With so many box fans on the market, it’s hard to know which one’s right for you.
In this quick guide, you’ll find 12 of the best box fans on the market. Recommended for a variety of factors covered below.
Outside of just keeping you cool, these fans are fantastic for a wide range of uses, including:
- Ventilating a dusty room, attic, or workshop
- Helping to keep a laptop/computer cool
- Acting as window fans for small rooms
- Drying mopped floors or other wet areas
- Moving air from air conditioning to cool an extra room
Each of our recommendations below are easy to use, made by trusted brands, and are great value for money.
If you’re allergenic, be sure to also check out this amazing box fan filter by PollenTec, listed on Amazon here. With sizes for every box fan, these filters are a really effective solution to preventing pollen, dust, mold spores and pet dander.
Best Box Fans – Shortlist
In a rush? Here’s the shortlist of the top handful of box fans. Scroll on for full, detailed reviews of each of the 12 recommendations.
Best Box Fans - Analysed
The selling point of this fan is the weather-resistant motor shield and metal exterior. It’s a unique design from Hurricane, which makes this the best box fan for windows.
There’s a nice side effect, too. The extra weight from the motor shield and thick sides means there’s some added weight. A total item weight of 9lbs, to be exact. This goes a long way to prevent shaking or rattling when at high speeds.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Unique weather shield | Made in China |
Added weight means no shaking/rattling | 1-Year Warranty |
'Whisper quiet' design |
Our Verdict
It’s rare for small appliances like these to have stand-out qualities, but the unique weather-shield on the motor of this fan is one of those rarities.
As well as making it the best box fan for window use, Hurricane have also been on point in the other important box fan aspects. The build quality, quietness, and easy to use controls are all solid.
If you’re looking for a personal-sized box fan, this holmes model is one of the best on the market.
At 11 inches high and 10 inches wide, it’s small enough to snugly fit inside any window to aid in ventilation. Or even in your suitcase if you’re worried about extra-hot hotel rooms while you travel.
While it’s not going to give you a tornado to work with, it does pump out a respectable amount of airflow for such a little fan. It’s not completely quiet while doing so (lightweight fans are more liable to shaking), but it’s a level of white noise that’s easy to get used to.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Super small (10x11 inches) | Some level of noise |
Lightweight; easy to move | |
Low price tag |
Our Verdict
Sometimes, a strategically placed small fan can be magnitudes more effective than a larger model, which can’t fit anywhere near you.
Well-suited to tasks like venting out small spaces, quietly cooling you and your laptop at a desk, or even joining you on a travel trip – these personal fans are great value purchases that can really make a difference.
For some reason, a good quality box fan in any color other than white is quite hard to find.
So while we wouldn’t rate this Lasko fan over the one at the top of this list, it still makes our top 5 almost on color alone.
Looks aside, it’s got a good bit of weight to it (9.5lbs) for extra stability, and an easy-carry handle to help you move it around. The material quality of the metal exterior is solid – and leagues ahead of cheaper plastic models. While the Lasko #3720 narrowly beats this model on airspeed and quietness, this is still a great and stylish looking all-rounder.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Sturdy build quality | Not as quiet or strong as Lasko #3720 |
Black color great for 'dirtier' places | |
Easy carry handle | |
'Rare' black color on a worthy model |
Our Verdict
A top product if you’ve got a darker or dirtier space that needs a quality fan for cooling/ventilation (anywhere that you’d want to keep a white product a mile away from). Or maybe if you’re keen on the color.
Boasting durable build quality and an easy-carry handle, but not quite matching the Lasko #3720 on quietness or air power, this is a great in-between model which still functions very efficiently (and looks good while doing so).
This is like a Men In Black fan.
Like your appliances black? You won’t get blacker.
Prefer things to be subtle? There’s no big branding to be found on it.
The performance? Fantastic. As good as any other fan on this list.
And the customers? Satisfied.
This sleek model by WP (Westpointe) is as sleek as they come. Performance wise there’s not much to differentiate it from other fans, but if you love sleek and subtle – this is a fantastic shout.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Super black color | Lesser known brand |
No big branding | |
Great performance | |
Great customer satisfaction |
Our Verdict
It’s almost so subtle that it grabs attention.
“Nice fan! What is it?”
“You know what… I don’t even remember the company. It’s just a fantastic fan”.
This is the conversation you’ll have a few times over as the owner of a fan like this. It’s understated, yet powerful and with a great color design. Perfect for a modern minimalist.
Let’s take the black color of before and flip it.
Welcome to the Air King 9723.
In what I can only call “whiter than white”, this fan is also one of the most powerful on this list.
Boasting an airflow of over 2140CFM, it’s deceptively powerful for a standard 20” fan.
The build quality is a level up, with impact resistant grills, a long 8 foot power cord, and an extra lubricated motor.
Now – don’t get me wrong. These great extras come with a bump in the price tag. But if you don’t mean the extra $10 or so, you get that nice little step up in quality.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Build quality upgrades | More expensive (slightly) |
Whiter than white color | |
Powerful 2140CFM motor |
Our Verdict
At the time of writing – this fan is an ‘Amazon’s Choice’ for Box Fans.
