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There's nothing better than a slight breeze at night.
Summer may be winding down, but for anyone who sleeps hot, lives on an upper floor of an old building, or enjoys a bit of white noise at night, you need a cooling fan—and we've got some fabulous options for you to consider. No, we did not simply peruse the internet's top offerings, skim some reviews, and call it a day. We looked within our own homes and drew on our personal research to inform the fans we ultimately purchased for ourselves. Not only have we had them for at least a few weeks (during the hottest days of the summer), but we have nothing but positive things to say about them.
Ahead, you'll find everything from a $15 option small enough to sit on a desk to a tower fan that is strong enough to replace an air conditioning unit, plus plenty of finds in between. Trust us; if they're good enough to pass our very high standards as shopping editors, they're the best on the market. So, with all of our recommendations miraculously still on the shelves, now is a great time to snap one up for yourself.
A simple, oscillating fan small enough to sit on any surface is a must for someone without a lot of space to spare. For Associate Shopping Editor Jessica Cherner's first New York City apartment, she opted for this stylish find from Vornado. "I like the feel of a cool breeze blowing on me while I sleep, so I positioned this fan on the windowsill facing my bed. Not only did it provide plenty of white noise to drown out the late-night sounds of the city, but it was just powerful enough to cool me off on the coolest summer night," she says. "It has three speed settings, and I usually slept with the fan on the lowest one. Otherwise, I'd feel my skin and lips getting a bit dry."
Associate Shopping Editor Janae McKenzie loves this tiny cooling fan so much that she leaves it on her night stand all year round—even in the winter months! "If you want the best bang for your buck, believe me when I say this is it: This fan provides cooling power so intense, I can forgo my A/C and save my energy bill." Plus, for $15, you may not expect this fan to last long, but McKenzie has had it for quite a few years now, and still loves it. "I’ve been using it every night since 2022. I keep it pointed at my side of the bed, and I can’t fall asleep without it keeping me cool. It helps with air circulation for my bedroom plants, too."
McKenzie likes the feeling of being cool so much that she opted for an even smaller fan to pop on her desk at the House Beautiful office. "I’ve been using this fan on my desk at work every day. It’s my saving grace after a long, sweaty commute. It cools me down, and the blast of fresh air wakes me up on my sleepier days." Plus, like quite a few options on our list, this one operates at three different speeds, and, McKenzie adds, "It stays quiet enough not to bug my coworkers when it’s on. Plus, the copper lining is pretty sleek. Miraculously, it doesn’t seem to collect any dust on the blades, even after two years of daily use."
Do you want a two-in-one fan? This one from Dyson can cool you down in the summer and warm you up in the winter. "I've had this small gadget for over four years now, and it still functions perfectly, so it was worth the price," Senior Commerce Editor Marina Liao says. "I like to use this fan when the room feels a little stuffy, so I can get the air circulating, and I have also used it to air out the room after I painted the walls. The heater function is probably my favorite part, though, because I get cold easily, so if my toes need a bit of warmth, I just turn this thing on without having to turn on the big heaters."
We'll be the first to admit it: Tabletop fans can only do so much, so if you are in the market for a fan that can basically double as air conditioning, you may want to check out Senior Commerce Editor Heath Owens's tower fan, which he loves. " It has three different settings and five fan speeds. I'm most into the 'sleep' setting because I use my fan overnight—this setting turns off the lights on the display and adjusts the fan speed based on the temperature of your room throughout the night, versus blasting air at the same level as when you turned it on before bed," he says. What's more, this fan is remarkably quiet considering how strong the airflow is. Owens adds, "When I first turned it on, on the lowest setting, it blended in with the white noise around my apartment and almost wasn't audible at all."
Everyone tends to think that the best things come in small packages, and in this case, they're right. Senior Commerce Manager Mackenzie Dunn has used this fan on the hottest days of summer, and continues to be impressed by it each time to switches it on. "I love this small but mighty fan! It is compact in design but really impressive in power," she says. "I like that it can fit on my bedside table or desk without taking up too much room and comes in some fun colors." The five settings range from a quiet low speed to a boost of powerful air, and in the summer, Dunn uses it in conjunction with her AC to cool her apartment down in a matter of minutes.
New York may be the land of plenty, but one thing most New York City apartments don't have is central AC, which means portable air conditioners, tower fans, and cooling fans are all essential to surviving the sometimes pushing heat. Luckily for anyone in the market to buy a tower fan, most of the House Beautiful editors live in Manhattan or its neighboring boroughs, so we've tested the best of the best to keep our own homes cool during the hottest months of the year.
When I set out to find the best fans, I first turned to my own colleagues to ask about the ones they've had and loved for years and the ones they bought at the start of summer. I asked them why they bought the specific one they ended up with, how quiet it is at full-blast, how easy it is to set up and operate, and, of course, the things they'd change. Before submitting their thoughts on their beloved fans, I asked the editors to live with theirs for at least two weeks and to use it at night while they sleep and during the warmest hours of the day, ensuring it actually keeps them cool.
Size: When it comes to fans, you generally have two options: tower and tabletop. The term "tower" may imply a large size, but here, in the context of cooling fans, it refers more to the shape than the height. Tower fans are often taller than they are wide in order to take up as little floor space as possible. On the other hand, if you're looking for a six-inch option to stick on the corner of your desk, feel free. The size range is huge, but before you buy, consider what and where you'll be using your cooling fan. If it's in your home fitness studio, you may want a bigger one, and if it's in your home office, you can probably get away with a smaller, desktop one. One thing to note: The bigger the fan, the more surface area the fan will cover.
Oscillation: Oscillation is a big factor worth considering—more so if you go with a large tower fan versus a tabletop alternative. Here's why: Oscillating fans help distribute cool air over a larger area, which will improve both the air circulation and the temperature. Some fans oscillate as little as 40 degrees and others can turn a full 360 degrees. The ones on our list generally spin just 180 degrees, but that should be more than enough.
Noise Level: Unlike window A/C units, which can be annoyingly loud, cooling fans are generally pretty quiet. That said, they all run on a motor, so, for the most part, they will make at least a little bit of white noise. If you need absolute silence in order to sleep at night or focus on work during the day, you would be remiss not to snag the Dyson option on our list because, as our tester promises, it doesn't make a peep.
When it comes to picking out the best (and affordable) pieces for any space, I have been reviewing all things home for nearly eight years. I've covered everything, from the where to buy wallpaper to slow decorating, which is all about buying with intention. You can trust that I have done my homework to find the best and most beloved pieces on the market. For this story, I and several other House Beautiful editors spent weeks, and even years, testing our cooling fans. There's nothing I love more than recommending products my colleagues and I love and use in our own homes. We've also written about several incredible products that help keep you cool on the hottest days, including cooling sheets, tower fans, and air conditioners.
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