Picture: Stacey L. Nash
The most effective flooring followers are transportable and versatile, designed to maintain people cool in areas all through the house. Highly effective but light-weight, these followers supply an economical different to blasting the AC when the climate is heat, serving to you save on power payments. Ground followers can be found in a number of designs: conventional square-shaped field followers (which may typically slot in home windows in addition to sit on the ground), high-velocity spherical air circulators, and tower followers.
Ground followers could include varied options, corresponding to a number of pace settings, an adjustable tilt for direct air circulation, and rubberized ft to guard hardwoods and different surfaces in addition to stop the followers from sliding or wobbling. Many flooring followers go well with small or medium indoor areas, corresponding to bedrooms and residential places of work. Others are highly effective sufficient to chill outsized areas, together with nice rooms, outside kitchens, and garages.
We examined every of the followers in our lineup to get a really feel for a way properly they work in real-world situations. Testing was executed in the identical location, an 860-square-foot workshop, in order that we might consider how every fan carried out individually and as compared to one another. Use this information for necessary procuring issues and suggestions on a few of the finest flooring fan fashions out there.
- BEST OVERALL: Lasko 20″ Excessive Velocity QuickMount Ground Fan 2265QM
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: PELONIS 3-Pace Field Fan, PFB50A2ABB-V
- BEST BOX FAN: GENESIS 20 in. Black 3-Pace Settings Field Fan
- BEST QUIET OPERATION: Rowenta VU5670 Turbo Silence Oscillating Fan
- BEST PORTABLE: Air King 9212 12-Inch Industrial Grade Pivoting Fan
- BEST FOR SMALL ROOMS: Lasko 2535 52″ Oscillating Pedestal Fan
- BEST FOR MEDIUM-SIZE ROOMS: B-Air FIRTANA-20X Excessive Velocity Electrical Ground Fan
- BEST FOR LARGE ROOMS: Vornado 660 Giant Complete Room Air Circulator Fan
- BEST FOR SHOPS AND GARAGES: Twister 24 Inch Heavy Responsibility 3 Pace Air Circulator Fan
ALSO TESTED: Geek Aire Rechargeable Outside Excessive Velocity Ground Fan
Picture: Stacey L. Nash
How We Examined the Greatest Ground Followers
All flooring followers have been examined in the identical location—a residential workshop used for welding, woodworking, steel work, and common residence upkeep tasks. They have been left operating for the same size of time and all pace settings and options have been examined.
We evaluated how efficient the fan was at cooling at varied settings, and likewise stored noise ranges in any respect settings in thoughts. Noise ranges have been rated based mostly on holding conversations and listening to music whereas the followers have been working.
Any added options, corresponding to timers, nighttime settings, and tilt/oscillation, have been additionally taken under consideration. To judge portability, we carried the followers roughly 35 yards, every means, to and from a home to the store the place they have been examined.
The ground followers obtained a rating between 0 and 4 for every of the check areas, together with cooling at high and low speeds, noise ranges at high and low speeds, portability, and design.
Pictures: Stacey L. Nash
Our Prime Picks
Every of the ground followers advisable beneath has its personal set of options and advantages, together with cooling energy, pace settings, and noise ranges. Contemplate one among these high-performing cooling units that we examined and located worthy.
Picture: amazon.com
This high-velocity flooring fan boasts a strong motor, sturdy metal building, and steel blades. It measures 22 inches by 12.63 inches huge and is powered by electrical energy from a regular 110-volt outlet. The CFM of air motion ranges from 3,160 to three,460, so it has ample energy to be used in a big storage or a workshop. But, its traditional silver design is enticing sufficient to make use of in dwelling areas.
We examined it in a store to see how properly it circulated the air in a big room. We ran every of the pace settings (low, medium, and excessive), and even on the low setting, it circulated air very properly. The front-facing guide management dial proved significantly handy, since we might modify the pace with out shifting the fan when it was positioned in a nook or towards a wall.
Constructed-in rubber pads on the underside of the fan defend hardwood flooring and different surfaces. The rubber pads additionally added stability when the fan sat on the cement flooring of our store. The pivoting head is adjustable to manage the airflow up, down, and in-between for extra focused air flow.
