Best Tower Fans for 2026: We Tested 14 Fans to Help You Keep Cool This Summer

• Amazon Basics 28: At $36, this is the most affordable tower fan in our comparison. It's also the only model without a remote control -- just a simple three-speed dial and oscillation button. The mechanical dial is the biggest advantage of the Amazon Basics 28" because it's always compatible with smart plugs, whereas many tower fans with digital controls aren't. Still, it doesn't match the flexibility of a smart tower fan like Levoit or Zafro.
• Dreame Bladeless Fan MF10: Dreame may have a more traditional pedestal fan profile, but it is a great counterpoint to other pricey bladeless fans from Dyson and Shark. Where it excels is the depth of its features: smart home controls, optional air filtration and dual-oscillation. The dual-oscillation is particularly noteworthy because its two GyroWing air circulators can pivot in opposite directions, offering greater coverage than any other fan. Considering its smart features, Dreame's typical $200 price is very competitive with non-smart bladeless fans from Shark and Dyson.
• Dreo Smart Tower Fan 554S: The $90 554S delivers performance similar to the Dreo TurboCool, ranking sixth overall. This makes it a suitable alternative if you don't want to pay extra for TurboCool's misting feature, which will save roughly $90. It's also far more energy-efficient at higher speeds, using just 25 watts compared to TurboCool's 40 watts. It also boasts an adjustable height, giving it more vertical reach than most tower fans, except models with vertical oscillation (Vornado Strata and Dreame MF10) or adjustable louvers (Levoit).
• Dyson Cool AM07: Dyson Cool is an exceptional bladeless fan, but its simple features and $400 price hold it back from being my bladeless pick -- that's roughly twice as much as the Shark and Dreame models. However, like all bladeless fans I tested, the air texture is unmatched, and I love the white noise this Dyson tower fan produces.
• Lasko WhisperForce: Lasko costs a respectable $76, making it one of the more affordable options on this list. WhisperForce is an apt name, as it was one of the few fans I couldn't hear on the loudest speed. It's reasonably quiet at higher speeds but lags behind most competitors in airflow. Still, I enjoyed the air texture and good energy efficiency of this Lasko fan. It's a good budget option for folks who want something a bit nicer than OmniBreeze and Amazon Basics -- even if it costs $30 to $40 more.
• Midea Detachable: There are quite a few unique designs on this list, but Midea's detachable fan assembly is easily the most practical of the group. For one, detaching the top means you can wash it under a hose rather than relying on a vacuum or a damp rag. But you also have more storage flexibility for keeping the fan in a cabinet or a small closet. However, its airflow, sound profile and energy use are all unremarkable compared to my top picks -- and the fan's lack of a mute function is its biggest drawback.
• Vornado OSCR37 AE: I like the simple, quiet remote control, attractive design and good loudness of the Vornado OSCR37, but it didn't live up to performance expectations in testing. For example, it used more energy at low settings than many competitors did at their highest settings. Likewise, its white noise is only passable.
• Zafro Smart Tower Fan 42: The Zafro 42 is a good tower fan that performed well in my tests, but aside from a slight boost in power over the Zafro 36, it's functionally identical in every way. I recommend it only if you really want a larger size or if the Zafro 36 is out of stock. Otherwise, save yourself a few bucks by opting for the Zafro 36.

I tested 14 of the latest tower fan models, most of which arrived as review samples from manufacturers.

John Carlsen/CNET

John Carlsen/CNET

As I planned my tower fan tests, I thought about why people use fans. For example, airflow, loudness and energy efficiency are immediately obvious criteria, but I considered other ways tower fans can be comfortable. Ultimately, I decided that air texture and sound profiles (white noise and device sounds) were also important.

There are 10 total points possible for each test criterion. Here's how I calculate the product scores:

• Airflow (20%): You'll get the maximum cooling effect with higher airflows -- measured in feet per minute on an anemometer -- because it helps sweat evaporate faster.
• Air texture (15%): How a tower fan feels is a game changer for people who are sensitive to airflow like I am, but my texture test is very subjective because I lack the resources to study whether turbulence is the deciding factor. While I evaluated medium and high speeds, I didn't test the low speed in this category. This is because some of the low speeds were almost imperceptible, like Dyson and Levoit, while faster fans from Amazon Basics and OmniBreeze weren't much different than the medium speeds.
• Loudness (15%): Even if a tower fan sounds nice, being overly loud can grate on the senses, especially when you or a child is trying to sleep. I measured this in decibels (dBa) across low, medium and high speed settings.
• Sound profile (15%): What a fan sounds like in terms of white noise, and the ability to turn off interface sounds greatly enhances the user experience. Evaluating white noise is the subjective half of this test, while the ability to mute and disable device sounds forms the objective half.
• Energy efficiency (15%): The average energy consumption of tower fans, measured in watts, isn't particularly high, but it adds up on your electric bill. This is doubly true when running multiple fans 24/7.
• Price (10%) and features (10%): These round out the remainder of the score, but generally depend on static specifications rather than qualitative testing.

