Should you spend $429 on a fan? Here is my opinion after testing

Balmuda Naturewind Studio

Pros and cons

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  Simple, attractive and durable design

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  Intuitive manual oscillation adjustment

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  Outstanding energy efficiency

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  High air flow

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  Easy assembly

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  More expensive than most fans

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  There is no remote control

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  Relatively loud at high speeds

Not long after I finished my work Tower fan testsmy editor showed me the Balmuda NatureWind Studio, a fan that costs $429. For comparison, this is about the same Dyson Cool AM07. Both of these superfans emphasize design, both in terms of aesthetics and performance. But they take vastly different approaches. The Dyson bladeless design immediately struck me as bold, with a high-speed factor. In contrast, the Balmuda fan has a minimalist quality, a thoughtful examination of what it takes to emulate a natural breeze within a convenient package.

I spent a few weeks using Balmuda NatureWind Studio, and more for me king a surprise, I think it’s a worthwhile investment for the right person. Let’s dive into my findings so you can see if Balmuda’s impeccable design is a good way to beat the following Heat wave.

Unconventional traditional Balmuda design

The Balmuda NatureWind Studio fan is about 3 feet long, making it shorter than most of the fans in my office. while a fan The design mixes mostly metal parts with some plastic, none of which feels cheap or flimsy. (This doesn’t mean you have to abuse plastic parts if you want your fan to last.)

Unlike dozens of tower fans I’ve tested, the Balmuda required a surprising amount of assembly to put together. But this also means it ships in a smaller overall package. The setup instructions are very clear and straightforward, and the print is larger than I usually see, which may help some people with vision issues. Setup is intuitive and tool-free too, and took about 10 minutes or so.

The fan features a unique dual-blade design, which uses a five-blade inner ring and a nine-blade outer ring. The two sets of blades create two different airflow patterns that overlap each other, resulting in an irregular, more natural breeze compared to the rotating vortex produced by single-blade designs, Balmuda says. I can confirm that the breeze is great at every speed; It’s better than the breeze modes of other fans, which use alternating motor speeds.

The next thing that caught my eye was the advanced power cord, which uses a flexible woven fabric outer shell that makes it easy to move the cord without kinks or resistance. Most importantly, you can hang any excess cord on a simple hook, and the cord is removable, making it easy to manage and keep tidy.

Another notable detail: The Balmuda NatureWind Studio does not come with a remote control. Alternatively, you can control the fan exclusively using the buttons on the top of the motor housing. It has a simple timer (1 to 4 hours), five speeds and oscillation settings. Although the timer isn’t particularly noteworthy, the fan does include an 18-hour auto-off setting that prevents it from constantly running – a great feature that helps protect the motor.

You can switch between four of the five speeds with a simple tap of the wind speed button, but the jet mode button requires you to press it to activate the fan’s maximum speed. It’s sturdy, which explains why Palmoda disables oscillation in this mode for better stability.

The oscillation setting is probably my favorite feature of the Balmuda NatureWind Studio because it is completely adjustable. You can change the oscillation by turning on the mode before actually turning the fan to one side to beep, and then turning it to the other side to make another beep. This means you can tell the fan exactly how high you want it to spin, without the need for any complicated buttons. You can also tilt the fan head up or down to better direct it into the room, but this uses a fixed angle, not automatic oscillation.

That’s the full scope of Balmuda NatureWind Studio’s features, because its simple design skips some of the unnecessary functions you’ll find on other fans (and which many people probably don’t use anyway).

How well does Balmuda NatureWind Studio perform?

How well does Balmuda NatureWind Studio perform?

I subjected the Balmuda NatureWind Studio to the same tests I used for the tower fans, with one minor modification: I didn’t set up the cardboard test tunnel and only checked unobstructed airflow. The reason for this is that it is not part of that comparison, and the tests are informal anyway. However, here’s what I found:

• air flow: The NatureWind Studio produced an average airflow of 394 feet per minute (FPM), which outperformed some tower fans costing more than $200, like the Tower Fans. Turbo shark blade, Dream MF10 And Dyson. Perhaps most impressive is that maximum airflow reaches 847 fpm, second only to the two Dreo models I tested. It also produced the most consistent results of any tower fan, with most measurements falling within a narrow range for each speed tested.
• Air texture: (10/10) The breeze feels smooth and natural, more so than bladeless towers like those in the Towers Dyson And the shark.
• Maximum loudness: It registered 63.6 dB, which is louder than any of the tower fans I tested — the closest competitor was the Drio Turbocool 765S At 59 dB. At the lowest two speeds, the Balmuda was nearly silent.
• White noise: (9/10) The fan blades make a nice white noise, but the humming engine noise at high speeds takes some getting used to.
• Beeps and clicks: (6/10) It always beeps when the button is touched, and there is no option for silent controls. However, the beeps are not harsh or overly intrusive.
• Maximum power consumption: (1 Watt on Low, 17 Watts in Jet Mode) The NatureWind Studio’s DC motor is very efficient, falling roughly between the Vornado Strata 8 Omni and Levoit Classic 42 inch As one of the most efficient fans I’ve tested.

Using the rating scale from my tower fan tests, the Balmuda NatureWind Studio received an 8/10 overall. This is almost the same fan I’ve reviewed from the Dreame, Dyson, and Omni Breeze. Although it’s respectable, I want to point out that it’s only low because the Balmuda is expensive, doesn’t come with a remote, and is fairly loud at higher fan speeds. Other than that, it offers excellent performance and efficiency.

Should you buy Balmuda NatureWind Studio?

Other than the price, lack of a remote, and some loudness at high speeds, I see no reason not to recommend the product Balmuda Naturewind Studio For those who have the budget and interest. Personally, I’m not convinced that the missing remote is a defect because it’s very easy to control the fan without it. However, people on a limited budget may consider it Vornado Strata 8 Omniwhich costs four to five times less than Balmuda NatureWind Studio, depending on available sale prices.

John Carlsen has over a decade of experience testing and reviewing home technology products, with a primary focus on smart home security. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah Valley University. In addition to his contributions to CNET, John has written for Android Police, TWICE, Home Theater Review, SafeWise, ASecureLife, and Top Ten Review.

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