Hot and Bothered? Not With These Summer-Ready Cooling Fans
Hot and Bothered? Not With These Summer-Ready Cooling Fans
There’s nothing worse than coming home from oppressive heat outside to an equally warm and sticky indoor environment. Sure, cranking up the air conditioner may be an option, but it can take a longer time for relief to kick in, and not to mention it sends your electricity bill through the roof. Cooling fans provide a faster and more energy-efficient route to a colder space — and your wallet will thank you, too.
Fans also come in many shapes and sizes. There are blade-free options that may be best for families and pet owners, tower fans for cooling down cavernous spaces, and cute, compact picks that work well in small rooms for immediate relief.
The Best Cooling Fans
What to Consider
Fans can make or break your quality of life during peak heat season. Keep the following in mind and you’ll be sure to keep your cool:
- Placement: Depending on where your hot spot is, a window, desk, box, or oscillating tower fan may be your best bet. Smaller portable fans are great for offices and kitchens, but if you need to cool a bed or living room down, you’re going to need something with more juice.
- Number of Speeds + Oscillation: If you want to dial your coolness up and down or move the air around an entire room, you’re going to want a fan with multiple speeds and/or oscillating power.
- Size: A micro handheld is going to work well standing in line at a concert (when you hold it 6 inches from your face), but if you want to avoid sleeping hot during the evenings, you’re going to want a big window unit that can tackle your entire room.
It’s hard to know where to begin, so we did the research for you: We combed through hundreds of options, consulted professional reviews, considered how consumers rated them once they got them home, and picked the best of the best, in a range of styles, setups, and price points. Get ready for a better, cooler, well-ventilated summer season!
1) Air Multiplier AM06 Table Fan
Dyson
amazon.com
$549.99
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 17.78x33.02x35.56 inches
- Type: Table
- Number of Speeds: 10
This fan was engineered to create a powerful airflow while using less energy than comparable machines. This 10-inch fan is small enough to fit on a desk but powerful enough to cool down an entire space.
The blade-free design makes it safe for children and pets and makes it a snap to clean. Plus, it is quiet, can be controlled via remote control, and features a sleep timer so you can program it to shut off at intervals ranging from 15 minutes to an hour.
Customers were especially enthusiastic about the choice of 10 precise airflow settings and the overall sleek design, including a space for the curved and magnetized remote to rest on the machine when not in use.
2) Double Blade Pedestal Fan
Honeywell
amazon.com
$52.99
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 18x16x48 inches
- Type: Pedestal
- Number of Speeds: 3
This fan is a quiet powerhouse. If you’re looking for a classic fan that can cool down a room at top speed without putting a dent in your wallet, this Honeywell is calling your name.
It’s 48 inches high, with a 16-inch double blade tucked safely behind a grate. (It’s tall enough, and with a sturdy enough base, to keep the blades out of paw and finger reach.)
The powerful fan has three speed settings and enough oomph and oscillation to cool down a medium to large room. Reviewers love how quickly this fan’s effects can be felt, and appreciate that it comes with a remote.
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3) Builder Deluxe Indoor Ceiling Fan
Hunter Fan Company
amazon.com
$133.85
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 52x52x17.77 inches
- Type: Ceiling
- Number of Speeds: 3
This ceiling fan comes with a built-in light. This classically designed Hunter ceiling fan earned high praise for its quiet and efficient work, with customers also saying that it was quick and easy to install, even for non-experts.
This fan, which measures 52x52x17.7 inches, features clean, contemporary lines, with fully dimmable, highly efficient LED bulbs, a 13-degree blade pitch optimized for maximum air flow, and a three-position mounting system.
Bonus: The reverse rotation blades not only cool down rooms in the summer but also warm them up during the winter.
4) Mini Handheld Fan
TriPole
amazon.com
$13.99
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 6.7x3.1x1 inches
- Type: Handheld
- Number of Speeds: 2
Being hot on the go is a summer bummer. Sometimes, you just need a small breeze right on your face! Enter: this cute handheld fan, which has a built-in motor powerful enough to support a blade running at top speed.
This portable mini fan features two speeds, a rechargeable battery, a charging cable, and an easy-to-hold nonslip handle. The lollipop shape, small size, and practicality make it appealing for younger users, but to be on the safe side, it should be kept away from pets and kids younger than 10.
