GoKawiilVornado Transom Window Fan for $135: I was impressed with the features of this fan—it's got a remote control (there's also a version with Alexa compatibility), it can suck in air either inside the room or out, and it's relatively quiet. It's definitely a step up from less expensive versions. However, the foam blocks for fitting it in the window didn’t provide as tight a fit as I'd prefer. Also, the fan can only be installed horizontally, and the thermostat is located on the inside—a problem that plagues space heaters as well—so it struggled to cool a south-facing bedroom during my testing.
Vornado Strata Photograph: Kat Merck
Vornado Strata for $133: After using it in my husband's office for much of the summer of 2024, I determined the Strata to be a puzzlingly designed fan. Shaped like a boxy, high-tech hair dryer, the 18-inch-tall Strata pulls in air and pushes it upward through an approximately 1- by 14-inch slot in the front, a maneuver that’s designed to mimic a taller tower fan. This rather narrow and very direct stream of air feels somewhat jarring when you're in its path, but the Strata is still an air circulator meant to sit on the floor and not necessarily blow air directly onto a user. If you want to feel the breeze, you’d be better off with a tower fan.
Windmill Smart Air Circulator for $69: This smart fan has a minimalist modern silhouette that stands less than a foot tall and comes in colors like pink, white, yellow, and black. While the Windmill had excellent airflow, higher settings come with higher noise volume. At its highest, the fan is touted as being an “air circulator.” I would have loved to run the fan at an oscillating Whisper setting. Still, the Windmill, along with its price tag and five-year warranty, is a welcome addition to my home. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Dreo CF312 Photograph: Kat Merck
Dreo CF312 Desk Fan for $45: This little model is a direct competitor to classic Vornado circulators like the 630. In fact, having tried both, I can confirm it's extremely similar, except that the Dreo comes with a wall-mounting option, and the screen pops off to access the internal parts for cleaning. You'd be fine with either the Dreo or Vornado versions, but the Vornado wins out on its longer warranty—five years to Dreo's one.
Rowenta Fresh 180 Tower Fan for $120: The Fresh 180 is a pretty basic tower fan with three speeds, timer options, and a remote. It's noisy at high speed and has a flimsy build quality, with nowhere near as many options as you'd find in other brands at this price point. That said, there actually aren't many tower fans that oscillate a full 180 degrees, if that's a feature you want.
Honeywell QuietSet Whole Room Oscillating Tower Fan for $64: This eight-speed fan is solid for the price—it's got a remote control that neatly slots into the back of the unit, and the base is sturdy, even on carpet. It wasn't much quieter than some of the other fans on low, though, which is its claimed selling point. The lightweight body feels cheaper than similar fans. For the price, though, these may not be deal-breakers, especially since the lightweight body makes it easy to move around.
Aeecoly Chic 01 Photograph: Kat Merck
Aecooly Chic 01 Lite Desk Fan for $35: I declared this periscope-shaped fan a must-have dorm accessory in our guide to the Best College Essentials and Dorm Gear, given that it's cheap, USB-C rechargeable, and quiet enough (36 decibels on low) that it isn't a disturbance. Its 8-inch-tall body is small enough to fit in a suitcase for your grad who's headed out of state.
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