Most of my evening rituals revolve around setting the right mood for falling and, more importantly, staying asleep. One of the most important conditions I try to ensure, no matter the season, is the low temperature of the room. However, I wouldn’t want to compromise the quiet environment I’ve worked so hard to create by getting a loud fan.
When I look for quiet ones, most of the options end up being tower fans — which is why I’ve decided to share how I find the best quiet tower fans on the market.
As you’ll see, there are plenty of reasons to look for tower fans the next time you need a cooling device for any part of your home. They’re compact, which makes them the ideal option for particularly small or cluttered spaces. More to the point, though, they’re generally quieter than any other kind of fan because all of their moving parts are encased.
Now, we already have a good idea of what makes tower fans special in comparison to other kinds of fans. However, before we move on to my reviews, we should dig a bit deeper. So why are tower fans superior to some of the other options you might find?
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Possible Benefits of Tower Fans
Before I go too far, I should note that tower fans aren’t the only kinds of cooling units that can operate quietly. In fact, I’ve previously written an article about all kinds of quiet fans, which includes my recommendations. This time around, I’ll focus on why you might want to get a tower fan, specifically.
The biggest advantage of tower fans is that they take up less space than both pedestal fans and box fans. Those that are under 20 inches tall are perfect for office desks or nightstands. On the other hand, tower fans that are over 40 inches tall can effortlessly cool much larger rooms. Even when you’re not using your tower fan, you’ll be able to stash it somewhere.
But there are many other benefits to having one of these products in your home.
Even though tower fans have smaller bases than pedestal fans, they’re not more prone to tipping over. Most of them are sturdy enough to stand on their own and even take a little roughhousing, so you don’t need to worry on that front.
Furthermore, tower fans have all sorts of features you simply can’t get from the cheap fans you might find at a general store. Most of them have timer and speed settings, and some even have remote controls and other features we’ll discuss later.
In my opinion, tower fans are also more aesthetically pleasing than pedestal or box fans. For example, if your living room has a big bookshelf with a natural wood finish, you could easily find a tower fan of a similar color. I couldn’t say the same about pedestal and box fans.
Even the more classic black or white tower fans often feature a more modern design which looks fantastic in most settings. Dyson tower fans are particularly famous for their sophisticated appearance as well as their quiet performance. However, since I’ve already written an article about the company and its products, I’ve decided to exclude them from my list of recommendations this time.
Some tower fans also have filters inside the device, which means that they have air-purifying qualities. Basically, the filters should isolate harmful particles and prevent them from moving back into the room.
Things to Consider When Shopping for Quiet Tower Fans
Going through the benefits of owning tower fans has already revealed some of the superior features of their design. However, just in case we weren’t on the same page, let’s go over the most notable features you’ll want to look for when shopping for quiet tower fans.
Build Quality
Build quality is particularly important when it comes to establishing the sturdiness of the tower fan in question.
Since there are moving components inside all of these kinds of devices, you’ll need to find one with a stable base and a hard shell. That should ensure that your fan doesn’t wobble and that the sound of the spinning blades is contained inside its case.
Speed and Oscillation
Speed settings are also something you’ll want to look out for, especially if you’re looking for whisper-quiet operation. Make sure that you can choose between at least three airflow settings. After all, faster blade rotation usually leads to more wind noises and vibrations.
Airflow direction, or oscillation, might be another feature you’ll want to consider when getting your fan. If you want your tower fan to distribute the air evenly around the room, get one with a rotating base.
Size
Your tower fan should reflect the size of the area you’d like to cool. Don’t get a huge fan if you only need it to cool a small nursery. A smaller fan would be more portable, in any case — as would a large one with a carrying handle.
Additional Features
Aside from those fundamental features, you may also look for additional options. Dyson has even incorporated HEPA filters into its tower fans, though not many other brands have followed suit. Fortunately, other extra features aren’t as rare: for example, most devices come with a remote control.
