3 Best Room Fans

Pros: Lowest noise level, compact, adjustable tilt head.
Cons: This fan delivers enough cool air for only one person.

If you’re looking for a small fan that rests on top of your desk or table and delivers a personal gust of cool air, the Vornado Flippi V6 Personal Air Circulator came out on top in our tests in this category. 

Here’s how it fared in our tests:

Wind speed: The Vornado delivered modest wind speeds ranging between 2.7 and 3.7 meters per second. It has two speed settings, but keep in mind that you will be sitting close to it, so these numbers should be judged in that context. It consumed the least amount of energy of the fans tested.

Ease of use: The Vornado’s head can pivot 180 degrees on the vertical plane, and you can easily adjust this by hand. However, the speed-setting wheel at the bottom of the fan can be difficult to turn—you will have to use both hands to adjust the speed. As far as stability goes, don’t expect too much from this fan’s anti-skid feet: The fan can be easily moved with a slight push.

Noise: The Vornado was the quieter of the two tabletop fans we tested—it measured about 68 dBA at 1 foot and only 46 dBA at 2 feet and peaks at 88 dBA, whereas the Mainstays 9-Inch Box Tabletop fan averaged about 84 dBA at 1 foot and 82 dBA at 2 feet and peaked at up to 94 dBA. To put this into perspective: Sounds over 85 dBA can damage your hearing faster, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Pros: Widest wind-speed range, among the most energy-efficient, adjustable tilt head, adjustable height, includes a remote control.
Cons: Slightly noisy.

The Dreo Air Circulator PolyFan 311 isn’t just our top pick for pedestal fans, it’s also our overall top choice for a room fan. This sleek-looking fan has the most features and a unique design. 

Here’s how it fared in our tests:

Wind speed: Dreo had the largest speed range, covering the lowest and highest speeds of the group. It also has the largest number of settings—eight in total—including four oscillating modes, among others. Its wind speed ranged from 2.1 to 6.4 meters per second, so you can feel good about its ability to cool down a larger space. Even better, it achieves this while placing second on our list of best energy-conserving fans.

Ease of use: The Dreo has a remote control with a holder that can attach to the main body of the fan, and it has the most features among the models we tested. The features can be accessed directly from the unit or with the remote control. It is designed with stainless steel-colored plastic and a digital display and can be vertically adjusted from 35.75 inches to a maximum height of 40 inches. The head oscillates on the horizontal plane up to 120 degrees and has four settings. You can tilt the head manually up and down over 90 degrees, and cool air can be directed down to the floor, which is a plus if you like to dry your floors quickly after mopping them. 

Noise: Generally speaking, pedestal fans are noisier than tabletop fans and quieter than box fans. This one sat somewhere in the middle in terms of noise, with an average decibel measurement of 69 dBA.

Pros: The only box fan we tested to score above average in all categories.
Cons: One of the noisiest fans, features white numbers on a white background that can be difficult to read.

Out of the three box fans we tested, the Genesis G20 Box Fan is the only model that scored above average in all categories—the others fell short of earning average scores. 

Here’s how it fared in our tests:

Wind speed: The Genesis’ wind speed wasn’t the strongest, and it didn’t provide the most range—it measured between 3.3 and 4.4 meters per second. But it is fourth on our list of biggest energy savers and far in front of the AirFort and Amazon Basics fans below.

Ease of use: This white plastic box fan has three fan speeds and a storage compartment for the power cord, but it doesn’t offer the option of adjusting the angle. It is designed with white numbers on a white background, which may make it difficult to see the numbers when changing the speed setting. The handle is a cavity located behind the speed knob.

Noise: Expect box fans to be the noisiest of the room fan categories. With an average decibel measurement of 67 dBA, the Genesis is our second loudest fan, just ahead of the AirFort.

This is a cost-conscious freestanding fan for your table or desk. But for a few dollars more, the Vornado Flippi V6 provides a quieter, higher-quality fan certified by UL and Intertek.

Here’s how it fared in our tests: 

Wind speed: One advantage the Mainstays tabletop fan has over the Vornado is that it is designed with three speeds instead of two. Its wind speed range was broader, with speeds of between 4.3 and 5.9 meters per second. 

