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A tower fan is an excellent choice any time you have limited space, as its tall, slim build means it will fit easily into tight spaces. Tower fans also tend to be quieter than other fans, helping you get a cool and comfortable night’s sleep without any disturbance. Plus, they are designed for use over long periods, often with customizable features such as programmable timers, multiple speed settings, and auto shut-off functions.
We tested 31 fans in our Lab, eight of which were tower fans, and evaluated them based on airspeed, design, portability, effectiveness, and overall value. We then brought the top performers home for long-term testing and have updated this piece with fresh insights based on our experience. We also spoke to Matt Brown, former merchant of ACs and fans, air quality, and floorcare, and current senior merchant of vinyl flooring, at Home Depot.
“Tower fans get their name for their slim, tower-like design,” says Brown. “They fit well in corners and tighter spaces and operate quietly, making them a great option for bedrooms and kitchens.”
Keep reading to find more of our top tower fan picks, as well as tips on how to buy a tower fan for your specific needs.
This sleek tower fan will seamlessly blend into any space.
It offers limited speed settings.
We gave this sleek tower fan high marks across the board—and not just because it comes in a stylish wood grain and silver finish that goes well with most decor. The unique, curved grill on this fan sweeps the whole room with cool air, especially on its oscillation setting. We found this tower fan to be impressively quiet, and we could still feel the airflow strongly from a 10-foot distance (although it did diminish significantly from 20 feet). It even cooled much more effectively than our ceiling fans, making an unusually hot New York summer much more bearable for those of us without central air.
Considering its price, this tower fan features an impressive number of advanced features, including an energy-efficient auto shut-off that is programmable from 30 minutes to 7.5 hours, a remote with a built-in docking station, and a carry handle to move it from room to room, although we still found it a bit unwieldy to transport. It also has a nighttime feature which automatically decreases the fan speed and dims the controls for overnight use. After three months of consistent use, the fan continued performing as well as it had on day one. However, we’d like to see more speed settings—this unit has three, which, although plenty for most people’s needs, is less than some similarly priced models.
In short, its many convenient features make this inexpensive fan ideal for hot sleepers or those with poor air circulation looking to leave it on over extended periods. Plus, its lean and vertical build makes it ideal for use in small spaces, such as a dorm room, small bedroom, studio apartment, home office, temporary living space, and more.
Size: 12.5 by 12.5 by 41.9 inches | Weight: 12.5 pounds | CFM: 634 | Cord Length: 6 feet
This inexpensive fan offers advanced features typical of pricier models.
The airflow doesn’t have super far reach, so it may be less suitable for larger spaces.
Equipped with three speed settings and three wind settings (natural wind, sleep wind, and oscillating), this tower fan comes with many of the same advanced features as competitor models, but at a much lower price (Better Homes & Gardens is owned by Real Simple’s parent company, Dotdash Meredith).
We found that the fan produced a wide range of airflow thanks to its internal oscillation, meaning it oscillates from inside the tower housing. Although the airflow didn’t reach as far in our Lab tests, it still kept our rooms cool enough to eliminate the need for AC in the summer. And even at its highest setting, we found this fan to be impressively quiet—aside from feeling cooler, we could hardly tell it was on.
In terms of portability, the fan comes with a carrying handle and has a lightweight build, although the base is a little wobbly and will require some repositioning when going from room to room. Additional features include an LED display that turns off after one minute so the light doesn’t disturb you at night, a remote control with a magnetic docking station, and a programmable timer for up to 7.5 hours of use. We also appreciate the convenient remote control, which allows you to adjust the settings without leaving the couch.
With this fan, you get many of the features common in more expensive models. Plus, its tall, narrow design tucks nicely into compact spaces. After six months of daily use, the fan maintained its high-quality performance. The fan did accumulate dust, though, which we found difficult to clean through the vertical vents.
Size: 12 by 12 by 41.5 inches | Weight: 10.4 pounds | CFM: N/A | Cord Length: 6 feet
This fan operates very quietly.
It is difficult to transport from room to room.
This tower fan is whisper quiet on the lowest setting and only produces a low hum on the highest setting, making it ideal for light sleepers who are sensitive to sound. It comes with five speed settings, all of which are quiet enough for undisturbed sleep. We were able to feel a noticeable breeze from 6 feet away, although we couldn’t detect any airflow when standing directly in front of the fan from 20 feet away. This fan has held up well after six months of use, performing so effectively that some of us now use it more often than air conditioning.
The five different speed/sound settings include Sleep, Calm, White Noise, Refresh, and Power Cool. Additional features include oscillation, a programmable timer with automatic shut-off, and a remote control that clips onto the back of the fan. Although this fan does feature a carrying handle, it’s not the easiest to transport because it dislodges from the base when you pick it up. We recommend keeping it in one room where you want to keep noise to a minimum, such as a bedroom or home office.
Size: 10 by 10 by 40 inches | Weight: 6.8 pounds | CFM: 670 | Cord Length: 6 feet
This versatile tower fan can double as a space heater.
It requires routine filter cleanings.
This hybrid model put off a natural breeze when running the fan (and really helped to circulate air throughout our homes) and warmed our living room nicely when running the heat. We were able to feel its airflow from 6 inches, 6 feet, and 20 feet away. The noise level was subtle, but still noticeable in a silent environment. The four fan speeds and three heat speeds (high heat with high fan speed, high heat with low fan speed, and low heat with low fan speed) mean you can get year-round use out of this multi-functional tower fan. We found it to oscillate about 6 inches from the center in each direction, ensuring widespread airflow.
