Fans are vital to the operation of any computer. However, it’s wise to buy a fan that’s quiet and efficient, as that will help keep your expensive rig running smoothly and efficiently. In this article, I will be reviewing the top 10 best fans for any computer build.
Over the past decade, the PC market has been dominated by a few high-end cooling companies, namely Scythe, Noctua, and Aerocool. These three companies have taken the PC cooling market by storm with their range of high-performing and reliable products. In the past, the three companies have constantly dominated the PC cooling market, but now, it’s been a good while since either Scythe or Noctua have released a new product. Noctua has historically been the most heavily focused on the expansion of the PC cooling market, but the company has been more focused on high-end air cooling products. Scythe has been more focused on the water cooling market, but it has also released a few high-end air cooling products.
Finding the perfect coolers can be a daunting task, although the search is easy if you know the right questions. There are several important factors worth asking before making a final selection, including: – What is the purpose of the product? – How much space do I have to work with? – How much money do I want to spend? – How much noise do I want to hear? – Are a 6-blade or 4-blade fan better? – Is it going to be in an office, a bedroom, a living room, or a garage? – How much can it hold? – Do I want to keep it in the freezer, the fridge, or both? – What features should I
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A powerful cooling fan is your best option if you want to stay cool throughout the warmer months without driving up your energy cost. You can remain cool and attentive on lengthy Zoom conversations in your home office or study sessions in your dorm room, and your house or apartment will be a lot more pleasant, whether you use it alone or with your AC.
We looked at hundreds of models and selected 13 that were highly rated for testing. We discovered that all of the fans performed a comparable excellent job of keeping our test area cool over the course of four hot summer weeks, but they differed greatly in features, build quality, and use. While you’ll probably be satisfied with whatever fan you select, we’ve compiled a list of the finest tower, pedestal, and floor fans for your area.
Overall, the best cooling fan
The Honeywell tower fan is quiet and inexpensive, with a compact footprint and elegant design, a solid base, and eight speed options.
The most effective pedestal fan
This Rowenta fan featured the strongest base and rod of the pedestal fans we examined, as well as a well labeled control panel and metal grilles that were simple to install and maintain.
The most effective floor fan
With a tiltable head and an easy-to-use adjustable speed knob, this Vornado fan is small, durable, and powerful.
The best splurge option
The Dyson is unlike any other fan we examined, with a stunning appearance and amazing functions. It is also much more costly, but it combines a fan, heater, and air purifier, potentially replacing three appliances.
Suzanne Kattau is a writer. is a writer. is a writer. is a writer.
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A tower fan provides excellent cooling performance while taking up little space, making it ideal for use in a living room, bedroom, or anyplace else you’d want to tuck an item out of the way. With a strong, robust construction and a lovely, colorfully laid out control panel that was easier to figure out and operate than the competitors, the Honeywell Quietset Whole Room tower fan is well made, silent, and cheap.
The Honeywell Quietset was easier to put together than the other tower fans we tested, with tool-free construction and a simple connection to the base that was a lot easier to deal with than the other tower models we looked at, and once it was put together, it was more stable than its competitors, despite its light weight — some other lightweight towers, like the Lasko, wobbled with a push.
You can fine-tune the fan with eight speed options, which is more than the other tower fans we examined, but the three lowest speeds were fairly comparable in our tests. Other versions were more fussy and difficult to adjust due to the clearly labeled controls and comfortable remote; other models were more finicky and difficult to adjust due to the clearly labeled controls and comfortable remote.
As a device that will most likely be used in a bedroom, we like the Honeywell’s ability to not just dim but also turn off its control panel lights. None of the other fans we tried had this level of adjustability, allowing us to select between sleeping in complete darkness or dimming the controls so they weren’t obtrusive.
Suzanne Kattau
VU5670 Rowenta fan
While a pedestal fan isn’t as simple to incorporate into your décor as a tower fan, it provides more coverage in bigger spaces since the blades clear the furnishings. The Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme VU5670 pedestal fan was the most durable, well-built, and simple to adjust of the pedestal fans we examined, and with the highest extension, it should be more useful in bigger areas than the others.
The Rowenta was simpler to build than the other pedestal fans, requiring less than 15 minutes, and it arrived in nicer packing than any other fan we looked at — there was so much cardboard wrapping that it gave us pause, even if it was made from recycled materials.