Bladeless Vs. Regular Tower Fans
When you start looking into different kinds of tower fans, you might notice the ongoing debate about whether bladeless units are better than regular ones.
As I have explained in my Dyson article, bladeless fans aren’t actually bladeless. After all, you still need something to push air around the room. So bladeless units only appear to have no moving parts because they are hidden inside the base of the device.
Sometimes, bladeless units store their blades horizontally, as is the case with Dyson fans. Their blades push the air upwards toward the head of the device, which then directs the air outwards. Having the blades rotate horizontally rather than vertically also produces fewer vibrations, which is another thing that makes some fans noisy.
In any case, tower fans that are marketed as “bladeless” are usually quieter than other kinds of fans. Since the rotating blades of a fan are the parts that tend to make all the noise, encasing them behind a solid wall of plastic should muffle the sound a bit.
Best Quiet Tower Fans on the Market
Now that we have mastered the basics, I’d like to present my list of the best quiet tower fans I’ve found. I made sure the products are all from different manufacturers for the sake of variety. And remember, if you’re interested in Dyson products, you can read about them in my other article. Additionally, since many of these brands have several excellent choices to choose from, I may also mention several runner-ups after each review.
1. Ozeri 3x Tower Fan with Passive Noise Reduction Technology
The Ozeri 3x tower fan is one of the most interesting products in this category. The whole thing is about 44 inches tall, consisting of a thin top section, a short pedestal, and a round base that’s elevated from the ground.
All of these external components make this product look incredibly stylish — they even come in three colors: white, gray, and black with chrome details.
The top part of the device houses three fans which are covered by individual grilles. However, the grilles alone wouldn’t be enough to bring the noise of these blades down to the impressively quiet 50 decibels the manufacturer claims they produce. Rather, the effect was achieved by the slant of the blades, which was calculated to generate opposing soundwaves to the ones they would normally produce.
You can control the device by using the LED control panel display above the fans or via the remote control. There, you’ll see that you can select the number of fans you’d like to engage as well as their speed. Furthermore, you’ll be able to choose between several oscillation modes and timer settings in 30-minute increments. It even has three preprogrammed airflow patterns that are supposed to promote sleep and relaxation.
Features:
- 3 independent fans with noise cancelation technology
- 3 speed settings and 9 levels of cooling
- 90-degree oscillation
- 7.5-hour timer
- Remote control
Other Ozeri Tower Fans
If you looked at my previous article about quiet fans, you may already be familiar with this brand. In fact, all of the brands I’ll mention here have a history of making quiet fans with a quality built. One of their newer models is the Ozeri UltraWind tower fan, which is a more simplistic version of the one I reviewed above, although it comes with Bluetooth connectivity and an app.
2. Lasko T42951 Portable Oscillating Tower Fan
Lasko is another hugely popular tower fan manufacturer. This particular device has a really simple design available in silver or faux wood finish. Its round base is its widest part, measuring 13 inches in diameter, and the total height of the fan comes in at 42.5 inches. As you can probably tell by looking at the base, the product can oscillate.
If you want to turn on oscillation or even adjust airflow, you can do so by using the control panel at the top of the device. The product also comes with a remote control, which you can keep on the notch under the carrying handle in the back. However, while you’re actively using the fan, I suggest keeping the remote close to your bed or the couch. That will let you turn on the timer after getting into bed or adjust one of the other settings at a moment’s notice.
This device has three speed settings, though even the highest one should be relatively quiet. The Night Mode, which you can even access through the remote control, is one of the most interesting features of this product. This setting dims the LED display and blasts the fan on high for an hour, then lowers the speed until you interact with the device again.
Lastly, I also wanted to mention Lasko’s unique security features. Thanks to their Blue Plug technology, their devices have a built-in safety switch that will turn off the power supply if the fuse inside the plug detects an electrical fault. So the fan won’t run on a bad electric current, which should prevent all sorts of hazardous incidents.
