12 Best Tower Fans (2021) – Reviews And Buying Guide

Well, it is a well known fact that the climate in India is comparatively different from other nations and it is not easy to survive without an electronic device. The climate of India, unlike most other nations, is known to offer more heat and humidity most of the time. To put it bluntly, sometimes an air cooler or air conditioner seems to have no effect on severe weather and this is one of the reasons that tower fans are sought after in India today.

Our Top Pick

10 Best Tower Fans Review

What are Tower Fans?

A tower fan is a kind of cooling appliance, quite slender and tall, that rotates and moves from left to right at regular intervals. Tower fans help in keeping the temperature low during rapid heat. Tower fans are not the same as air conditioners as this appliance creates a fresh draft of air.

A tower fan, as a device, is very energy-efficient, which will make sure your electricity bills don’t burn a hole in your pocket. It is a very easy device to maneuver; it is also light in weight and is very portable. It is quite an excellent option for someone who doesn’t like a fan over their head, and a tower fan takes up very little space. You can very easily fit a tower fan into the corner of any room. Certain tower fans also purify the air of the surroundings they are kept in.

Why Should We Purchase a Tower Fan?

We know how heavily polluted our environment is, both from inside and outside the house. But, wouldn’t you want to make sure that at least the air that you breathe inside your house is clean and free from excessive germs and bacterias? I guess, everyone wants that.

The air that we breathe around our surroundings is very impure and toxic. Tower fans with the feature of air purification is a great device to invest in. The best tower fans are technologically advanced, which makes sure that the air that you breathe is pure.

The body of a tower fan doesn’t involve blades and has a cover too, which is a protective cover, making it very safe for children and pets. Tower fans come in such aesthetically pleasing, eye-catching designs, which make them great for your lovely homes. There are hundreds to choose from,  that’ll make the perfect fit for your abode.

A lot of tower fans have a timer function that gives you more control over the device. You can set it on for several hours and go about your business. This feature is the best for the night time as you’ll have fresh air to breathe and have a peaceful night’s sleep.

Tower Fan Buying Guide – Important Features To Consider

Tower fans are only surpassed in popularity by ceiling fans in residential homes. As they are portable, these fans allow you to cool any room, and you will never need to install hardware or alter your abode. You simply need to unplug the cord when it’s time to store or cool another room.

While there are more powerful options available if you are dealing with extreme heat, a good tower fan is an economical way to put a breeze into any warm room.

Pedestal fan vs. Tower Fan

Each style of fan has distinct characteristics, but pedestal and tower fans share several common traits. The easiest way to tell them apart; however is the style as pedestal fans have a more industrial look whereas a tower fan is designed to blend in with your décor.

Hybrid designs aside, a pedestal fan is larger than a tower fan and has traditional fan blades covered by a large cage. Think of it as a large desk fan on a stand. They produce more airflow and give you more control over things as well. Pedestal fans are highly adjustable and a good option when you need to direct your airflow or have a large, hot room to cool off.

Tower fans aren’t quite as powerful, but top models also aren’t far behind. They don’t take up much space due to their slim design and are much safer than pedestal fans. Covers and smaller vents keep little fingers and tails out of harm’s way, and while some are quite tall, they are designed with a wide base to prevent it from tipping over.

Another huge advantage of tower fans are the features. You’ll get more of them, including ionizers, thermostats, and some even allow you to control them with your smartphone. As they come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, you can find a model that fits your style, and they are considerably quieter as well.

Why do you need a Tower Fan?

Before you can begin to look at tower fans, you need to think about the main reason you’re buying a fan in the first place, so you’re not overwhelmed by features or find yourself stuck on a stylish design.

Obviously, you want to cool a room or area, but how large is it?

One of the biggest mistakes consumers make when buying a tower fan is simply picking one that’s too underpowered for their needs. It’s easy to fall for a fan that has 8-speeds, but that won’t tell you how powerful the fan actually is or how much area it can effectively cover. 

Do you need a fan to keep your bedroom cool while you sleep or suffer from allergies? Well, you can find tower fans that are designed to be quieter than most or ones with built-in filters. It all depends on your needs in the end although there are a few areas that are a bit more important than others…

Bladed or Bladeless?

There may be dozens of styles when it comes to tower fans, but there are only two basic types with bladed fans and ones deemed “bladeless” although it’s not quite that clear cut. A bladeless fan like the popular models from Dyson still has blades; they are just hidden inside a ring around its center.