And for good reason.
It looks great, packs a ton of power for it’s size, and has great build quality. Granted, this is all a little more pricey than other models, but it’s money well spent.
The first you’ll notice about this fan. It’s the white buttons, isn’t it?
Just kidding. I mean, look at that color!
This fan is perfect for any kids bedroom, or any room with a blue color scheme.
The part I love best? They’ve called the fan ‘Be Cool’. Amazing.
Performance wise, this fan is the same as Lasko’s Premium 20” Box Fan I reviewed above. It’s only the color that they’ve made explode with personality.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Fantastic Blue Color | Not Ideal If You Don’t Like Blue! |
Same Great Performance | |
Top Brand Name |
Our Verdict
While not the most widely bought fan, customers love it. And I’m sure any young kids will love it, as well as any rooms with a blue color scheme.
Personally I also love the contrast with the white buttons (a little hard to see with the white background). It’s a beautiful bright white that contrasts so well with the blue.
Sometimes you don’t want sleek and subtle. Sometimes you want a real ‘POP’ of personality and color. Well here it is.
Don’t like blue? Well then check out our next pick…
Bang – it’s the archnemesis of our blue box fan above. Made by the same company, just in a different color scheme.
The purple isn’t quite as bright of a ‘pop’ as the blue, but it’s still a fantastic shade that will go well in any bright room. Perfect for a kid-based space, and for summer colors in general.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Fantastic Purple Color | |
Same Great Performance | |
Top Brand Name | |
Perfect If You Hate Blue! |
Our Verdict
A simple alternative color variant of the same great Lasko fan.
Unfortunately, I can’t combine two types into one here, so it’s getting it’s own category!
Again – this is the same great Lasko fan that’s loved by thousands of customers. Just produced in a fantastic purple color with a contrasting white handle and control. Perfect for color lovers.
Another fantastic all-rounder, Comfort Zone have brought out two of their very own box fans to compete on the market.
We’re looking at a fairly standard model. But in no way is that a bad thing.
A fair price, 3 speed-settings, durable construction – and a sleek black finish. What’s not to love?
While the brand may not be as well known as Lasko or the other ‘titans’, their initial reviews are great. People are loving these newer fans.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Large 20” Size | Newer Brand |
Stable, Durable Frame | |
Lightweight Frame |
Our Verdict
Pick this up if you’re looking for a great, reliable all-rounder box fan.
Personally I love the look, the fact it’s a newer brand, and just that it ticks every ‘box’. Excuse the pun.
That fan above is (at the time of writing this) the best selling box fan on Amazon.com.
This is mostly due to the great value for money it offers. There’s not too much difference between products like these, and so maintaining that level of quality while offering a lower price tends to result in high sales (see the live price via our link below).
However, it only just makes our top list. While cheap, it’s light weight indicates that it’s prone a little rattling/shaking high speeds. It’s still a great box fan if you’re looking so save a few bucks, don’t get us wrong, but we think paying a little extra for the quality you know you’ll be happy with is worth the extra cash.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Amazon Bestseller | Prone to rattling at max speed |
Attachable feet for extra stability | |
Made in USA |
Our Verdict
Typically, Amazon’s #1 bestseller can speak volumes for a product, which is still quite true for this fan. But it has been a little bit more based on low price rather than an outstanding product.
A great fan if you’re looking for a cheap air circulation solution, but we can’t recommend it for being top on quality or durability.
You could say that this box fan is ‘low’ on everything. Which can be a bad and good thing.
It’s low on power usage, weight, and noise – which are all great. But it’s also a bit lower on the airflow that it produces. So while it’s one of the quietest and most cost-efficient box fans on the market, it’s also one of the least powerful.
But that’s not always a bad thing. If a bit of quiet extra airflow is what you’re after, this fan is ideal. Just don’t expect it to put up too much competition to strong summer heat!
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Efficient energy usage | Lower air power |
Lightweight | |
One of the quietest box fans |
Our Verdict
Certain products are appropriate for certain tasks – and this is no truer than in this case.
The light balance between a quiet yet no-so-powerful fan means that this could be a great box fan for laptop cooling without making much noise, or keeping you cool while you watch TV.
If you’re after something more powerful, like a fan for venting dusty rooms, we’d recommend the Lasko #3720 instead.
Welcome to the smallest fan on this list.
This miniature 9” fan is less than half the size of the more “premium” fans I’ve listed above.
That said, it definitely has it’s placed.
Design wise it’s subtle, with a “frameless” design and a clean white color.
Black & Decker are known the world over as a reliable brand, and they’ve not cut any corners on this little guy. Personally I love how the controls are an analog dial tucked into the corner. Thanks to the size and quality, this is a super quiet fan, too.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Small Size | Limited Effect in Large Space |
Reliable - 'Little Runner' | |
Great Design |
Our Verdict
This fan is perfect for small windows or tight spaces.
It’s high quality and low noise. Maximum function and minimum price.
