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I bought one of these fans locally and I liked it so much that I ordered another one from Amazon.
Here are the pros and cons as I see them.
Pros:
1. It pushes a lot of air I can get a nice breeze from as far as 25 feet away.
2. It doesnt take up a lot of room.
3. It is not ugly like many fans are.
4. The remote control with flashlight is a nice feature even though I rarely use it. For the person who complained about one LED being burned out straight out of the box. Only one LED is for the flashlight. The other is for the remote control functions and doesnt illuminate.
Cons
1. The breeze feature is kind of annoying because of the fluctuation of the noise level.
2. You have to hold the remote in a specific postition to make it work. If the fan is oscillating, its hard to find that position.
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I have central AC, but my home office is typically a few degrees warmer than the rest of the house. I decided to add a fan to help cool the area off, but I wanted the quietest fan that did the job. I ended up ordering the following three fans through Amazon for comparison:Lasko 4924 Space-Saving High-Velocity 3-Speed Oscillating Blower Fan (HVB)
Honeywell Digital Tower Fan with Remote and Ionizer
Lasko 42 In. Wind Curve Tower Fan
I'll start with the quick summary for the TL;DR crowd. In terms of air flow, from highest to lowest, the ranking is: HVB >> Wind Curve > Honeywell. In terms of noise, from loudest to quietest: HVB > Honeywell > Wind Curve. Thus, the fan with the best air flow for the noise generated, and the one I picked, was the Lasko Wind Curve.
And now for the details, for those that don't suffer from ADD. Wall of text inc.
Power Usage
I was able to measure power usage for each fan using a Kill-A-Watt meter. All 3 fans had 3 output settings (low/med/high), and I measured their power usage to be:
HVB 95/103/111 watts
Honeywell 32/36/40 watts
Wind Curve 37/41/47 watts
Noise
I used an SPL meter app on my iPhone to measure how loud each fan was at each of those settings. All of the fans were tested in the same spot and the iPhone was placed on a stand about 5 ft away, in front and slightly to the side of each fan, so that wind noise didn't factor into the measurements:
HVB 59/61/64 db
Honeywell 50/53/55 db
Wind Curve 46/49/51 db
Air Flow
I don't have a way to measure each fan's output objectively, so these are my impressions:
HVB Lasko wasn't kidding when they labeled the 4924 with the acronym HVB for High Velocity Blower. When I first got it and ran it on *low*, I was thinking that this would be really good air flow for a quality fan on its *high* setting. It's by far the highest output fan here. They also described it as having a quiet motor; while this might be true, it's still the loudest of the bunch. Having the smallest vent opening of the bunch might have contributed to the noise level. Another user review I read of this fan said it feels like AC with this fan running, and that's true. If you're partially deaf, or plan on placing the fan 20 ft or more away from you, this is a good choice.
Honeywell and Wind Curve The output of these two fans are more comparable. I still feel the Wind Curve puts out a little more air flow than the Honeywell at the equivalent setting though. For some reason, even the Wind Curve feels like AC is running, if only on low. There's an uncanny cooling effect the Lasko fans have that the Honeywell doesn't. Maybe it's just better airflow at a lower noise level. If you look at the measurements above, the Wind Curve on high is only slightly louder than the Honeywell on low. I mostly ran these fans on low--as I was looking for the quietest solution--and at times, I still felt warm with the Honeywell, but the Wind Curve delivers. The Honeywell does have a filter on the back intake side, which probably hurts its air flow a bit. You can hear a *very* slight ticking sound from the Wind Curve at times, sort of like fast crickets. I haven't found it annoying and it doesn't sound like something's wearing out. It's probably only noticeable because of its low noise level.
Size / Weight / Appearance
Exact dimensions and weight can be found on their Amazon product pages, so I won't provide specific numbers. All of them were delivered in their product boxes, which were all somewhat beatened up from being delivered by UPS.
The HVB is the shortest, but also the heaviest. Both the Honeywell and the Wind Curve are noticeably lighter than the HVB. It's shipped as a single piece and there's nothing to assemble. You take it out of the box and it's ready to go. It has a low center of gravity and stands up stably. All tower fans should be designed this way. It has horizontal flaps that can be adjusted to direct airflow up. The flaps are really small, but they seem to work decently.