Airflow: Speed

While airflow speed is important in terms of providing an objective comparison point between tower fans, it also affects the air texture, loudness and white noise, so it weighs more heavily than other categories in my scoring.

John Carlsen

I previously used an anemometer to test handheld vacuums and car vacuums, but it was difficult to log data over time. (Plus, a particularly powerful vacuum damaged it.) For tower fan testing, I upgraded to an app-enabled anemometer for more automatic logging.

For this test, I used speed in feet per minute instead of volume in cubic feet per minute to keep the test simple enough to leave time for other testing. For example, using cubic feet per minute would triple the test time as I'd need to measure the airflow in more than one place. Likewise, it requires knowing the area of each fan's air outlet, which is more difficult to determine on the narrow outlets of bladeless fans. Using FPM means I have a reasonably balanced comparison between fans of all types and sizes, even if I lose some of the nuance that comes with measuring volume.

My airflow testing uses a simple tunnel -- courtesy of Dreame's massive shipping box -- to isolate airflow between the fan and the anemometer. Initially, I used clear plastic to seal one end around the fan so only the exhaust blew through the tunnel, but it interfered with bladeless fans like the Dyson. So I added a second test with the tunnel unsealed. Because I did two kinds of tunnel tests for low, medium and high speeds, this means a total of six one-minute tests per fan. I tested each speed continuously for one minute, giving enough time between each test for speeds to level out. Across 14 fans, that's over 5,000 second-by-second data points.

Unsealed-tunnel testing: In terms of pure power, the Dreo TurboCool is the undisputed champion. Not only did it produce the highest median speeds in the medium and high categories, but it was the only tower fan with a maximum speed above 1,000 FPM (1,043 FPM). Across the three speeds I tested, it had a median speed of 689 FPM, making it the only fan to surpass 600 FPM.

Zafro 42, Dreo Smart, OmniBreeze and Zafro 36 all produced exceptional airflow above 500 FPM, while the Vornado OSCR37 came in at 492 FPM. None of the other fans came in above 400 FPM, with the Midea, Levoit and Vornado Strata in the 300s. All of the bladeless tower fans produced lower airflow overall than the traditional models. Part of the reason for this is the relatively tiny air outlets on bladeless fans, making measurement more difficult. Dyson and Lasko tied for the lowest median airflow -- 197 FPM.

Sealed-tunnel testing: In general, most of the fans performed worse in the sealed-tunnel test, so it plays almost no role in the scoring. However, Midea (472 FPM median) and Amazon Basics (453 FPM median) performed better when sealed. I suspect these fans handle back pressure more effectively, but it doesn't really affect day-to-day use outside these isolated tests. Lasko and Vornado Strata didn't consistently do well in sealed-tunnel tests, but did better at low and high speeds, respectively.

Airflow: Air texture

When temperatures are mild, I'd argue that how the air feels on your skin at lower speeds is more important than how fast it blows.

John Carlsen/CNET

High airflow is only part of the equation for an excellent tower fan -- the texture of the airstream matters just as much. Unlike wind speed, my texture test is purely subjective -- it's simply how consistently I enjoyed the breeze from a tower fan at medium and high speeds. 

Although the bladeless tower fans from Dyson, Dreame and Shark didn't perform as well in terms of raw power, they produced the most comfortable air textures at medium and high speeds -- 10 out of 10. The Vornado Strata 8 Omni and Levoit Classic also earned perfect texture scores on both settings. While Dreo TurboCool earned 9 out of 10 in both categories, it achieves a 10 when the misting function is active. Lasko WhisperForce earned a perfect texture score at medium speed, though its max speed was slightly more turbulent.

This isn't to say the other fans were uncomfortable, as Midea and Zafro generally felt nice, while Dreo Smart and Vornado OSCR37 lost some charm at top speed. However, the wind from OmniBreeze and Amazon Basics -- the only fans under $40 -- was only passable.

Sound profile: Loudness

I used my trusty sound meter to measure the loudness of each fan from 39 inches away (1 meter). While this is a good distance for testing, most people place fans farther away, so your experience will likely be quieter than these results. I reduced noise as much as possible in my home office for this test, which meant leaving the AC off on a hot day and taking occasional breaks to cool the room as the indoor temperature reached into the 80s.

On low speeds, most of the fans weren't loud enough for the sound meter to register a result -- it can't measure below 30 dBa. However, Midea (39 dBa), OmniBreeze (41 dBa) and Amazon Basics (42 dBa) were more audible, but not all that loud.

