It has a retro design that harkens back to the original Vornado fan design from 1945. If you prefer a white fan, check out the Vornado 610DC, or if you like a more art deco aesthetic, the Vornado Vfan Alchemy is available in gunmetal gray or seafoam green (although it doesnt perform quite as well as the 630). Although we can (and do) measure these things, weve found that its more difficult to make any meaningful distinctions between the actual airflow-performance results of the best room-circulating fans available today. Remarkably, we didnt even measure any frequency spikes coming from the 660 AE, so it produces no stray tones that might drill into your ears. (Tip: It starts on low, jumps to high, and then walks back down to low again, which we found counterintuitive.) 
An excellent option for anyone who might prefer voice or phone control for mobility reasons, the 660 AE offers so much power, over such a distance, we found ourselves relying on the built-in voice commands more often than we had anticipated. Maybe.
Like the 630, the 460 comes with a protective five-year warranty on all defects in material or workmanship, in which case Vornado will repair or replace your fan free of charge. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time).
Here are all our product recommendations for keeping cooland our advice on how to make everything work better. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. Its quieter and even less energy-intensive than our top pick at its low, medium, and high settings, yet it produces a substantial breeze that you can still feel from more than 20 feet away. If it sounds a little whinier at faster speeds than our top pick, thats because its actually less noisy. The volleyball-size Vornado 460 Small Air Circulator looks and works very much like the 630 and costs around $15 to $20 less. But again: youre probably going to run into some cleaning complications no matter what fan you get. Also, a piece of the cheap-feeling plastic body had broken off in transit. The Spin 12 was especially difficult to disassemble for cleaning, too. This seems to be a point of contention among Amazon reviewers, some of whom find the Honeywells noise nearly imperceptible and great for sleeping, while others crave a noisier fan to lull them to sleep or distort their voice in funny ways. Thats a hell of a long time to cover a fantwice Vornados usual, already generous five-year warrantyand though Vornado released its DC line fairly recently, were comfortable recommending a fan guaranteed to last that long by a company with an extensive record of quality. Our only other complaint about the Vfan Alchemy is that removing the grille for cleaning is not quite as easy. So, for this latest round of evaluating fans, inspired by a toddler in the test space, we decided to just juice up a few bubble wands, hold them in front of the fans, and blow bubbles for some cool slow-mo footage to better observe the airflow. In our tests, we measured a few fluctuations coming from the Vfan Alchemy around 4,000 Hz and 10,000 Hz, with a bit more activity on the low end (below 1,000 Hz). The Lasko Oscillating High Velocity Fan with Remote Control 4930 was loud, ugly, and wobbly, but it was also the single most powerful fan we tested in 2017so powerful as to be overkill. But first, it has to complete one full oscillation cycle and then go all the way back around to the end point of the arc you indicated, before bouncing back to the start of that arc. If you need to do a deep clean, you can pop the fan blades off as well, though it might take a little more elbow grease. Due to the two-legged base, its slightly more prone to tilting forward or backward, but this is an issue only if you (like me) have a tenacious toddler running around trying to stick his fingers into everything he can. Unfortunately, none of them were good enough to outweigh the overall flaws of a tower fan.
