We purchased 31 fans in different shapes and styles and tested them in the Lab to see how they performed. We then spent hours evaluating their air speed, design, portability, effectiveness, and value. We also sent 15 fans home with our testers to gauge their performance over one month and asked them to consider factors in their own homes, such as the ones Rodney suggested. Our favorite fan, the Better Homes & Gardens 40-inch 3-Speed Tower, is affordably priced, has impressive features, and is relatively quiet at its highest and strongest speed. Backed by our testing in The Lab and at home, here are our best fans to keep you cool. On the top of the fan you can find thoughtful features, including a magnetic area to store the remote; an LED-lighted control panel that turns off after a minute, so it doesn’t disturb you at night; a 7.5-hour programmable timer; and a handle, so you can easily carry the fan from room to room. In fact, our tester noted it was so light, she could move it with just one hand. She did point out, however, that it wouldn’t be the best fan to travel with because it is not as compact as some other options we tested. Regarding the fan’s effectiveness, our tester noted that it employs a direct flow and feels most cooling when it is relatively close up, with the airflow pointed directly at you. For example, while testing the airflow from different distances, our tester noted it was most cooling from 6 to 8 feet of its direct flow. Outside the direct flow (while the fan was stationary or oscillating), she could not feel it. So, if you are looking for a fan multiple people can feel in different parts of the room, this might not be the best option.  Tall and slender, this tower features internal oscillation: While the fan’s inside moves, the outside shell remains still. Although this product is designed to be more stable than a fan that entirely moves while oscillating (and provides more range of motion), the fan base wobbled a bit during use, as our tester noted. She did mention, however, that this may be due to the way the fan was assembled. Overall, this affordable fan should keep you cool, has unique and useful features, and looks sleek in any room, making it our top pick. Price at time of publish: $48 This fan lacks a handle and is a bit bulky compared with other desk fans, but it is powerful for its size and portable enough to carry from room to room. It also lacks a remote, but the push-button controls on the back of the fan, adjusting the speeds from whisper-quiet to turbo, are straightforward and easy to use. After using this fan at home for one month, our tester said she not only noticed this fan circulating air in a rather large and lofty room in her home, but it also cooled the space significantly. Price at time of publish: $100 We love how versatile it can be, with an adjustable height from about 43 to 57 inches and five speed settings so you can tailor it to suit your needs. Choose the powerful Turbo Boost setting when you really want to cool down or Silent Night Mode when you need it to be as quiet as possible. In fact, while using this speed, our tester noted that the fan was almost silent. One note: This fan is heavy and takes two hands to move. However, our tester appreciated the sturdy base and noted it was not easy to tip over.  The airflow performance in front of and to the sides of the fan’s direct line impressed our tester—she felt the airflow from as far as 20 feet, as well as when she was out of the direct flow. She also noted that the fan oscillates about a foot in each direction, so the airflow can directly reach more parts of the room. After a month of using this fan in her home, our tester said that this fan made it comfortable enough to actually do work or watch TV in her living room (where she does not have an AC window unit) during the day. She also said she did not notice much noise coming from the fan when she had it on during the day. Price at time of publish: $180 Our tester noted that this fan is a bit heavier than expected, and with its handle a bit too close to the blades, it isn’t the easiest fan to carry. However, she still could move it with one hand. Our tester also noted she had to cycle through each speed to change speed settings, but it was still quick and easy to do. Our at-home tester even said she preferred this fan to have a heavy base so that her dog could not easily knock it over. Price at time of publish: $80 Our tester felt the breeze up to 20 feet, although it was strongest up to 6 feet. Our tester also found this fan fairly light and portable, with areas underneath you can use as carrying handles. Although this fan is marketed as a desk fan, our at-home tester said it was rather bulky to actually sit on someone’s desk all the time, but she still appreciated how easy it was to maneuver on her bedside table. Plus, the top portion of the fan can fold down, so it’s easily stored when not in use. Price at time of publish: $90 Our lab tester found the perfect distance to be about 6 feet from the fan, where she could feel a strong but not too disruptive breeze (although she could feel the fan at 20 feet away). She also noted that it would be hard to have a conversation in a small room when the fan is on its highest setting. After using this fan at home for a month, our tester said she loves using this fan to cool down specific areas of her home without turning on her AC unit. She said while the noise factor on this fan may not be convenient for everyone, it’s helpful to drown out noisy neighbors or any other sounds that may disturb sleep. Overall, both our lab and at-home testers said this fan is a great option for its price and can easily be moved around to cool down rooms in your home. Price at time of publish: $45 Our lab tester noted they could feel the airflow as far as 20 feet on the highest setting. However, they said it took the sixth setting (out of 10) before they started hearing or feeling the airflow; lower, they had to put a hand right up to the fan. They also noted that it is fairly quiet on its highest, strongest setting, so it shouldn’t disturb at night or while watching TV. Price at time of publish: $330 Although it is not height-adjustable, this fan is tall enough to reach over a bed, so it would be good for bedrooms. Our lab tester also noted that the cord is shorter than other options we tested, but since the airflow can reach relatively far, it shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. We also appreciate how easy the permanent filter is to access and clean—press the EZclick Filter button on the cover on the back of the fan to open, then use your vacuum’s brush attachment to clean. After using this fan at home for a month, one of our testers said that her whole family loves this fan—including her dog. This fan offered her open floor plan living, dining, and kitchen area a “natural breeze” environment and helped circulate the air from the AC unit. She added this fan isn’t completely quiet, but it’s not loud enough to disturb during working or sleeping hours. Price at time of publish: $140 As far as performance, our lab tester noted that this three-speed fan was quite powerful and relatively quiet when she tested from 10 feet away. However, she noted that at 20 feet, she couldn’t feel the fan at all, which would be an issue only in larger spaces. We also had a home tester use this fan for a month to evaluate its long-term performance. She said it was a complete game changer for her apartment, which only has one AC unit in the bedroom. She left this fan running on high and oscillating every day while she worked from home. She said sometimes she would even forget to turn it off because it operated so quietly. Overall, this fan’s design and features make it a great option for small bedrooms or other compact spaces where you want powerful circulation but quiet operation. Price at time of publish: $75 You also can select the airflow direction (in or out) of each fan individually. The unit also features three speed settings and five temperature settings (from 60 to 80 degrees), thanks to its built-in thermostat. And while this window fan is not the most powerful fan we tested, our tester felt the airflow up to 20 feet in front of it, as well as circulating the air around the room. While using this fan at home for a month, our tester said she felt it definitely made a difference in keeping a room cool and preventing it from becoming stuffy on hot days. She said the temperature dial on this fan was confusing to operate, but the low-to-high speed setting is pretty straightforward. Price at time of publish: $50 We also sent 15 fans to be used in our testing volunteers’ homes for a month. This testing not only helped us evaluate each fan’s long-term performance but also allowed us to ask our testers how they used the fans in real-world settings.

