The 5 Best Pedestal Fans of 2024

Number of Speeds: 12 | Timer: Yes; 1-12 hours with .5 hour increments through 10 hours

Our favorite pedestal fan is the PELONIS Silent Turbo for its myriad options and fully functional range of speeds. This fan has 12 different speeds, allowing you to achieve the ideal airflow for your needs. Stretching just over 54" high, it's one of the tallest fans we tested and also the quietest — barely audible when on its “silent” mode. It has three additional modes, including “sleep” which gradually slows down over several hours, and “natural” which has variable speeds to blend more organically into the background. Additionally, you can set it to turn off after 30 minutes, 12 hours, or anything in between. The handy remote comes with a battery, and the lights power off after a few seconds, making it ideal for nighttime bedroom use. Unlike many other models, it also remembers your last settings when you turn it back on, so no need to fight through all 12 speeds every time you want to use it. A heavy base makes it more stable as well.

Although the Silent Turbo is one of the quieter fans, it beeps rather loudly every time you change a setting, which is not ideal if you are using the fan in a quiet bedroom. A couple of the modes seem very similar, and it took several seconds to settle into the correct speed when changing a setting. Additionally, this is not the most powerful fan we tested. Despite having 12 different speed settings, the highest rate of airflow measured at just 10.5 mph, which is below average for this group of contenders. With all that in mind, we highly enjoy the convenience and less intrusive noise you get with this model.

Includes: Remote and CR2032 battery
Directions of Pivot: Down 8 degrees, up 16 degrees

Modes & Features: 4 modes (Normal, Sleep, Natural, & Silent), carry handle on motor

Number of Speeds: 3 | Timer: No

If you're here hunting for a pedestal fan that works and won't blow your budget, the Comfort Zone 3-Speed is that fan. It's extremely simple and straightforward to operate and does precisely what you'd expect from a basic fan. Its top-measured speed hit just above average at 10.9 mph on high. Though the base is a whopping 24" wide and deep, it comes in the shape of four legs that more easily fit over, around, or even under other objects in your home. The legs also fold up quickly, making this lightweight fan surprisingly portable. Their width and the fan's overall low weight also add to its sturdiness. With simple push buttons, it's easy to put this fan on a timer or smart switch, helping to make up for its lack of an internal timer.

Of course, this level of simplicity may be too simple for some. With just three speeds and no remote or other frills, this fan is in no way fancy or modern. It's also not particularly powerful or especially quiet, falling about in the middle of the pack on both fronts. Though the Comfort Zone doesn't feel like it's made of the most bombproof materials, we had absolutely no issues with its sturdiness or durability during our testing. At the end of the day, though this fan lacks the bells and whistles of fancier models, it still gets the job done, making it a good value item.

Includes: N/A
Directions of Pivot: Slightly down, slightly up

Modes & Features: Foldable base, indented carry handle on back of blade cage

Number of Speeds: 4 | Timer: Yes; 1-7 hours in 1-hour increments

The Lasko S16612 with Thermostat offers surprisingly convenient functionality beyond its optional thermostat functionality — which we love. The built-in thermostat eliminates the need for a smart plug and allows you to set your desired temperature from 60-80 degrees (in 5-degree increments), which automatically turns off the fan when the room reaches the set ambient temperature, and it kicks back on when the temperature rises. This fan emits a lower-pitched hum that more easily fades into the background than many other models' higher-pitched whirring noises. We almost couldn't hear it at its lowest speed amongst all the other sounds in the house. The remote is both simple and fully functional, controlling every aspect of this fan — including oscillation — with a beep-less push of a button. Though lightweight, this model is also more stable and less wobbly than most.

However, the lightweight plastic disc base lacks any feet to hold it in place on a hard floor. While we don't think this is a huge problem, if pets or people are frequently bumping into the furniture, the Lasko S16612 will slide. And, if you have a giant living space and are hoping to place a fan across the room that can still reach you with a powerful breeze on the couch, this one may disappoint you with its below-average wind speeds. If you plan to carry it around your home, we also found that it sometimes comes apart mid-transit — though it simply slides back together again easily. At the end of the day, if you want a fan to help keep your area at a more consistent temperature, the functionality and simplicity of this fan are here to help.

Includes: Remote (2 AAA batteries included)
Directions of Pivot: Straight ahead, about 30 degrees up

Modes & Features: Remote hook on stand, auto-detect thermostat function (60-80 degrees ambient temperature, in 5-degree increments)

Number of Speeds: 3 | Timer: No

Despite being the smallest of our tested fans, the Vornado 683 Medium is also among the most powerful. Packing a big punch, we measured this little fan hitting 13.4 mph. Though this certainly helps you cool off when pointed directly at your face, it's also fairly effective as an air circulator when positioned just right in larger spaces. Instead of a solid base, this lightweight model has five sturdy legs that give it a small but stable footprint. Of all the models we tested, this one operates at the lowest pitch, sounding more like a hum than the traditional whirring of a fan. Though it can't point down, it can be angled nearly vertically to bounce air off the ceiling and blow it effectively around an entire room. It's the only one with the cord coming out of the bottom of the stand, as well, rather than dangling off the base of the motor halfway up the stand.