In our tests it performed nearly as well, with a slightly inferior airflow (velocity) and an identical air-circulation score; it was also ever-so-slightly quieter. Weve been recommending the Vornado 630 since 2017, and year after year, it continues to impress with its small footprint and powerful gusting. The standard Vornado 660 without Alexa capabilities used to be our runner-up pick, and even then, our main concern was that it might be too powerful for most people (we call its effect a windy maelstrom). Several Amazon reviewers have complained about just how deeply recessed those screw cavities go, and we can vouch for that from experience. Its also relatively quietand the sound it does make resembles a smooth white noise, as opposed to the choppy whir that most other powerful fans produced in our tests. Because the 460 is smaller, it cant move air as effectively in large rooms as the 630 can, but its a great choice for smaller rooms where noise levels matter more, such as offices or bedrooms. The Vornado 660 AE Large Air Circulator with Alexa is an impressively powerful (and remarkably quiet) air circulator that you can connect directly to Alexa and control with your voice. Unfortunately, they have lots of other frustrating qualities. Although we prefer the position of the 660 AEs controls to the dial on the back of the 460, we were a bit frustrated to see that the 660 AE gives no visual indicator of the current setting, so theres no way for you to tell, at a glance, which power level its on. But with an average price of about $20and an average monthly energy cost of around $2.16, based on April 2022 ratesits a steal. Weve seen the Cascade 40-inch Tower Fan on shelves at Costco for about $30 (and also on Amazon for about $40). But they also reminded us why we dont recommend tower fans. Theres also literally no way to open it up and clean it. Unlike its cousin, the Vornado 660, the 733 cant pivot. The 660 AEs small upgrade in size allows it to pack a powerful punch, but it doesnt drown out the sound in the room. Aesthetically, the 660 AE is similar to the Vornado 460, with a glossy black finish and a tilting axis on a guided metal track that curves underneath the fan. Although the instruction manual mentions that part of the design, its not immediately obvious when you look at the HT-900. (And depending on the fans angle, it can result in a faceful of gale.) With a sturdy metal construction and an exterior available in seafoam green or gunmetal gray with vintage brass highlights, the Vfan Alchemy is a fashionable alternative to the black plastic aesthetic of most other room air circulators. Vornado sends you a prepaid label if it needs to repair your fan, which means repairs are actually free. Unlike our current DC-powered upgrade pickwhich costs about the same amount of moneythe Laskos variable control dial has 12 notched power levels. The top of the cylinder is a touchscreen that lets you control the fan speed and oscillation simply by tracing your finger around the edges. Its not our top pick because its not as powerful as the 630using this model in a large living room would be a stretchand its awkwardly placed speed dial makes it less comfortable to use. Our biggest complaint is that the 460s control dial sits behind the motor in a more awkward position than that of the 630: Turning this fan on and off or changing the speed means reaching around the machine and often getting a blast of air in the face.
It tilts, too, allowing you to angle the airflow upward in a room. The 630 Medium Air Circulators spiral grille helps direct air in a tight column that can move air across a large room. We also considered some Honeywell Comfort Control tower fans, and though we may come around to testing them in the future, we dismissed them this time due to their lack of a remote control. Its noticeably smaller than the 630 (think volleyball versus basketball), and it produces a softer noise, more like a whoosh than a whir. Although we also liked the Vornado 560 Medium Air Circulator, a slightly smaller version of the 660, we didnt find a compelling reason to recommend it over the cheaper 630. Aside from the higher price, the 610DCs most notable shortcoming is that its motor requires a transformer, which is housed in a bulky box on the power cord. We found that the 460 sounded slightly better than the 630, though both models produced noise of a similar volume. Learn more. Not much bigger than a basketball, the 630 doesnt take up too much room on a floor or on a coffee table. Wipe the blades with a towel and some soapy water, and pop the grille back on. In fact, the only real complaint we have about the 660 AE is that its difficult to see the current setting in the dark or from a distance. To be clear, the Honeywell is nowhere near as powerful as our top Vornado pick. This makes a certain amount of sense its sucking in so much more air than other fans that its inevitably going to gather more dust (or pet hair, or whatever else is in your home). These features arent unique to the Honeywell, and its certainly not as powerful as any of our Vornado picks. The 630 isnt a traditional fanits an air circulator, designed to create a vortex that circulates all of the air in your room better than an oscillating fan, without the distraction of intermittent gusts. Were currently looking into several newer fans, including the Lasko EcoQuiet DC-Powered Pedestal Fan with Remote Control, and the Westinghouse WSFBLA022BK Bladeless Tower Fan, which has a built-in air purifier and UV filter. Like the 660, the 560s most powerful speed is quite loud, and its least powerful speed is still rather loud. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times.
