When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. It was also frustratingly difficult to clean without taking the entire thing apart. But every one we tested merely reminded us that air circulators do a better job overalland that cleaning tower fans is a special kind of torture that no human should endure. Learn more. We also tested the Vornado 5303 Small Air Circulator, which was less powerful and less pleasant-sounding than our other Vornado picks, and the Vornado Helix2 Personal Oscillating Tower Circulator, which is fine as a personal desk fan but not powerful enough for a room. Our biggest issue with the 460 is that it is more difficult to operate than the 630. We take notes on how easy they are to usewhether the power buttons are accessible, how easy it is to change the speeds, and how smoothly we can reposition the direction of the airflow. Although we prefer the position of the 660 AEs controls to the dial on the back of the 460, we were a bit frustrated to see that the 660 AE gives no visual indicator of the current setting, so theres no way for you to tell, at a glance, which power level its on. Finally, we use an electricity-usage monitor to measure each fans wattage and fact-check energy-efficient claims. Despite all that, we dont think its worth an extra $30 over the older model, and it doesnt seem as easy to find. That doesnt matter much now, as the company has shifted its focus to purifying fans; we last tested them in 2019 and couldnt find one to recommend. We realize that this is part of the appeal of tower fans in general you dont need to put them on top of something else, and they dont take up a lot of floorspace.
We havent tested this model ourselves, but were confident in dismissing it for the reasons we outline in Why we no longer recommend tower fans. These modes were certainly neat, but ultimately their effects werent that different from what we got with the standard speed settings. If you ran the two fans on low instead, the 630 would cost you around $10, while the 610DC would run up your seasonal electric bill by a not-so-whopping 54. Like the 630, the 460 is an air circulator, and it moves more air than its size suggests. If youre looking for an inexpensive but surprisingly powerful fan for occasional use, the Honeywell TurboForce Air Circulator Fan HT-900 is a fine choice.
But it doesnt oscillate, and its fabric blades are not especially effectivewe were unable to register a CFM reading at the 5-foot mark, and we had to get within 2 feet to feel any measurable wind. Unlike its cousin, the Vornado 660, the 733 cant pivot. But the built-in smart-home convenience of the Vornado 660 AE is a nice bonus on top of its unmatched ability to move the air around a room.
We thought it was important for our top pick to have a setting that produces a quiet, slight breeze, so we preferred the 630. In our ongoing search for a solution to these common problems, we have tested a few other tower fans, including the Honeywell HYF290B, the Vornado NGT335, and the Bluetooth-enabled Lasko Wind Curve Tower Fan. The Vornado 610DC, one of our upgrade picks, has a speed dial that allows for flexible speed adjustment; another upgrade pick, the Vornado 660 AE, has a fourth, turbo setting in addition to the standard high/medium/low that you get on most fans. The compact Vornado 630 can send breezes to the far corners of a large room, is relatively easy to control and clean, and has a long-established record for reliability. And then theres long-term testing. The Vornado 6303DC Energy Smart Medium Air Circulator is basically an enhanced version of the 610DC, featuring an energy-efficient DC motor and variable speed options.
Depending on your personal needs, that may make the HT-900 seem awesome or awful. During the unrelenting heatwave of July 2022, we were able to keep two bedrooms in a 1200-square foot apartment cooled down with nothing but a Vornado 630, and whatever cool air it may have been pulling in from the air conditioner way off in the living room. But they also reminded us why we dont recommend tower fans. But we found the variable speed control dial of the 610DC easier and faster to use than the 6303DCs +/- touchscreen buttons.