Though those that love simplicity will appreciate this straightforward 3-speed design controlled by a simple knob, the Vornado 683 is likely to disappoint if you're after settings and features. It has no remote, no extra modes, no timer, and doesn't even oscillate. Additionally, this fan may not quite reach the top of your bed — at its tallest, it stands just 38 inches high. It's also quite loud on higher settings, though the lowest speed is reasonably quiet. However, if you're looking for a pedestal fan with far-reaching power that you can stick in the corner and forget about, the Vornado may be exactly what you want.

Includes: N/A
Directions of Pivot: Straight ahead, nearly vertical

Modes & Features: Indented carry handle on top

Number of Speeds: 3 | Timer: Yes; 1, 2, or 4 hours

Ready to feel impressive winds from across the room? The Lasko 18" Cyclone is a powerful fan that spreads air effectively around even larger rooms. This oversized option creates a veritable buffeting wind on higher speeds, just like its name implies. It's fairly lightweight and offers an exceptional range in height, from 42 to 54 inches — the most of any model we tested. While most remote-controlled fans beep with every button push, the Lasko stays silent. It remembers your last settings when turned on each time and can be helpfully positioned anywhere from slightly downward to nearly vertical. On top of that, it comes with a small Velcro patch for the remote that you can stick just about anywhere — like on your bedpost or nightstand — to keep it close by.

Though the Lasko Cyclone does have a timer, it only goes up to 4 hours, which may not be enough for some folks. It has a push-pull tab on the motor to control oscillation, rather than including that on the remote like many others. The super-wide, 21-inch circular base takes up a significant amount of room and slides readily across hardwood floors. As a light, plastic unit, ours bounced and vibrated at every speed — not audibly, but visibly. Unfortunately, the lights on the base also don't dim or turn off, and this is one of the loudest, highest-pitched fans of the bunch, making it not a great option for picky sleepers or for use when watching movies. Though, if you're a fan of white noise and a powerful breeze, you may just love this big unit exactly as it is.

Includes: Remote (batteries not included)
Directions of Pivot: Barely down, nearly vertical

Modes & Features: Velcro patch to stick remote anywhere

Number of Speeds: 5 | Timer: Yes; 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours

The Rowenta VU5670 Turbo Silence Extreme 5-Speed remains impressively quiet while offering an impressive range of speeds which we measured as low as 4.7 mph and as high as 12.9 mph. The “3 speeds and 3 modes” essentially boil down to 5 speeds. Silent Night mode didn't even register sound on our instruments, blowing a very modest amount of air at close range. Turbo Boost acts and sounds exactly like what you'd expect from the name, and the Normal settings are the three middle speeds. This fan exhibits one of the larger and taller height ranges while its heavy base securely anchors it to the floor. It includes a timer and a remote — though no CR2032 battery — and features a remote caddy on top of the motor. We also love that it remembers its last settings when you turn it back on and is surprisingly quiet and pleasant at every speed.

Unfortunately, this heavy gizmo is one of the most wobbly models we tested, literally blowing itself into a backbend at high speeds. For a futuristic-looking fan, it still has the old-school oscillation knob on the unit, with no button to control it remotely. It chirps loudly and obnoxiously with every setting change, and though the lights dim, they never turn off. Switching between speeds, the unit we tested also had considerable difficulty finding the right rotation rate, shifting awkwardly between several speeds before settling at a constant pace. At the end of the day, though we find much to like about this quiet, effective fan, we're not quite sure its shortcomings make it worth the hefty price tag.

Includes: Remote (CR2032 battery not included)
Directions of Pivot: Slightly down, slightly more up

Modes & Features: 3 modes (Silent Night, Normal, and Turbo Boost) 3 regular speeds and 1 high speed, remote caddy, and carry handle on top of motor

Number of Speeds: 24 | Timer: Yes; 1-18 hours, 1-hour increments

The Amazon Basics Oscillating Dual Blade 16-Inch is an attractive and quiet model that's full of settings and is best for subtlety. Though it boasts a whopping 24 speeds, it's quite difficult to discern a difference between many of them. The lowest 8 speeds are so silent our instruments couldn't even detect them. It's heavy and solid, with a low center of gravity that's not easy to tip over. The lights on the base turn off after several seconds, and the head tilts slightly up and down. It comes with a remote that controls all the settings — including oscillation — but requires your own AAA batteries.

