If you’re looking for the most inexpensive and versatile cooling device, and you have plenty of space to spare, you can’t go wrong with a pedestal fan. After all, it’s a classic for a reason. Having discussed all sorts of quiet cooling devices before, I’ve decided to go with one route we haven’t tried yet. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best quiet pedestal fans the market has to offer.
Before we start, I wanted to explain why you won’t see a particular brand on my list today. Previously, I’ve tried to explain why Dyson fans are so silent — you can see my conclusions in that article. After seeing some of those products, you might think they deserve a spot on this list as well. However, I’ve decided to exclude them for two reasons:
- I’d personally classify the Dyson models as a crossover between pedestal and tower fans
- I wanted to avoid reviewing products I’ve previously mentioned in other quiet fan reviews — and that goes for other brands as well
Fortunately, there are plenty of other brands that make comparably quiet pedestal fans. Now that that disclaimer is out of the way, let’s just dive into the reviews.
Best Quiet Pedestal Fans on the Market
As always, I wanted to present these products in a way that clearly shows there’s a method to this madness. This time, I’ve decided to leave the products I find the most interesting for last. After reviewing each of the quiet fans I’ve found, I’ll also mention a few intriguing pedestal fans from the same brand, if any caught my eye.
1. LASKO 1646 16-Inch Remote Control Stand Fan
To begin with, I wanted to showcase one of the most popular quiet pedestal fans from Lasko. The company’s 16-inch unit is notably smaller than most of their other fans, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful. In fact, like most of their other fans, this one lets you choose between three quietly operating speeds. As always, the slowest mode would be the quietest, if that’s what you decide to prioritize.
The pedestal of the fan can reach a middling height of 47 inches, and you’ll be able to adjust the airflow direction by tilting its head. On top of that, the device also has automatic widespread oscillation. And if you don’t like that feature, you can always lock the fan in place by pulling the pin in the back.
Under the grille, which houses three uniquely shaped blades, you’ll see a control panel angled upward. That tilt of the control panel will help you see the LED display and operate the fan from an upright position. There are three buttons under that display — the circular power button and two more beneath. The left one controls the fan speed, while the right one sets the timer to turn the device off in 1, 2, or 4 hours.
You’ll also find those same three buttons on the wireless remote control that comes with the device. The remote uses two AAA batteries, so make sure to have those prepared if you want to use that feature right out of the box.
Features:
- 16-inch head diameter
- Height adjustable to 47 inches
- Three speeds and timer settings
- No-tool assembly
- Remote control
More Pedestal Fans From Lasko
If you don’t anticipate needing the timer or the remote control feature, you can get a simplified version of the fan I mentioned above. The Lasko 2520 and 2521 units (the primary difference between the two being the color) also have 16-inch fan heads, though they can achieve a slightly greater height. Instead of a control panel on the extension pole, you’ll find the speed dial on the fan head casing in the back, next to the oscillation lock.
The Lasko 1827 fan is a similarly simple device, with a different blade shape. According to the company, it is as quiet as their other products. However, some users claim that it’s much too powerful to remain silent, even at the lowest speed setting. So take that with a grain of salt.
I also wanted to point you to another Lasko product I’ve already reviewed, which is a tower fan with a pedestal base — some kind of hybrid. If you want to read more about it, check out my article about quiet tower fans.
Overall, most Lasko fans are pretty affordable, but they’re also plastic, so you could argue that the build quality isn’t the best. So if you’re working with a modest budget, but you still want a relatively quiet fan, these are all fantastic options for you.
2. Honeywell Double Blade 16″ Pedestal Fan
Honeywell is another brand I’ve become familiar with during my quest to find the quietest appliances. It’s one of the rare companies that actually makes its products with silent operation in mind. This particular pedestal fan is another 16-inch device with wide oscillation and an adjustable pedestal that can bring its height up to 48 inches.
The unique thing about this fan is the fact that it has two sets of blades, a smaller one and a regular one. That allows the device to move great volumes of air without compromising quiet performance. Furthermore, in addition to its three speeds, it also has three breeze options — quiet, normal, and natural. The first two are variations on a constant flow, while that last one gives you gusts of variable wind speed.
Like the previous fan I’ve reviewed, this one comes with a remote control that can help you manage the speed and timer settings. Speaking of which, you’ll be able to set the auto-shutdown for between 1 and 8 hours. All of these controls are arranged on the control panel on the extension pole. The modes and timer options are represented by symbols on the LED display, and the rest of the settings are arranged in a neat line underneath.
Features:
- 16-inch head diameter with double blades
- Height adjustable to 48 inches
- Three speeds and three breeze settings
- 1–8-hour shutdown delay
- Remote control
More Pedestal Fans From Honeywell
Even though I decided to go another route with the Honeywell pedestal fan I’ve reviewed, the company also makes excellent fans for their QuietSet series. The two I wanted to mention were the 16-inch HS-1665 and the HSF600B units. Both have five fan speeds, adjustable height, and oscillation features, as usual.