Although I became accustomed to this setup, I watched several of my nonplussed co-workers pick up the 460, turn it around, and examine it like a presenter on Antiques Roadshowall just to adjust the speed. We dont love that the 460 houses the control dial behind the fan body, where its hard to find and adjust. Vornado sends you a prepaid label if it needs to repair your fan, which means repairs are actually free. When that occurs, we learn what we can about common experiences with customer service, warranty issues, shipping concerns, and anything else we would find noteworthy if we were shopping for a fan for our own use. Our only other complaint about the Vfan Alchemy is that removing the grille for cleaning is not quite as easy. This seems to be a point of contention among Amazon reviewers, some of whom find the Honeywells noise nearly imperceptible and great for sleeping, while others crave a noisier fan to lull them to sleep or distort their voice in funny ways. Though fans dont use much energy compared with many appliances, including air conditioners, Vornado claims that DC fans use up to 80% less energy than regular AC-powered fans. Typically you need to disassemble the base of the fan and unscrew several panels to reach the gunk around the blades. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. That is, if youre willing to pay a premium for it: The 610DC could cost you up to twice as much as our top pick, the 630. You can find the specific cleaning instructions (PDF) in the manual, but cleaning the 630 should become second nature after a few times. Its louder than our other picks on the higher of its two settings, and its made of chintzy plastic, but its easy to clean and has a compact footprint. Getting $5 to $10 in energy savings for a single summer might not seem that impressivebut it can add up over the course of a decade and possibly even save you enough to make up for the initial price difference. In 2022, we considered the Lasko Works With Alexa Tower Fan, and while the setup process was remarkably easy (not unlike the Vornados Works With Alexa fan), we could never actually get Alexa to do anything with the fan. The Vornado 660 AE Large Air Circulator comes with built-in Alexa compatibility, but its real appeal lies in the fact that its one of the most powerful room circulators weve ever tested. Weve only heard from one Wirecutter staffer whos seen their Vornado fail in that time and fortunately, it qualified for replacement under the companys five year warranty. Despite the 630s compact footprintits just 12 inches in diameter, versus a standard box fans measurement of 16 inches squareits powerful enough to fully circulate the air in most rooms. Why mess with a good thing? To maximize the amount of air your circulator moves during the summer, Vornado recommends that you aim its airflow halfway up a wall on the opposite side of the room. You get to tell your AI assistant things like Set Vornado to turbo! which sounds like youre living in a bad sci-fi movieand honestly, isnt that the dream? Compared with our top pick, the Vornado 630, the swanky Vornado 610DC Energy Smart Medium Air Circulator is equally as compact and powerful, and it offers a few perks that may make it worth the extra cost. In the meantime, well continue looking into other options, and update this guide if and when we find something worthwhile. This difference is almost imperceptible, but the 460s steady hum is definitely a bonus for light sleepers or the noise-sensitive. Beyond watching for issues firsthand, we read hundreds of customer reviews on retailer sites like Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Lowes, scanning for any patterns of failure over the short or long term. However, the seemingly fancy haptic controls were more frustrating than futuristicwe kept accidentally hitting the button while trying to pivot the fan, and it offered no way for us to tell which setting it was on. Despite the two models similarities in sound and performance, the Vfan Alchemy actually uses less energy than our top pick, drawing about half as much energy (20 watts) on its lowest setting and about three-quarters as much (39 watts) on high. You can muscle your way between the grille fins or spray some water into it, but you might have a hard time removing the grille for a good deep cleaning. Over the years, weve interviewed a slew of experts with intimate knowledge of fans, including Vornado designer Brian Cartwright and engineer Greg Pease; Rob Green, senior design engineer at Dyson; Bill Kahale, a product manager at Seville; Jim Kline, an engineer and quality supervisor at Intertek; and Brian Cyr, an acoustical engineer at Intertek. Turn the 610DC to its lowest setting, and it produces barely a whisper and uses hardly any energy. At the highest setting, the 610DC exceeds the 630s maximum airflow output, using only as much energy as the 630 does on its lowest setting. Because the 460 is smaller, it cant move air as effectively in large rooms as the 630 can, but its a great choice for smaller rooms where noise levels matter more, such as offices or bedrooms. The raised control knob is centrally located on the back, which makes it easy to find and manipulate, even in the dark. That said, if you have a large house or an exceptionally large room to cool, and if you want some serious wind, the 660 is one of the most powerful fans weve tested. So although the Dyson used the least energy overall, the 610DCat full powerdrew about 30% less energy than the 630 and 45% less energy than the 460.
Like the other Vornado models we recommend, the 610DC offers 90 degrees of motion, allowing you to point the fans face toward any spot youd like. Although the inclusion of a remote control was nice, neither the fan itself nor the remote was good at indicating what setting the Spin 12 was currently on. The constant hum from the 460 had no distracting breaks, whereas the 630s whirring had slight hills and valleys. Although we typically dont recommend tower fans, weve looked at several new Lasko models over the last few years that have boasted other interesting features. In the winter the company recommends turning your fan on low and pointing it toward the ceiling in order to evenly distribute heat throughout the room. The Vornado 610DC Energy Smart Medium Air Circulator represents a slight upgrade from the 630 and 460 if you want even less noise and more adjustability. If you prefer a white fan, check out the Vornado 610DC, or if you like a more art deco aesthetic, the Vornado Vfan Alchemy is available in gunmetal gray or seafoam green (although it doesnt perform quite as well as the 630). Theyre a perk only if you remember where you last put them.