If you have a little nook or cranny that could be used to encourage better airflow, this is your model. It sounds silly, but it’s like the little underdog that can. This isn’t going to blow you a hurricane, but it will reliably make a small space much more comfortable for years to come.
You’re looking at the #1 Best Seller in ‘Floor Fans’ on Amazon.
And that’s a huge category.
I know, I know. This isn’t a “box” fan. It’s got curves! Boxes don’t have curves!
Well it’s made it on this list on merit. Alright? You can put down that pitchfork. And that flaming torch.
While not in a “box” shape, this is still worth your consideration. It’s 20” size makes it around the same footprint. But the ‘Wind Machine’ in it’s name is no joke. This thing is powerful.
The best part, though, is that the head pivots. This is the real advantage on a box fan.
For around the same price tag, this fan can be rotated vertically. It can be gamechanging – with normal box fans you need to have them at the right height. Which means you need a flat surface at the right height – not easy to get.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Pivoting Head | It’s not a box. It has curves! |
Made by Lasko | |
High Powered ‘Wind Machine’ |
Our Verdict
For a similar price to a box fan, this pivoting head gives you plenty more options to place it.
Combined with a great level of power and build quality (it’s made by Lasko) – it’s a fantastic alternative.
So while I’m breaking a few rules here, it’s definitely worth your consideration.
Benefits of Box Fans
Are you weighing up what type of fan would be best for you?
Don’t worry – you should! There’s plenty of good types out there.
To help make the case for these lightweight fans, let’s dive in to some of their main benefits:
- Super Lightweight. Making them easy to move around and place exactly where they’re needed.
- Easy to Place. With a flat base and small size, these fans can slot in almost anywhere.
- Cheap Upfront Cost. They’re not technical marvels, but that means they won’t hit your wallet hard, either.
- Energy Saving. Thanks to their simplicity, these fans are some of the most efficient ways to cool down.
- Improved Ventilation. Just one fan can dramatically change your air from stale to freshly flowing.
Lastly, there’s a huge benefit not many people mention. These fans are actually great for sleeping next to on a hot night! So much so, that there’s a number of popular DVD’s which are simply the sound of a box fan. People use these as ‘white noise’ to sleep next to. Lucky for us, we can get a live performance 🙂
Still unsure? No problem. Why not check out our guides to other great fan types – including:
- Vornado Fans
- Quiet Pedestal Fans
- Quiet Fans for Sleeping
- Office Fans
- Blower Fans (for DIY)
- Garage Fans
Buying Guide
Still stuck on what fan to buy?
Take a moment and think about what uses you want the fan for.
Compare those uses with this quick list below, and identify which aspects will be important. Knowing these makes it much easier to select the best model for your personal needs.
- Air Flow – will you want the fan to cool a whole room or just a specific location? A small yet strategically placed fan can sometimes be better than a larger one.
- Variability – are you going to have multiple uses for the fan? Newer models have more speed settings available, making them great for everything from quiet constant cooling to powerful floor drying.
- Noise Levels – will you be wanting to sleep or watch TV while the fan is on? Keep in mind that heavier box fans are often quieter (less prone to shaking).
- Manoeuvrability – lighter fans are easier to move around, and some models have top-mounted handles to improve handling.
- Build Quality – in simple terms, will you need a metal exterior? Are you going to be hauling it around a workshop all day?
- Energy Efficiency – these fans cost pennies in comparison to running an air conditioner, but running an inefficient fan all night long can start to really add up.
- Reliability – known brands and longer warranties can mean a lot. While most fans only have a year warranty, check the listing to see if your model has more. It’s often a great sign of quality.
- Design – lastly, think about your color scheme! We can’t be having your feng shui ruined by a off-colored fan. Try to find a model that will benefit your space, not just be an eyesore.
While most of these fans look similar, these are the aspects that tend to vary between each one. Keep these in mind as you look through the recommendations!
Box Fan FAQ’s
Have any remaining questions? Let me try and answer them for you. If I’ve missed anything, shoot me a message on our contact page and I’ll answer it for you!
Are Box Fans Any Good?
That depends! Are you trying to cool your whole house on a 100 degree day? Then No! They’re not that good. But if you’re just looking for some cheap, supplemental cooling and airflow? Then they’re perfect.
How Much Does A Box Fan Cost To Run?
Box fans are super cheap to run. One of the cheapest fans you can get. Typically they use around 100 Watts an hour. The US average electricity cost is $0.13 for 1000W, so we’re talking less than $0.02 an hour! Compare that to an air conditioner which will easily cost the full $0.13 per hour to run.
How Far Does a Box Fan’s Air Flow? What is the CFM?
Box fan air movements range from around 800 to 1600CFM, depending on the power of the fan and the speed setting you use.
Conclusion
When it comes to products like these box fans, it’s hard to know you’re choosing the right one. Especially when they’re all so similar.
We hope this guide has helped shed some light on some of the best models on the market (and why they’re the best). If none of the above has caught your eye, checking out Amazon’s bestseller list can also be a great place for inspiration.
Looking for other ways to help keep cool in the heat?
Check out the related posts below for more ideas.