To maximize the amount of air your circulator moves during the summer, Vornado recommends that you aim its airflow halfway up a wall on the opposite side of the room. This fan is smaller than our top pick, too, with a similar black plastic aesthetic, although the grille feels a little flimsier than those of any of the Vornado models. We tried to find out if an oscillating pedestal or tower fan could replicate that comfort level, but frankly, it was too hot to endure the testing process. A Vornado fan may require a higher cost up front, but its a better performer and a better long-term value. The compact Vornado 630 can send breezes to the far corners of a large room, is relatively easy to control and clean, and has a long-established record for reliability. We also checked out the DC-powered Lasko EcoQuiet T42700. Its also quieter than our top pick, measuring about 6 decibels less at both the highest and lowest fan speeds, yet it still produces a strong enough breeze that you can feel the cooling more than 12 feet away. That said, the Atom 1 is impressively quietexcept on its highest setting, which in our tests sounded as if it were about to implode at the center of a black hole. Although it would have been nice to select from other colors, we dont think most people are fussy about matching their fan to their furniture, and black is easy to hide in most decor schemes. We note whether any fans feel dangerously hot after running for eight hours straight. You can find the specific cleaning instructions (PDF) in the manual, but cleaning the 630 should become second nature after a few times. On the 460, the three-speed dial is mounted at the rear of the fan body, obscured by the support arm. Its nearly identical to the 610DC but with better tilting options, plus a control dial on the back of the fan (a design we dont like as much). Compared with our top pick, the Vornado 630, the swanky Vornado 610DC Energy Smart Medium Air Circulator is equally as compact and powerful, and it offers a few perks that may make it worth the extra cost. Back in 2018, we recommended the Seville Classics UltraSlimline 40 Tower Fan as our top pick. And because the 460 moves air through a smaller grille (10 inches versus 12 inches in diameter), its airflow velocity feels significantly stronger from close up. And then theres long-term testing. We realize that this is part of the appeal of tower fans in general you dont need to put them on top of something else, and they dont take up a lot of floorspace.
Though fans dont use much energy compared with many appliances, including air conditioners, Vornado claims that DC fans use up to 80% less energy than regular AC-powered fans. The Vornado 630 costs less, offers similar performance, and has a smaller footprint, all of which make it our top pick. In an interview, Vornado engineer Greg Pease compared the difference between AC and DC technology to the difference between incandescent and LED lightsthe output is the same, but the methodology is different. First, theyre rarely as powerful as other standard room fans, let alone the air circulators that we tend to recommend now. We havent tested this model ourselves, but were confident in dismissing it for the reasons we outline in Why we no longer recommend tower fans. (And it was fun.). The diminutive Vornado 460 Small Air Circulator moves enough air to keep most bedrooms and offices comfortably breezy. You can muscle your way between the grille fins or spray some water into it, but you might have a hard time removing the grille for a good deep cleaning. After nearly a decade of testing room fans, were sure the Vornado 630 Medium Air Circulator is the best choice for most people. That mode produces more of a gale than a breeze, and its almost certainly overkill for most situationsbut even then, this fan is not as loud as you might expect, measuring only 65 decibels. The raised control knob is centrally located on the back, which makes it easy to find and manipulate, even in the dark. Whereas the Vornado 630 is designed to be dismantled entirely by hand, the Vfan Alchemys metal tabs require you to use a dull blade or a flathead screwdriver to bend the pieces back. It got louder only when we switched it to its fourth setting, turbo mode. Also, this model typically costs more than our main pick. The remote had trouble doing its job, failing to register a command with a clear line of sight. Despite the two models similarities in sound and performance, the Vfan Alchemy actually uses less energy than our top pick, drawing about half as much energy (20 watts) on its lowest setting and about three-quarters as much (39 watts) on high. The Vornado 610DC, one of our upgrade picks, has a speed dial that allows for flexible speed adjustment; another upgrade pick, the Vornado 660 AE, has a fourth, turbo setting in addition to the standard high/medium/low that you get on most fans. Were well aware of the sheets of stats available for the airflow and cleaning rates of air purifiers, in contrast, and weve wished that fans had similar data for us to rely onbut alas, they do not. But it doesnt oscillate, and its fabric blades are not especially effectivewe were unable to register a CFM reading at the 5-foot mark, and we had to get within 2 feet to feel any measurable wind. Dyson Cool AM06 Review: is this the worlds most luxurious desk fan?