This makes a bladeless fan easier to clean as you don’t have to dig into the vents or louvers. They are also quieter (most of the time) thanks to their design, and as there are no blades in the open, buffeting will never be an issue.

Even the best tower fan is usually considerably cheaper than a bladeless one. You can also find models with a higher CFM rating in this class, and the top models can give you a better range of circulation as well. Features are a toss-up between the two styles although you generally get more bang for your buck with a standard tower fan.

Cooling & Coverage

Whether you need a timer or just need something to supplement your existing cooling system, the first area you need to consider is power. This is measured in CFM, which stands for cubic feet per minute. The measurement lets you know how much air a tower fan can move in one minute, and is tied to the size and design of a tower fan to a degree.

CFM is the most important statistic to look for when you want to know the airflow rating, but coverage comes into play with oscillation. While having air blow in your direction at 500 CFM will cool you off, it won’t do much good in a room if the air is not being distributed. While all tower fans will have a degree of oscillation, the number of grates and the height of the fan play a part in coverage as well.

Decibel Level

It’s tempting to pick up the most high-powered tower fan you can find, and it’s certainly not a bad idea if you’re dealing with extreme heat. You may regret the noise; however, as many fans aren’t what we’d consider quiet on their highest setting. A ceiling fan or tower fan can cause quite the ruckus when you crank it up to high.

While many manufacturers will list a decibel level for their tower fans, it’s only a number unless you have something to compare it to. With that in mind, our table below will give you an idea of how loud your new fan will sound. Just keep the distance you’ll be from the machine in mind as the noise level may not be an issue if you won’t be in the room.

Item	Decibel Level
Air Craft Carrier Deck	140 dBA
Loud Rock Concert	110 dBA
Dishwasher	80 dBA
Vacuum Cleaners	70 dBA
A Normal Conversation	50 dBA
Whispering	20 dBA

Design

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it’s safe to say nobody wants an ugly fan in the middle of their living room. Thankfully, that’s not a major concern with tower fans as there’s a style for everyone as long as you like Black and Grey.

While there’s not much variance when it comes to hues, some fans have a basic, bland design while others are more modern or even futuristic in some cases. Style aside, the design can dictate how easy a tower fan is to use along with how much space it will take up.

Tower fans are skinny and designed to sit in small areas, but the size of the base may cause issues for some. The same goes for cord length, an overlooked specification that is critical unless you’re a fan of extension cords. Consider where you’ll place your new fan and take a look at the base along with the degree of oscillation.

Features

If you’re not picky about tower fan design or find yourself stuck choosing a model, features are an excellent way to thin the herd. Every machine on our list of the best tower fans will oscillate, and most have a timer. That said, the degree of rotation you get and the length of the timer are two things you’ll want to look for.

Timers – Timers on tower fans can range anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. A few fall below or above that mark, but that’s about the average you can expect. While that’s key, so are the increments as some machines allow you to do 30 minutes while others may have 2-hour tiers.

Oscillation – Oscillation refers to the amount of movement a fan can give you from right to left. There’s no magic number here, but the larger the digits, the more coverage you’ll get. In our experience, most fans offer a range from 70 to 90 degrees, but just like timers, your mileage will vary.

Speeds – As the name implies, a speed setting will adjust your fan from a gentle breeze to a powerful wind if it’s got enough oomph. It’s also a tricky area as common models have 3 to 4 speeds, but you can find high-end tower fans with more than 10. It’s an area that can cause some confusion as well when machines have speeds and setting like Sleep or Calming Breeze.

Touch-sensitive controls are common, but “Night” modes are not. While these vary from one fan to the next, it’s usually a feature that dims the LED lighting on the control panel or decreases the speed and noise from the fan. Remote controls are also frequently found with tower fans although an accessory that’s easily lost more often than not.

Two premium features are filter and ionizers. They are useful if you suffer from allergies or deal with pet dander, but not substitute for a dedicated machine. Bluetooth is something that’s far from standard but found on more fans each year and a great way to get around those lost remotes. It can also allow you to sync up to devices like Alexa and Google Home if you live in a connected home.

Benefits of Owning a Tower fan in India 

• Space – While most of the fans available on the market, except the ceiling fan demands a large area, a tower fan comes designed in such a way that it requires only a smaller area. If you have not seen a tower fan until now, you should know that tower fans are designed in such a way that it has less width and larger height. A larger height does not mean that tower fans are very tall; the height could vary from 50 to 100 cms maximum. This unique design of the tower fan is one of the main reasons why people consider purchasing a tower fan in the first place.

