You’ve probably heard all of the great things about tower fans, but are tower fans worth it?
Here is why tower fans are worth it:
Tower fans are worth it because they provide nearly the same amount of cooling to a room as an air conditioner but use far less energy and cost less money. They also have a sleek design, blend in with any room, are portable, easy to clean, and offer many features.
This article will give you all the information about tower fans so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not buying one is worth it for your family.
7 Best Reasons Tower Fans Are Worth It
There are many reasons that I think a tower fan is worth it. Here are my top seven reasons:
1) Budget-Friendly
Tower fans are a great way to cool down your home without using much electricity.
They provide a perfect replacement for an air conditioner but use less energy and cost less money.
This is because they have been designed to circulate air more effectively and efficiently at a wider range of speeds
AC units typically use up to 3,500 watts. Compare that to a tower fan’s 100 watts, and you easily figure out that using a fan makes a 3,400% difference.
Tower fans can save you hundreds in energy costs over time.
If you have a bigger house or bigger rooms, you might save even more on your AC bill.
Consider this: you’ll save money even if you leave several tower fans on full blast 24/7 (although I don’t recommend working your fans that hard).
2) Low Profile
Plus, they don’t have a bulky design which means you can put them almost anywhere in the room.
They don’t take up a lot of floor space or need a large electrical outlet.
People often talk about tower fans having a small “footprint.” Once you set one up in the corner of a room, it’s easy to forget that they are even there.
It’s funny how they serve as almost invisible cooling devices.
3) Sleek Design
A tower fan’s sleek design blends in perfectly with any room.
You can put a tower fan in the corner of the room and it will go with your furniture and décor. They fit just as well in a college dorm room as they do in a fancy house.
A tower fan doesn’t look like something that needs to be hidden away but instead like a modern, sleek electronic device.
There’s no doubt that tower fans look nicer than many other fans, such as box fans or most pedestal fans.
You can even get any color to match your room’s color scheme.
4) Robust Features
Tower fans usually come with more features than box fans, pedestal fans, or ceiling fans.
With tower fans, you often get:
- Oscillation (moving back and forth)
- ION (air purification)
- Multiple speed settings
- Timer (shut on and off at designated times)
Some tower fans include remote controls so that you can change their settings from across the room (or even further away with an app).
Certain tower fans also include a diffuser.
This is a nice feature if you enjoy perfuming your room with essential oils or other pleasing scents.
5) Easy To Clean
One of my favorite things about tower fans is how easy they are to clean—especially when you compare them to other fans.
Cleaning a tower fan usually means wiping down the outside and possibly changing an internal filter once a month.
It takes me only a few minutes.
I typically make a sweep of my house once per week (and once per month for the filters) to maintain all of my tower fans.
You definitely want to keep them maintained.
Left unmaintained, all fans can become somewhat dangerous (Read: Can Fans Hurt You? 17 Things You Need To Know).
6) Portable
Tower fans are compact, lightweight fans, making them easy to move.
Most of the time, one person (even an older kid) can transport them across the room or into another room without much trouble.
They are not bulky or heavy like some other fans.
Even when you transport them to another space or move across town (or the world), it’s very simple to pack these fans.
7) Great for Close Cooling
Any tower fan you purchase is great for close, direct cooling.
Larger, more powerful tower fans can easily cool a small or medium-sized room. In some cases, they can significantly cool even a larger room.
Therefore, tower fans make the most sense in:
- Bedrooms
- Dorm rooms
- Apartments
- Kitchens
- Bathrooms
- Grow rooms or grow tents
- Even on outdoor patios
However, if you are looking for bigger and stronger cooling power, you may want to go with a pedestal fan with external blades.
Pros and Cons of Tower Fans
I personally think tower fans are great, but they are not perfect.
Every type of fan comes with both pros and cons. We’ve looked at the main reasons I think tower fans are worth it, so here is a quick table of the major advantages and disadvantages of tower fans.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Energy efficient | Still uses energy |
| Budget-friendly | Still costs money to run |
| Low profile | Less powerful than some other fans |
| Feature-rich | You may not need all the features |
| Easy to move | Requires some cleaning |
| Looks great | Might topple over |
| Low maintenance | Can overheat |
Keep in mind that all fans can overheat and that any floor or standing fan can fall down.
It doesn’t happen often, but it is possible—especially if you have small children or pets in the house.
Here is a good video that covers the pros and cons of a Tower Fan compared to a Pedestal Fan:
3 Times Tower Fans Are Not Worth It
There are specific instances when a tower fan might not be worth it.
Here are three of those times:
- You live in a large house with large rooms
- Your room does not get very hot (even in the summer months)
- You want or need a very strong cooling fan
Tower fans work best for direct, close-range cooling.
So, if you want to cool a football field, tower fans are not your best bet. However, for most average-sized rooms, a tower fan should do the trick.
If your room or space doesn’t get very hot, you may not need a fan at all.
Lastly, while some tower fans blow strong currents of cold air, if power is your highest priority, I’d suggest you look at pedestal fans or other floor fans.
FAQs: Are Tower Fans Worth It? (All the Answers)
Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of the most common questions people ask me about tower fans.
I thought this article would be a great place to answer these questions, since you may be wondering about a few of them yourself.
Feel free to scan through this list to see if any of the questions resonate with you.
Are Tower Fans Worth It for Bedrooms?