The Honeywell is about a foot taller than the HVB. It's shipped in 5 pcs that have to be assembled--the main body, 2 pieces that join together to form the circular base, and another 2 pcs that join together to form an "optional" pedestal that sits between the base and the body. I wouldn't really call the pedestal optional, as without it the vent opening starts about 5-6" off the ground and there are no flaps to adjust the airflow up. I found assembling the unit difficult to do by myself. It's just not easy holding these pieces so they line up while you screw them together. In fact, little plastic fragments broke off while I was assembling it. I assume they were all internal and non-essential, as the product looks fine once assembled. The manual cautions that using the pedestal makes the unit less stable, and that is true. It's the wobbliest of the bunch, but it won't tip over easily. A sturdier base and pedestal would have made this a lot less wobbly. The black plastic in the product pictures looks really nice and shiny, but not as good in person.
The Wind Curve is a few inches taller than the Honeywell, making it the tallest of the bunch. It's shipped in 3 pcs--the main body and 2 pcs that join together to form its circular base. Assembling this unit still wasn't easy to do solo, but it was easier than dealing with the Honeywell and its body-pedestal-base. The base on this feels a little sturdier than the Honeywell's, and the assembled unit is less wobbly, though still not perfect. There are some horizontal flaps to direct the airflow up, but these only cover the top third of the vent. None of the online pictures I've seen for this fan do it any justice. The wood accent makes the unit look really nice in person.
Controls
The HVB only has physical controls. There's a knob that controls the fan speed, from left to right: low-mid-high-off. There's a separate push button that turns the oscillation on/off. There's no remote, no timer, and no ionization function.
The Honeywell has digital controls and comes with a remote. There's an LCD window that shows the air temperature, fan speed, and timer. It has one nice ability that neither of the Laskos have, and that's the ability to turn on/off at a preset temperature, just like the HVAC system in a home. Although the controls are all digital, half of the six buttons have shared functions. There's a single button that controls the fan speed and turning the unit on/off and it cycles from: high-med-low-off. So if you want to turn the fan on and run it on low, that's 3 clicks. There's also a single button that controls oscillation and ionization, and it cycles between: oscillate only-oscillate & ionize-ionize only-neither. The third shared function button controls how the unit turns off, either by timer or temperature. The timer can be set in 1 hr increments, from 1-12 hrs I believe. Two buttons are labeled up/down, which can only be used for setting the timer or temperature. The last button is for a "breeze" feature that is unique to this fan, which essentially just varies the fan speed. There's two breeze modes, one varies the speed between the current speed and the next setting below it (high-med, med-low, low-off), and the other just varies the speed between high-med-low. I found the noise level changes from this feature to be too distracting. The remote has five of the six buttons that the unit has, lacking the button to enable the timer/temp mode. Oddly, up/down arrows exist on the remote, but are only useful if you're already in the timer/temp mode. However, if you're using the remote, chances are you can't read the display to see what the timer/temp setting is anyways. The other side of the remote has a button which controls an LED flashlight.
The Wind Curve also has digital controls and comes with a remote. There are a total of 8 leds displaying the status of the fan, from left to right: 4 red leds indicate that the timer is enabled and how much time is left--representing 30 mins, 1 hr, 2 hrs, 4 hr (you add them up to get the total); 3 green leds indicating the fan speed--low, med, high; and 1 blue led indicating whether ionization is on/off. There's 5 buttons controlling the fan, the same on the unit as on the remote--power, oscillate, timer (adds 30 mins to the timer with every click), ionization, and fan speed (cycles between high-med-low). I like that there's a separate control to turn the fan on/off and the fan speed is remembered. The timer setting is a little primitive compared to the Honeywell's though, as it does take 15 clicks if you want the full duration of 7.5 hrs. All of the controls are confirmed with a beep. I think I read a review where someone complained it was too loud, but I found it really faint, even compared to the fan on low. The click of the button on the remote is louder. Although, the confirmation beep for turning the fan off is a little long--lasting about a second--and that could be shorter.
Oscillation
All of the fans have this feature and were quiet enough that I can't hear the difference whether on or off. The Laskos oscillation range appeared to be a little under 90 degrees. When placed in a corner, I don't think anyone would complain about the coverage. The honeywell's oscillation range was a little wider, but it oscillates in one direction a little faster than the other. Sort of like how some sprinklers operate, but the difference in speeds isn't as drastic.