The medium speed setting is called “white noise,” so this would also be a fantastic device if you enjoy the humming noise some fans make. In fact, if that’s more your speed, I recommend checking out my reviews of the best white noise fans on the market.
One thing to note about the first fan I’ve linked to would be that it has incredibly bright blue LCD lights. If you’re planning on using it in the kitchen or the living room, this shouldn’t bother you. However, it may become an issue if you want to use it in your bedroom.
3. PELONIS 16″ Oscillating Pedestal Stand Up Fan
Pelonis is another company I’ve come to expect great things from, so I was glad to have found several quiet pedestal fans in their lineup. The FS40-19PRD unit is another 16-inch fan with tilt and 85-degree oscillation functions. Its height is adjustable between 42 and 48 inches.
The device is white with a long, flat black strip where the control panel is. There are only three physical buttons — one for oscillation, one for the fan speed, and the power button. The device also has a timer that can postpone the device shutdown for up to twelve hours. The time remaining will be shown in bright blue numbers on the small LED screen on top of the control panel.
There are also twelve speed settings, so you can customize the airflow precisely to your liking. The remote control enables you to access all of these features from up to six yards away. Best of all, the device will pick up right where you left off when you power it back on, thanks to its memory function.
The lowest speed only produces about 38 decibels, which is literally whisper-quiet, while the fastest setting can produce about 60 decibels. So you can use the slow wind at night and the faster settings during the day since they probably wouldn’t bother you as much then. All that is made possible by the silently operating DC motor, which can save up to 35% on energy costs in comparison to regular AC motors.
Features:
- 16-inch head diameter
- Height adjustable to 48 inches
- Twelve speed settings
- Up to 12 hours of shutdown delay
- Remote control
More Pedestal Fans From Pelonis
Prior to researching quiet pedestal fans for this article, I was already familiar with one Pelonis unit, which I have reviewed in the article I’ve linked to in the intro. Looking back at it, it’s definitely not as impressive as the product I’ve reviewed today. Furthermore, the company makes plenty of other pedestal fans that I could mention.
Firstly, they have a 16-inch fan with 26 speeds. According to the manufacturer, the lowest of those settings would be safe for nurseries and kids’ rooms. The elderly could withstand up to the twentieth speed, and you could use the fastest speeds on healthy adults. As far as I can tell, the distinction was made to protect young kids and old people from developing neck or back pain.
Personally, I don’t think the device really needed such a large range of speed settings. After all, there’s really not much difference between the first and third setting. So I’d just as soon have a fan with five speeds as one with twenty-six. There are also various “intelligent modes,” including normal, natural, silent, sleep, and comfort, which adjust the airflow by using sensors.
4. Vornado 783 Full-Size Whole Room Air Circulator Fan
Vornado is another company I have praised before, mostly for their original “vortex” airflow technology and their unique designs. I’ve even previously mentioned one of their smaller pedestal fans in my article on white noise fans.
I won’t waste much time explaining the proprietary technology Vornado’s products use. Basically, due to the unique shape of the grille and the fan blades, these units can circulate the air throughout the room even without having to oscillate. Most of the time, all you can do is tilt the head of the fan to point the air in a specific direction and adjust the height. In the case of the Vornado 783 fan, anything between 28 and 41 inches is fair game.
Most of the pedestal fans in the Vornado lineup have incredibly simple controls. Many of them don’t even have timer settings, let alone remote control functionality. Instead, all you get is a subtle speed dial somewhere in the back of the fan head.
As one of the largest fans in the company’s lineup, the 783 unit can push air up to 100 feet away at 583 CFM. But even with that kind of output, you’ll only be able to hear the sound of the air since the blades and the motor were made to rotate smoothly and quietly.
Features:
- Vortex Action technology
- Height adjustable from 28–41 inches
- Three speed settings
- Controls dial in the back of the device
5. AmazonBasics Oscillating Dual Blade Standing Pedestal Fan
Finally, I wanted to recommend two quiet pedestal fans without delving into their respective manufacturers’ other products. The AmazonBasics Dual Blade pedestal fan bears some similarities to the Honeywell Double Blade fan I reviewed earlier. Still, it’s decidedly one of the best products of its kind, and it’s pretty inexpensive as well.
Despite the lower cost, this Dual Blade fan has an excellent build quality, as evidenced by its sturdy, heavy base. The metal extension rod inside the base allows you to adjust the height of the fan, topping off at 52.5 inches. The head of the fan is tiltable, and it can oscillate — unless you pull the tab in the back. Alternatively, you can also turn off that feature by using the remote control that comes with the device.
