The best tower fans can look great while keeping your home nice and cool during the hot summer months. An effective tower fan should be both powerful and quiet, while also taking up very little space in your home making for easy storage during winter.
Some important features to look out for when buying the best tower fans are its ability to rotate or oscillate, its noise level and its ability to be controlled remotely. A fan with a quiet running option can be more convenient if you plan on running it in the evenings or at night time, while a rotating fan will cool a room more effectively than one that is static.
The price of a tower fan will vary greatly, so we have included a wide range below to help you find one that suits your price point and needs. If a tower fan isn't for you, then you may want to take a look at the best central air conditioning units or the best thru wall air conditioners which cool more rapidly but cost more to run.
Best tower fans
Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The Seville Classic UltraSlimline has a lot of power, and more features than most tower fans in its price point – like a wide oscillation range of 95 degrees, which helps it circulate air efficiently. You can also conserve energy with timer settings that can shut off the unit automatically at intervals between 30 minutes and 7.5 hours.
The Seville Classics UltraSlimline is easy to use and performed well in our tests. It is one of the more affordable tower fans in our lineup, and it was one of the best performing fans in our power tests. We got good airflow right in front of the fan and all the way across the room.
The remote has five buttons, so you can control all the fan's functions from across the room. (The remote has more timer settings than the control panel on the unit itself, in fact.) The storage clip on the back is also convenient, although the remote can easily be knocked out of the clip if you bump into the fan.
Bear in mind that this tower fan comes with a one-year warranty, which is one of the smallest on this list – though it's average for tower fans generally. Powerful and affordable, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the Seville Classics UltraSlimline – we think it's the best tower fan you can buy.
The Dyson Pure Cool Tower Fan (TP04) is one of the best tower fans you can buy, period. It features Dyson’s innovative bladeless fan technology, making it safer for homes with children and pets. Plus, it combines turbocharger and jet engine science with the firm’s Air Multiplier tech to quietly but powerfully deliver 77 gallons per second of smooth, cooling airflow when you most need it.
The best bit? This tower fan isn’t just a fan: it’s also an air purifier. The TP04 will remove 99.95% of ultra-fine particles, such as allergens and pollutants from the air around you – so you’ll be breathing in cleaner air, as well as feeling cooler.
You can adjust the oscillation angle from 45° to 350°, to project the purified air around your whole room. And because this is the best tower fan money can buy, it doesn’t just come with a remote – you get intelligent reporting, an app and voice control too. All this comes at a price though: the Dyson Pure Cool Tower Fan (TP04) isn’t cheap. But if you’re looking for the best tower fan money can buy, this is it.
The Holmes HT38RB-U has some good features that give it extra functionality. This tower fan has the second-longest warranty of any fan we tested.
The Holmes tower fan also has some unique functionality. It is a dual-oscillating fan, a feature you don’t see often in fans. This allows you to stop the fan mid-oscillation and reverse its direction using the remote. This oscillating fan has a range of 90 degrees. These features give the tower fan a degree of versatility that is not often seen.
It also has a timer that you can set for one to 8 hours, so the fan will shut off automatically, helping you save energy at night. You can control most of the fan’s features using the remote, but the remote took some getting used to. The symbols are specific to the unit and not universal. Since we were working with many remotes during testing we had to relearn what the symbols meant each time.
The fan itself performed decently, but it was far from the most powerful fan we tested. Still, it will do a good job of circulating air in a small to medium-sized room. Holmes has good support options if you have problems or questions and the three-year warranty is one of the best we saw.
- Read our Holmes HT38RB-U tower fan review
The Vornado Tower 184 is a fantastic tower fan with an excellent warranty. In fact, the five-year warranty is the longest in our review and much longer than the standard tower fan warranty of one year.
The Tower 184 has a good airflow rating of 505 CFM, average among tower fans. The fan is also relatively quiet, coming in at only 63 dB, though you can turn it down for less noise. It comes with a remote control and a sleep timer, both standard features in tower fans. The remote control attaches magnetically to the top of the unit when not in use so you don't lose it.
Unlike most tower fans, the Vornado Tower 184 is a circulator, which means it doesn't oscillate to get better coverage of a room. It must be placed strategically to produce ideal airflow in a room. This means you will feel a stronger air flow across the room than immediately by the fan.
The fan is easy to assemble out of the box; you only need to attach the base using four screws. The fan can be difficult to clean, but not more so than the average tower fan. It is a little more expensive than most tower fans, but the long warranty helps make it a better value for the money.
The Dyson AM07 is a very quiet tower fan with an unusual design that is both very safe and highly effective. The high-end technology makes it the most expensive fan that we have reviewed, but if you want a state-of-the-art tower fan then this could be the choice for you.
The Dyson AM07 oscillates up to 80 degrees, giving you wide coverage. While other oscillating fans do have a higher range, the design of this tower fan offers more coverage with less movement. The bladeless design makes it incredibly safe, which is ideal if you have children or curious pets that are likely to touch the fan.
This fan includes a remote control with a magnetic storage feature - simply put the remote on top of the fan and it will stay put with a magnetic grip, even while the fan oscillates. When using the remote, you need a clear line of sight to the base of the fan to get any response, which can be quite annoying if there is furniture in the way.