Ease of use: This small fan was easy to use, but you can only adjust the fan speed and move it by hand. The black numbers on the black background can be difficult to see because of a lack of contrast. (Note: The fan also comes in blue, green river, and white, but we did not test those models.) The dial is easy to turn and is positioned on the right side of the fan, with the handle on its left side. The power cord is located on the back of the fan.

Noise: At 5 feet and 72 dBA, it was noisier than most. It averaged about 84 dBA at 1 foot and 82 dBA at 2 feet, which were both much higher than the Vornado’s averages.

This classically designed pedestal fan by a big-name brand is cheaper than our top pick, but it consumed the most energy and failed to deliver the Dreo Oscillating Pedestal Fan’s extensive wind speed.

Here’s how it fared in our tests: 

Wind speed: Whereas the Dreo has eight speed settings and provides a wind speed range of 2.1 to 6.4 meters per second, the Lasko has three speeds, and its wind speed only ranges from 3.3 to 4.8 meters per second in our tests. One of these fans is your best choice in a heat wave, and it’s not the Lasko. 

Ease of use: The Lasko is a plastic adjustable pedestal fan with one oscillating mode. The pedestal is height-adjustable from 38 to 54.5 inches, and the head can pivot up and down.

Noise: This is a fairly quiet pedestal fan with an average of 57 dBA on its highest speed setting.

We like that this pedestal fan from Amazon Basics is relatively low-priced and comes with a remote control. However, it consumes more energy than the Dreo, and its wind speed range wasn’t as impressive. 

Here’s how it fared in our tests: 

Wind speed: This Amazon Basics fan has three speed settings, with a wind speed range of between 3.7 and 5.3 meters per second—slightly more range than the Lasko fan. It is also designed with three breeze modes: nature, sleep, and normal.

Ease of use: This fan has gray buttons with white fonts on a black surface with a digital screen. Its remote control uses two 1.5-volt AAA batteries (batteries are not included). Its height adjusts from 44.4 to 53.1 inches.

Noise: In our noise tests, it averages 60 dBA, which makes it a quieter fan than our top pedestal fan pick.

Compared with other models on this list, this fan consumes less energy, has a strong wind speed, and is not as loud as many of the others. The smaller a fan’s base is, the easier it is to tip it over. In our test, the Vornado 683 Medium Pedestal Air Circulator is the hardest to tip over, requiring 3.3 pounds of force. However, it doesn’t oscillate, and its height adjustability is minimal.

Here’s how it fared in our tests: 

Wind speed: The Vornado’s wind speed ranged from 3.1 to 6.3 meters per second, making it the fan with the second-highest wind speed range, after the winning Dreo Air Circulator PolyFan 311.

Ease of use: This black plastic fan has an adjustable height of 32 to 38 inches, and it doesn’t oscillate. Its head, which can tilt up to about 90 degrees, doesn’t point down to the floor, only straight and higher. The fan speed knob is under the head on the front of the fan, so it can be difficult to view the control, and the black-on-black numbers are a challenge to see.

Noise: The fan averaged 59 dBA and was one of the quieter large fans we tested.

This relatively lightweight box fan is the quietest of the box fans we tested and also less expensive. However, its wind speed wasn’t comparable to that of our top pick. 

Here’s how it fared in our tests: 

Wind speed: One of the more energy-consuming fans on this list, its wind speed range is slightly higher than our top pick, measuring between 3.3 and 4.5 meters per second on the lowest and highest of its three speed settings.

Ease of use: This plastic box fan has a storage compartment for its power cord, with black-colored numbers on a black plastic speed control (so it’s not the easiest to read). It has a carrying handle at the top for portability. 

Noise: The fan averaged 63 dBA—although we wouldn’t call it quiet, it’s the quietest of the box fans.

This box fan is certainly unique: It glows in the dark and will probably delight children in your home. It also has the strongest wind speed and is the most stable, but it consumed the most energy, was the loudest, and lacks UL and Intertek certification. 

Here’s how it fared in our tests: 

Wind speed: The AirFort fan delivered a wind speed range of between 4.3 and 5.6 meters per second on the lowest and highest of its speed settings. This is a powerful box fan. 

Ease of use: This white and gray box fan has a handle on top and an easy-to-see and easy-to-access speed control. It is among the most stable fans we tested.

Noise: This fan is no shrinking violet when it comes to noise. It delivered an average of 78 dBA.