I have central AC, but my home office is typically a few degrees warmer than the rest of the house. I decided to add a fan to help cool the area off, but I wanted the quietest fan that did the job. I ended up ordering the following three fans through Amazon for comparison:
Lasko 4924 Space-Saving High-Velocity 3-Speed Oscillating Blower Fan (HVB)
Honeywell Digital Tower Fan with Remote and Ionizer
Lasko 42 In. Wind Curve Tower Fan
I'll start with the quick summary for the TL;DR crowd. In terms of air flow, from highest to lowest, the ranking is: HVB >> Wind Curve > Honeywell. In terms of noise, from loudest to quietest: HVB > Honeywell > Wind Curve. Thus, the fan with the best air flow for the noise generated, and the one I picked, was the Lasko Wind Curve.
And now for the details, for those that don't suffer from ADD. Wall of text inc.
Power Usage
I was able to measure power usage for each fan using a Kill-A-Watt meter. All 3 fans had 3 output settings (low/med/high), and I measured their power usage to be:
HVB 95/103/111 watts
Honeywell 32/36/40 watts
Wind Curve 37/41/47 watts
Noise
I used an SPL meter app on my iPhone to measure how loud each fan was at each of those settings. All of the fans were tested in the same spot and the iPhone was placed on a stand about 5 ft away, in front and slightly to the side of each fan, so that wind noise didn't factor into the measurements:
HVB 59/61/64 db
Honeywell 50/53/55 db
Wind Curve 46/49/51 db
Air Flow
I don't have a way to measure each fan's output objectively, so these are my impressions:
HVB Lasko wasn't kidding when they labeled the 4924 with the acronym HVB for High Velocity Blower. When I first got it and ran it on *low*, I was thinking that this would be really good air flow for a quality fan on its *high* setting. It's by far the highest output fan here. They also described it as having a quiet motor; while this might be true, it's still the loudest of the bunch. Having the smallest vent opening of the bunch might have contributed to the noise level. Another user review I read of this fan said it feels like AC with this fan running, and that's true. If you're partially deaf, or plan on placing the fan 20 ft or more away from you, this is a good choice.
Honeywell and Wind Curve The output of these two fans are more comparable. I still feel the Wind Curve puts out a little more air flow than the Honeywell at the equivalent setting though. For some reason, even the Wind Curve feels like AC is running, if only on low. There's an uncanny cooling effect the Lasko fans have that the Honeywell doesn't. Maybe it's just better airflow at a lower noise level. If you look at the measurements above, the Wind Curve on high is only slightly louder than the Honeywell on low. I mostly ran these fans on low--as I was looking for the quietest solution--and at times, I still felt warm with the Honeywell, but the Wind Curve delivers. The Honeywell does have a filter on the back intake side, which probably hurts its air flow a bit. You can hear a *very* slight ticking sound from the Wind Curve at times, sort of like fast crickets. I haven't found it annoying and it doesn't sound like something's wearing out. It's probably only noticeable because of its low noise level.
Size / Weight / Appearance
Exact dimensions and weight can be found on their Amazon product pages, so I won't provide specific numbers. All of them were delivered in their product boxes, which were all somewhat beatened up from being delivered by UPS.
The HVB is the shortest, but also the heaviest. Both the Honeywell and the Wind Curve are noticeably lighter than the HVB. It's shipped as a single piece and there's nothing to assemble. You take it out of the box and it's ready to go. It has a low center of gravity and stands up stably. All tower fans should be designed this way. It has horizontal flaps that can be adjusted to direct airflow up. The flaps are really small, but they seem to work decently.
The Honeywell is about a foot taller than the HVB. It's shipped in 5 pcs that have to be assembled--the main body, 2 pieces that join together to form the circular base, and another 2 pcs that join together to form an "optional" pedestal that sits between the base and the body. I wouldn't really call the pedestal optional, as without it the vent opening starts about 5-6" off the ground and there are no flaps to adjust the airflow up. I found assembling the unit difficult to do by myself. It's just not easy holding these pieces so they line up while you screw them together. In fact, little plastic fragments broke off while I was assembling it. I assume they were all internal and non-essential, as the product looks fine once assembled. The manual cautions that using the pedestal makes the unit less stable, and that is true. It's the wobbliest of the bunch, but it won't tip over easily. A sturdier base and pedestal would have made this a lot less wobbly. The black plastic in the product pictures looks really nice and shiny, but not as good in person.
The Wind Curve is a few inches taller than the Honeywell, making it the tallest of the bunch. It's shipped in 3 pcs--the main body and 2 pcs that join together to form its circular base. Assembling this unit still wasn't easy to do solo, but it was easier than dealing with the Honeywell and its body-pedestal-base. The base on this feels a little sturdier than the Honeywell's, and the assembled unit is less wobbly, though still not perfect. There are some horizontal flaps to direct the airflow up, but these only cover the top third of the vent. None of the online pictures I've seen for this fan do it any justice. The wood accent makes the unit look really nice in person.
Controls
The HVB only has physical controls. There's a knob that controls the fan speed, from left to right: low-mid-high-off. There's a separate push button that turns the oscillation on/off. There's no remote, no timer, and no ionization function.