The standouts during medium-speed tests were Shark (39 dBa), Vornado Strata (41 dBa) and Levoit (42 dBa), because they were equal to or better than the worst performers in the low-speed test. OmniBreeze was the loudest in this test, producing 54 dBa, while Dreo Smart and Amazon Basics both came in at or just above 50 dBa. In general, I found most fans under 50 dBa to be more than quiet enough for a bedroom at night.

Although none of the fans was quieter than 50 dBa in the high-speed test, Amazon Basics (51 dBa), Vornado Strata (51 dBa), Shark (53 dBa), Dyson Cool (54 dBa) and Zafro 36 (54 dBa) were all equal to or quieter than the loudest models of the medium-speed tests. Both Dreo models were the loudest in this test at 59 dBa.

Sound profile: White noise

While I'll admit my subjective ear isn't ideal for rating white noise on fans like the Dyson Cool, I've extensively used white noise daily for well over a decade to help me sleep.

John Carlsen

If you rely on the noise a tower fan makes almost as much as its ability to blow air, you can relate to how some fans have idiosyncrasies like wobbles, whines and hums that spoil otherwise great white noise. Fans with fewer of these, or where they were pleasant, earned more credit.

The tower fans with the cleanest, most enjoyable white noise were Dreo, Dyson and Levoit. I'm particularly fond of Levoit's respective hum and whoosh on low and high speeds. Dyson's pleasant hiss was similarly outstanding as was the loudness of Dreo's white noise. While Midea's slight wobble and Zafro's humming oscillation on low speeds were nearly as pleasant, the overall white noise quality is excellent.

Vornado Strata, Shark TurboBlade, Dreame, Lasko and Amazon Basics all had various wobbles, whines and hisses that stood out as I listened. Short-term white noise is good, but might grate on the nerves of people with sensory sensitivities after a while. Vornado OSCR37's whine and wobble were even more distracting. Still, the worst white noise profile was OmniBreeze, which has a whir and a whine that are borderline annoying, especially because the whine changes pitch when you turn on the oscillation.

Sound profile: Beeps and clicks

Loud beeps and overly clicky remotes can break focus and disturb light sleepers.

John Carlsen/CNET

Another sound consideration beyond white noise and loudness is how the tower fan sounds when you're controlling it. The gold standard is a fan that has beeps, but also allows you to disable them until you want them again: a persistent mute function. Dreo, Shark, Levoit and Zafro all have this setting, though Zafro retains a startup chime, even if you unplug the fan to move it to another room. Dreame has a semi-persistent mute that resets when changing outlets.

Dyson, Lasko and Vornado all lack beeps entirely, but this removes an audio feedback option that might benefit people with visual impairments.

While OmniBreeze has a mute function, it resets every time to turn the fan off, which I've found very distracting. Midea lacks a mute function entirely.

Another thing I listened for was how clicky a remote was, again giving more credit to silent remotes like those of Vornado and OmniBreeze. Dyson and Shark's remote made noise, but it was relatively quiet. However, most tower fan remotes landed in the moderately clicky category -- Dreo, Zafro, Levoit, Midea and Dreame -- they aren't loud by any means, but noticeable. Lasko's remote felt the loudest and had a harsh click that I found unpleasant.

Energy efficiency

I used Tapo P115 smart plugs to monitor each fan's energy draw in low and high modes during the other tests.

John Carlsen/CNET

While tower fans aren't necessarily energy hogs compared to other cooling methods, having more efficient devices can save a fair amount on energy bills, particularly when using multiple fans in a household.

The average power draw on the lowest fan speed was 9 watts, with the Vornado Strata 8 Omni (1 watt) earning the prize for most efficient, even if it's a small fan. Lasko, Levoit and Zafro weren't far behind at 2 watts of energy draw. Except for Midea (20 watts), Amazon Basics (21 watts), OmniBreeze (24 watts) and Vornado OSCR37 AE (36 watts), the other fans all came in below 6W on low.

Vornado Strata (13 watts) and Levoit Classic (19 watts) maintained dominance in the highest-speed testing as well, with Zafro and Dreo Smart falling below 25 watts. Amazon Basics, Dreo TurboCool, Lasko and Midea form the center of the pack, mostly keeping close to the average of 34 watts. Shark, Dyson, Dreame, OmniBreeze and Vornado OSCR37 AE were the least-efficient models in this test, averaging 49 watts.

Cost

The tower fans on this list typically cost between $36 and $400.

John Carlsen/CNET

A typical tower fan generally costs less than $100, with non-smart models commonly selling for $50 to $80. While cheaper models, like the OmniBreeze Wi-Fi and Amazon Basics 28", can cost less than $40, these are rare exceptions. On the other end of the price scale, you can expect most smart tower fans to cost between $90 and $130, while specialty (like misting fans and air purifying tower fans) and bladeless models easily surpass the $200 mark.