In 2022, we considered the Lasko Works With Alexa Tower Fan, and while the setup process was remarkably easy (not unlike the Vornados Works With Alexa fan), we could never actually get Alexa to do anything with the fan. We measured the 610DCs wattage against that of other fans we recommend and found that, at full power, the 610DC used 39 watts. No screws are involvedsimply press down on one of the grille clips, and then the grille face should pop off. Whereas the 610DC used 74% of the power of the 630 when both fans ran at full power, it used only about 12% as much power as the 630 when both fans ran on medium and 6% when both fans ran on low. These modes were certainly neat, but ultimately their effects werent that different from what we got with the standard speed settings.
At the highest setting, the 610DC exceeds the 630s maximum airflow output, using only as much energy as the 630 does on its lowest setting. While the grille removal remains easier than any other fan weve tested, some people have struggled with getting the fan blades off for a deep clean. In our ongoing search for a solution to these common problems, we have tested a few other tower fans, including the Honeywell HYF290B, the Vornado NGT335, and the Bluetooth-enabled Lasko Wind Curve Tower Fan. Weve bought dedicated anemometers for fan testing and measured wind speeds at various distances and airflow angles. Why mess with a good thing? You cant schedule a regular cooling calendar, you cant control the fan with a voice assistant, and you cant even set up location triggers to turn the fan off when you leave the house. The Vornado 610DC Energy Smart Medium Air Circulator represents a slight upgrade from the 630 and 460 if you want even less noise and more adjustability. Considering the UltraSlimlines history of failing within the first year, this five-year coverage is certainly attractive. Its one of the most affordable fans we tested, yet it packs enough power to send breezes throughout a large space. Yes, it has a visible seam around the edge, where you should be able to insert a dull knife or a flathead screwdriver. Theres also the fact that tower fans are exceptionally difficult to clean. In addition, weve spotted some owner reviews complaining about the fans being too wobblysomething weve also experienced ourselves with a few Honeywell models that various Wirecutter staff members have owned.
Our top pick, the Vornado 630, uses 53 watts. In contrast, standard fans simply disperse air throughout the room without creating continuous circulation. At its middle and lower settings, it issued a pleasant white noise that measured between 47 and 49 decibels, which made it easy for us to talk or watch TV over. In its build quality and features, the HT-900 falls short compared with our other picks, but thats to be expected considering its low price and small size. But we found the variable speed control dial of the 610DC easier and faster to use than the 6303DCs +/- touchscreen buttons. The only time the 660 AE got really loud in our tests was in its appropriately named turbo mode, which was almost overwhelmingly powerful. At around the size of a volleyball, the 460 comes in a conveniently small package. Despite all that, we dont think its worth an extra $30 over the older model, and it doesnt seem as easy to find. Finally, back in 2020, we looked at the Bluetooth-enabled Lasko Wind Curve Tower Fan, which uses an app in lieu of a remote control. It can be as quiet as I want it to be, or blow just as hard as I want it, or anywhere in-between..
We take notes on how easy they are to usewhether the power buttons are accessible, how easy it is to change the speeds, and how smoothly we can reposition the direction of the airflow. Moreover, the smaller Dyson Air Multiplier AM06 table fan is powerful enough to function as a whole-room fan but costs about $70 less. In addition, it comes in two delightful color options: seafoam green or a gunmetal gray, both of which are accented by bronze bits on the base and grille. Getting $5 to $10 in energy savings for a single summer might not seem that impressivebut it can add up over the course of a decade and possibly even save you enough to make up for the initial price difference. To trim the massive number of fans, we considered only those with more than 100 owner reviews and an average rating higher than four stars (out of five). (We tested the seafoam green model, but those highlights pop nicely against the gunmetal.). When that occurs, we learn what we can about common experiences with customer service, warranty issues, shipping concerns, and anything else we would find noteworthy if we were shopping for a fan for our own use. The Dyson Air Multiplier AM06 is a former also-great pick and the absolute quietest fan weve tested. And it is certainly energy efficient, using only 6 to 21 watts, which is great.