The Honeywell has digital controls and comes with a remote. There's an LCD window that shows the air temperature, fan speed, and timer. It has one nice ability that neither of the Laskos have, and that's the ability to turn on/off at a preset temperature, just like the HVAC system in a home. Although the controls are all digital, half of the six buttons have shared functions. There's a single button that controls the fan speed and turning the unit on/off and it cycles from: high-med-low-off. So if you want to turn the fan on and run it on low, that's 3 clicks. There's also a single button that controls oscillation and ionization, and it cycles between: oscillate only-oscillate & ionize-ionize only-neither. The third shared function button controls how the unit turns off, either by timer or temperature. The timer can be set in 1 hr increments, from 1-12 hrs I believe. Two buttons are labeled up/down, which can only be used for setting the timer or temperature. The last button is for a "breeze" feature that is unique to this fan, which essentially just varies the fan speed. There's two breeze modes, one varies the speed between the current speed and the next setting below it (high-med, med-low, low-off), and the other just varies the speed between high-med-low. I found the noise level changes from this feature to be too distracting. The remote has five of the six buttons that the unit has, lacking the button to enable the timer/temp mode. Oddly, up/down arrows exist on the remote, but are only useful if you're already in the timer/temp mode. However, if you're using the remote, chances are you can't read the display to see what the timer/temp setting is anyways. The other side of the remote has a button which controls an LED flashlight.
The Wind Curve also has digital controls and comes with a remote. There are a total of 8 leds displaying the status of the fan, from left to right: 4 red leds indicate that the timer is enabled and how much time is left--representing 30 mins, 1 hr, 2 hrs, 4 hr (you add them up to get the total); 3 green leds indicating the fan speed--low, med, high; and 1 blue led indicating whether ionization is on/off. There's 5 buttons controlling the fan, the same on the unit as on the remote--power, oscillate, timer (adds 30 mins to the timer with every click), ionization, and fan speed (cycles between high-med-low). I like that there's a separate control to turn the fan on/off and the fan speed is remembered. The timer setting is a little primitive compared to the Honeywell's though, as it does take 15 clicks if you want the full duration of 7.5 hrs. All of the controls are confirmed with a beep. I think I read a review where someone complained it was too loud, but I found it really faint, even compared to the fan on low. The click of the button on the remote is louder. Although, the confirmation beep for turning the fan off is a little long--lasting about a second--and that could be shorter.
Oscillation
All of the fans have this feature and were quiet enough that I can't hear the difference whether on or off. The Laskos oscillation range appeared to be a little under 90 degrees. When placed in a corner, I don't think anyone would complain about the coverage. The honeywell's oscillation range was a little wider, but it oscillates in one direction a little faster than the other. Sort of like how some sprinklers operate, but the difference in speeds isn't as drastic.
Ionization
The HVB lacked this feature, but I consider it a gimmick anyways. From what I've read, ionized air doesn't freshen up the air, it just impairs your sense of smell. Ionizing air cleaners also operate by charging the air and dust with one charge, and having an oppositely charged plate or filter in front of the air flow to catch the charged dust. Neither of the fans with ionization features have this plate/filter.
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We ordered this fan after reading another on-line review. It lives up to its reputation....it is very quiet and gives a good strong breeze when needed. It works so well that it almost feels like it has an 'air conditioning' effect. We love it and would recommend that you purchase this model if you are looking for a silent, strong fan that takes up very little space.
Best Deals on Lasko 4924 High Velocity Blower Fan With Handle
This fan was in a cabana I rented for a day by the pool on a day in Florda that hit 93 degrees...I thought I actually had air conditioning outdoors. This fan is QUIET, you can use the oscillation or not. It has 3 speeds (low, med or high). It is quiet at all speeds. It truly made a hot, humid day very comfortable. I tried locating this fan at local stores and couldn't find it, so I was excited to see Amazon had it for sale. You will not be disappointed. It is about $20 more expensive than similar models, but I actually tested this one in the cabana and I was sold. You are not going to regret it!!
Honest reviews on Lasko 4924 High Velocity Blower Fan With Handle
---Update----
I was just informed that my review is for a DIFFERENT fan than what is being offered by Amazon. I apologize to everyone who made a misinformed decision. I will remove this review in 10 days (I want people to have the opportunity to read this update.
I will say that my fan seems to be very similar to the one being sold by Amazon.
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The Lasko High Velocity Fan/Blower is an outstanding choice for a large/medium sized room. The fan moves a considerable amount of air (see the video) and offers all of the necessary options timer, variable speed, and oscillation.
Pros-
1Very strong this fan moves a lot of air
2The ability to direct the air to the areas that you want Lasko gives you a "Jet Stream" of air.
3Variable speeds 3 speeds for different room sizes or conditions.
4While it is loud it is a steady sound level it is not high pitched or squeeky so it is easy to ignore. In fact, it is perfect for background sound while sleeping.
5Oscillation covers about 45 degrees of rotation.
6While it is not stylish the unit offers a remote control that is perfect for a night stand.
FInal Verdict This is a high-end fanand while it is not inexpensive it is very effective for rooms of up to about 400 sq. ft.
5 stars
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lasko 4924 High Velocity Blower Fan With Handle
I purchased my first fan in 2003. This fan has ALOT of power. You will feel the fan blowing on any of the 3 settings, unlike many other floor or stand fans, which lack power.
Took it to our annual Hula show (Ho'ike) and the ladies were so grateful for me bringing this fan in our changing/dressing rooms. (They always forget to turn the A/C on while we're getting dressed).
I Couldn't find it any where here in Washington State, so I searched the internet. I'm now adding 2 more of these fans to our household.
Love it! Love it! Love it!