In this context, bladeless means the unit uses a smaller impeller in its base to force air through very small air outlets, which produces a consistently smooth air texture that feels wonderful on exposed skin at basically any speed. You sometimes see other tower fans advertised as bladeless because there are no exposed blades to hit fingers, but I've found the main difference comes from the size of the air outlet.

Features

Features like speed levels, breeze modes, oscillation, and control options don't typically affect performance, but can make tower fans easier to use and maintain.

Speed levels and modes

A good tower fan should have multiple fan speed levels for how powerful you want those cooling currents -- some, like Lasko, Levoit and Zafro, offer as many as 12. Many models include additional modes as well, like options designed to mimic a natural breeze, an extra quiet mode and a sleep mode, but you should consider them optional.

Oscillation

Oscillation, or the ability to rotate to reach a larger area, is a must-have feature that's common to every tower fan I've tested. While a large oscillation range, typically 90º or higher,  is very important for cooling down large spaces, it is less important if you just want a fan near your desk or bed. Only the Dyson Cool, Amazon Basics 28" and Midea Detachable have oscillation ranges of 70º, while most of our lineup comes in at 90 degrees and above.

In some cases -- like with the Dreame MF10, Shark TurboBlade, Vornado Strata and Zafro models we tested -- tower fans may have an adjustable oscillation range, so you can choose the best option for your needs. Some fans, like the Dreame MF10 and Vornado Strata, support vertical oscillation or have adjustable angles to help air movement in the upper portions of rooms.

Ease of cleaning

You need a screwdriver to remove the mesh filter screen on the Lasko WhisperForce for better cleaning.

John Carlsen/CNET

All fans are susceptible to dust buildup during normal operation, but choosing a model with a mesh filter screen can help prevent dust from accumulating on the fan blade over time. However, it's important to vacuum the screen regularly for optimal airflow. Models with easily-removable mesh screens -- like Dreame MF10, OmniBreeze and Shark TurboBlade -- got a little more credit since you can wash the screens more easily.

Uniquely, the Midea Detachable's entire upper fan assembly is removable, so you can wash it off outside with a hose without damaging the electrical components.

Remote controls, sensors and automation

You'll find remote controls on most tower fans, except for purely mechanical models like the Amazon Basics 28". Fans with on-device remote storage are preferable to those without it, though the quality of the remote and its storage option vary significantly. A small part of my tests looked at how easy it was to store the remote and how much noise it made when in use. I highlighted notable examples in the reviews above.

Tower fans don't usually need sensors to function, but they can add a lot of usability. Room temperature sensors can automatically turn them on and off to save time and money, while providing a handy reference for fans with digital displays. In addition to built-in timers on most tower fans, more than half of our lineup offers mobile app control and smart home integration.

Noise levels

I was careful to measure the decibels of the fans I tested, as it's important to get a good idea of how noisy they are, especially at the highest settings. You don't want a fan that makes it difficult to concentrate or fall asleep, so decibels well below 50 (and below 30 for quieter settings) are very important.

Speed levels and modes

A good tower fan should have several speed options for how powerful you want those cooling currents -- some, like Dyson, offer as many as 10. And many models will include additional modes as well, like options designed to mimic a natural breeze or extra quiet modes for sleeping.

Reach and oscillation

All good tower fans should have the ability to oscillate, or turn back and forth to reach a larger area. That's very important for cooling down large spaces, but less important if you just want a fan near your desk or bed.

Sensors and automation

Tower fans don't usually need sensors to function, but they can add a lot of usability. Temperature sensors can turn them on and off automatically to save time and money, while humidity sensors let you know where cool air can do the most good.

Some tower fans offer Bluetooth control and smart home integration, too. I like these features, but they usually mean trusting one person with the app and profile management, so keep that in mind if you want your fan to be smart.

Timers: Timers shut off tower fans after a certain period, which is nice if you want them to turn off in the morning, etc. If a tower fan doesn't have any advanced sensors, it should at least have a timer mode.

Control options: Do you want onboard control, a remote control, app controls or a bit of everything? Think about how you'll use the tower fan and what you may like to control from afar versus up close and personal.

Design and cleaning: Tower fans should also have a durable design (hopefully, one that looks great, too) with features that make it easy to carry around and open up to clean out or replace filters.

Unfortunately, most tower fans won't work very well with smart plugs due to timers.

Chris Monroe/CNET

A smart plug, such as the WeMo Mini, the Amazon Smart Plug or the TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug, can automate whatever you plug into it, and they work great with things like desk fans, space heaters and air conditioners to let you turn things on and off remotely from your phone or with a voice command. Some can even monitor energy use, which is a terrific feature for something like a fan.

Things get trickier with tower fans, though. Why? Most of them include remotes, and fans with remotes typically don't include physical dials that you can leave in the on position. Controls like those are a must if you want to use a smart plug, because it won't toggle between different settings or anything like that. They just turn the power on and off.