The Double Blade also won’t recall your last settings and defaults to the lowest speed without oscillation when powered back on. It’s not a quiet fan either, particularly on the highest settings, which makes it difficult to watch TV without turning up the volume. Though the operation lights on the front dim after several seconds, if you’re particularly alen breathesmart sensitive to lights in the bedroom, you may end up covering the front of this one. Overall, however, this is a useful fan with a fair range of features and good power for less money than many others, making it a great value option. This elegantly engineered white pedestal fan from Lasko blends into surrounding decor and cools the largest home spaces.
Being able to tilt or oscillate a fan also makes a big difference in where it can live in your home, so we considered these abilities as well. To score each model’s overall noisiness, we started off by taking decibel readings of each fan at all of their various speeds. We then qualified each fan’s sound, including relative pitch, quality of noise, and respective annoyance levels. We noted if they had extra noises, like clicking, beeping, whirring, or vibrations. And because gunk getting stuck in your fan can affect its noisiness, we also inspected how easy they are to clean.
Of all the models we tested, this one operates at the lowest pitch, sounding more like a hum than the traditional whirring of a fan. Though it can’t point down, it can be angled nearly vertically to bounce air off the ceiling and blow it effectively around an entire room. It’s the only one with the cord coming out of the bottom of the stand, as well, rather than dangling off the base of the motor halfway up the stand. It’s easily felt from across a room, though only if you’re standing directly in its tunnel-like path.
When it comes to keeping these units clean, all of them have removable grills that can be rinsed or wiped, allowing easy access to the blades to keep them dust-free. The Honeywell Double Blade, Pelonis 18″ 3-Speed Oscillating, and Black+Decker 16″ make it even easier, with simple clasps that can be twisted to the side with your thumb for removal. The Comfort Zone, Lasko S16612, and Lasko Cyclone grills can be popped on and off, as they utilize plastic tabs to stay in place.
Despite having 12 different speed settings, the highest rate of airflow measured at just 10.5 mph, which is below average for this group of contenders. With all that in mind, we highly enjoy the convenience and less intrusive noise you get with this model. Though those that love simplicity will appreciate this straightforward 3-speed design controlled by a simple knob, the Vornado 683 is likely to disappoint if you’re after settings and features. Additionally, this fan may not quite reach the top of your bed — at its tallest, it stands just 38 inches high. It’s also quite loud on higher settings, though the lowest speed is reasonably quiet. However, if you’re looking for a pedestal fan with far-reaching power that you can stick in the corner and forget about, the Vornado may be exactly what you want.
Weighing just 13.85 lbs., the lightweight frame offers easy portability so you can quickly carry this fan into rooms where you need it most. Just about every pedestal fan we tested oscillates roughly 90 degrees with the exception of the Vornado 683, which doesn’t oscillate at all but can be twisted on its stand to face any direction. However, the Vornado offers one of the widest pivot ranges, at nearly 90 degrees, whereas most others are closer to degrees at most. Pedestal fans have a reputation for being ungainly and large — but how ungainly and how large? We measured the dimensions of every fan, checked to see how much their heights are adjustable, and considered their base size and the blade housing size. Of course, since larger fans are often more powerful, we considered other values of their sizes when calculating scores in this metric.
The super-wide, 21-inch circular base takes up a significant amount of room and slides readily across hardwood floors. As a light, plastic unit, ours bounced and vibrated at every speed — not audibly, but visibly. Though, if you’re a fan of white noise and a powerful breeze, you may just love this big unit exactly as it is.