Even though it adjusted to a higher height than the Black+Decker, Lasko, and Honeywell versions, the hefty base, strong connections, and well constructed extension rod made it the most stable of the towers we tested once put together. With gentle clicks indicating the four possible orientations, the head unit was simple to adjust. All of the other towers felt stiffer and were more difficult to adjust to the correct position.
The controls were simple and easy to use, and the Rowenta’s remote control (which mimics all of the front panel buttons) fit comfortably in our hands; when not in use, the remote stores in a slot on the back of the head unit. Some of the others didn’t have a place to put the remote, so it was likely lost.
Suzanne Kattau
533DC Vornado fan
A floor fan (which may also be used on a desk or table) is simple to install nearly anyplace, making it ideal for cooling a kitchen, workplace, or bathroom as required. Even though it was more sturdily constructed and simpler to adjust than its rivals, the Vornado Energy Smart 533DC was lighter and easier to carry about our testing area than the others we tried.
The Vornado, at 3.44 pounds, was much lighter than some of the other fans, such as the 9.25-pound Lasko Wind Machine 3300. Rubber grips on the bottom kept it steady in any position, and it didn’t topple when we jostled it, unlike some of the other lightweight versions, such as the Black+Decker BFB09W.
The directional settings of the Vornado were simple to choose and secure in operation, and although it wasn’t quite as flexible as the Lasko Wind Machine 3300, it provided a decent variety of options. We also liked the Vornado’s silver speed dial to the controls on the other circulators since it let us to change settings with one continuous, smooth, and silent stroke.
The Vornado Energy Smart 533DC had one drawback: it was the loudest of the bunch, despite the fact that all of the fans we tested were quieter than our reference Conair 1875 hair dryer set on low, and we didn’t find the Vornado’s noise distracting enough while we worked, read, or slept nearby in the same room.
Finally, the 10-year limited warranty on the Vornado Energy Smart 533DC circulator fan is much longer than the 1-year warranties on the Black+Decker BFB09W, Honeywell HT-900, and Lasko 3300 circulator fans we examined.
Suzanne Kattau
HP09 Dyson fan
The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 (Nickel/Gold) pleased us with its efficient cooling, quiet performance, sturdy construction, and simplicity of use – moreover, it serves as a space heater and air purifier, and can even monitor levels of VOCs and formaldehyde (thus the name).
The Dyson was more firmly constructed and sturdy in construction than any of the other tower fans we looked at, as you’d expect (and presumably want considering the price). It also had greater control over its different settings than any of the other units. The Dyson provides an app that not only allows you operate the device but also monitors pollution levels. It comes with tool-free installation and beautifully designed front panel controls, featuring an LCD screen and a sleek remote that attaches magnetically for storage.
It’s unlike anything else we’ve tried, but if you want all of its capabilities and your budget permits for its exorbitant price, it may be worth the spend if you want all of the features, which might enable you to replace three distinct appliances.
While all of the fans we tested did a good job of moving air about and sparing you from having to turn on your window air conditioner, the kind of cooling fan you should buy is determined by the size and type of area you want to use it in, the fan’s size, and your budget. A fan, whichever model you choose, is a cost-effective method to cool your house, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
If you need something small enough to sit on a table or desk, a floor fan is ideal since it can be moved about and used as required. Circulator fans, such as the ones made famous by Vornado and available in units like the Black+Decker and Honeywell versions we examined, are excellent examples of small personal fans.
A tower fan is a fantastic option if you want something more powerful and intend to use it often but don’t have a lot of space (or don’t want your fan to be the focal point of your home). A tower fan is ideal for a living room or bedroom where you want to keep the air flowing without a lot of visual distraction. It has a compact footprint and lots of cooling capacity.
A pedastal fan, which consists of a traditional fan-blade head mounted on top of a long extension pole, is a more in-your-face design option, but because the blade unit is placed high enough to clear your furniture, it can circulate air through a larger space — it’s ideal for patios, basements, and rec rooms.
Budgeting more offers you additional features and better looks since most fans within a particular category function quite well. Basic devices, like as the roughly $17 Black+Decker circulator, may be found for around $770, or you can upgrade to the stunning, feature-laden, multifunctional Dyson tower.
Regardless of whatever option you select, you’ll get greater air circulation and rely less on your air conditioner.