The fan comes with a remote with onboard storage, as well as digital controls, a programmable timer, and an adjustable thermostat. In terms of safety, it comes with automatic overheating protection as well as a tip-over safety switch (although you likely won’t need it, as this fan managed to stay standing even after one of our dogs ran into it at full speed). It also has a removable filter that should be vacuumed periodically to keep it running efficiently.
This would not make a great fan for moving from room to room, as it’s quite tall and doesn’t have a handle for transport. Due to its large design, this model may also be too powerful for smaller spaces. Still, we consider this fan a great value because it serves as two appliances in one, more suitable for year-round use compared to competing fans of the same price that lack heating capabilities.
Size: 12.5 by 12.5 by 41.9 inches | Weight: 12.5 pounds | CFM: 350 | Cord Length: 6 feet
Our top pick is the Lasko Wind Curve Tower Fan because it performed well in terms of both airflow and noise. It also comes with a number of advanced features at a much lower price than many competing models. For a less-expensive option that we love, go for the Better Homes & Gardens 40-Inch Tower Fan.
We tested 31 fans in our Lab, eight of which were tower fans, evaluating them based on five key factors: airspeed, design, portability, effectiveness, and overall value. Once our Lab tests were complete, we brought home the top-performing tower fans and tested them over six months.
In the Lab, we first shuffled through each fan speed and used an anemometer to measure the air speed at each setting, noting how noisy it was at its highest and lowest settings. We also assessed the design of each fan, considering materials as well as color options, adjustability, safety features, cord length, display, and any additional features.
In general, tower fans are not designed with portability in mind, due to their tall slim build that can be awkward to reposition. However, we did assess how much each fan weighs, how much space it takes up, and how easy it is to move, considering features such as a built-in handle or a reinforced base.
The true test of each fan was its effectiveness at cooling a given space—we stood in front of each fan from 6 inches, 6 feet, and 20 feet away and assessed how much the airflow could be felt on the highest setting. We also evaluated the oscillation abilities of each fan.
Finally, we received the price of each tower fan and scored its overall value based on its price relative to the factors above. Afterward, we tested the top-performing tower fans in our own homes over the course of six months (beginning in the summer) to provide feedback on how well they hold up with extended use.
The measure of how much air a fan can move each minute is known as cubic feet per minute (CFM). Fans with a higher CFM will have more cooling power and vice versa. Because they are designed with space-saving in mind, tower fans are generally less powerful than pedestal or floor fans. Most tower fans feature several different speed settings, ranging from a gentle breeze to a powerful cool.
Because they tend to be designed for use in smaller spaces and are less powerful, tower fans are generally quieter than other types of fans. If you’re sensitive to sound, purchasing a tower fan is a great choice. However, if you prefer the white noise that comes with more traditional fans, a tower fan might not be for you. (Then again, you could also use a dedicated white noise machine.)
One of the major advantages of tower fans is that they offer a lot of customizable settings. For maximum control over the air circulation in your space, look for tower fans with multiple speed settings, a programmable timer, an oscillating fan for a wider range of motion, and a remote control.
Vornado 154 Whole Room Tower Air Circulator: This tower fan has a unique design: Instead of using oscillation, it features contoured outlets that wrap around the unit to help circulate air around the room. However, it doesn't provide an immediate cooling effect like that of other models, especially from a distance.
Tower fans usually have vents on the back or side of the fan that suck up air from the room—since hot air rises, the fan will pull from the cool air by the floor. From here, the air moves up through the vertical column and pushes out through a vertical shaft. Although most tower fans oscillate, they are also able to cool in a wider span than traditional fans thanks to the vent that runs the full length of the unit. According to Brown, tower fans “use minimal wattage for maximum cooling airflow and feature an auto-off timer mode and remote control.”
It depends on your needs. Tower fans have a smaller footprint thanks to their tall, slender build, and they can be neatly tucked into the corner of a studio apartment or small bedroom. They also tend to be more aesthetically pleasing than large pedestal or box fans and have more advanced features.
“Most cooling tower fans are quiet because they use small blades that produce a quiet hum as compared to traditional cooling tower fans with larger blades,” Brown says. And because their blades are tucked behind a grill, they’re safe for even the smallest fingers or paws.
However, tower fans generally aren’t as powerful as other types of full-sized fans and are stuck at a fixed height and tilt, so you cannot aim them in your preferred direction.
To keep your tower fan working efficiently, it’s important to keep it clear of dust and other debris. About once a week, wipe down the exterior and use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to clean the vents. Use compressed air to remove any remaining dust. Some tower fans have filters that need regular cleaning or replacing, too.
This article was written by Melanie Fincher, associate commerce editor for Real Simple with three years of experience writing product reviews and lifestyle content, and updated by Jamie Fischer, a commerce writer for Real Simple. To compile this list, we tested 31 fans in our Lab, eight of which were tower fans, and evaluated them based on their airspeed, design, portability, effectiveness, and value. We then took the top-performing fans home with us to test how well they held up over time. For expert tips on buying tower fans, we spoke to Matt Brown, former merchant of ACs and fans, air quality, and floorcare, and current senior merchant of vinyl flooring, at Home Depot.
Next to each product on this list, you may have noticed a Real Simple Selects seal of approval. Any product appearing alongside that seal has been vetted by our team—put through tests and graded on its performance to earn a spot on our list. Although we buy most of the products we test, sometimes we do get samples from companies if purchasing a product ourselves isn’t an option. All products go through the same rigorous process, whether they are purchased or sent by the company.
Love our recommendations? Check out more products that have earned the Real Simple Selects, from humidifiers to cordless vacuums.
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