The Best Fans for Every Use
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Consider the humble fan. Most people don't give it much thought until they're hauling it out mid-summer from the depths of a closet to circulate air in a stuffy bedroom or sweltering garage. But a proper fan is actually a handy companion year-round—it can dry out carpets and flooring after a leak; dispatch kitchen odors or smoke; or in winter, even redirect hot air that has risen from the ceiling back to the floor. I test fans year round to bring you the best in every category, like the Shark FlexBreeze ($200) as Best for Outdoors and the Lasko Super Fan Max ($80) as Best for Home Disasters, as well as the Best for Most Uses, which I've deemed to be the Vornado 660 ($95).
For more ways to keep your indoor air quality under control and cool, check out our guides to the Best Indoor Air Quality Monitors, Best Air Purifiers, Best Humidifiers, Best Dehumidifiers, and Best Window ACs.
Updated February 2025: We’ve added the Lasko Super Fan Max, Lasko Hybrid Tower Fan/Space Heater, and Dreo MC706 2-in-1 Heater Fan; reordered picks; removed a discontinued model; incorporated longer-term testing notes for multiple models; and updated links and prices.
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Things to Consider Before Buying a Fan
So, you're in the market for a fan. But what kind? 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 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 circulate 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.
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 hundreds of brands in multiple categories, sizes, and shapes. How do you know which fan is right 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. They provide 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.
How I Test
When looking for fans, I seek out 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 consider available features, value, and ease of use, and I test each fan in both an office during the day and a bedroom at night. I also measure 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 are also taken into consideration.
- Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Fan for Most Uses
Vornado 660Vornado’s 660 air circulator is the Swiss Army Knife of fans. It's designed to make full use of Vornado's proprietary Vortex Action. This sends air out in a sort of high-volume corkscrew column, the shape of which allows it to travel longer distances. 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. Its portability and compact size mean it can be placed on a table or on the floor. It's great in the living room tucked out of sight, in an office so it doesn't blow papers around on a desk or bulletin board, or on the floor 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
Best Tower Fan—That’s Also a Heater
Dreo MC706 2-in-1 Tower Heater Fan“Dreo's highest cooling performance to date!” crowed the press materials for this fan/heater combo released in November. Having tested a couple other combination fan/heaters, I admit I was dubious—usually the fan is either half its usual size to accommodate the heater or is partially blocked internally by the heating apparatus. However, the MC706 is indeed the strongest fan I've tested, and it's not even close.
It accomplishes this feat through auto-shift positive temperature coefficient (PTC) technology, which moves the heater's ceramic element aside to allow full fan airflow. (This is also a key component in electric vehicle heating systems.) Pair this with a boosted DC motor and 12 fan speeds and you've got a tower fan that not only rivals but exceeds any stand-alone version. Other perks include a flame-resistant plastic body, inset carrying handle (the fan weighs 13 lbs.), 120-degree oscillation, and tip-over protection for the five-setting heater. Note, however, that though there is a remote, there are no smart features, and this fan does not work with the Dreo app.
Features Smart app: No Remote: Yes Wind speed on high: 1,700 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 56 dB/33 dB Oscillation: Yes Warranty: 1 year, or 2½ years with registration
- Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Fan–Air Purifier Combo
Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan MC710SMy family loves this combination air purifier and tower fan. Though it is on the larger side and looks almost like a cylindrical patio heater, it costs hundreds less than its competitor, the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP 10 ($430); 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 more than seven months of nightly use, the MC710S is still going strong, and its filter ($40 for one) is just now needing to be replaced.
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 2½ 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 incorporates Vornado's proprietary Vortex Action yet 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: 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 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 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, and it has a nearly 6-foot cord.
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, 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 for Outdoors/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 worth the tradeoff of staying cool. 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. 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
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- Photograph: Walmart
Best Budget Fan
Lasko 20" Save-Smart Box FanI bought these Lasko fans from Home Depot 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: Kat Merck
Best Fan for Home Disasters
Lasko High Velocity Super Fan Max Air MoverSometimes one simply needs a fan to provide a breeze on hot, lazy days, other times a fan is necessary for less pleasant purposes—flooded basements, dishwasher leaks, clearing out smoke. Or the time a freak snow- and windstorm blew several inches’ worth of snow through my home’s gable vents, which I didn’t realize until it melted and started leaking through several light fixtures.
You could always rent a high-velocity commercial fan, but keeping this commercial-grade, three-speed floor fan on hand could potentially save time and money—it’s small enough to be stored in a garage or basement for when it’s needed. It’s got a handle for carrying and two 120-volt outlets on the side for auxiliary power or connecting other fans, plus a 10-foot cord to facilitate placing it in the middle of the room. It's actually not the strongest fan I've tested, but it won top billing for its portability, focused blast of air, and low profile. Be forewarned, though, that this truly is a utilitarian piece of equipment—don't expect to be able to carry on a conversation in the same room.
Features Smart app: No Remote: No Wind speed on high: 1,200 ft/m Noise (on high/on low): 100 dB/76 dB Oscillation: No Warranty: 1 year
Honorable Mentions
Honeywell QuietSet Whole Room Oscillating Tower Fan for $70: 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. However, 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.
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Vornado Strata for $130: 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 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.
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Dyson Cool AM07 Tower Fan for $350: Our previous pick for Best Tower Fan before being bested by Dreo's MC706, Dyson’s iconic ellipse is still worth a look. 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. That said, it is one of the loudest fans tested when set on high and I don't like that it can only be controlled with a remote, which is small and can easily be lost. It's a solid tower fan, but there are higher-performing options for less.
Not Recommended
Dreo 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. The replacement unit has proven reliable, but unwieldy.
Comlife Rechargeable Camping Fan for $36: 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 $141: 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.
Lasko Duo Comfort High-Velocity Fan and Ceramic Space Heater for $98: This sleek double tower has a heater on the left side and a fan with four speed settings and its own control buttons on the right side. Unfortunately, the fan performance is abysmal, with wind speed struggling to top 450 ft/m. It’s also louder than many tower fans at around 70 dB on high. Upon opening the box, it had some rather extreme off-gassing—our test unit gave off a terrible plastic smell for about a month, even during the times it was turned off. Worse yet, though, is the fact there is no tip-over protection function for the heater—I knocked it over to test, and it ran face-down into the carpet for a full 30 seconds before I got nervous and picked it up.
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