Over the course of four summer weeks, we evaluated 13 fans to identify the most effective and efficient indoor fans available. We included oscillator/oscillating fans, bladeless fans, and other electric fans in our testing pool that were capable of circulating the air in our basement. Some fans had a remote control that was powered by batteries, while others did not.
We unboxed, built, and operated the fans for hours while sleeping, reading, and writing in the room to test them. We made notes on the simplicity of setup, design and features, customization, performance, energy efficiency, noise level, battery, warranty, user manual, cleaning ease, and pricing, among other things.
In our roughly 1,250-square-foot completed basement, we placed all of the fans in the same location and plugged them into the same socket one at a time. During our testing, we used the SensorPush HTP.xw Wireless Thermometer/Hygrometer with its iOS app on an iPhone 11 to monitor the room’s temperature drop; the SensorPush device was calibrated using a Boveda One-Step Calibration Kit. We used the same SensorPush when we looked at the top dehumidifiers. By analyzing data received by the SensorPush, we were able to record the temperature of the basement before and after our two-hour testing.
We connected each fan into a P3 International Kill A Watt EZ power use meter and ran them at their maximum speed for two hours without oscillation to measure energy consumption. During those two hours, we recorded the amps and watts utilized.
We also used the Sound Level Meter (SLM) app from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on our iPhone 11, which was placed on a table 36 inches away from the fan, to record the fans’ noise levels. Using the NIOSH app, we measured the noise levels generated by each fan in our silent basement during a one-hour period while operating at its maximum speed without oscillation (if the fan was capable of oscillation).
While all of the devices we examined produced an audible hum while in use, the average decibel level of each unit was approximately 52.6 dB — hardly higher than the hum of a running refrigerator and not loud enough to disturb conversation or sleep. As a result, any of the fans we evaluated would be appropriate for most areas of your home, workplace, or dorm room.
The following is a list of all the tests we ran:
Setup
- Is it possible to unbox a completed fan and plug it in right away?
- Easy to assemble: Is the fan simple to put together?
- Required equipment: Is it possible to build the fan without using any tools? Are those tools included in the package?
- Is there a downloadable app for both iOS and Android?
- Is the fan compatible with a smart plug?
Features and design
- Is the fan built in an upright, vertical position?
- Are the components of the fan made of plastic or metal?
- Buttons: Are the buttons on the fan simple to reach and understand?
- What is the length of the fan’s power cord?
- Is it possible to use an extension cable with the fan if the manufacturer recommends it?
- Is the fan oscillating inside a fixed base, or does it travel from side to side?
- Fixed or oscillating: Does the fan allow you to choose between fixed and oscillating?
- Oscillation angle: Can the oscillation angle of the fan be adjusted to 45, 90, 180, or 350 degrees?
- Is there a control panel on the fan, and does it display ambient temperature readings?
- Is there an autopilot mode on the fan, and if so, does it function when the room temperature reaches a specific point?
- Is the fan compatible with Alexa, Siri, and other voice assistants?
Customization
- Is it possible to operate the fan using a smartphone app?
- Is it possible to program the fan to run on a certain schedule?
- Is it possible to change the height of the fan’s stand?
- Is the head of the fan pivoting or tilting?
- Airflow: Is it possible to change the airflow’s direction and angle?
- Is it simple to change the settings on the fan?
- Is there a built-in carrying handle on the fan so it can be carried from room to room?
Performance
- Is the fan reliable? Does it operate as it should?
- On a hot day, will the fan be able to cool a medium to big room?
- Is there a programmable timer included with the fan? How long can you program it to run for before it shuts down?
- Is there a setting on the fan that mimics a natural breeze?
- Is there a remote control included with the fan, and are batteries supplied?
- Does the fan include a docking option for storing the remote control while it’s not in use?
- How many different speeds can the fan run at?
- Is there a variety of noise levels available, from near-silent 26 dB Sleep to pleasantly soft 28 dB White Noise to more powerful settings?
- The range of the fan’s airflow is measured in feet.
- Is there a night mode on the fan’s control panel so you can turn out the displays or buttons while you’re resting or sleeping?
Efficiencies in energy
- Is the fan energy efficient in terms of watts used? At maximum blast, does it use 36 watts or less?
Battery
- Is it necessary to use batteries with the fan?
- What kind of battery is used by the fan or the fan’s remote control?
Warranty
- Length: How long does the provided warranty last?
- What is covered by the warranty?
Instructions for use
- Languages: Is the user handbook accessible in several languages?