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5) VFAN Mini Personal Vintage Fan
Vornado
amazon.com
$39.99
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 8.4x7.1x5.9 inches
- Type: Table
- Number of Speeds: 2
Get ready for performance in a gorgeous package. Design fans will want this cool number for its mod, 1950s-era design alone. The compact size makes it ideal for desks, nightstands, and kitchen counters, yet its power can cool a small to medium-sized room, with two speeds for dialed-in comfort.
The adjustable tilt head is a nice option, too, if the room needs to cool down but you don’t want direct air. Vornado also has hassle-free customer support and a 5-year guarantee.
One thing to note: The fan does make a steady, low “white-noise” sound, which some reviewers loved as a way to drown out background noise, but it may not appeal to all. The fan comes in a range of colors, like mint, white, steel, and more.
6) Tower Fan with Remote Control
Lasko
amazon.com
$62.90
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 12x12x36 inches
- Type: Floor tower
- Number of Speeds: 3
If you have a small budget and big cooling needs, check out this Lasko. It doesn’t get better than this cooling fan, which is made to cool down big rooms fast, on the cheap.
This black Lasko fan features smooth and consistent airflow with widespread oscillation. Its blade-free design makes it safe for little and furry ones, and the flexible timer (1 to 7 hours) makes it great for setting up in bedrooms or during gatherings and family celebrations.
The fan can be operated by wireless remote control, and the assembly is a snap. Users loved how quiet it is and the fact that it takes up less space than other powerful fans.
7) Hot + Cool Fan and Purifier
Dyson
amazon.com
$649.00
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 9.76x8.07x30.08 inches
- Type: Floor
- Number of Speeds: 10
The only thing this fan doesn’t do is your taxes. This Dyson acts as a HEPA air purifier, space heater, and fan in one neat package. It’s great for people with allergies because it specifically targets ultra fine particles and allergens and initiates purification as needed.
This sleek-looking fan can also be used year-round to cool rooms down in the summer and heat them up in the winter. The patented air multiplier technology projects cool or hot air into the room quickly and evenly, and then uses smart tech to track the temperature and maintain the level you selected, without wasting energy.
There are no exposed heating elements or blades, so it’s safe for people with young children and pets, and if the machine tips over, it will automatically turn off. This smart Dyson is WiFi-enabled and generates real-time reports on air quality.
8) 30-Inch Oscillating Tower
PELONIS
amazon.com
$44.99
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 7x6.8x29.7 inches
- Type: Floor tower
- Number of Speeds: 3
This trusted fan offers great value! The top-mounted, slim, lightweight oscillating tower fan from Pelonis comes with three speeds and a wide-angle oscillation and is small enough to place anywhere in the room.
The tower has a wide 60-degree angle oscillation which gives the ultimate in airflow; you can also set it for up to 120 minutes at 20-minute increments.
Customers raved about how “effectively” it works, making it a top pick for a quick cooldown. The tower has been built to be child- and pet-safe.
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9) Cool Colors 3-Speed Box Fan
Lasko
walmart.com
$24.96
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 22.56x4.5x21.5 inches
- Type: Box
- Number of Speeds: 3
This old-fashioned box fan ticks a lot of boxes for a seriously low price. Charmingly utilitarian, it’s a neon (bright blue or purple) Mad Men-esque piece of post-mod design candy.
The slim, 20-inch cooling fan provides high-volume air movement, and its smart design means it costs less than $0.02 an hour to operate.
We like the fan’s rounded corners and the top-mounted control knob with three quiet speeds, but the blades mean it should be kept away from small children.
It comes fully assembled with an easy-carry handle, so you can tow it with you from room to room. Reviewers love how “powerful” and easy to use it is.
More: The Best Smart Air Conditioners To Keep Your Space Cool
10) Window Fan with Remote Control
Bionaire
amazon.com
$69.99
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 25.5x14.1x6 inches
- Type: Window
- Number of Speeds: 3
Are you in the market for a fan, but secretly want an air conditioner? This is the holy grail for you: It performs as a fan, but feels and works more like a window-mounted AC.
It displays the current temperature in LED digital form and can be operated manually or via remote control. You can also program the fan to turn on and off, maintain temperature, and ultimately save energy. The unit fits double-hung vertical slider windows, and an extender allows a for-custom fit.
Many reviewers hailed the fan’s power but warned others to keep their screens in to avoid an onslaught of unwanted flying visitors.
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Cooling fans provide a faster and more energy-efficient route to a colder space — and your wallet will thank you, too. These are the best cooling fans worth buying in 2022.