BEST OVERALL

Dreo Turbopoly Smart Pedestal Fan

Credit: Amazon

Why You Should Get It

• It has a wide oscillation both horizontally and vertically.

Keep in Mind

• Some settings are only available in the app.

I tested the Dreo Polyfan 508S, and I can confidently say that it’s the best oscillating fan I’ve tried. It oscillates up to 120 degrees both horizontally and vertically, leaving virtually no hot spots as it circulates air throughout the room.

Dreo says the fan can cover rooms up to 105 square feet, but I tested its limits by using it in my apartment’s main living area, which is around 400 square feet. At its highest setting, I could still feel the airflow across the entire room nearly 25 feet away.

What impressed me the most about this fan wasn’t its dual-oscilation or powerful speed. It was its ability to do so incredibly quietly. The noise was near-silent until it reached speed five out of nine, and even at its highest speed, the sound was quiet enough to talk over and watch TV.

The fan has a ton of smart features, including four modes, a customizable light, scheduling, and timers. Most of the features can be adjusted to pre-set options on the fan’s control panel or remote, but you can fine tune each setting in the Dreo app, which I found intuitive to use. 

I personally enjoyed using the app to play around with the exact oscillation angles that worked best in my bedroom, and I set a schedule for the fan to turn on around the time my partner and I go to sleep and turn off when we get up in the morning.

How It Performed After Six Months

I continued to use this fan in my bedroom and set it on a schedule, so I never had to remember to turn it on and off. The fan is very quiet, and I appreciated that feature during the testing period. There was quite a bit of dust buildup after six months of use, but it was easy to clean. While I didn't think the light or app was very useful, I still highly recommend this fan.

Fan Speeds: Nine, plus turbo | Modes: Normal, Natural, Sleep, Auto | Oscillation Width: 120 degrees vertically and horizontally | Timer: Up to 12 hours | Dimensions: 12.99 x 35.04 x 11.02 in.

• This Dreo fan oscillates up to 120 degrees both horizontally and vertically.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• A remote makes it easy to control the various settings on this pedestal fan.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• The timer on this fan can be set for up to 12 hours.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• Even at its highest speed, the fan was quiet enough to talk over and watch TV.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

Key Terms to Know

• Oscillation: A fan’s back-and-forth or side-to-side motion. Fans that oscillate offer more even air distribution thanks to a moving fan head.
• Tilt angle: The adjustable range in which the fan can be positioned. This offers versatility when it comes to air flow positioning (upward, downward, head-on).

BEST TOWER

Dreo Nomad One Tower Fan

Credit: Amazon

Why You Should Get It

• With several speeds and modes along with a handy remote, this fan is high-quality, sleek, and user-friendly.

Keep in Mind

• It doesn’t have an adjustable height or tilt.

We first tested the Dreo Tower Fan in 2022, and it beat out the competition in every category. I purchased my own in 2023 and still use it to this day. It oscillates 90 degrees and has four distinct fan speeds, with the highest noticeable from 20 feet away.

In our lab test, the fan measured 50.1 decibel reading at its lowest speed, which provided a nice white noise. Even at its highest speed, I find it quiet enough to sleep next to.

The fan offers four modes—normal, natural, sleep and auto—and a timer up to 8 hours. I liked using the sleep mode to turn off the beeping noise while cycling through settings, especially when I need to increase the speed in the middle of the night while my partner is asleep.

While we could fit a pencil in the grille during our safety test, the blades are set back enough that I don’t think little fingers could reach them easily. I also found the dust that accumulates between the grilles more difficult to clean than our top pick, but it’s still manageable.

One last thing to note: The tower fan doesn’t have an ability to tilt or adjust height, which limits your ability to direct the airflow exactly where you need it. Still, I think it’s powerful enough for most people’s needs.

Product Details: Fan Speeds: Four | Modes: Normal, Natural, Sleep, Auto | Oscillation Width: 90 degrees | Timer: Up to 8 hours | Dimensions: 11.81 x 11.81 x 36.22 inches

• The Dreo Nomad One Tower Fan offers four modes: normal, natural, sleep and auto.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• This Dreo tower fan oscillates 90 degrees.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• Although you can't direct this fan's airflow, we think it's powerful enough for most people's needs.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• This fan allows you to set a timer for up to eight hours.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

BEST TABLETOP

Woozoo Compact Personal Oscillating Fan

Credit: Target

Why You Should Get It

• In addition to side-to-side oscillation, you can pivot the head vertically to direct airflow.

Keep in Mind

• It doesn’t come with a remote.

If you don’t have floor space for a fan, we recommend the Woozoo Compact Personal Oscillating Fan. While many tabletop fans are extremely simple with no oscillation, modes, or timers, the Woozoo oscillates horizontally 45 degrees and can be tilted vertically to direct airflow exactly where you need it. 

