The Best Bladeless Fan

Bladeless fans may be a bit pricier than their bladed counterparts, but they bring plenty of benefits. The design itself makes it a conversation piece. Chances are, some people you know have never even seen one in person. But there are plenty of other great reasons to choose a bladeless fan for your home or office.

Safety is one of the top reasons. If you have little ones around, a fan with blades can add stress you don’t need. If someone sticks a finger or an object in the areas where a blade would normally be, on a bladeless fan, it’s completely safe.

When it’s time to clean dust and debris from your bladeless fan, it’s far easier than with a fan with blades. You don’t have to work around those blades, after all, which makes it a breeze. However, some bladeless fans tend to attract dust and potentially create more work for you.

Once you move beyond the bladeless aspect of a fan, many of the same features you expect from any fan apply. Some fans oscillate, cooling off a bigger area, while others are set up only to blast air directly. But even with oscillating fans, it’s important to check blowing power to make sure you’ll get the force you need if you’re trying to cool a large room.

If you’re using your fan in a bedroom or other living space, a remote control can come in handy. One thing to look for is whether you’ll have all the controls you need on the fan itself. Some fans put all the controls on the remote, which leaves you unable to adjust settings if you misplace it.

Timers also come with many bladeless fans. With a built-in timer, you can set your fan to work for a specific time period, then automatically shut off. This might be good if you use your fan to help you fall asleep at night, but you want to conserve energy by having it shut off once you’ve drifted off.

• The first thing to consider is how easy it will be to set your fan up once you take it out of the box. The Lasko 4930 Oscillating High Velocity Tower Fan comes preassembled, which means you can take it out of the package, plug it in and immediately enjoy cool air. With the Honeywell Quietset 8-Speed Whole-Room Tower Fan, you’ll need to put together the base, which is just a matter of snapping two parts together and tightening a locking nut. Once you’ve done that, the tower will slide right into the base.
• Once the fan is in place, working the settings becomes the next challenge. The Honeywell Quietset 8-Speed Whole-Room Tower Fan has touch buttons that make it easy to choose the setting you want. You’ll just press the fan button until you reach the level of cooling you want and enjoy.
• One of the best things about bladeless fans is that they’re easier to clean than those with blades. However, the Lasko 4930 Oscillating High Velocity Tower Fan and Honeywell Quietset 8-Speed Whole-Room Tower Fan have louvered vents for adjusting airflow. Those vents make cleanup a little more challenging. The Dyson Cool AM06 10 inch Air Multiplier Desk Fan and Dyson Cool Air Multiplier Tower Fan have air-intake vents that can pull dust inward, and you’ll have to vacuum those on a fairly regular basis. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s directions for cleaning to avoid damaging the motor.
• Although cooling power can be subjective, each fan has its own way of cooling an area. The Lasko 4930 Oscillating High Velocity Tower Fan has a high-velocity blower, making it ideal for those wanting a blast of air rather than more subtle cooling. If you want multiple options for your cooling, consider the Honeywell Quietset 8-Speed Whole-Room Tower Fan, Dyson Cool AM06 10 inch Air Multiplier Desk Fan or Dyson Cool Air Multiplier Tower Fan, each of which offers a wide range of settings. One thing setting the Honeywell Quietset 8-Speed Whole-Room Tower Fan apart from others in this area, is that it has both speed and noise level settings. Those range from Sleep to Power Cool to give you the noise and wind level you need for every situation.
• Oscillation can come in handy, particularly when cooling a large room. The Lasko 4930 Oscillating High Velocity Tower Fan oscillates 45 degrees, with louvers that allow you to direct air. The Honeywell Quietset 8-Speed Whole-Room Tower Fan can circulate air at a rate of approximately 110 cubic feet per minute, making it best for small to midsized rooms. Although the Dyson Cool AM06 10 inch Air Multiplier Desk Fan is relatively small, it uses something called Air Multiplier technology, allowing it to spread air around. One of the best things about this model is that it reduces energy use by 30% when compared to previous Dyson bladeless models. The larger Dyson Cool Air Multiplier Tower Fan also uses Air Multiplier technology and energy efficiency to provide cooling without doing major damage to your utility bill.