The only fans we tested that came close to the 630 in both power and quiet operation were the more expensive Alexa-enabled Vornado 660 AE and the far pricier Dyson Air Multiplier AM06, a former also-great pick. We say almost because the mode does come in handy for a quick cooldown or for clearing some smoke out of a kitchen. Unfortunately, none of them were good enough to outweigh the overall flaws of a tower fan. It can be as quiet as I want it to be, or blow just as hard as I want it, or anywhere in-between.. The remote had trouble doing its job, failing to register a command with a clear line of sight. This difference could explain why the 630 is slightly louder overall, but also why its spikes in sound tend to blend in more seamlessly than the occasional fluctuations that come from the Vfan Alchemy. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company. We also looked at a number of pedestal fans from the likes of Lasko and Rowenta but could never justify their price or the footprint they required, so we dismissed them outright in favor of the tower design. But again: youre probably going to run into some cleaning complications no matter what fan you get. Not much bigger than a basketball, the 630 doesnt take up too much room on a floor or on a coffee table. Thats a hell of a long time to cover a fantwice Vornados usual, already generous five-year warrantyand though Vornado released its DC line fairly recently, were comfortable recommending a fan guaranteed to last that long by a company with an extensive record of quality. Weve bought dedicated anemometers for fan testing and measured wind speeds at various distances and airflow angles. At the end of several weeks, we attempt to give each fan a thorough cleaning, noting which ones require near-complete disassembly and which ones need just the grille removed.
Over the years since we first published this guide, weve kept an eye out for new models and regularly checked in with fan manufacturers by reading press releases, emailing contacts, and meeting at trade shows. The Vornado 630 isnt much to look at, but its durably built and doesnt look or feel cheap. That mode produces more of a gale than a breeze, and its almost certainly overkill for most situationsbut even then, this fan is not as loud as you might expect, measuring only 65 decibels. To be fair, this is a problem common to many fans.
The Lasko 42 Wind Curve with Fresh Air Ionizer 2554 typically costs just as much as our top pick, the Vornado 630, but in our tests it did a worse job of circulating air. The Dyson Cool AM07 Tower Fan was less powerful than the Seville and Vornado tower fans we tested, and it was noticeably wobbly on both carpet and hard flooring. The 610DC circulators last big plus is a sweet 10-year warranty that covers defects in material and workmanship, which means Vornado will repair or replace your fan if it breaks of its own accord during that time. We found the 630 to be relatively quiet, especially considering its superior air-moving capability. Several Amazon reviewers have complained about just how deeply recessed those screw cavities go, and we can vouch for that from experience.
It has a retro design that harkens back to the original Vornado fan design from 1945. The top of the cylinder is a touchscreen that lets you control the fan speed and oscillation simply by tracing your finger around the edges. Our biggest complaint is that the 460s control dial sits behind the motor in a more awkward position than that of the 630: Turning this fan on and off or changing the speed means reaching around the machine and often getting a blast of air in the face. The Vornado 660 AE Large Air Circulator with Alexa is an impressively powerful (and remarkably quiet) air circulator that you can connect directly to Alexa and control with your voice. This makes a certain amount of sense its sucking in so much more air than other fans that its inevitably going to gather more dust (or pet hair, or whatever else is in your home). Infinitely adjustable fan speed, energy efficiency, and a 10-year warranty help offset the Vornado 610DCs high price.
The 630 does not come with a remote. Its also quieter than our top pick, measuring about 6 decibels less at both the highest and lowest fan speeds, yet it still produces a strong enough breeze that you can feel the cooling more than 12 feet away. An excellent option for anyone who might prefer voice or phone control for mobility reasons, the 660 AE offers so much power, over such a distance, we found ourselves relying on the built-in voice commands more often than we had anticipated. The result is not the most elegant look, and the cord needs to rest on a surface (as opposed to simply dangling in the air), but we found it easy to tuck away behind a sofa or a stack of books. By contrast, we measured the same sound peaks coming from the Vornado 630, but that model also produced some smaller fluctuations approximately every 2,000 hertz. Its variable speed control dial, its energy-efficient DC motor, and its whopping 10-year warranty dont make it any better at moving air, but they do give you some peace of mind and make for a nicer experience overall. We found ourselves luxuriating in the speeds in between, turning a whisper into a hum and then again into a breezematching the fans air and noise output perfectly to what felt best. Weve spent dozens of hours researching, testing, and living with fans since we first published this guide in 2012, and weve continued testing our picks for several summers. And the fact that its so much easier to clean means you might actually stay on top of the task. Back in 2018, we recommended the Seville Classics UltraSlimline 40 Tower Fan as our top pick. Its also relatively quietand the sound it does make resembles a smooth white noise, as opposed to the choppy whir that most other powerful fans produced in our tests.
It has some easy-to-use controls, robust build quality, and a reassuring five-year warranty. If it sounds a little whinier at faster speeds than our top pick, thats because its actually less noisy.
But were looking into alternatives for people who need a fan with more elevation, and dont have room for a Vornado on a tabletop.
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