Compared to other fans on our list, the Woozoo is still on the simple side. There are just three modes, but we found each distinct. The highest setting is quite strong, especially for a tabletop option—it was able to move our ceiling fan that wasn’t running.

When it comes to safety, the fan feels completely stable, even at high speeds, and the blades aren’t easy to access through the front grille. We found the fan’s motor quiet at every speed, and were able to hold conversations while it was running.

While the fan is a bit large for a desktop, we think it’s perfect for a nightstand or side table. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t come with a remote like our other picks, so you’ll want to keep it within arm’s reach.

How It Performed After Six Months

We set this fan up in our home office and loved having it handy during the summer months. This fan is quiet on its lowest setting, but we liked that the higher speed settings can be used as a white noise machine. We appreciated this compact and lightweight design, and think it's a great option for a bedroom, office, or cubicle.

Product Details: Fan Speeds: Three | Modes: Normal | Oscillation Width: 45 degrees | Timer: Up to 8 hours | Dimensions: 8.67 x 11.93 x 7.99 in.6febfbb4-1d61-46eb-b820-81e5f93d14e0

• This Woozoo desk fan can be tilted vertically to direct airflow as needed.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• During testing, on the lowest setting, the fan was almost completely silent.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• It has an adjustable tilt head that allows you to set the fan at three different angles.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• The fan fits easily on a table, nightstand, or desk, making it great for an office or bedroom.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• It’s lightweight with a small handle on the back, so it was easy to transport from room to room.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• This small-but-mighty Woozoo fan cooled a 300-square-foot space during testing on its high setting.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

WIDEST OSCILLATION

Shark TurboBlade Tower Fan

Credit: Amazon

Why You Should Get It

• Between its twistable vents and 180-degree oscillation, it offers incredibly wide coverage.

Keep in Mind

• It’s the priciest fan on our list.

If you’re looking for the fan with the widest oscillation available, the Shark TurboBlade Bladeless Tower Fan is it. In addition to 180-degree oscillation, the two air vents manually pivot and twist, and you can telescope the base to different heights. All this customization provides a huge range of airflow that can reach nearly every corner of the room.

There are 10 fan speeds to choose from, plus a boost mode. We liked keeping the fan around speed four and bumped it up to eight when we needed to cool down quickly. The oscillation is adjustable between three angles: 45, 90, and 180 degrees.

The fan carries its weight in the base, so it felt incredibly stable, even when we were manually adjusting the vents. We bumped into the fan once during testing, and the base stayed solid. The bladeless design also helps make this a safe pick.

The Shark looks incredibly sleek, though it is quite large. When the bladeless air vents are positioned vertically, it looks similar to a tower fan, but if you want to pivot the vents to sit horizontally, it measures over 30 inches wide.

The remote control is easy to use, and it stores magnetically onto the back of the fan. Just make sure to keep track of it, as you can only control the timer through the remote, and there’s no accompanying app, which is surprising for the price point. 

This fan also has a minimal control panel that isn’t as easy to understand compared to a typical LED display. However, for the customization and wide oscillation, the splurge may be worth it for the right households.

How It Performed After Six Months

We used this fan frequently and loved how powerful it is. The fan easily cools down a room and we think it's great for medium to large spaces. However, we caution against anyone with toddlers purchasing this fan. Although the fan does feel sturdy, our toddler gravitated towards the fan and we were concerned it might fall if he put too much weight on it.

Product Details: Fan Speeds: 10 | Modes: Normal, Sleep, NaturalBreeze, BreezeBoost | Oscillation Width: 180 degrees | Timer: Up to 12 hours | Dimensions: 31.5 x 44.84 x 11.77 in.

• In our tests, it cooled down an open kitchen and living room space of approximately 800 square feet.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• It was easy to customize the adjustable height, 10 speeds, and 180-degree oscillation.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• We wish the display provided more information than the five small LEDs.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• This fan is bottom-heavy and hard to move, and fairly wide when the blades are horizontal.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
• The fan features four modes, so you can choose which suits your needs.
• Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

The Bottom Line

The Dreo Turbopoly Smart Pedestal Fan, our Best Overall pick, is very quiet and powerful, and oscillates vertically and horizontally. We liked the Woozoo Compact Personal Oscillating Fan for tabletops because it is affordable, strong, and stable even at its highest setting. During testing, we preferred oscillating fans with four or more fan speed options.

Our Testing Process

We’ve tested 58 fans since 2022, many of which were oscillating models. All of our recommendations were tested in our homes following the same methodology.