Oddly, the jump from speeds 8 to 9 is far more noticeable than any other speed change, jumping a full 6 decibels. Even though it claims to have 24 speeds, the Oscillating Dual Blade is by far the least powerful pedestal fan we tested, with a measured airspeed range from 3.5 mph to just 8.7 mph — a top speed that's nearly the same as many others' lowest speeds. It doesn't have a memory for its last settings, instead always powering up on level 18 with no oscillation and chirping offensively as you scroll through all 24 speeds. If you want a powerful fan, this isn't likely to tick your boxes. However, if you prefer a very light breeze and value silence, this may be a good fit.

Includes: Remote (AAA batteries do not come with purchase)
Directions of Pivot: Barely down, slightly more up

Modes & Features: 3 modes (Nature, Sleep, Normal), 2 blades each with 5 fins

Number of Speeds: 3 | Timer: Yes; 1, 2, or 4 hours

The Black+Decker 16" is a small step up from the basic pedestal fans of old. It features a remote and caddy that clips onto the stand, and a timer function gives some operational options. The solid base adds stability, and the head tilts slightly. Compared to some of the competition, this fan is pretty affordable.

The controls on the fan's base are awkwardly located partially behind the bottom of the blade cage. It chirps loudly with every setting change, and the light on the base never turns off — though it's just one small red dot, which is less intrusive than many others. The remote caddy must be removed from the stand to put the head all the way down, and you can't control the oscillation function with the remote, only with the traditional knob on top of the motor. Our unit also had a heavy, droopy head, which limits its angles of operation from straight ahead to slightly down. We measured this fan as having just under a 2 mph difference between the lowest (8.5 mph) and the highest (10.3 mph) speeds. We're not sure the low price and extra features are worth the long list of shortcomings.

Includes: Remote (AAA batteries not included)
Directions of Pivot: Slightly down, straight ahead

Modes & Features: Removable remote caddy on stand, carry handle on back of blade cage

Why Trust GearLab

To find the best pedestal fans on the market today, we spent hours combing through the top options before selecting the most promising models to purchase and test side-by-side. Tasked with cooling us off through some of the hottest days of the desert summer, we put these fans through a litany of laboratory and real-world tests. We used them while watching movies, sleeping at night, reading books, and working out at home. We measured airspeeds and took decibel readings, comparing them all head-to-head to see which ones offer the most settings, the most power, sturdiest bases, and quietest experiences.

This review is spearheaded by Senior Review Editor, Maggie Nichols, who lives and recreates in the hot high deserts of northern Nevada. Maggie grew up enduring the oppressive heat/humidity combination of the Midwest, spending sticky afternoons keeping cool in front of fans. She's spent a huge chunk of her life battling heat and humidity from teaching in the jungles of South America and plains of Africa to living on a remote Caribbean island. Fans have always been a necessary part of life for both Maggie and her easily overheated dog. From her home gym to her home office, she knows what it takes to find the right fan for any space. She tests several types of fans and has been testing all types of home and outdoor gear for both OutdoorGearLab and TechGearLab since 2017.

Analysis and Test Results

We tested each fan's performance through a battery of tests that cover four metrics. We put together a complete picture of each model through laboratory tests, precision measurements, everyday usage, and qualitative analyses. Here we break down the metrics we evaluated and the tests we used to pinpoint the best ones for specific jobs.

Power

To test each pedestal fan's power, we performed multiple airspeed tests on different settings and combined that with how well it translates into what you can feel across a room. We measured airflow, placing each fan across a large room and standing on the other side to gauge how easily we could feel each setting, both directly in front of and off to the sides of every fan. And we considered how many settings, modes, features, and timer options each model has, alongside the use of those settings.

When it comes to sheer airflow and power, the Vornado 683 Medium takes the cake. In our tests, it reached the highest measured speed of 13.4 mph. It's easily felt from across a room, though only if you're standing directly in its tunnel-like path. Not only does this high velocity feel great in your face after a prolonged period outside on a hot day, but it also helps to circulate air around a room more effectively — exactly what this model is made to do. The Lasko Cyclone is also quite powerful and has the added bonus of oscillation and a timer, both of which the Vornado lacks. We clocked its 18" face producing speeds of 12.5 mph and a strong buffeting effect even from 20 feet away. Also notable for a high top speed is the Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme 5-Speed.

Though the Pelonis Silent Turbo doesn't offer the high rate of flow that many others do, it does have a wide range of lower speeds. With 12 distinct speeds, this quiet fan measured between 3.3 mph on its lowest setting to 10.5 mph on its highest. It has four different modes with intuitive speeds and functions to fit precise situations that likely occur daily in most homes.

