2024 test12 productsHome Appliances
Which Fan Brand Wins?
We compared 12 fan options head to head. Dreo came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Dreo
Price shown in test: $120
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Budget pick
Amazon Basics or Hurricane (presenter names both as tied best value picks)
Price shown in test: $49
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Claimed specs | Made in | Weight | Air volume (CFM), low/medium/high | Noise, low/medium/high | Power draw, low/high | Air volume per watt, low/high | Tip over angle | Remote signal range | Drop/impact test | Build quality rating | Air speed | Air volume per watt, high | Height adjustment | Air volume per decibel, low/high | Blade cleaning | Noise, low/high | Power draw, low/medium/high |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dreo$120 | smart oscillating floor fan with Wi-Fi and voice control (works with Alexa and Google), 6 modes, 8 speeds, claims 882 CFM and air that travels 100 ft, claims an extraordinary noise level of just under 25 decibels, oscillates both up and down as well as side to side, best packaged and easiest to assemble of all the fans | not stated in the transcript | 12.67 lb | 195 / 287 / 476, far short of the claimed 882 CFM but presenter calls 476 pretty good for a small sized fan | 37.8 dB / 37.8 dB / 54.1 dB (turbo setting); on low the room's own background noise was as loud as the fan, so this low reading is not a precise measurement of the fan itself | 5 W / 32 W, by far the most energy efficient fan tested | 39.8 CFM per watt on low (best of all fans by far), 14.8 CFM per watt on high (also best of all fans) | 15.1 degrees, second best result behind the Black and Decker's 15.6 | 180 degrees | fan blade broke from the impact | 1.5, tied for the best (lowest) rating with the Vornado, on the presenter's own subjective scale | 17.7 mph | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Vornado$130 | whole room air circulator using Vornado's signature vortex air circulation, claims air moves up to 100 ft, does not come with a remote control | China | 11.87 lb | 400 / 559 / 757, the highest of all 12 fans on high speed; presenter states 'if it's all about air movement, the Vornado moves the most air' | 47.3 dB / 57.6 dB / 65.6 dB, almost as loud as the Polonus on high | 58.3 W / 96 W, the most power draw of all fans on high speed | not tested | 11.5 degrees, one of the weaker tip over results | not tested | described as 'a tank,' seemed ready for more action after the impact with no apparent damage | 1.5, tied for the best (lowest) rating with the Dreo | 18.5 mph, tied for the best of all fans with the Polonus | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 3Pelonis$61 | 18 in, 5 blade oscillating fan, LED display, 5 speed settings, 7 hour timer, 90 degrees of oscillation and 24 degrees of tilt, includes a remote | China | 14.72 lb, one of the heaviest fans tested | 383 / 561 / 701, described as 'by far the best yet' at that point in testing; finished second overall in the final air volume ranking behind the Vornado | 50.8 dB / 60.9 dB / 65.7 dB, described as really loud | 52.4 W / 66.8 W | not tested | 14.9 degrees, among the best tip over results | not tested | fan guard stayed in place after the impact, performed very well | 2, second best (lowest) rating after Dreo and Vornado's 1.5 | 18.5 mph, tied for the best of all fans with the Vornado | 10.5 CFM per watt, third best of the fans with a stated figure | 9.3 inches | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 4Hurricane$40 | claims a powerful cold breeze at 1,350 RPM and 1,201 CFM, three speed fan, claims quiet and powerful, remote can adjust speed but not toggle oscillation | China | 11.65 lb, described as the heaviest fan tested up to that point in the video | 489 / 530 / 567, described as moving the most air volume of all fans tested up to that point, more than 100 CFM better than the competition at that point | 50.4 dB / 53.8 dB / 55.3 dB, described as the loudest fan tested up to that point | 45.1 W / 57.2 W | not tested | 14.8 degrees, a very good result | 360 degrees, the only fan in the test offering full 360 degree remote signal capability | survived without damage; the fan cover would have stayed in place had the retaining screw been installed | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 9.7 CFM per decibel on low (the best of all fans), 9.6 CFM per decibel on high (also the best of all fans) | one of only four fans (with the Holmes, Aigostar, and Simple Deluxe) that has clips allowing easy access to the fan blade for cleaning | not tested | not tested |
| 5Lasko$52 | 18 in fan (larger than the 16 in fans tested earlier) with 5 blades instead of 3, oscillating cyclone pedestal fan, adjustable height, timer up to 4 hours, remote control, oscillation toggled with a knob on top of the fan | China | 8.2 lb | 338 / 369 / 523, moved the fan into second place for air volume at that point in testing (later surpassed by the Polonus, Vornado, and Dreo) | 45.1 dB / 51.4 dB / 60 dB; presenter notes the Lasko makes a whistling sound and is louder than the Amazon Basics on low speed | 61 W / about 82 W, described as the most power draw of any fan tested up to that point at both speeds ('an energy hog') | not tested | 12.5 degrees, the same result as the Amazon Basics | not tested | fan cover popped loose during the tip over test but there was no permanent damage | not tested | not tested | not tested | 10 inches | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 6Amazon Basics$49 | claims a 60 W motor with whisper quiet operation, uses two sets of fan blades, remote adjusts speed and starts/stops oscillation, includes a shutoff timer | China | 11.78 lb | 404 / 485 / 522, about 45 CFM less than the Hurricane on high | 42.2 dB / 47.5 dB / 50.9 dB | 41 W / 51.8 W | not tested | 12.5 degrees, the same result as the Lasko | not tested | the snap-in fan guard became detached on impact