GoKawiilI tested 14 of the latest tower fan models, most of which arrived as review samples from manufacturers. John Carlsen/CNET
John Carlsen/CNET
As I planned my tower fan tests, I thought about why people use fans. For example, airflow, loudness and energy efficiency are immediately obvious criteria, but I considered other ways tower fans can be comfortable. Ultimately, I decided that air texture and sound profiles (white noise and device sounds) were also important.
There are 10 total points possible for each test criterion. Here's how I calculate the product scores:
Airflow (20%): You'll get the maximum cooling effect with higher airflows -- measured in feet per minute on an anemometer -- because it helps sweat evaporate faster.
You'll get the maximum cooling effect with higher airflows -- measured in feet per minute on an anemometer -- because it helps sweat evaporate faster. Air texture (15%): How a tower fan feels is a game changer for people who are sensitive to airflow like I am, but my texture test is very subjective because I lack the resources to study whether turbulence is the deciding factor. While I evaluated medium and high speeds, I didn't test the low speed in this category. This is because some of the low speeds were almost imperceptible, like Dyson and Levoit, while faster fans from Amazon Basics and OmniBreeze weren't much different than the medium speeds.
How a tower fan feels is a game changer for people who are sensitive to airflow like I am, but my texture test is very subjective because I lack the resources to study whether turbulence is the deciding factor. While I evaluated medium and high speeds, I didn't test the low speed in this category. This is because some of the low speeds were almost imperceptible, like Dyson and Levoit, while faster fans from Amazon Basics and OmniBreeze weren't much different than the medium speeds. Loudness (15%): Even if a tower fan sounds nice, being overly loud can grate on the senses, especially when you or a child is trying to sleep. I measured this in decibels (dBa) across low, medium and high speed settings.
Even if a tower fan sounds nice, being overly loud can grate on the senses, especially when you or a child is trying to sleep. I measured this in decibels (dBa) across low, medium and high speed settings. Sound profile (15%): What a fan sounds like in terms of white noise, and the ability to turn off interface sounds greatly enhances the user experience. Evaluating white noise is the subjective half of this test, while the ability to mute and disable device sounds forms the objective half.
What a fan sounds like in terms of white noise, and the ability to turn off interface sounds greatly enhances the user experience. Evaluating white noise is the subjective half of this test, while the ability to mute and disable device sounds forms the objective half. Energy efficiency (15%): The average energy consumption of tower fans, measured in watts, isn't particularly high, but it adds up on your electric bill. This is doubly true when running multiple fans 24/7.
The average energy consumption of tower fans, measured in watts, isn't particularly high, but it adds up on your electric bill. This is doubly true when running multiple fans 24/7. Price (10%) and features (10%): These round out the remainder of the score, but generally depend on static specifications rather than qualitative testing.
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