What to Look for in a Fan

Type

There are several types of fans, so choose the one that will suit your room best. A powerful floor fan is usually most effective at moving the greatest amount of air in larger spaces, but anyone who needs to save space may want to look into a tower fan with a smaller footprint, such as our best overall, the Better Homes & Gardens 40-inch 3-Speed Tower. Tabletop and desk fans have plenty of power for smaller bedrooms or offices, while window and box fans can help inject a blast of fresh outdoor air on a cool night.

Cooling Power

CFM—or cubic feet per minute—measures the amount of air a fan moves every 60 seconds. Generally, CFM depends on the fan’s motor and blades (their pitch, length, and shape). The higher the CFM, the more air a fan circulates. Fans with low CFMs are suitable only for small spaces.

Oscillation

Some fans operate from a single position, and others oscillate (or swivel) as they circulate air. An oscillating fan is more effective at cooling since it’s better equipped to move air throughout the entire room, such as the Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme+ Stand Fan. During testing, we appreciated its wide, 85-degree oscillation. If you’d like your fan to focus on one spot—say, to dry a wet spot on a carpet—this feature isn’t necessary.

Why Trust The Spruce?

Jenica Currie is the Associate Commerce Editor for outdoor, gardening, and home improvement at The Spruce. She has tested products at home and in the Lab, including artificial Christmas trees, clothing racks, bean bag chairs, and vacuums. Living in an older home without central air, she knows a good fan is essential in summer. She is currently using the Lasko FH500 Fan & Space Heater Combo Tower in her own home, and everyone (including the dog) is appreciating its cool breeze. For this article, she used our test results and researched dozens of top-rated fans to compile this list of the best available options. We also consulted with Rodney George, a Best Buy home expert, for this roundup. He provided insightful information on what to consider before purchasing a fan and how to best clean different types of fans. For a light, weekly cleaning, you can use a can of compressed air or a handheld vacuum to remove dust from your fan’s blades, vent, and protective housing. For a deeper clean, you may need to disassemble your fan (although doing so might void its warranty), as George suggests.

What Is The Spruce Approved?

Here at The Spruce, we want to ensure we fully stand behind every product we recommend and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all these products ourselves, though occasionally, we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free.