but there was no permanent damage | not tested | not tested | 10.1 CFM per watt, fourth best of the fans with a stated figure | not tested | about 9.6 CFM per decibel on low (almost as efficient as the Hurricane's 9.7), 9.5 CFM per decibel on high (second best after the Hurricane's 9.6) | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 7Simple Deluxe$61 | 16 in three speed adjustable fan, claims a powerful 46 W motor, 90 degrees of wide oscillation, claims less than 60 decibels, does not come with a remote | China | 5.49 lb | 433 / 484 / 503, good enough for fourth place in air volume at that point in testing | 44.9 dB / 48.2 dB / 52.7 dB | 38.6 W / 41 W, described as the most efficient fan on power draw up to that point in testing | not tested | 8.4 degrees, the worst (most tip prone) result of all 12 fans | not tested | the plastic housing on the fan motor broke and the fan guard would no longer stay in place, one of the worse damage outcomes | not tested | not tested | 12.3 CFM per watt, second best of the fans with a stated figure, after the Dreo | not tested | 9.6 CFM per decibel on low (almost as efficient as the Hurricane), 9.2 CFM per decibel on high (third best) | one of only four fans (with the Holmes, Hurricane, and Aigostar) that has clips allowing easy access to the fan blade for cleaning | not tested | not tested |
| 8Aigostar$55 | 10 fan blades (versus 3 or 5 on other units), claims a 60 W DC inverter motor for maximum performance and powerful wind, 75 degrees of oscillation, claims 2,000 CFM | China | 8.56 lb | 387 / 470 / 488, presenter notes the air volume is very inconsistent and far short of the claimed 2,000 CFM | 49.2 dB / 52.8 dB / 55.3 dB, described as pretty loud | 45.9 W / about 50 W | not tested | 11.8 degrees, presenter says it 'really struggled on this test' | not tested | kept it all together after impacting the floor, no damage noted | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | one of only four fans (with the Holmes, Hurricane, and Simple Deluxe) that has clips allowing easy access to the fan blade for cleaning | not tested | not tested |
| 9Black+Decker$40 | oscillation up to 90 degrees, remote adjusts speed but cannot toggle oscillation (must be done manually), by far the best packaged fan of the group and least likely to arrive damaged | China | 8.35 lb | 327 / 390 / 452, described as the best yet at that point in testing | 37.7 dB / 45.6 dB / 49.4 dB, very quiet on low speed | about 49 W / 55 W, presenter notes this is not quite as good as the Holmes and Seasons Comfort | not tested | 15.6 degrees, the best (least tip prone) result of all 12 fans, attributed to its heavy round base | 200 degrees | the first fan in the test to avoid any damage or loss of the fan guard entirely | not tested | not tested | not tested | 11 inches, the most range of all fans tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 10Seasons Comfort$37 | three speed fan with 90 degrees of oscillation, claims quiet operation and adjustable tilt control, presenter notes it was a bit of a project to put together, like the Comfort Zone | China | 5.18 lb | 373 / 423 / 450, described as the best yet at that point in testing | not tested | 42.7 W / 53.5 W, described as fairly efficient | not tested | 13.7 degrees, the best yet at that point in testing | not tested | lost a fan guard during the tip over test but there was no permanent damage | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 44.7 dB on low (about the same as the Comfort Zone), and about the same as the Comfort Zone's 51.5 dB on high (no distinct new number given); medium speed noise not stated | not tested |
| 11Holmes$35 | 16 in oscillating fan, three speeds, three modes, 7.5 hour timer, claims 1,700 CFM on high speed, claims only 58 decibels on the strongest setting, remote adjusts speed and toggles oscillation start/stop | China | 6.43 lb | 350 / 386 / 445, far short of the claimed 1,700 CFM | 37.8 dB / 41.8 dB / 48 dB; presenter notes the fan motor needs some help to get going, a possible quality issue | 41.2 W / 45.6 W, described as using a lot less power than the Comfort Zone | not tested | 11.7 degrees, presenter calls it very top heavy | not tested | the front part of the fan guard flew off but there was no permanent damage | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | one of only four fans (with the Hurricane, Aigostar, and Simple Deluxe) that has clips allowing easy access to the fan blade for cleaning | not tested | not tested |
| 12Comfort Zone$32 | the least expensive fan tested, three blade fan that seems very flimsy, claims an airflow of 7.48 feet per second, three speed fan, 90 degree oscillating head | China | less than 5 lb, extremely light | 380 / 407 / 435 | 44.7 dB / 48.2 dB / 51.5 dB | not tested | not tested | 12.3 degrees | not tested | the fan guard came loose and impacted the fan blade, breaking it; the fan was ruined, the worst outcome of the drop test among all 12 fans | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | about 55 W / 57 W / 59 W, described as using a lot of power |
How it was tested
- air volume (CFM) at low, medium, and high fan speed, measured with a pitot tube through a 10 in opening
- air speed (mph) across the front of the fan
- noise level (decibels) at low, medium, and high fan speed, measured 48 in from the fan
- air volume moved per decibel of noise (CFM per decibel), at low and high fan speed
- power draw (watts) at low, medium, and high fan speed
- air volume moved per watt of electricity (CFM per watt), at low and high fan speed
- ease of access to the fan blade for cleaning (clip-based fan guards)
- tip over angle test (degrees before the fan tips)
- remote control signal range (degrees), for fans that include a remote
- drop/impact damage assessment after the tip over test
- subjective overall build quality rating
- adjustable height range (inches), for fans with that feature
“the Dreo came in on top with the best average finish of 3.5”