- Is the user handbook helpful in terms of setup and use?
- Is there a written user manual included in the package, and is it also available online?
Cleaning is simple.
- Is there a grille on the fan, and if so, can it be removed for cleaning?
- Blades: Does the fan have blades, and if so, are they cleanable?
- Is a filter required for the fan, and does it come with one filter replacement right out of the box?
- Replacement filter: How simple is it to get a new filter?
Vornado Whole Room 184 Tower Fan ($96.99; amazon.com and bedbathandbeyond.com) Vornado Whole Room 184 Tower Fan
We found this Vornado fan to be easy to build since it came in nearly one solid piece out of the box, but we did have to put the two base pieces together and then use a screwdriver to tighten them up. The Honeywell Quietset Whole Room HYF290B tower fan, which we found to be the simplest to set up, did not need the use of a screwdriver. We didn’t even need a screwdriver to install the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 tower fan. As it cooled our basement testing area, we thought the Vornado Whole Room was very robust and powerful, but we soon discovered that it does not oscillate from side to side; rather, it circulates the room’s air from inside the unit. In contrast, we configured the Honeywell Quietset Whole Room HYF290B tower fan to oscillate at eight different speeds. The Vornado Whole Room 184 tower fan is also much higher than the Lasko 36-Inch 2511 tower fan and the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 tower fan. The Vornado Whole Room 184 tower fan is also somewhat higher than Honeywell Quietset Whole Room HYF290B. As a result, the Vornado is a fan that is a little more difficult to incorporate into your space without being obtrusive.
($52.69; amazon.com and walmart.com) Lasko 36-Inch 2511 Tower Fan
We found the Honeywell Quietset Whole Room HYF290B tower fan and the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 tower fan to be more stable on their bases than this Lasko fan. The Lasko’s wobbling motion did not occur on its own during testing; rather, it occurred when we gently pushed the tower from side to side; as a consequence, it rocked from side to side. It was not as strong and stiff as the other towers we examined, so we were hesitant to suggest it to anybody who had dogs or young children. We liked the fan’s remote control, which allowed us to switch it on and off, choose one of three speed settings, set it to oscillate, and set a one, two, or four-hour timer. The Honeywell Quietset Whole Room HYF290B tower fan’s remote control lacked this timer button, despite the fact that the Honeywell provides a timer on the control panel on top of the device.
Honeywell HSF1640B Standing Fan, Double Blade Whole Room ($40.49; amazon.com, $40.93; walmart.com)
We found this Honeywell fan to be easy to put together and robust as well. We were able to simply make it oscillate from side to side during testing, and we felt it produced enough ventilation. The Black+Decker Dual Blade BFSD116B standing fan’s structure and materials are very similar (nearly identical). The Honeywell Double Blade Whole Room standing fan has a shorter rod/extension rod than the Black+Decker, but due to the Honeywell’s five well-placed and well-designed clips on its rear grille, its front and back plastic grilles are considerably easier to install than the Black+Decker’s.
Lasko 16-Inch Oscillating 2521 Standing Fan (Amazon.com: $29.08; Walmart.com: $42.99)
This Lasko fan was very simple to put together. It was also quiet enough in the room that we didn’t realize it was making any noise when we were testing it. However, we observed that it was shorter and lighter than the other pedestal fans we examined, indicating that it was less robust and strong. We also observed that it was quite simple for us to pull up on the fan’s rod (to raise the fan up and move it across the room), but that when we did so, the whole rod lifted up from its base. We were fortunate in that we only attempted to move it while it was turned off, but we can understand how this might be a potentially hazardous activity if someone attempted to move it even a foot away while it was on.
Vornado Whole Room 783 Standing Fan ($129.99 at Amazon; $154 at Walmart)
We didn’t have to perform any assembly with this Vornado fan other than attaching its head to its rod and curved U-shaped base. There is no remote control included, and there is no control panel. Like the Lasko 16-Inch Oscillating 2521 standing fan, it features a three-speed dial on the rear of the circular head. The Vornado Whole Room 783 circulator fan has a similar appearance to the Vornado Energy Smart 533DC circulator fan, with the exception that its head is bigger and it rests on a long metal pole and base. Despite being strong and well-made, we believe the other fans we tried would look better in a home or dorm setting, since the Vornado is large and difficult to miss aesthetically.