There’s a total of three speed settings and three modes, allowing you to achieve natural bursts of wind in your home. The timer can give you an additional half an hour to four hours of use before the machine shuts off. But if none of this works for you, there are other, similar products under the AmazonBasics brand you can check out.
Features:
- 16-inch head diameter with two sets of blades
- Height adjustable up to 52.5 inches
- Three speeds and three wind settings
- Up to 4-hour shutdown delay
- Remote control
6. KLARSTEIN Silent Storm Pedestal Fan
Lastly, I wanted to showcase the Silent Storm pedestal fan from KLARSTEIN, which has been lauded as one of the quietest and best-built fans on the market. To begin with, let’s review the features we expect to see in one of these products first.
The fan can tilt, and it has 90-degree oscillation. You’ll also be able to adjust its height from 47.6 to 53.9 inches. If the height is an important factor for you, this product just became one of your frontrunners.
The way this fan ensures quiet operation has to do primarily with its brushless digital DC motor. However, its range of speed settings also allows you to choose the amount of wind noise you hear. On top of the twelve speeds, the device also has five operating modes, including a night mode, which dims the LCD display and natural wind simulation. It also comes with a remote control that has a similar setup to the one you’ll see under the display on the device itself.
Of course, all of these fancy features would be nothing if the product had poor build quality, which is decidedly not the case here. One of the most interesting features of this overall excellent fan is its heavy base, which should increase stability. Furthermore, the base will also absorb any vibrations the motor of the fan creates, preventing it from passing them on to the floor.
Features:
- 16-inch head diameter
- Height adjustable up to 54 inches
- Twelve speed settings
- Up to 12 hours of shutdown delay
- Digital remote control
Things to Consider When Buying a Quiet Pedestal Fan
Seeing as I’ve already explained the most important features you should pay attention to when shopping for a quiet fan, I’ll just briefly reiterate the most general tips. Above all, you’ll want to make sure your fan is:
- Quiet. That much will be determined by various factors, including the type of motor it has (DC is quieter than AC), its speed settings, its design and build, etc. As we have seen, even having a heavy, sturdy base can put a product above the competition.
- Sturdy. Pedestal fans can be particularly prone to breaking because of their general shape. If you want your unit to last for years, you’ll have to take care of it, but also get one that doesn’t look like a strong gust of wind would tip it over.
- Not too big for your space. Pedestal fans are by far the tallest and widest kinds of fans you can get. So if you don’t think you have the floor space, I recommend getting a tower fan, or even a small desk fan.
Before you go looking for the pedestal fan of your dreams, consider any additional features you want it to have.
How crucial are oscillation and head tilting features to you? Do you want a quiet fan that can also move a lot of air? Remember, the more powerful a device is, the more noise it tends to make. Still, sometimes, adjusting the fan speed will lessen the sound.
You should also consider if you need the fan to have a remote control or, at least, a timer feature. If nothing else, those additions would allow you to leave it on while you sleep or turn it off from bed. These are all important questions to ask yourself before you place your order.
What to Do If Your Pedestal Fan Starts Making Noise
So what if you do your best to find the quietest pedestal fan on the market and still end up with a defective or noisy product? In that case, the first order of business should be to try to get a replacement from the manufacturer. But if you don’t want to go through the trouble, there are also some ways to quiet a noisy fan.
Well, there could be many causes for the noise. Among other things, it could be caused by loose parts, dents and cracks, and even the positioning of your fan. But once you identify the right one, you’d be surprised how easy some of those problems are to solve.
Most of the fans on my list — and most modern fans, in general — don’t require motor oil. So at least you won’t have to deal with that kind of noise. Still, if you hear any rattling sounds, there are a few ways to alleviate the problem.
For one, you can go in and tighten any loose screws and bolts you happen upon. The most important thing is to make the different parts of the fan come together. On cheaper models, you’ll see the metal blade guard eventually come apart. But if the front and back parts aren’t flush against each other, they’ll probably rattle when the fan is on.
Still, if you can’t close the gap entirely, the parts might have warped in storage. In that case, you could try to manually reshape the parts in question. You could also put bits of rubber or sponge in-between the metal before tightening the screws.
Furthermore, a rubber pad could also come in handy if your fan doesn’t have adequate vibration absorption in its base. One of the products from my article about anti-vibration mats could work here as well.
The Bottom Line
Pedestal fans are excellent because they’re easy to operate and maintain, and they’re generally energy-efficient. However, there are also some undeniable drawbacks you may experience if you pick the wrong one. Some of them just snap after one winter in storage, and the really cheap ones can even catch fire.
But everyone loves a good deal — that’s all right. Just don’t let your desire to save money cost you your peace of mind. After all, isn’t that what quiet operation and decent build quality will get you?
So figure out which features you’d like your fan to have and evaluate the units you come across reasonably. Having read this article, you should be able to spot a bad deal from a mile away.
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- By Soundproof Living