When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. However, it did offer three unusual fan modes in addition to the standard high, medium, and low settings found on most other fans: a gentle sleep mode, a natural setting that ramped the power up and down to mimic a natural breeze, and a turbo setting. Pro tip: Dont do that. Stephanie Sisco, The Best Fans, Real Simple, Sal Cangeloso, Best desk fan: Dyson vs Vornado vs Honeywell, Geek.com, April 1, 2014, Top Ten Tower Fans of 2016, Top Ten Reviews, Ry Crist, Dyson AM06 review: Dyson's desk fan is very cool but very costly, CNET, March 5, 2014, Samuel Gibbs, Dyson Cool AM06 Review: is this the worlds most luxurious desk fan?, The Guardian, July 18, 2014, Will Greenwald, Dyson Cool AM06 Review, PCMag, March 7, 2014, Rob Green, senior design engineer at Dyson, email interview, March 27, 2017, Bill Kahale, product manager at Seville, phone interview, March 30, 2017, Jim Kline, engineer/quality supervisor at Intertek, phone interview, May 9, 2017, Brian Cyr, acoustical engineer at Intertek, phone interview, May 9, 2017. If you want a fan that works great and also adds more style to your home rather than more plain black plastic, get the Vornado Vfan Alchemy. Typically you need to disassemble the base of the fan and unscrew several panels to reach the gunk around the blades. Although we typically dont recommend tower fans, weve looked at several new Lasko models over the last few years that have boasted other interesting features. It performs about as well as our top pick, too, creating a pleasant and powerful breeze throughout the room without getting too loud or grating. Like the 630, the 460 is an air circulator, and it moves more air than its size suggests. We love the 610DCs controls, which allow you to set the fan to any speed you want instead of having to choose between specific settings. Stick with the 630. The obelisk-esque Vornado Atom 1 Compact Oscillating Tower Circulator is a DC-powered fan thats arguably too sleek for its own good. Although the Vfan Alchemy is roughly the same size as our top fan pick from Vornado, it also has a durable metal chassis that weighs about three times more than the plastic body of the Vornado 630. But as we learned from reader comments, Seville makes you pay to ship your defective fan back, which can cost nearly $50. The 630 is relatively easy to maintain and clean, at least as far as fans go. The negative reviews for this model show a pattern of unreliabilityeither from the beginning or after limited use. In look and feel, the Vornado Vfan Alchemy harkens back to the very first Vornado fan, which was based on an experimental airplane propeller. We also tested the Vornado 5303 Small Air Circulator, which was less powerful and less pleasant-sounding than our other Vornado picks, and the Vornado Helix2 Personal Oscillating Tower Circulator, which is fine as a personal desk fan but not powerful enough for a room. Finally, theres the 660 AEs built-in Alexa capability. Like the other Vornado models we recommend, the 610DC offers 90 degrees of motion, allowing you to point the fans face toward any spot youd like. Weve also tied ribbons to chopsticks and mounted them around the room to eyeball air circulation throughout the space. That was the extent of what we liked about it. We stick our fingers (and/or a chopstick) through the openings in the grille to see if the fan is safe to have around curious children. But after reading a slew of complaintsfrom our readers, Amazon reviewers, and even our former editor-in-chief, Jacqui Chengwe reassessed the qualities we find most important in a room fan, and we realized a few things about tower fans. But we found the construction flimsy, with wobbly tripod legs that kept falling off every time we tried to move the fan. The 630 also comes backed by a five-year warranty (PDF) that covers any defects in material or workmanship; if those are the issue, Vornado will repair or replace your fan free of charge. The Honeywell TurboForce Air Circulator Fan HT-900 is our pick for a small space such as a home office or for infrequent or short-term use in a guest room or summer rental. At the end of several weeks, we attempt to give each fan a thorough cleaning, noting which ones require near-complete disassembly and which ones need just the grille removed. Its not quite as easy to clean, but that just means you need to treat it more like a nice piece of home decor, which is what it looks like anyway. But the 630 does a capable job in most parts of the house.