Black+Decker BFSD116B Dual Blade Standing Fan ($66.22 on Amazon, $48.97 on Walmart.com)
This Black+Decker fan was simple to put together until we attempted to connect the back and front grilles. The two grilles are held together by a plastic ring, however we found that the fan’s one weak clasp on the front grille was insufficient to keep the two grilles securely together. We continued fighting with the fan’s three components to get them to function; it took us approximately 20 minutes longer to put this fan together than the others we tested. We were able to set the fan to oscillate after it was installed, and it did a great job of cooling off our testing area. We cannot, however, suggest this fan owing to the excessive complexity in putting up what should be a simple grille attachment.
Lasko Wind Machine 3300 Circulator Fan ($42; amazon.com, $56.85; walmart.com) is a wind machine that circulates air.
We had no trouble setting up this Lasko fan since, like the other circulator fans we tried, it doesn’t need any assembly; we just took it out of its box and plugged it in. We appreciated how it had a completely tiltable head that we could rotate nearly 360 degrees to chill down either side of our testing space. However, we found the fan’s blue control knob on the rear to be a little difficult to reach, as we had to tilt the fan down to get to it, and even then, the knob seemed a little shaky in our grasp. This was in contrast to the strong, smooth action we experienced while twisting the Vornado Energy Smart 533DC circulator fan’s knob. Because the Lasko Wind Machine 3300 circulator fan is so much larger than the other floor fans we tried, it was difficult to fit it atop our desk, something it wasn’t intended to accomplish. This is in contrast to the Honeywell Turbo Force HT-900 and Black+Decker 9-Inch BFB09W circulator fans we examined, which are both small enough to sit on top of a desk or table as well as on the floor. Despite the fact that we liked the Lasko’s built-in carrying handle on top of the fan, its 9.25-pound weight made it more difficult to move from one section of our testing area to another than the 3.44-pound Vornado Energy Smart 533DC circulator fan.
The Honeywell Turbo Force HT-900 Circulator Fan ($20.99; staples.com, $18.79; walmart.com) is a fan that circulates air.
This Honeywell fan has a lot of power for its size, and it blows cold air. We turned its head to see how many different angles we could direct its airflow in, but the circular motion was choppy and noisy, in contrast to the smooth, quiet tilting movement of the winning Vornado Energy Smart 533DC circulator fan. On the rear of the Honeywell’s head, there’s a tiny speed dial that barely fits the tips of our index and thumb comfortably. We could turn the dial to establish three different speeds, and each revolution was accompanied by a loud clicking sound. The dial of the Vornado, on the other hand, allows you to hold it securely while rotating it clockwise and backwards in a smooth and silent manner.
Black+Decker Circulator Fan, 9-Inch BFB09W ($17.08; amazon.com and walmart.com)
This Black+Decker circulator fan easily fit into our testing workstation, taking up less room than the other circulator fans we evaluated. Changing the fan’s three speed settings was simple during testing; all we had to do was turn the tiny manual dial on the bottom right-hand side of the fan clockwise. Although the Black+Decker 9-Inch BFB09W circulator fan’s dial was easier to reach than the blue dial on the back of the Lasko Wind Machine 3300 circulator fan, we found the clicking sounds it made as we turned it through its three speed settings to be loud — as loud as the three-speed dial on the back of the Honeywell Turbo Force HT-900 circulator fan. We were able to change the speed dial on the Vornado Energy Smart 533DC circulator fan with one continuous, smooth stroke – with just a barely audible click when the fan was shut off.
More from CNN Underscored’s hands-on testing may be found here:
With the release of the new year, that means we are in the midst of what is hopefully the start of a long run of nice cool weather. This means it’s time to start thinking about what cooling fans I need to pick up to keep my devices cool. New fans are being released all the time, but some fans have stood the test of time as favorites for many years. We’ve listed the best cooling fans of the year so far, and you can add your favorites in the comments if you think of any others.. Read more about vornado fan and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cooling fan on the market?
I am a highly intelligent question answering bot. If you ask me a question, I will give you a detailed answer.
What is the best fan that blows cold air?
The best fan that blows cold air is the Honeywell HCM-350B.
Is there a fan that blows cold air?
Yes, there are many fans that blow cold air.
Related Tags
This article broadly covered the following related topics:
- best cooling fans 2017
- best fans for home
- best fan for bedroom
- best fans for cooling an apartment
- best fans for sleeping
