Best Tower Fan for Bedroom

Under Ideal ConditionsUpdated

Get the Tower Lasko EcoQuiet DC if the fan will stand near your bed, and the 48 inch Tower Lasko if it will stand across the room.

Match your bedroom to the first bullet that fits.

  • The fan will stand within a few feet of your bed and small sounds wake you: Tower Lasko EcoQuiet DC
  • The bed is across the room from where the fan stands, or the room is large: Tower Lasko
  • You fall asleep with the fan on and want it to shut itself off within a few hours: Tower Honeywell
  • You want a preset Sleep mode and a timer long enough to cover the whole night: Tower Pelonis
  • You're shopping in the UK: Levoit UK DC motor tower fan
  • Your thermometer reads in the mid-90s °F or higher at night: no tower fan fits, so go to an air-conditioned place or take a cool shower or bath.

The EcoQuiet DC has a Quiet Mode, 12 speeds and an 8 hour timer. Lasko gives 23 dBa in Quiet Mode and 46 dBa at high, with no distance stated. Bob Vila measured 23 dB on low and 50 dB at high from 6 feet. The two sources don't share conditions, so neither figure makes the other wrong. Either way, the low setting is the one you'll sleep next to.

If the bed is far from the fan, get the 48 inch Lasko. It's rated at 818 CFM, runs on 3 speeds and has a 7 hour timer. Lasko lists 38.6 decibels in its Nighttime Mode at low speed. If you want more speeds near the bed instead, go back to the EcoQuiet.

The Honeywell has 1, 2, 4 and 8 hour timers, which suits you if you drift off quickly. The Pelonis offers Strong, Natural and Sleep modes and a 15 hour timer, so one setting carries you through the night. In the UK, the Levoit is rated at 20 dB by its maker, with 12 speeds and a 5.5 W minimum draw. If you are shopping for a room other than a bedroom, the best tower fan page is the place to start.

Skip the Vornado 184 for a bedroom. TechGearLab put it at 57.2 dBA, the loudest of the tower fans it measured. If light is your other complaint, TechGearLab rated the Dreo Touch Control 40 Inch best for bedrooms for its automatic display-off and silent modes.

Fans work by moving air over your skin, and portable electric fans do not cool air. That is why heat sets the limit. EPA says: "Do not use electric fans for cooling when the room temperature is in the mid-90s or higher." A 2000 archived CDC press release says fans will not prevent heat-related illness when the temperature is in the high 90s. WHO advises using electric fans only below 40 °C / 104 °F and says above that fans heat the body. EPA and CDC give lower figures than WHO. If your room gets near any of them, get out of the heat instead of turning the fan up.

Questions

Is a tower fan good for a bedroom?

A tower fan can work well in a bedroom, as long as the room is not dangerously hot. Pick by where the fan will stand. The Lasko EcoQuiet DC suits a spot near the bed, with a Quiet Mode, 12 speeds and an 8 hour timer. The 48 inch Lasko suits a fan across the room or a large room. If your thermometer reads in the mid-90s °F or higher, no tower fan fits.

What is the best tower fan for a bedroom?

The Lasko EcoQuiet DC is the pick if the fan will stand near your bed, and the 48 inch Lasko is the pick if it will stand across the room. The EcoQuiet DC has a Quiet Mode, 12 speeds and an 8 hour timer. The 48 inch Lasko is rated at 818 CFM, with 3 speeds and a 7 hour timer, which suits larger rooms.

Which tower fan is best for falling asleep with the fan on?

The Honeywell suits you if you fall asleep with the fan on and want it to shut off on its own. It has 1, 2, 4 and 8 hour timers, which helps if you drift off quickly. If you would rather have one setting cover the whole night, the Pelonis offers Strong, Natural and Sleep modes plus a 15 hour timer.

Can a fan cool a bedroom when the room is very hot?

No, a fan will not reliably cool a very hot bedroom, because fans move air over your skin and do not cool the air itself. EPA says not to use electric fans for cooling when room temperature is in the mid-90s or higher. WHO gives a higher limit of 40 °C / 104 °F. If your room gets near any of these, get out of the heat instead of turning the fan up.