The Lasko weighs a manageable 14.5 kilos and features a handy carrying deal with, so it’s straightforward to maneuver round the home or store. This mannequin comes with directions and {hardware} that may convert it to a wall-mounted fan with the included bracket. In testing, we did discover the Lasko 20-inch fan to be on the noisy aspect. The noise decibel degree isn’t listed within the guide, however dialog volumes must rise to be heard over it.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 22 inches by 12.63 inches huge
- Air pace CFM: 3,160 to three,460
- Speeds: 3
Execs
- Light-weight and simply transportable
- Highly effective even on the bottom setting
- Entrance-facing controls for straightforward adjusting
- Steady base
Cons
Get the Lasko 20-inch flooring fan at Amazon or The HomeDepot.
Picture: amazon.com
The Pelonis field fan is a extremely useful, low value fan. The fan helps low, mid, or excessive air speeds to optimize airflow. It carried out properly in testing, shifting plenty of air for the worth, particularly on the best pace.
These searching for a extremely transportable fan have discovered it with this mannequin. This Pelonis fan measures 21 inches by 20.6 inches by 4.6 inches and weighs solely 8 kilos. The light-weight building and two handles enable it to be simply carried from room to room; we toted it from the home to the store with out effort.
The Pelonis fan comes absolutely assembled with recessed twine storage and stabilizing ft, options extra typically discovered on higher-priced followers. We discovered the twine to be a bit brief, particularly for a field fan that’s utilized in a window. It would want an extension twine to soundly keep put in some setups. A regular 120-volt electrical outlet powers this unit.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 20.6 inches by 5.6 inches by 21.3 inches
- Air pace CFM: NA
- Speeds: 3
Execs
- Simple-to-use front-facing controls
- Circulates air properly on the best pace
- Light-weight and simple to hold
Cons
Get the Pelonis field fan at Amazon.
Picture: homedepot.com
The Genesis field fan has a smooth design that features two carrying handles. Weighing solely 8 kilos and measuring 20.6 inches by 5.6 inches by 21.3 inches, this field fan is simple to maneuver from room to room. Throughout testing, it labored finest on the best setting, the place we might bodily really feel it circulating air. It strikes 1,800 CFM of air, which is within the mid-range—about what’s wanted to chill and ventilate a small room. Entrance-facing controls on the grill proved handy when the fan was in a window, since we didn’t have to maneuver the unit to entry the pace settings.
Sadly, this isn’t the quietest fan. Though product data lists it at solely 60 decibels, we positively observed the noise when operating the fan on the best setting. It’s additionally not the simplest to maintain clear. It’s black in coloration, so it could not look soiled, however the grill is just not detachable for cleansing—all customers can do is wipe down the skin.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 20.6 inches by 5.6 inches by 21.3 inches
- Air pace CFM: 1,800
- Speeds: 3
Execs
- Handy front-facing controls
- Light-weight and transportable
- Two carrying handles
- Ventilates properly on excessive pace
Cons
Get the Genesis field fan at Amazon or The House Depot.
Picture: amazon.com
This Rowenta tower fan lives as much as its title. Among the many 5 pace settings, there’s a “silent night time” mode that solely creates 35 decibels. The opposite 4 pace settings weren’t as spectacular in that regard, however even the best pace is comparatively quiet. There’s additionally a particularly quiet energy-saver mode that reduces airflow till the fan reaches optimum power effectivity. This tower fan is a stable selection for a bed room, particularly for sleepers delicate to noise.
This mannequin additionally contains each onboard or distant controls, the place customers can set a timer to run the fan for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours. The distant (batteries not included) is a pleasant contact, and the fan has a holder for the system. The bottom is a bit huge at 20 inches, however the adjustable top, from 42 to 54 inches, lets customers optimize airflow for the room. Plus, it may possibly stay static or oscillate.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 42 to 54 inches by 7.2 inches by 20 inches
- Air pace CFM: 2,436
- Speeds: 5
Execs
- “Silent night time” setting is almost undetectable
- Vitality-saving setting
- Handy distant management adjusts pace or units timer
- Adjustable top for optimized cooling
Cons
Get the Rowenta tower fan at Amazon.
Picture: amazon.com
These out there for a conveyable fan may wish to think about this Air King mannequin, which strikes a very good stability between small dimension and ample energy. The powder-coated blades are solely 12 inches, and the entire unit measures 15.5 inches by 8.5 inches by 16.5 inches—a compact design that matches simply right into a small room.
It additionally has ample energy to maintain the house cool, with CFM of air speeds from 1,010 (low) to 1,170 (medium) to 1,360 (excessive). In testing, we discovered it’s able to cooling bigger areas, too, making this a flexible, transportable fan.
