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How to Buy The Best Fan to Keep Cool: Buying Guide

Looking to keep your living room, home office or other large space feeling cool without having to buy an air conditioner?

From mounted ceiling fans to portable fans like floor, pedestal, and tower fan models, there are many options to choose from. And Sam's Club has plenty to offer.

Let's go over the common types and brands of fans and how much they cost, where to buy them, which ones are well reviewed and other considerations for selecting the best fan for your needs.

What Types of Fans Are There?

Ceiling Fans

Offering an efficient way to keep a home feeling cool, ceiling fans usually feature five to six blades and can be set to different speeds. For those looking for variety, there are numerous styles to choose from, contemporary or traditional. For those in warmer climates with a great porch or outdoor entertainment area, outdoor ceiling fans are also an option.

Floor Fans

Also known as stand fans, floor fans work great for small spaces. And since they can easily be moved around, they're extremely versatile portable fans.

Pedestal Fans

Picture a floor fan mounted on a pole, and you have a pedestal fan. Because the fan sits higher in the air, this helps with cooling larger areas, such as whole rooms or back porches. Unlike most floor fans, which remain stationary, these are not fixed -- they're oscillating fans, which means they can provide a breeze to everyone in the room.

Tower Fans

Their slim design may be appealing to those looking for a fan with a sleeker, streamlined appearance. They output a strong current to quickly cool a room. Tower fans usually come with a remote control so you can change settings without having to get up. Some may also come with a convenient auto-shutoff feature so the fan can be set to turn off at the desired time.

Misting Fans

Fans like the NewAir Af-520B 18-inch Ultra Quiet Outdoor Misting Fan, available at Sam's Club, work to cool your body down by releasing a fine spray of water as the fan oscillates.

Other Fans

Some custom kinds of fans you can find at Sam's Club include bath fans, air movers, and table fans. Clip fans, personal fans, window fans, desk fans, heavy duty fans, and wall-mount fans are other types you may come across in your search.

How Much Do Fans Cost?

When it comes to fans, misting fans and ceiling fans usually cost more than simpler alternatives. Here are the starting price ranges available at Sam's Club based on the type and features of the fan:

Floor fans: as low as $40-50

Pedestal fans: as low as $40-50

Tower fans: as low as $40-50

Ceiling fans: as low as $50-60

Misting fans: as low as $90-100

At Sam's Club, we carry best-selling models from brands you know and love. Plus, we offer members-only pricing on a variety of fans.

What Are the Best Fans?

With so many to choose from, how can you find a model that will best meet your needs? Here are some of the best models of fans by type and features, including the best floor fans, best quiet fans, and best tower fans.

What is the best floor fan?

For those looking for well-reviewed fans that can be placed on the floor, here are some top-rated models:

• Vornado Circulator Floor Fan 633 claimed the top place in EveningStandard's "Best Floor Fans" category and is the #1 pick of floor fans according to ConsumerSearch, which vetted fans based on professional and users reviews.
• Honeywell HT-900 TurboForce Air Circulator Fan, a floor fan, earned the top spot in Bustle's list of "Fans That Cool Like Air Conditioners."

What is the quietest fan?

The editors at Soundproofing Tips selected the Vornado 630 Medium Room Fan as their choice for the #1 quietest fan.

What is the best quiet tower fan?

For those wondering "Who's the quietest of them all?", the Dyson Air Multiplier AM07 is the #2 pick for quiet fans and the #1 pick for quiet tower fans from the editors at Soundproofing Tips.

Are tower fans any good?

Tower fan models consistently score high in "top fan" lists. Some fan favorites include:

• Bionaire Oscillating Tower Fan With Remote Control and Timer, this fan ranked #3 in the Independent's "10 best cooling fans" of 2019 list.
• Dyson 300906-01 Air Multiplier Tower Fan, it was #2 on Bustle's list of "Fans That Cool Like Air Conditioners."

What features make tower fans stand out:

• Design: Modern, sleek
• Size: Compact, space-savers
• Control options: Usually they come with remote controls and the option to set timers
• Noise output: These may be quieter alternatives to pedestal fans

What Should I Consider When Buying a Fan?

Here are some important factors to consider when shopping around for a new fan. Ask yourself:

• Why do I need a fan?
• What type of fan do I want?
• Where am I going to put the fan?
• How powerful does the fan need to be?
• What features do I want?
• What fan speed am I looking for? And how many speeds?
• What room size (small, medium or large) am I buying a fan for?
• Do I want a fan that improves air quality?
• Do I want a fan that oscillates?

What Should I Consider When Buying a Ceiling Fan?

Ceiling fans come with their own unique criteria for shoppers to think about. As you look for the model that fits your needs, here are some questions to ask:

• What's your budget?
• Where will the fan go?
• What size do you need for maximum air circulation?
• What lighting options are available?
• Are you interested in ceiling fans with lights or chandeliers?
• What kind of energy efficiency and airflow is available?
• What kind of controls does it have? For instance, you may want one that comes with remote control.

What Brands of Fans Does Sam's Club Sell?

You can find a variety of fans at Sam's Club from the following popular and trusted brands:

• Hardware House
• Design House
• DecoBreeze
• Lasko
• Maxxair
• Big Air
• Cool Attic
• XPOWER
• Remington
• U.S. Sunlight
• MaxxAir
• Newair

FAQ - Fans

Are box fans good? Do box fans cool a room?

Fox News busted some myths about air conditioners and fans and found fans do not actually cool a room. They do make it feel cooler by keeping the air moving, which does help decrease your body temperature.

That said, you can place a box fan in or near a window to bring cooler air from outside in and push warmer air from inside out, which can help if a given room in your home tends to trap heat.

Are box fans energy efficient?

Compared to air conditioning units, fans of all types are a cheaper and more energy efficient alternative.

Are Dyson fans good?

Dyson brand fans consistently make "top fan" lists year after year. Some models that have earned positive reviews include:

• Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Fan Heater Air Purifier was the #1 pick from The Independent's "10 best cooling fans" and the #2 spot on Trusted Reviews' "Top Fans 2019" list.
• Dyson Pure Cool Me Personal Purifier Fan claimed the #7 spot on The Independent's "10 best cooling fans" list.
• Dyson AM08 claimed #7 on Trusted Reviews' "Top Fans 2019" list.
• Dyson Cool Fan AM06, Dyson Pure Cool Link Tower Purifier and Dyson Cool Tower AM07 took the top 3 spots in EveningStandard's "Best cooling fans of 2019" category of Bladeless Fans.
• And for the title of Quietest Fan, remember that the Dyson Air Multiplier AM07 is the #2 pick for quiet fans and the #1 pick for quiet tower fans from the editors at Soundproofing Tips.

Are bladeless fans better? How do fanless fans work?

To understand how bladeless fans, the invention of Dyson (the brand that also came up with bagless vacuums), work -- imagine a vacuum in reverse. The fan's motor pulls air into its circular ring-like design, the air then moves inside the machine and moves out through a slit.

But the real question you're wondering is, "do they work any better than conventional fans?" HowStuffWorks explains that this design is intended to create a steady, constant flow of air, unlike fans with rotating blades, which provide intermittent buffeted airflow.