• Portability – Pedestal fans are portable and unlike most of the traditional fans, pedestal fans can be moved from one place to another with ease. But, what about heavy-duty pedestal fans? Are they easy to move? No, heavy-duty pedestal fans are heavy and it demands more than one person to move it from place to another. However, what if I tell you that a tower fan with the same or high airflow is very easy to move compared to heavy-duty pedestal fans? Yes, indeed that a tower fan with specifications that can compete with heavy-duty pedestal fan is comparatively less heavy and bulkier than pedestal fans.

• Stylish – While most of the traditional fans come in the same shape and design, a tower fan comes in unique shape and design. As mentioned above, tower fans are comparatively space-saving than space consuming. Designers of tower fan claim that they have designed a tower fan in such a way that it could suit any room settings without disrupting the aesthetics of room décor.

• Efficient – Efficiency of a tower fan is one of the best things about this device. A tower fan can offer the same output as heavy-duty pedestal fans available on the market today and the power consumed by tower fans is comparatively very low than pedestal fans.

• Noise – It is a well-known fact that all fans produce noise while functioning. The sound produced by wall fans and pedestal fans is comparatively very high when compared to ceiling fans. However, let me remind you, tower fans when compared to these traditional fans is extremely quiet. Some of the tower fans from top brands are designed in such a way that is absolutely no noise while functioning. Thanks to the well designed and placed impeller blades.

• Extra features – While most of the traditional fans come with traditional controls, there are some latest model ceiling fans and pedestal fans that come with the latest extra features. However, when it comes to tower fan, it is common that the product will come incorporated with extra features like timers, remote controls, touch-sensitive buttons, and variable breeze control.

• Environmental friendly – Unlike a traditional fan that pumps air in a single direction for a long time, a tower fan comes in a design that allows it to function and deliver airflow in a way that does not disrupt the natural airflow in a room. Yet another feature that comes incorporated into every tower fan is the timer, which is designed to switch off the fan after a period, therefore saving energy.

As you have seen, there are several benefits to using a tower fan and you can enjoy these benefits from any tower fans. However, there are something that you should know, Not all tower fans come designed, manufactured, and marketed in the same way.

There are some brands that market tower fan with poor design and quality; you will have to stay away from such brands and their products. To help you select the best tower fan available on the Indian market today,

How we selected finalists to test

When researching top oscillating fans and choosing the final five, as well as our winner overall, we considered several attributes that people look for most in a tower fan:

• Overall cooling power
• Overall cooling distribution (oscillation/coverage)
• Noise level
• Energy efficiency
• Cost and/or value for the price
• Features (timer, eco mode, remote control)
• Aesthetics

We determined this final set by reading dozens upon dozens of Amazon reviews (both good and bad), polling our team, and of course, testing ourselves.

Have no doubt, though — you buy a fan to cool yourself, not to look cool (although Dyson might try and convince you otherwise). We determined our final five based on the consistently positive reviews they warranted across Amazon and in other well-regarded publications.

How we tested

To start, we measured the traditional unit of success: cooling power. Using an anemometer, we measured the wind speed of each fan’s highest level in miles per hour when sitting around two feet from the unit, with it pointing straight at us.

However, we looked at not just speed in one isolated spot — we measured two, one at around two feet off the floor, and another at about four. We chose these positions because based on Google searches, we found that the average chair height when is 18 inches, average torso height when sitting is 39 inches, and average total height when sitting averages around 48.4 inches when including the size of an average human head.

This gave us a sense of how much air circulation was being distributed in multiple areas, not just one — a major reason you would buy a tower fan over a table fan. If a fan can’t generate wind power at three to four feet, it has design problems.

Overall, the Seville crushed the competition in waist-height cooling power, generating wind speeds of 8.2 MPH — which even beat out the Dyson, a unit that’s five times as expensive.

Four feet from the floor, the units started to separate themselves. Dyson and Seville showed their positions as best in class, while the Brookstone, which tries to position itself as a luxury fan, showed that it’s incapable of cooling you from the chest up due to its bottom-positioned grates.

The Lasko, while in the same boat, at least has the function to tilt the grates in case you want to cool up rather than down.

Next, we measured noise levels on their highest speed settings. After testing the best portable air conditioners, we were cautious of the impact noise can have on comfort.