Ionization
The HVB lacked this feature, but I consider it a gimmick anyways. From what I've read, ionized air doesn't freshen up the air, it just impairs your sense of smell. Ionizing air cleaners also operate by charging the air and dust with one charge, and having an oppositely charged plate or filter in front of the air flow to catch the charged dust. Neither of the fans with ionization features have this plate/filter.
Best Deals on Honeywell Fresh Breeze Tower Fan with Remote Control, HY-048BP
This is a wonderful fan. It takes up little space, circulates a lot of air, has a larger oscillating range than others I have had, and is very quiet. The remote is a nice bonus, since you can make it stop blowing on you without having to get up. The only down side I can think of is that the fan is so low to the ground; if you like feeling it on your face or do not have an open area to put it in be prepared to have to put it on top of something such as a desk or table or consider finding a standing fan instead.Honest reviews on Honeywell Fresh Breeze Tower Fan with Remote Control, HY-048BP
I am not entirely sure if this is what I have but it looks identical. (My Model #: HY-047B) From my experience of using several tower fans, this Honeywell product is excellent. It pushes a lot of air quietly and oscillates in a wider angle compared to the tower fan from Lasko. Its look is decent but if you prefer a fancier fan, I would recommend Lasko 42" Wind Curve though it doesn't circulate as much air. (I have recently bought this Lasko fan and returned it because it is not powerful enough; its third level of wind speed is only equivalent to the first level of this Honeywell fan.) In addition, I like that this fan comes with a filter that can be easily washed and reinstalled. I would consider this a four-season fan because its three levels of wind speed fits my needs all year round unlike the Lasko 42" Wind curve, which I would consider it as a winter fan, and Nexus Tropical Breeze, which I would call it a summer fan because it pushes unbelievable amount of air to great distances. I plan to buy another Honeywell 3-Speed Digital Tower Fan soon.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Honeywell Fresh Breeze Tower Fan with Remote Control, HY-048BP
(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The Honeywell 3-Speed Digital Tower Fan with Ionizer uses up a very small amount of real estate because of it's sleek tower design. The features included with the fan are great. While the price is not easy to swallow, the performance makes it seem justified. Definitely check this out.Pros:
+ Takes up a small amount of floor space
+ It has surprising air-power, especially on high
+ It has an attractive look with the black body and chrome accents
+ The included ionizer, oscillation and breeze settings give you a lot of options
+ The remote control has a convenient light for night use and all the controls to power and adjust your fan
+ Remote also has a cool resting place on top of the fan
Cons:
The base isn't as firm as it could be, and the fan will sway if you push it; move it seldom and carefully
The noise is noticeable when the fan is on high
Remote has a limited range
Some functions require multiple clicks with the remote (no big deal)
I can't help but be nervous when I read about bad tech support or short lived products; mine is still going strong
Last year I bought and had a terrible experience with the Holmes HASF-99 10-Inch Velocity Blizzard Stand Fan, which is no longer sold by Amazon and now only seems to be sold by third party merchants. After every supporting piece on that fan broke away from minimal use, I thought I would move up to a better brand at any cost. That's the only reason I would spend $60 or $70 for a fan.
So far it's been worth it. It is just a fan, but the ionizer is a nice feature even if I'm not totally sold yet that it does much. The remote is very handy, and the looks can't be beat. Best of all, this fan has kept working and creates an awesome air flow.
While the height is not adjustable, the tower design only takes up a small floor area. This fan is light and easy to move around too, unlike the Holmes fan.
These days there are more options in fans available. If you are looking for a circulation fan as opposed to a tower model, there are other options. I haven't tried all of those, but just do your research with a grain of salt for the info that's out there.
Versa-Kool 12 Inch Circulation Fan 12 Volt
Hunter 90021 Century 12-Inch Performance Oscillating Fan
Honeywell HFS641P 16-Inch Remote Control Stand Fan
I was lucky enough to get a small discount for this item on sale, but now that summer is in full swing don't expect to pay much less than these prevailing prices.
If you need a reliable fan though this is well worth it. Even with AC, it's nice to have something to circulate the air.
Enjoy.
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