Tower fans work great for bedrooms of all sizes. I have one in nearly every bedroom of my house, even my guest room.
Since most bedrooms are not very large (even owner or master bedrooms), you’ll get all the cool air you need.
Are Tower Fans Worth It for Dorm Rooms?
While many people like box fans for dorm rooms, I prefer tower fans.
Dorm rooms can get very hot and there is nothing better than a high-quality tower fan for humid, small rooms.
For not much more money, you can get a much better fan and much more comfort.
Are Tower Fans Worth It for Apartments?
Tower fans make great fans for apartments. Most rooms in most apartments are just the right size for a tower fan to make a big difference.
You get the temperature you want while saving money each month. That’s a double win.
Plus, tower fans fit nicely in the corner without taking up much space.
Are Tower Fans Worth It for Grow Rooms?
Tower fans can be great fans for small to medium grow rooms. You’d probably need several tower fans for larger grow rooms.
You might wonder, “Are tower fans good for your fruits and vegetables?”
Since tower fans come with multiple speed settings, moderate air currents, and timers, they can be perfect for any grow room or tent.
Is a Smart Tower Fan Worth It?
I love smart tower fans because they are easy to manage.
With some models, you can control the tower fan with a remote or a smartphone app. Imagine being able to control your fan with your voice.
Depending on your budget and savviness with tech, you can even set up a system to control all of your fans with a single device.
Is the Lasko Tower Fan Worth It?
Yes, the Lasko tower fan is worth it.
Lasko is a trusted company in the fan industry. There’s a reason it’s one of the most popular fans on the market.
Here is why the Lasko fan is worth it:
- Quiet
- Oscillation
- Good price
- Nice airflow for small spaces
- Easily accessible (available on Amazon and elsewhere)
I’ve tried a few of their tower fans, but my current favorite is the Lasko 2554 Wind Curve Tower Fan.
Personally, I like the height and it’s easy to clean.
It also comes with an ION feature for air purification, three speeds, and timer settings from half an hour up to four full hours.
I’ve used one of these tower fans in my office without any problems.
Is the Dyson Tower Fan Worth it?
Yes, the Dyson Tower Cooling Fan is worth it.
It’s one of my favorite bladeless fans. I have the Dyson AM07 Cooling Fan set up in my bedroom.
Not only is it a cooling powerhouse, but it also looks very cool.
Although, I might just be a fan nerd (ok, I’m definitely a fan nerd :).
Here are some specs:
- Stands approximately 3.2 feet (or 1 meter)
- No external blades (the blades are hidden in the base of the fan)
- Comes with a tiny remote control
- Two-speed options
- Oscillation for greater range
- Timer
Dyson fans are good but they are not cheap. Check the price.
Is the Honeywell Quietset Tower Fan Worth It?
The Honeywell Quietset Tower Fan is worth it if you are looking for a budget tower fan.
It does cool a large space, such as a living room, pretty well.
However, it’s not as strong as some of my favorite tower fan brands—such as Dyson or Vornado.
One of the better features of the Honeywell Quietset fan is what they call the QuietSet technology. In layman’s terms, that just means the tower fan is quieter than normal.
For reference, I tested this fan in my brother’s nursery when my niece was born.
It kept the room nice and cool and never woke her up (I’d call that a win).
Other than the low price tag, one of my favorite parts of this fan is the 8 settings:
- Sleep
- Whisper
- Calm
- White noise
- Relax
- Refresh
- Cool
- Powercool
Sidenote: According to my brother, my niece’s favorite setting was “white noise.”
Are Omni Breeze Tower Fans Worth It?
Personally, I don’t think an Omni Breeze Tower Fan is worth it.
It’s not that they are bad fans. It’s just that you generally get what you pay for with fans.
Omni Breeze is an affordable fan option, and it delivers a decent blast of cool air.
The one I tested came with three speed settings and three power modes (standard, nighttime, and nature). The nighttime setting starts strong then slowly tapers off throughout the night.
If you turn on the nature mode, the fan tries to imitate the shifting speed of natural wind outside.
You can even set a timer for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours.
My final opinion? Skip this fan for a higher-priced but better-performing fan.
Is the Better Homes And Garden Tower Fan Worth It?
I don’t think Better Homes and Garden Tower Fans are worth it.
Again, they are on the cheaper scale of fans, which means they do not perform as well as other fans.
They are also not made as well, so they can easily get damaged.
Mine started making a noise a few months after I purchased it, and I haven’t bought another one since.
You may have a different experience, but that’s what happened to me.
If I were you, I’d go with a Dyson, Vornado, or Lasko brand. For the best budget-friendly option, go with Lasko.
Is a Vornado Tower Fan Worth It?
Yes, a Vornado Tower Fan is worth it.
Vornado is one of my favorite fan brands, and their tower fans perform very well.
I’ve owned several over the years, and use one right now in my house.
All of their fans are good, but the one I use is the Vornado Tower 184 Circulator. Instead of spreading a brief wave of air around the room like most oscillating fans, this fan is designed to blow a constant stream of air at a wider angle.
I like that because it gets more of the room cooler at once.
What worked best for me is to find the right placement in the room. It took me a few tries, but once I settled on the placement, I fell in love with this fan.
Final Thoughts: Are Tower Fans Worth It?
Tower fans are worth it, but it’s good to know what you’re getting yourself into.
If you want the best performance, go with a higher-priced option. Thankfully, there are options for every price range.
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