After setting up the fan according to the manufacturer’s instructions, we used every feature the fan has, including smart home and app connectivity, remote controls, quiet and sleep modes, adjustable height, timers, and more.

To test the fan’s strength, we measured how far we could feel a breeze at the highest speed. We cycled between each speed, noting how distinct each one felt, and while doing so, we considered whether the noise produced was quiet enough to sleep with, hold conversation over, or watch TV next to.

We took note of how far, smooth, and quick the fans oscillated. We also evaluated how easy it was to adjust the fan’s settings, including manually adjusting the height and adjusting speeds and modes on the control panel and on the remote control.

Lastly, after two weeks, we cleaned the fans’ blades and grilles according to the manufacturer’s instructions, noting how long the task took and if any dust built up. 

Once our initial testing period wrapped up, we compiled our results to find which were the best oscillating fans. We’ll continue to test our top picks in our homes to evaluate for long-term changes and keep this article updated with our findings.

You can control the speed, display brightness, timer, oscillation, and mode with the remote.

Better Homes & Gardens

What to Know About Oscillating Fans Before Shopping

Type 

There are three main types of oscillating fans you’ll find on the market: pedestal fans, tower fans, and tabletop fans.

Pedestal fans typically sit on an adjustable stand, and many of the pedestal fans we tested allow you to tilt the head vertically to better direct airflow where you need it. "These fans offer powerful airflow and are ideal for larger rooms due to their height and angle adjustments that allow for targeted cooling," Carter says. Many pedestal fans have wider heads, making them tough to fit in small spaces. But our top pick, the Dreo Polyfan 508S, isn’t much wider than a slim tower fan.

Tower fans tend to look sleeker than pedestal fans, however, you likely won’t be able to adjust their height or tilt. They can also be harder to clean.

Because tabletop or desk fans are often used at a short distance, it can be tough to find options with a wide range of settings or oscillation features. Because they’re meant to be used in close proximity, they often aren’t as powerful as floor fans.

Speeds and Modes

You’ll want to consider the number of fan speeds available. In our testing, we preferred options with four or more options. However, more doesn’t automatically mean better. When there are eight or more speeds to choose from, the differences between them are so minimal, we often skipped two or three levels to feel a substantial change.

In addition to speeds, most fans offer multiple modes. "Some modes to look for include normal mode (which provides consistent airflow), natural mode (which simulates natural breeze patterns), and sleep mode (which operates quietly for nighttime use)," Carter explains. Some fans also include an auto mode, which reads the ambient temperature and adjusts the speed accordingly.

Noise Level

Noise is correlated with fan speed: The higher the fan speed, the higher the noise. In our lab tests, we took decibel readings for each fan on the highest and lowest speeds, with most falling under 65 decibels, though we had some readings around 70 for the highest speeds.

Additional Features

While there are no-frills fans on the market, there are some additional features we think are worth looking into. For instance, if you want to control your devices from your phone, look for a fan that can connect to Wi-Fi and that you can control from an app. 

Other features to consider are: an adjustable pitch for directing airflow, a timer function for automated operation, nightlights, and a handy remote for easy operation from a distance.

We used the app to set a schedule and preferred oscillation angles.

Better Homes & Gardens

Other Oscillating Fans We Tested

Dreo PolyFan 513S

We also tested the Dreo PolyFan 513S, which looks and operates nearly the same as our top pick. The main differences are that the vertical oscillation is shallower at 105 degrees (compared to 120), and the control panel is on the fan head rather than the base. At the time of publishing the 513S’s full price is $10 more expensive than our top pick, but because the differences are so minor, we recommend grabbing whichever one is cheaper at the time of purchasing.

Pelonis Pedestal Fan

The Pelonis standing fan offers 12 air speed settings, two height options, a 24-degree vertical tilt and an 85-degree oscillation. At its highest speed, we were able to detect a breeze when standing 20 feet away. After six months of use, we had no major complaints.

Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme+ Stand Fan

When we first tested the Rowenta Turbo Silence Extreme+ fan in 2022, it was one of the quietest on our list, measuring 35 decibels at its lowest setting and 60 decibels at its highest. We’ve tested quieter fans since then, but the Rowenta still stacks up in terms of power and oscillation at a wide 120 degrees. However, it’s a bit pricey for what it offers.

Better Homes & Gardens

Who We Are

Jessica Comstock, an associate editor for Better Homes & Gardens, updated this article with new picks and insights from our most recent round of testing. She tested fans in our testing lab in 2022, consulted our team’s backlog of fan tests spanning three years, and has used two of our top picks in her own apartment.

Michelle Rostamian, a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience writing about home, lifestyle, and wellness products, contributed to this article. She has extensive experience with oscillating fans, and also researched this piece by speaking to appliance technician Jason Carter of Simply Swider.