Features:
- 3 speed settings
- Oscillation
- 7.5-hour timer
- Remote control
- Built-in safety switch
Other Lasko Tower Fans
As I have mentioned, Lasko is a popular brand among quiet appliance enthusiasts. I’ve mentioned as much in my previous article when I reviewed their 2510 model fan. This time, I had plenty of other options to choose from, including the 36-inch tall 2511 tower fan, which appears to be the successor of the product I’ve already reviewed.
However, I really wanted to mention the company’s 52-inch pedestal tower fan, which is a combination of a tower fan case and an adjustable pedestal base. Like most other Lasko tower fans, this one offers three airflow speeds, all of which are rather quiet. It also has oscillation settings as well as manually directional louvers you can use to point the air up or down. Ultimately, I’d recommend this product if you want to enjoy the sound volume level of a tower fan while also keeping the height of a pedestal fan.
3. Vornado 184 Whole Room Air Circulator Tower Fan
Vornado fans are famous for their black and silver color scheme and sharp, modern design, as well as their powerful yet quiet Vortex airflow technology. The Vornado 184 tower fan is the perfect example of those features, as showcased by its sturdy build that features a sloping grille, which is unlike any we’ve seen so far.
According to Vornado, the peculiar design eliminates the need for an oscillating base, which can become unstable. Instead, these devices circulate the air inside of a room, ensuring a more continuous cooling sensation. That’s the gist of the company’s Vortex or V-Flow Technology.
Even though this fan is capable of expelling air at 536 cubic feet per minute, it’s not excessively noisy. There are also four speed settings, the highest of which spins the blades at 1050 rotations per minute. Understandably, the slower airflow is going to be less noisy.
You’ll find all of the settings, including an 8-hour timer, in their usual place on top of the tower. Additionally, Vornado tower fans also come with a remote control device. Now, this particular fan stands at 41 inches tall and weighs just under 10 pounds. However, the company also makes nearly identical, smaller versions of it as well — so let’s talk about those.
Features:
- 4 speed settings
- Modern design
- The shape of the outlet eliminates the need for oscillation
- Energy-saving 8-hour timer
- Remote control
Other Vornado Tower Fans
In my other articles, I’ve only mentioned Vornado pedestal and box fans. In my defense, the company seemed to excel at creating those kinds of products. Still, I now know that Vornado also has several tower fans in their product lineup.
As I have mentioned, some of their tower fans look similar to the one I just reviewed. For example, the Vornado 143 tower fan is a smaller version of the product we just saw. Since it’s only 29 inches tall, it’s capable of achieving an airflow of 263 cubic feet per minute.
They also have more sophisticated tower fans on offer, such as their 37-inch oscillating tower. More recently, they also unveiled their NGT tower fans, which can be 33 or 42 inches tall. Yet if you’re looking for a more understated fan to use while you work, or to set at your nightstand, you might want to look into their HELIX line of personal tower fans.
4. Seville Classics UltraSlimline Oscillating Personal Tower Fan
While on the subject of personal tower fans, I thought I should wrap up my list with two of the smallest devices I’ve found. To begin with, let’s talk about a brand I haven’t seen or reviewed before. Granted, that is more due to my oversight than the company itself. As far as I can tell, Seville Classics is another giant in the home improvement industry.
Despite its diminutive size, the 17-inch UltraSlimline personal tower fan doesn’t lack any significant features. It has three speed settings you can choose from at the top of the device. However, you shouldn’t expect the same kind of powerful performance you’d get from larger units. This fan can only expel up to 165 cubic feet per minute of air.
The base of the device can also oscillate 80 degrees to cover a greater area. The fan even has three timer options which allow you to postpone shutdown for up to 4 hours. Basically, this product takes up less than a square foot of space, which makes it perfect for your office desk, kitchen counter, or nightstand.