Percieved Noise

To score each model's overall noisiness, we started off by taking decibel readings of each fan at all of their various speeds. We then qualified each fan's sound, including relative pitch, quality of noise, and respective annoyance levels. We noted if they had extra noises, like clicking, beeping, whirring, or vibrations. And because gunk getting stuck in your fan can affect its noisiness, we also inspected how easy they are to clean.

While it seems like every fan claims to be silent, the Pelonis Silent Turbo comes the closest to achieving that lofty goal. Its lowest settings didn't even register on our decibel meters, and even at its highest speed, this fan was still surprisingly quiet both in measurement and quality of sound. The Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme is another fairly quiet fan, regardless of its speed. On its highest setting, which is almost 3 mph faster than the Pelonis Turbo, we measured it at a lower decibel reading. The Lasko S16612 with Thermostat emits a low hum on its lowest setting that immediately becomes a background sound you hardly notice. The Amazon Basics Oscillating Dual Blade is whisper quiet on speeds 1-8, but by the time you hit speed 24, it's one of the loudest of the group, despite having the least impressive airflow. Though the Vornado 683 Medium is fairly loud at top speed, it also has a low, more even hum that sets it apart from the traditional whirring noise of most fan blades.

When it comes to keeping these units clean, all of them have removable grills that can be rinsed or wiped, allowing easy access to the blades to keep them dust-free. The Black+Decker 16" makes it even easier, with simple clasps that can be twisted to the side with your thumb for removal. The Comfort Zone, Lasko S16612, and Lasko Cyclone grills can be popped on and off, as they utilize plastic tabs to stay in place. The rest of the fans have at least one screw holding the grill onto the head of the fan. The Vornado 683 has several screws but also includes directions on how to remove both the grill and the blade for more thorough cleaning.

Size Value

Pedestal fans have a reputation for being ungainly and large — but how ungainly and how large? We measured the dimensions of every fan, checked to see how much their heights are adjustable, and considered their base size and the blade housing size. Of course, since larger fans are often more powerful, we considered other values of their sizes when calculating scores in this metric. Being able to tilt or oscillate a fan also makes a big difference in where it can live in your home, so we considered these abilities as well.

The Vornado 683 is the smallest of the group. It has a small footprint with legs that can go around objects and a small head that's powerful and can be pointed in nearly any direction, pivoting a full 90 degrees, from horizontal to almost vertical. The Lasko S11612 is a fairly average overall size but is much lighter than most and with a thin, wide base that can slide easily under most furniture. The lightweight Comfort Zone has a folding base comprised of four legs, and though they're much wider, their small profile makes them conducive to squeezing into spaces and under furniture. The Lasko Cyclone and Rowenta Turbo Silence are both noticeably larger than the competition, in base and head size, as well as the overall presence in a room.

Just about every pedestal fan we tested oscillates roughly 90 degrees with the exception of the Vornado 683, which doesn't oscillate at all but can be twisted on its stand to face any direction. However, the Vornado offers one of the widest pivot ranges, at nearly 90 degrees, whereas most others are closer to 20-25 degrees at most. The Lasko Cyclone also pivots at close to 90 degrees.

Stability

Just looking at some pedestal fans can feel like they're on the verge of being knocked over. If your home includes excitable pets, clumsy children, or ungraceful adults, it's important to have a sturdy fan that's less likely to take a fall when bumped. We evaluated fans on their center of balance, weightiness, sturdiness, and other features that help to hold them in place, like rubber feet. Since many of these come with a tiny remote, we also considered extra features (like remote storage spots) as a bonus in this metric.

The Pelonis Silent Turbo and Rowenta Turbo Silence use heaviness to their advantage when it comes to stability, weighing over 15 and 17 pounds, respectively. However, the Rowenta has a rather wobbly vertical portion of the unit that makes it feel a bit rickety, while the Pelonis Turbo is sturdier overall. The Amazon Basics Oscillating and Black+Decker 16" exhibit a similar strategy with heavy bases to lower their center of gravity.

Using a different strategy, the Vornado 683 and Comfort Zone 3-Speed are lightweight but have wide bases compared to their heads, with rubbery grips to help hold them in place. Four models include some form of storage for their remotes: the Rowenta, Black+Decker, Lasko S16612, and Lasko Cyclone. The Rowenta has a slot on top that securely stores its remote right on top of the unit. The Black+Decker has a clip-on caddy that attaches to the stand but gets in the way of lowering it completely. The Lasko S16612 pairs a hook on the back of the remote with a slot on the back of the fan stand to keep them together when not in use. The Lasko Cyclone provides just a simple Velcro patch, allowing you to connect the other side of it to wherever you find most helpful — whether that's the top of the fan motor or the side of your coffee table.

Conclusion

A good pedestal fan can make all the difference during a hot summer, while a bad one can leave you cursing your decision to buy it. By testing these fans side by side, we hope that our comparative analysis helps you find the one that melts your sweat away and keeps you cool.