Seville showed that with power came noise. However, the noise levels weren’t anything unusual or excessive, and each unit stayed comfortably within similar audible — but not disruptive — sound ranges.

However, in our earlier review of the Dyson – AM07, we noted it did show some price value in its ability to generate the most cooling power at the lowest noise levels. The unit somehow generates impressive power without screaming at you. If you’re planning to use your tower fan as a bedroom cooling unit, it’s definitely the best option.

Finally, we looked at oscillation. If you’re trying to cool an entire room, the fan’s power for distributing airflow and its ability to rotate are important features.

Using a protractor and two pens to best line up the two points on each end of the rotation, we measured degrees of oscillation. After marking the two points such as in the above photo, we lifted the fan and then used the protractor to measure the degree distance between the two pens. It was tricky to measure to an exact degree, so we rounded up or down to the nearest five-degree mark.

Again, the Seville impressed, showing the strongest total coverage by a slight margin. The Honeywell equaled the movement as well, followed closely by Brookstone and Dyson.

The only poor performer was really the Lasko: it had significantly less movement and didn’t have the range capable of covering a portion of a large room, at an underwhelming 70 degrees of oscillation.

Finally, since these fans might run all night, it’s worth considering their energy impact, both on the environment and your utility bill. Using a Kill a Watt Energy Usage monitor, we measured the energy impact of each.

The units were pretty close in kilowatt-hour (kWh) usage, with the Brookstone and Honeywell performing best at 0.03 kWh used. To give you some context, you can use a number like KWH to determine how much these units might cost you per much.

Power rates vary by location, but if you lived somewhere where your cost per hour was eight cents, your kWh was 0.03 and you were planning to use the unit for 720 hours a month, the unit would cost you .03 * 8¢ = $0.0024/hr, and if used for 720 hours, $1.72 a month. Comparatively, that would be $2.88/month for the 0.05 kWh units.

All things considered, these units aren’t big energy users. The Honeywell, though already a great budget pick, slightly stood out further with cheaper long term cost when using it.

The most important attribute after cooling power

Although it’s easy to consider looking at the cooling power of these fans in isolation, it’s not the only cooling-focused attribute that matters when choosing a tower fan — especially if you’re not the only one being cooled.

The other attribute that matters is total wind distribution — that is, not just how much powerful air is blown in one area, but how much air circulation is being distributed in total across the height and width of the fan.

As you can see from the photos, each of these models besides the Dyson have grates the air is pushed through. Not all of them push air through the same number of grates, or in the same way — causing a distributed mix in how effective they are in pushing the air.

Some of them can cool either your chest or face, and others can cover both. Similarly, the oscillation limitations of some of the units mean already ineffective units perform even worse when we consider the airspace covered in total.

Therefore, if you plan on keeping more than one person cool (or want to not have to continually adjust your fan in order to have it cool you in different areas of the room), you want to look for not just cooling power, but also cooling distribution when choosing a tower fan.

If you only care about cooling one small area in isolation, you probably need a table fan.

The softer fan attributes we considered

We think the above metrics are by far the most important things when considering a tower fan, but they aren’t the only ones. Many of the tower fans have other characteristics that might be attractive to you.

For one, the Dyson’s bladeless design makes it safe for all ages and easy to clean, although there’s little about the other encased fans that make us feel like our health is at risk.

If looking cool and feeling cool is important to you, that attribute may get you to consider the $400 price tag. In addition, the bladeless design of the fan makes the model safe for all ages and simple to clean, although there’s little about the other encased fans that make us feel like our health is at risk.

Some of the fans feature unique modes that they use for differentiation, such as Seville’s “Eco” mode, Honeywell’s eight fan speed settings, and Brookstone’s “Breeze” mode which attempts to imitate a relaxing wind pattern.

Each of these features is nice, but for the most part, not things we recommend making a purchase decision on. For most people, three to five fan-speed settings on a control panel are enough and Brookstone’s “Breeze” mode felt like a sales gimmick.

In addition, tower fans have a reputation for instability. A wide base means smaller odds of barely touching the fan will knock it over.

The Honeywell HY-280, which performed solidly and had impressive oscillation, counters those strengths with an unbalanced design that an active dog wouldn’t have any trouble knocking over.

Thankfully, the other four models were mostly bottom-balanced, making them harder than the Honeywell to knock over. They won’t anchor themselves against an oncoming linebacker, but they also won’t get knocked over by a gust of air.