Features:
- 17 inches tall personal tower fan
- 3 speed settings
- 80-degree oscillation
- 4-hour timer
- Expels less air per minute
Other Seville Classics Tower Fans
Even though Seville Classics is a huge home decor and organization brand, they don’t make many different kinds of fans. So the fact that they have such an impressive selection of quiet tower fans is pretty surprising. In addition to the small personal fans, their UltraSlimline also has 40-inch oscillating tower fans, which can produce an airflow of up to 275 cubic feet per minute.
Seville Classics also has another type of tower fan in the UltraSlimline range with a truly unique tilt feature. The side-to-side oscillations are achieved by the internal mechanism of the blades, which frees up the base of the device. So, instead of oscillating, the base can tilt back in one of three positions.
The regular upright position, or the 0-degree tilt, will point the air directly in front of the machine. Conversely, the 8-degree tilt will ensure that the air hits the wall before bouncing away. Lastly, the 12-degree tilt aims the airflow at the ceiling. That’s certainly one of the most interesting additional features I’ve seen during my search for the best tower fan.
5. Honeywell HTF210B QuietSet Mini Tower Fan
If you’ve read some of my past articles, you should be familiar with the Honeywell brand. Having already reviewed one of their full-sized tower fans, I wanted to look into one of their smaller devices this time around.
The Honeywell QuietSet tower fan is only 13 inches tall and 5 inches wide, so it’s perfect for work, study, or sleep. While this little device obviously isn’t strong enough to cool a large room, it can emit a concentrated blast of air. In fact, even though the fan is small, it still has an oscillating base. To activate that feature, look for the rotating symbol near the bottom of the machine.
In addition to the oscillating features, this device also has timer settings that can postpone shutdown for up to 8 hours. Furthermore, there are four speed settings that produce varying levels of noise. The manufacturer was good enough to indicate as much with the names of the different settings. The slowest mode is called Sleep, while the faster ones are White Noise, Refresh, and Power Cool, respectively.
Features:
- 13-inch table tower fan
- For smaller areas
- 4 speed settings
- Oscillation base
- 8-hour timer
Other Honeywell Tower Fans
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve already reviewed one of the best Honeywell tower fans on the market. The QuietSet whole-room tower fan is a proper 40-inch tower fan with plenty of options you might enjoy. However, it’s hardly the only tower fan in the company lineup.
Aside from that product, I could also recommend the Honeywell Comfort Control tower fan as well as their Fresh Breeze fan. These two products don’t bring many new features to the table, though the latter one does have a programmable thermostat and even a dust filter. Still, if you like your home to be outright drafty, check out the TurboForce tower fan.
That device features two independently operating fans. On the one hand, you have the standard front-facing fan behind the bottom grille. On the other, you have the movable top fan, which you can even tilt it toward the ceiling if you want to.
How to Set Up Your New Tower Fan
Before you make your purchase, think about which areas in your house would benefit from receiving the extra airflow. After all, you don’t want to have to think about where you want to place the fan once it’s already in your home.
If you need to cool off your entire living room, go for one of the bigger models. Conversely, if you want to feel a breeze on your face while you sleep, you can just buy a mini fan for your nightstand.
Another thing you should consider before you order your fan is where you’ll keep it when you’re not using it. Fortunately, most tower fans are easy enough to stash between pieces of furniture. In most cases, you’ll only need about a square foot of floor space. As for your tabletop tower fans, you can always stick them in a drawer if you want to momentarily clear your desk.
However, while your fan is running, you’ll need to follow the instructions that came with the device. Usually, you need to leave about two feet of free space all around the fan. To experience the best results, make sure that there’s a clear line between you and the fan.
Now that that’s settled, all you have to do is pick your champion. Whether you choose one of the devices on this list or another cooling device I’ve reviewed, you can be sure that the product will be long-lasting and, above all, whisper-quiet.
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- By Soundproof Living