It isn’t hard to find a “top” list (top 10, top 20, etc) of any one product or group of products on the internet. Opinions are spread all over, covering every category of product one could possibly imagine. Some of these stories offer a great deal of wealth, while others can sometimes make you wonder if they were paid off behind the scenes somewhere.
The latter might have been something I ran into when shopping around for a new tower fan. Unless it is smart/connected in some kind of way, we ourselves likely haven’t covered it. This forced me to browse other publications and blogs looking for the opinions and experiences of others. Because I didn’t want anything overly smart. Just something quiet and effective. Many of these sources online pointing to the Honeywell QuietSet 8-Speed Tower Fan, as the top option out there.
So is it the top option out there? It appears I may just have to debunk this rumor. Don’t get me wrong, the fan is ok in general. However, I was unable to find how it was able to obtain the prize of being “best”. In our testing of it, I could only label it as average.
At first, it was just a normal purchase. A replacement for an old Lasko that has been blowing around for quite a few years now. The Lasko was getting old and beginning to make weird noises here and there. So I decided to go with this one. I mean, everyone seems to love it, so why not?
After spending some time with it, I brought it to the office to see what others felt. If so many people loved this fan, I must be missing something. Sadly, my opinions were shared by others who tried it out.
The fan has a lot of speeds to bounce between. It sounds fancy. However, you will likely only use the top 4 speeds or so. The bottom (slower) speeds ranged between little to no air. Therefore, having “eight” speed options was labeled as a gimmick by us. You would be just as well off with the 5-speed model if it was on sale.
Then there was the amount of air it moved around. This is one of the most important things about a fan. In our experience, the result was average to less-than-expected. You are making use of the top three speeds if you want to really feel anything special. Even then, we have seen many other models that could move more than this. This is because it is a thin-profile model that can only move so much (air). It isn’t like the Lasko models we have come across that feature a larger diameter for their bodies and blades. Placing it next to the old Lasko, the low setting of the Lasko moved around the same amount of air as the second to fastest setting of the Honeywell. Maybe even the fasted setting of the Honeywell. Turning the Lasko to medium or high blew it right out of the water.
Finally, there is the noise level of the fan. It is called “QuietSet” Tower Fan, afterall. So it has to be whisper quiet right? To a degree, it can be–if you make use of the lower speeds that don’t really move any air, at least. On the mid to higher speeds, the fan makes just as much noise as any other model or brand, if not more. In the case of the Lasko, even making odd noises here and there, the sound of the fan was quieter than the Honeywell.
In fact, there was an odd resonating hum coming from the fan that travels around the room getting a little brighter from a distance. Even more noticable when you lay your head down and it stands out in the back of your mind as your trying to fall asleep. The below recording was taken at speed 5 out of 8. Not only can you tell that it makes plenty of noise, but the noise is a little higher-pitched due to its thinner profile, and you can hear the odd resonating hum coming in and out.
Beyond that, the fan seems well-built enough to last what would hopefully be years to come. There is no telling for sure, of course. Not without spending years with it. In my own case, it will be sent back to where it came from. A brand new Lasko will move more air with less noise. An important quality in a fan you plan to keep near you as you sleep.
Again, it isn’t a terrible model. It is a great average option for those who like the design and prefer a thinner profile. I just wouldn’t buy it unless it was on a good sale. I really had my hopes up for this one. Sadly, it seems multiple sources online might have taken a bribe on the side in exchange for claiming its on top.
Conclusion
Comparing it to any “average” model you’d find on the shelf at a retail store, it fairs pretty well. However, it is by no means “the best” model out there. There are those that move more air with less noise around the same price (or less, when you catch them on sale). The price point of this one isn’t that terrible either, at least, when it is on sale. It feels like a $45-$50 fan at most. Not a $69 one and most definitely not worth anything more than that (some have been trying to sell it for $75+, which is just plain outrageous). So based on the average price, mixed with the air flow and noise levels, we came to our final conclusion below on the overall score.
Are you a manufacturer or distributor that would like us to test something out for review? Contact us and we can let you know where to send the product and we will try it out.
Don’t forget to subscribe for a chance to win cool prizes!
4 Comments
What fan would you recommend for sound and speed then?
Hard to say as we only cover smart/connected models typically. This story came up as it was a response to the web having such a biased view toward it being “the best”, when clearly it isn’t (debunking this popular rumor). We don’t normally cover basic tower fan models. I personally recommend Lasko, but this is limited to my own use of them over the years. Now there are so many new companies (ie, Dreo) that we have never used, thus it is hard to judge any of them against each other.
Dreo has a smart one that uses an app. Have you tested that one before?
We have not (yet), but you never know what the future may hold for content.