Believe it or not, the warmer months are coming.
As long as you know where to place them throughout your home, fans can be an invaluable tool in fighting the heat during the summer, saving you money on cooling bills and keeping your place livable. I use fans all year round to combat the the sweltering conditions caused by my ancient radiator, which my landlord controls and under which I suffer, so I know a thing or two about the best ones. Here are some great fans to keep you cool.
If you are looking for a big, heavy-duty fan that can cool a large room, here are some solid options.
Could this be the summer you finally pull the trigger on the expensive, but effective, Dyson? Dyson's whole deal is air, whether using it to suck up dirt from the carpet or curl wet hair, so they are trustworthy when it comes to fans. A Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 is $329 and a Cool AM07 Air Multiplier is $359.08—or you could nab a Hot+Cool AM09 Jet Focus for $424, using it to cool down in the summer and heat up in the winter. In addition to looking sleek, these things work and are convenient: Reviewers praise the magnetic remote controls that stick right to the machine, as well as the ease of cleaning.
The Vornado Silver Swan Alchemy ($179.99) is praised by the New York Times for being an "upgrade" over other fans because it is high performance, pretty quiet, and oscillating (plus it has an "attractive retro design" that makes it look cool in your home, pun intended).
Up until last week, I had this Lasko oscillating tower fan ($64.99), and it lasted me a commendable seven years. It would have lasted longer if I hadn't knocked it over so often and neglected to clean it as well as I should have, but even when the vents were full of dust, this bad boy blasted cool air far and wide. At 42 inches tall, it's a little cumbersome, so only pick it up if you have the space for it and the willingness to clean a bunch of tiny slats on the back. It's no-frills (save for a convenient remote control that enables you to change the speed and toggle on the oscillation from across the room), but it does mean business.
I replaced that Lasko with the Antarctic Star tower fan ($49.49) and am personally very happy with it. Like other models here, it has a remote control, oscillates, and has three different intensity speeds. It was easy to set up and what I really like about it is the light pink color. If aesthetics are important to you but you still want something powerful, give it a shot.
If you want something that has a wide radius, consider a Levoit tower fan ($59.97), which advertises that it can cool up to 25 feet. Reviewers have put the claim to the test, demonstrating that it actually does reach 25 feet, which is great news for anyone with a large room that needs some air circulation.
Sometimes, you just need a little fan for some direct cooling or help in a confined space. Try these.
I picked up this Conbola desk fan ($22.94) a few months ago and can't believe how much I like it. I use a small fan on my nightstand to generate white noise at night and while this is much smaller and sleeker than the behemoth I had before, it's just as powerful and just noisy enough for bedtime. What drew me to it was its pink color, of course, but what made me love it was its features: It only needs a small USB cord to function and when plugged in, it's also charging, so it can be moved around and doesn't need to be tethered to an outlet at all times.
For a simple desk fan, try the Black + Decker tabletop box fan ($14.07), which has rave reviews on Amazon from people who praise its tiny size and ability to fit on a windowsill. If you're short on space but big on heat, this might be the move for you.
Conbola, to which I have become strangely loyal after the great success of my little pink fan, also makes a bladeless desk option ($37.79) for those who want that Dyson look without the Dyson price. You get three speed options, touch controls, and the ability to charge it and move it around. The nice thing about bladeless fans is how easy they are to clean: Wipe out the inside and use a dust cloth on the vents without ever having to take it apart.
