Yes, only fans

March 9, 2023 10:33 AM

My partner loves fans. The more powerful the better. He would work, live, and sleep right next to a shop fan if I would let him. I can live with the fans, but I'm worried about the impact on his hearing - what is the quietest powerful fan that money can buy? Bonus questions about fan mechanics inside.

Please note that actual air circulation is a secondary concern to the physical feeling of a powerful breeze on his face. For example, American ceiling fans are great at circulation but he usually finds them to be insufficiently "breezy" (he's used to the three-bladed ceiling fans in the Middle East and Asia which generate a much stronger breeze).

No preference as to style of fan, and no additional features (e.g. oscillating, remote control) needed. Easy to clean, affordable, efficient, and attractive are all of course pluses, but I'm most interested in optimizing for velocity and noise. Mostly interested in plug-in fans, but I'm open to recommendations on ceiling fans as well if there are standouts in that category.

Here are some fans that we currently own and how we feel about them:
Woozoo fan - this one is good. I wouldn't mind if it were a bit quieter, and he wouldn't mind if it were a bit more powerful, but so far this is our best compromise.
Vornado Pivot 6 - too loud, in my opinion. His favorite in terms of power (he loves those Vornado air multiplier fans in general).
Dyson AM07: this is the quietest and therefore my favorite (although it's gotten a bit louder over the seven years I've owned it, probably thanks to multiple not-so-gentle moves). Partner says it's not powerful enough.
Fanimation ceiling fan (link is similar but not identical to our model) - we have three ceiling fans in the house, and this is the only one that he feels is even remotely sufficient. I think it's related to the fact that it only has three blades and gets up to a higher speed.
I don't know the models of the other fans we've owned in the past (with multiple distance moves under our belt, we've gone through several), but generally speaking his favorites for that feeling of velocity have been Vornado air circulators.

Bonus questions:
-Is there anything I could learn about the mechanics of different fans that informs how their velocity-to-noise ratio is likely to work? e.g. I know that the vornado air circulator fans work in some sort of unique way, as do the Dyson air multiplier fans. I see that wirecutter recommends a fan that uses DC power, not sure if that is likely to have an impact on the factors I'm most interested in.
-Is there anything we could be doing to make the existing fans quieter? E.g. putting them on some sort of vibration-absorbing mat?
-Is there anything we should do (placement?) to make the fans feel stronger, regardless of their actual velocity?

Bonus-bonus question: any recommendations for travel fans that also optimize for velocity? He travels regularly for work and he has genuinely considered bringing a full sized fan (in his carry-on!) to help him sleep. He tried this and it was apparently extremely insufficient.

Bonus-bonus-bonus question: anywhere that folks would recommend where we might be able to try out multiple models of fans in person? We're in Washington DC and willing to travel anywhere in the area.

posted by mosst to Shopping (9 answers total)

Generally speaking for any given air movement the larger the swept area and the slower the rotation the quieter a fan is. Motor choice also plays a significant part in small spaces and things like direct drive induction motors are going to be quieter than shaded pole motors or gear driven setups.

Big Ass Fans now has units aimed at residential use with blade diameters up to 8'. These use pretty quiet motors (spec less than 35db) even with more modest blade lengths but are expensive. And obviously you need a room large enough to mount a very large fan.
posted by Mitheral at 11:39 AM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

In terms of ceiling fans, what you probably want to look for is a high CFM rating (Cubic Feet per Minute). Most sites list this but don’t let you filter your search by the value, but may have a separate High CFM section. You could also consider looking at ones with no light kit—I’ve always found the lights on ceiling fans to be largely subpar as light sources and have concluded that it’s probably best to separate the concerns of lighting and fanning.
posted by staggernation at 11:41 AM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Have you considered rechargeable battery fans? I have one of these that can either be left plugged in, or charged via usb - it's small, but you can clip it wherever, so you can get it aimed exactly where you want it. Very quiet, runs for hours on a charge, super convenient. We've been using it for years - we've named it the anti-crab-device, because as people who overheat easily, it has prevented a great deal of crabbiness.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:53 PM on March 9, 2023

Honestly if what he wants is the feeling of air blowing I think you might want a smaller fan, rather than a large one. Large ones tend to move a lot of air but not at as high speeds, so not helpful.

For sound dampening, you might try poking around and seeing if you can identify any part of the chassis/frame that's buzzing or rattling, see if touching it with a finger reduces the sound, and then put some cloth/rubber bands around it to make it more secure and solid. A vibration mat isn't a bad idea either. You'll only be able to get so far, the motor and internals won't be feasible to reach, but a lot of the sound is probably coming from the body. Make sure you don't block any air intake vents for cooling the motor though.
posted by Lady Li at 1:08 PM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have a small desk fan from Hampton Bay and this works perfectly for me. Same strong wind feeling and my face totally blocks it so it doesn't bother my partner when we go to sleep. It's not loud at all. Contrary to damaging my hearing, it's just loud enough to prevent my tinnitus from acting up. Hampton Bay appears to be owned by Home Depot.
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 1:42 PM on March 9, 2023

This is a stupid question, but I don't see it mentioned, but if it's the feeling of cool air on his face, how does he feel about neck fans? I can't find any reputable brands, but they might mitigate some of his other fan needs with low impact on you.
posted by ambrosen at 1:52 PM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

(Non of these fans are going to have long term effects on hearing fyi.)

From a fellow "Fan of the 'Flow."
posted by kittensofthenight at 3:44 PM on March 9, 2023

I'm a big fan of my 14-inch Patton "Air Circulator." Powerful and quiet (for a fan). Mine's been running for 45 years (not continuously).
posted by The Half Language Plant at 8:15 AM on March 10, 2023

I also like the feel of air moving in the rooms I'm in, and we have several Vornado fans. I would say they tend to get quieter as they get larger, generally speaking- or at least they're moving more air at lower speeds, and when you crank them up it's a lower tone. The Pivot is definitely loud, but the two Energy Smart ones we have are very quiet and move a lot of air. We have the small in the bedroom and the medium in the living room, but when it gets hotter in summer we move the medium into the bedroom because it moves more air at a lower speed, remaining quiet. Bonus: variable speed control which is really excellent and something all fans should have.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:55 AM on March 10, 2023