The fan plugs it into a daily family 120-volt outlet and its thick and heavy twine ought to stand as much as heavy use. Whereas on the best setting, the Air King is pretty loud and we needed to take our dialog quantity up a notch to be heard.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 16.5 inches by 8.5 inches by 15.5 inches
- Air pace CFM: 1,010 to 1,360
- Speeds: 3
Execs
- Thick, industrial power twine
- Feels extra highly effective than specs recommend
- Small, compact, and simple to hold
Cons
- Loud on the best pace setting
Get the Air King flooring fan at Amazon.
Picture: amazon.com
The Lasko pedestal fan has a steady however compact 14-inch by 14-inch base that doesn’t eat up a lot sq. footage. The fan itself has an elongated head to maneuver the utmost quantity of air with a minimal of horizontal house, and the stand adjusts in top. These design options add as much as a stable product that carried out properly in testing.
This strikes air properly and might stay static or oscillate. Louvers additionally enable changes in airflow course. The entire Lasko’s pace settings have been quiet, however the quiet setting was almost undetectable. It’s a fan that may run within the background with out disrupting conversations.
The fan has a built-in timer that may run for 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 hours, however the onboard controls are on the highest of the fan, which isn’t probably the most handy location. When the fan is at its full top, shorter people could discover it tough to see the controls. Happily, a useful distant management is included.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 14 inches by 14 inches by 52.7 inches
- Air pace CFM: NA
- Speeds: 4
Execs
- Small footprint with glorious top choices
- Quiet operation
- Adjustable top and louvers
- Distant management
Cons
- Controls could also be tough to make use of at full fan top
Get the Lasko 52-inch pedestal fan at Amazon or Greatest Purchase.
Picture: amazon.com
The 20-inch B-Air Firtana is a stable possibility for mid-size rooms, with a medium-high air pace of 4,650 CFM. The 5-foot twine permits loads of choices to find the fan to the place it’s wanted most. That twine can be thick and industrial, more likely to face up to heavy use.
The 360-degree rotation was significantly useful in our workshop, since we might modify the fan to go well with the character of assorted tasks. Some tasks wanted air flow low to the bottom and for different tasks the angle might be directed on the consumer.
The all-metal housing comes aside for cleansing, which we discovered pretty straightforward to do. The B-Air measures 24 inches by 22.3 inches by 6 inches and weighs in at 11 kilos, and its sturdy deal with makes transporting it simpler.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 23.8 inches by 22.3 inches by 6 inches
- Air pace CFM: 4,650
- Speeds: 3
Execs
- Thick, industrial twine
- Highly effective on the upper settings
- Carrying deal with
Cons
- Loud on the best setting
Get the B-Air flooring fan at Amazon.
Picture: amazon.com
This fan has deep-pitched blades, an enclosed air duct, and a spiral grill that mix to push air as much as 100 ft for max protection and environment friendly airflow. Its distinctive design options an adjustable chrome glide bar that in testing made it very straightforward to tilt the pinnacle.
It operates with a regular 120-volt outlet and has 4 pace settings (whisper-quiet to turbo), accessed by buttons on prime. Whereas the bottom setting was reasonably quiet, the mid-range settings triggered a buzzing sound, and at prime pace the hum was noticeably louder. The grill comes off to entry the blades for cleansing.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 11.75 inches by 13.5 inches by 15 inches
- Air pace CFM: N/A
- Speeds: 4
Execs
- Wonderful air circulation, particularly on the best setting
- Simple tilt design
Cons
- Loud on the best settings
Get the Vornado fan at Amazon, The House Depot, or Goal.
Picture: amazon.com
This three-speed, 24-inch air circulator drum fan is a good possibility for bigger areas. Although hefty—measuring 29.3 inches by 11 inches by 29.5 inches and weighing 32.1 kilos—it options wheels so it may be moved with out lifting. It additionally boasts aluminum blades and a powder-coated, rust-resistant grill.
This highly effective Twister mannequin has a thermally-protected 8-foot, 120-volt energy twine that plugs into a regular outlet. The air pace ranges from 5,000 CFM (for low pace) to six,000 CFM (medium) to 7,800 CFM (excessive). Customers modify the pace through the rotary swap on the again of the unit and there’s a 360-degree tilt operate for focused air circulation.
