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Vornado Box Fan Model 80X, $100: While most people who need a box fan, frankly, will head to Walmart or Home Depot and get one for $20, you should realize that there is a Rolls Royce of box fans. “It has 99 speeds,” the brand rep told me when he came out. “Yes, right,” I thought. But this thing sure is Actually it has 99 speed, It can be accessed via the up and down buttons. I have no idea under what circumstances one would need that many speeds, but here it is. It also has a kickstand to reduce oscillation, a digital display, and a timer from 1 to 12 hours. Plus, the silver-and-black casing looks good, as if you intended to keep it in your home, not a relic from that summer your air conditioner broke during a heatwave.
Photo: Kat Merck
Shark TurboBlade (no blade) for $250:Although this model is without 2025 code It is described as a tower fanIt doesn’t look or act like any tower fan I’ve ever seen. It is more evocative of a windmill than a propeller, with a horizontal bar mounted on an overlapping base, like a large “T.” The bar’s articulated ends feature air vents, and each end can be bent straight up, down, or at any point in between for completely customizable air direction. The entire bar can also be turned vertically to look like an “I”, if you prefer a long, thin breeze rather than a long, thin breeze. It has all the usual features you’d expect from a fan at this price, including 10 speeds, oscillation, a magnetic remote, and three settings, including “sleep,” which makes sense because the TurboBlade, in its “T” configuration, is about the right bed height. It’s a great option if you need air to flow in different directions at once, but be warned that it makes a fairly loud jet engine-like sound, which is noticeable even on low settings. There is now also a TurboBlade Heat + Cool ($400)which adds a 1,400-watt heater to the middle, but WIRED reviewer Matthew Korfhage tested it and didn’t find the heat feature to be worth the extra $150.
FlexBreeze Shark for $200: This was my fan favorite last year. I love that it’s rechargeable, so it can be used without an electrical outlet nearby, and I love that the head detaches from the base with foldable legs, allowing it to double as an easy-to-portable floor fan. Shark claims that the FlexBreeze can reduce the nearby ambient temperature by 10 degrees with the misting attachment. Although I’ve never been able to measure a drop of more than 6 degrees with multiple thermometers, the difference in air temperature with the FlexBreeze compared to without is significant enough to make the difference between an unbearable summer dinner outside and an enjoyable dinner. However, the mist is disseminated by the detachable mist attachment (Shark now makes Version with tank(But I haven’t tried it) is a bit heavy – it got most of the deck completely wet and wet the clothes of anyone sitting 5 feet or so away. On the plus side, this meant that the fog didn’t blow off immediately, as was the case with its portable FlexBreeze sibling, Hydrojo (less).
Photo: Kat Merck
Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo for $150: I liked the original Shark FlexBreeze (above), but not the fact that it had to be attached to a hose, so I was very excited to see a portable, rechargeable version in fun colors. Shark says it can run for 30 minutes with the master running continuously, or 60 minutes in “time-lapse mode,” and after testing it at my son’s soccer practices, I’ve found those estimates to be more or less accurate. However, the mist coming out of the middle is so fine and in such a small stream that it quickly blows away before it has a chance to cool anyone off, unless they are sitting inches away from it.
Lasko Whirlwind Orbital Pedestal Fan for $85: This fan is very similar Drew TurboPoly 508Sand actually has some of the same features — it swings vertically 105 degrees or horizontally 150 degrees, is quiet (I recorded 27 dB on low), and has a remote. It’s not smart, it doesn’t have RBG lights, and there is some occasional oscillation noise, but if you’re looking for an affordable pedestal fan that offers 3D oscillation, this honestly isn’t a bad option.