The Dyson AM07 comes with a timer that you can set automatically to shut off every 15, 30, 45 minutes o in hourly increments for when you want to turn the fan on and not worry about having to get out of bed to switch it off. This fan is one of the quietest that Dyson manufactures, running at only 61 dB. The unit can move up to 1,271 cfm (cubic feet of air per minute) making it twice as effective as most tower fans.
- Read our Dyson AM07 tower fan review
The Honeywell Quietset Whole Room is one of the most versatile tower fans we have tested, and has eight settings. This is twice as many settings compared with most of the other fans we evaluated and tested. The only fan that has more is the Dyson which had ten settings. However, the Honeywell tower fan is a more affordable than the Dyson.
The settings are clearly marked on the control panel – relax, calm, whisper – you will never have a problem finding the right setting for your needs at any given moment. This fan is not the most powerful fan we tested, but it is great for a small- to medium-sized room.
The Power Cool setting provides good coverage. The minimalist and simple remote is very intuitive and works from across the room. This fan also has the advantage of having the longest power cord of any of the fans we tested, giving you greater flexibility in where to place the fan.
How to buy the best tower fan for your space
Most tower fans are relatively simple to operate. If you want the very best, then there are a few important features to look out for.
Firstly, it is important that the fan oscillates. Static tower fans won't cool as much air as they will focus on one spot. Fans that rotate will sweep the air, covering a greater area and cooling more of the room. A remote control will also make the tower much easier to control so that you can change settings or speed from the comfort of your couch.
In addition to the core features, there are some additional features that are nice to have when choosing one of the best tower fans.
LCD Display
An LCD display will allow you to get important information at a glance. It will show you the speed of the fan, as well as any functions that are active.
Pre-programmed features
These features provide an easy way to set a range of programs to save you the time of pressing multiple buttons. With the single click of a button you can have your fan rotating, and cooling your room at the speed of your choice.
Remote control
A remote control is important if you want to relax. It can be annoying to have to get out of bed or off your couch to change the speed, so a remote control makes the process a lot easier. A Remote control will need a clear line of site to work, so take this into account when positioning your fan.
Timer
Timers are great for when you want to turn a fan on before going to bed, or before leaving your house. A turn-off timer will allow you to set a specific time for when your fan will turn off, whereas a turn-on timer will allow you to pre-program the time that your fan turns on - this can be great for when you want your house to be nice and cool when you return from work or from a grocery run.
How much do the best tower fans cost?
Tower fans are generally pretty affordable. The bestselling fans on Amazon, Home Depot and Lowes are comparably priced to the ones in this guide. In fact, many of those fans are included here. The majority of tower fans are priced between $50 and $120.
Tower fans with special features like Dyson's fans will cost twice as much – around $350. Dyson fans have a unique, stylish, multifunctional design. They run relatively quietly, and are easy to clean and maintain. There’s no denying that they are attractive and effective at creating strong air channels in a room.
However, the other tower fans in our lineup perform at a comparable level, and for a fraction of the price. There are a lot of options out there, many of them quite affordable.
What's the difference between a tower fan, a desk fan and a pedestal fan?
The type of fan you need really depends on three factors: room size, budget and personal preference. Having a clear plan about fan placement is a great way to decide on which type of fan you need.
Desk fans: For a quick, cheap solution to staying cool as you study, a desk fan is a great solution. They’re perfect for the office, as they are usually within arm's length, and are easy to manipulate and customize to your needs without the need of timers or remotes. They are a great low tech option if you are sitting in a small area, but not ideal for cooling down a whole room.
Pedestal fans: Pedestal fans usually have wider blades than a tower fan, and offer better power. This means they are better at circulating air than tower fans. But as pedestal fans have wider blades, they usually require more space. These fans also allow you to control the direction of the air-flow easier without having to readjust the whole machine. However, their increased power usually means they are more basic looking, noisier and come with less features than a tower fan. They are also less safe around children and toddlers who often poke their fingers into the blades. So, you should invest in a pedestal fan if you value power over aesthetics and gadetry.
Tower fans: Tower fans are narrow, and save a lot of space. Although they are not as strong as pedestal fans, they still create a strong air-flow in the room and are very quiet. These fans usually come with a wide range of features that increase functionality. They offer a wide range of coverage, often providing a whole room with a circulation of air. Tower fans are more decorative than pedestal fans, and they often give a room a nice piece of flair or a talking point. They are usually a lot quieter than pedestal fans as well.
Tower fan bases can be a little unstable, however, meaning they often topple and fall over when bumped by pets and children. If you are in a busy household, you might want to tuck away into areas where there isn’t a lot of traffic, or choose a tower fan with a wide base. So, these fans are for people want a large air cooled, but want something decorative and with greater functionality.
Tower fan warranties
A long warranty can help you get repairs or a full replacement if your tower fan malfunctions. Our research revealed that most tower fans have a one-year warranty, which is typical among most types of electrical appliances. Three brands we looked at have longer warranties: Vornado, Holmes and Dyson offer a five-, three- and two-year warranty on their respective tower fan models.