Whereas the Twister moved plenty of air to maintain our store cool throughout testing, the tradeoff was that every one the ability and air motion got here with plenty of noise.
Product Specs
- Dimensions: 29.5 inches by 29.5 inches by 11 inches
- Air pace CFM: 5,000 to 7,800
- Speeds: 3
Execs
- Highly effective, circulates so much air
- Wheels and durable body assist with portability
- Twin handles for simpler changes and portability
Cons
Get the Twister fan at Amazon or Twister Followers.
Additionally examined:
This battery-operated Geek Aire mannequin, designed for use outdoor, was a disappointment. It labored when plugged in, however the battery wouldn’t cost. It fell brief on efficiency, so it didn’t meet our requirements.
What to Contemplate When Selecting the Greatest Ground Fan
Ground followers can be found with a spread of options and advantages particular to every mannequin. When purchasing for a flooring fan, think about the room’s dimension and the way you propose to make use of the fan. That may assist slim your selections based mostly on dimension, design, cooling energy, oscillation, pace settings, controls, and noise ranges.
Measurement
Ground followers fluctuate in dimension (usually anyplace from 12 to 24 inches), with 20 inches thought-about common. A fan’s dimension and options are among the many variables that contribute to its weight. The common 20-inch flooring fan weighs roughly 10 to fifteen kilos, which makes it straightforward to maneuver. Small, private flooring followers can weigh as little as 2 kilos, whereas bigger industrial flooring followers can weigh 30 kilos or extra.
Cooling Energy
A fan’s cooling energy is measured by cubic ft per minute (CFM). This worth measures how a lot air a fan strikes each minute. Cfm varies by mannequin based mostly on the development, dimension, motor, and blades. Followers with excessive CFM transfer air extra shortly than followers with low CFM, which is why a excessive CFM worth is advisable for bigger areas (nice rooms, greenhouses, garages) that require extra air motion. Whereas CFM is a good way to get an concept of a fan’s energy and examine it to different fashions, not each producer contains this data within the product description, packaging, or the proprietor’s guide.
Oscillation
Not like customary field followers that blow in a single course, the blades of oscillating followers are housed in a case that rotates back and forth to offer broader air circulation. Typical oscillation settings supply 180-degree rotation for optimum air protection. Some fashions have blades that rotate a full 360 levels. There are additionally followers with the flexibility to pivot the hub up and all the way down to direct air the place it’s most wanted. Some flooring followers enable customers to modify from customary to oscillation mode with the clicking of a button.
Pace Settings
Many flooring followers have a number of settings—usually low, medium, and excessive—so customers can choose the best pace for every scenario. Usually, low gives a lightweight breeze whereas excessive pace shortly circulates the air for a stronger breeze. Switching between totally different speeds is most frequently executed with a flip of a rotary dial discovered on the entrance or the again of the fan.
Distant Management
Some flooring followers are geared up with distant controls, permitting customers to vary the airflow settings with out having to entry them instantly on the system. Some remotes even have automated shut-off features.
Noise Stage
Followers require motors and blades to function, which often generate a point of noise—however sure fashions are quieter than others. When procuring, verify the decibel (dB) ranges, which is listed within the product data of some, however not all, flooring followers. Regular dialog is about 60 dB, workplace noise is about 70 dB, sound from a vacuum cleaner is round 75 dB, and a loud restaurant or energy mower is roughly 80 dB. Smaller, private followers are nearly all the time quieter than bigger fashions.
FAQs
Although you now perceive many qualities and issues of flooring followers, you continue to might want extra data. Beneath are solutions to a few of the commonest questions on these units.
Q. What’s a flooring fan?
A flooring fan stands on the ground, although some are designed with mounting options. It has rotating blades powered by electrical energy from a regular outlet or from a battery.
Q. The place is one of the best place to set a flooring fan for max airflow?
Place your flooring fan in order that it faces the alternative wall the place most exercise takes place. This permits cool air to bounce off the wall and out into the remainder of the room. Be certain that no giant objects are blocking its pathway, so the air spreads out additional and maximizes the fan’s effectiveness.
Q. What’s the distinction between flooring and tower followers?
Ground followers sit low to the bottom and are usually used to generate larger air circulation and air flow in medium to giant areas. Tower followers are a sub-type of flooring fan which might be usually used for air circulation and cooling in smaller areas as a result of they take up much less sq. footage as a consequence of their tall and slim design. In addition they are typically quieter than flooring followers.
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