Not only does this high velocity feel great in your face after a prolonged period outside on a hot day, but it also helps to circulate air around a room more effectively — exactly what this model is made to do. The Lasko Cyclone is also quite powerful and has the added bonus of oscillation and a timer, both of which the Vornado lacks. Also notable for their similarly high top speeds are the Honeywell Double Blade and Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme 5-Speed.
Fans have always been a necessary part of life for both Maggie and her easily overheated dog. From her home gym to her home office, she knows what it takes to find the right fan for any space. She tests several types of fans and has been testing all types of home and outdoor gear for both OutdoorGearLab and TechGearLab since 2017. Currently we offer FREE FedEx/UPS alen breathesmart small package Ground shipping and FREE ABF/YRC freight ground shipping on most orders of $199 or more within the 48 contiguous states. We tested each fan’s performance through a battery of tests that cover four metrics. We put together a complete picture of each model through laboratory tests, precision measurements, everyday usage, and qualitative analyses.
It includes a timer and a remote — though no CR2032 battery — and features a remote caddy on top of the motor. We also love that it remembers its last settings when you turn it back on and is surprisingly quiet and pleasant at every speed. Our favorite pedestal fan is the PELONIS Silent Turbo for its myriad options and fully functional range of speeds. This fan has 12 different speeds, allowing you to achieve the ideal airflow for your needs. The Lasko S16612 with Thermostat offers surprisingly convenient functionality beyond its optional thermostat functionality — which we love. This fan emits a lower-pitched hum that more easily fades into the background than many other models’ higher-pitched whirring noises.
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.
Our unit also had a heavy, droopy head, which limits its angles of operation from straight ahead to slightly down. We measured this fan as having just under a 2 mph difference between the lowest (8.5 mph) and the highest (10.3 mph) speeds. We’re not sure the low price and extra features are worth the long list of shortcomings. The Honeywell Double Blade 16 is a standard pedestal fan with enough upgrades to make it a solid model and a solid value, too.
We almost couldn’t hear it at its lowest speed amongst all the other sounds in the house. The remote is both simple and fully functional, controlling every aspect of this fan — including oscillation — with a beep-less push of a button. Cool large rooms quickly with this Lasko 20-inch oscillating remote control pedestal fan. The 20-inch blades and powerful motor deliver impressive airflow, and the four speed settings let you choose your ideal level of cooling.
However, if you prefer a very light breeze and value silence, this may be a good fit. Though its sound is quieter than many others of similar power, the quality of noise this fan emits is, at every speed, rather similar to the whirring of a small airplane. It also lets out a chirping “beep” every time you plug it in or change a setting. Though its timer allows you to program more precise half-hour increments, the oscillation feature isn’t controlled by the remote — only by the classic push-pull tab on the back of the motor. It’s also more wiggly than we’d like, though the very solid base adds a lot to its overall stability.
Turn on the oscillation feature to distribute air through a wide area, ideal for circulating the air in large spaces. The controls on the fan’s base are awkwardly located partially behind the bottom of the blade cage. It chirps loudly with every setting change, and the light on the base never turns off — though it’s just one small red dot, which is less intrusive than many others. The remote caddy must be removed from the stand to put the head all the way down, and you can’t control the oscillation function with the remote, only with the traditional knob on top of the motor.