The glossy black body of the 460 also looks sleeker than the drearier matte black plastic of the 630, and unlike the black-only 630, the 460 comes in both black and white, so you can more easily match your fan to your furniture. You cant go wrong with any Vornado, but this model offers the best balance of power and energy savings. So although the Dyson used the least energy overall, the 610DCat full powerdrew about 30% less energy than the 630 and 45% less energy than the 460. It looks less obtrusive than the 630 when placed on a table or in the corner of a room, and its small but sturdy base can even fit on a bookshelf. In the winter the company recommends turning your fan on low and pointing it toward the ceiling in order to evenly distribute heat throughout the room. The 460 comes backed by the same five-year warranty as the 630, and it boasts a glossy black finish like on Darth Vaders helmet. That voice-control capability quickly goes from a perk to a necessity when you have a fan thats capable of producing a substantial breeze that you can see and feel from more than 20 feet away on the fans highest setting (which is appropriately called turbo mode).
The 630 has its control dial on the side of one of its legs, so you dont have to stick your face or arm over the windy face of the fan to change the speed or turn it off. We confirmed that it was recognized in the app; we even tried assigning it different names, but nothing worked. Its space-agey bladeless design made it super easy to clean and an elegant piece of decor for any room. By our energy-consumption measurements, the 630 used 38 to 53 watts, depending on the setting. In our tests, we were surprised to find that it was quieter than our top pick on the low, medium, and high settings. Its also compact, not much bigger than a basketball, and its backed by a five-year warranty. Vornado recommends the 630 for midsize rooms, such as bedrooms, kitchens, and offices, but we found the fan powerful enough at its highest setting to effectively cool a larger living or dining room. Its build quality also seemed inferior to that of the 660, and the plastic flexedwe were easily able to bend the grille aside to reach an index finger in up to the second knuckle. Over the years since we first published this guide, weve kept an eye out for new models and regularly checked in with fan manufacturers by reading press releases, emailing contacts, and meeting at trade shows. Based on the average US electricity rate in April 2022 (12 per kWh), it would cost you about $15 to run the Vornado 630 on high 24 hours a day for the entire summer. Like most room fans, the Vornado 630 has just three speeds, which can feel limiting after you use a fan that allows more variable speed control. In our tests it moved more air than any other fan of comparable specs, creating breezes throughout the room thanks to an ingenious design that continuously circulates the air (as opposed to blowing it intermittently across your face like an oscillating fan does). The 560 can move more air than the 630, but not much more. Its variable speed control dial, its energy-efficient DC motor, and its whopping 10-year warranty dont make it any better at moving air, but they do give you some peace of mind and make for a nicer experience overall. In comparison, the speed dial on the 630 is on the side of the fans base, so its easy to see, reach, and adjust.
In fact, all of the settings on the 660 AE run at a lower level of energy than the equivalent settings on the smaller 630, which means even better energy savings. In spite of those efforts, our most meaningful findings tend to occur when were simply living with these fans, working alongside each one for a full day at a time. Our biggest complaint about the HT-900 is that its not the easiest fan to clean. You get to tell your AI assistant things like Set Vornado to turbo! which sounds like youre living in a bad sci-fi movieand honestly, isnt that the dream? We have the best options for portable air conditioners, if a window unit or central air wont work for you. Sure, you can make any fan respond to voice controls with the help of a $20 plug-in smart outlet. Beyond watching for issues firsthand, we read hundreds of customer reviews on retailer sites like Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Lowes, scanning for any patterns of failure over the short or long term.