole Room Oscillating Tower Fan for $55: This eight-speed fan is very solid for the price—it's got a remote that neatly slots into the back of the unit, and the base is very sturdy even on carpet. It wasn't much quieter than some of the other fans on low, though, which is its selling point, and the lightweight body feels cheaper than similar fans, though for the price this may not be a deal breaker.
• Pelonis 40-Inch Oscillating Tower Fan for $70: This fan is quite wobbly on carpet and has a cheap-feeling remote that must be pointed exactly at the fan’s sensor to operate. It puts out one of the stronger breezes I've seen for a tower fan and has been operating quietly and reliably in the background of my home office for months now. The remote also helpfully comes loaded with batteries, unlike other fans in this price range.
Photograph: AmazonNot Recommended
Avoid these fansDreo Smart Air Circulator PolyFan 704S for $150: Glowing reviews abound of this attractive smart pedestal fan, but the first one I ordered died in the process of updating the firmware to connect it to the Dreo app. Obtaining the replacement required taking video of attempting to operate the fan and then packing and sending the broken fan back to Dreo via FedEx. In the process, I also received multiple incorrect tracking numbers for the new unit and was implored to leave an Amazon review containing specific keywords. This fan has fantastic features for the money, but with its short one-year warranty (though it can be extended to two and a half years if you create a Dreo account and register your device) and hassle created by having to return a defective unit—provided you were even able to save its original unwieldy, 3-foot-long box in the first place—it's just not worth the risk. I will update this review after I test the replacement unit.
Comlife Rechargeable Camping Fan for $40: This is a popular option on Amazon that I had high hopes for using during both general travel and camping trips. I loved that it had a light and was rechargeable, and the bendable octopus legs were appealing for their ability to grasp a tent pole, hang, or allow the fan to sit tripod-style on a bedside table. However, they broke off after a couple of months, and a couple of months after that the fan’s ability to hold a charge dwindled down to several hours. It is now in the trash.
Allen + Roth Valdosta outdoor ceiling fan for $138: Purchased in hopes of cooling the air inside my backyard's metal-roofed gazebo, this 20-inch fan hangs from a hook and has a stylish, retro vibe that perfectly matches my gazebo's oil-rubbed bronze frame. I had hoped the fan would make it more pleasant to eat outside on hot days, but it does not noticeably increase airflow—especially in comparison to the Shark FlexBreeze—and the cord is so short it necessitates using a permanent extension cord, which detracts from the overall look.
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Photograph: AlexLMX/Getty ImagesWhat Type of Fan Is Best for You?
What Type of Fan Is Best For You?When I was growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, there were maybe three types of fans available to the average household consumer, which one had to buy in person at, say, Sears or Kmart: A metal table fan, a wobbly pedestal fan, or a box fan. If it was an especially new or fancy model, there were buttons for different speeds, perhaps encircled by a snazzy faux-wood veneer. Nowadays there are thousands of types of fans from many hundreds of brands in multiple categories, sizes, and shapes. How do you know which fan is the correct one for your particular situation? Thankfully, most fans fall into one of six general categories:
Pedestal fans offer adjustable height, oscillation (though many tower fans have this also), and larger blades for more power, and they are easier to clean because the blades are usually visible. They’re the best option for large spaces or even outdoors on a deck or patio. One drawback is that they can be top-heavy and easily knocked over, and since the blades are visible, they can be dangerous to small fingers that may find their way inside the cage.
A table or desk fan is perfect for small rooms that are short on floor space, can provide more direct airflow, and often come in vintage designs or fun colors. They’re also portable, so they are easy to travel with or move from room to room. Many are chargeable for cordless operation or, in the case of our favorite travel fan, can even function as chargers themselves.
A tower fan is basically a streamlined alternative to a pedestal fan, offering a slimmer profile and less top-heavy structure, which can be useful in households with children or large dogs lumbering about. The blades are also enclosed, making them a great choice for a child’s room. One drawback is that this also makes them difficult to clean, unless you go with a bladeless Dyson.
Air circulators are designed to move air around the whole room rather than straight at a person or object, which makes them usable for all seasons—in winter, they can move hot air down to the floor from where it has risen. They can also do this from behind furniture, so looks aren’t as important.
Box fans and transom fans are more utilitarian options that can be used in windows to either bring colder air in or exhaust hotter air out, but neither is particularly stylish or something you’d want in your home year-round.
Misting fans are usually air circulators or pedestal fans that come with an attachment for misted water to be expelled with the air. Some allow you to connect your hose, while others come with a reservoir that allows them to be used away from a water source.
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