The 8 Best Bladeless Fans
Special Honors
Harry Jean Elegant Portable The Harry Jean Elegant Portable has a stand-out retro style that looks nothing like most other models and is sure to turn heads, with your choice of several handsome wood grain finishes, including yellow and dark brown. A compact option, it perches easily on a desk, and stays put thanks to non-slip feet. harryjean.com
Editor's Notes
July 30, 2021:
Bladeless fans are quieter, safer and produce more diffuse streams of air than their more common, bladed counterparts. The Dyson Air Multiplier AM06 remains in the top spot, which is no surprise given Dyson's reputation. To that end, the Dyson AM07 Tower and Dyson Pure HP04 are both great, if costly choices. The only change made to this version of the Wiki was the upgrade to the recently refreshed LivePure LP1700, one of the most compact tabletop options on the market.
July 15, 2020:
When it comes to options that keep you cool, reliably, and look good while doing so, it remains tough to beat fans from top name Dyson. But do note that even though many models have "cool" in the name, these do not produce cooled air, the way an air conditioner does. Even so, we still like the Dyson AM09 Hot + Cool Jet Focus, since it can produce warm air. Plus, it has all the features you'd expect, from a sleep timer to a remote-control operation.
In homes or offices where heating isn't needed, the Dyson AM06 Table is still the right choice for many. An energy-efficient model, it's quiet, easy to operate, and comes in several colors, to boot. As a budget-friendly alternative, we selected the LivePure Vortex. It has many of the same features and even boasts an LED that can function as a nightlight, if need be.
As for tower fans, the Lasko Stand Up Tower remains a viable option, but after some debate, we've removed the Geek Aire 40-Inch over concerns about the long-term durability for the price. And when it comes to desk-sized fans, we've removed the UltraBrite LED. Instead, consider the OttLite Cool Breeze, a task lamp with a bladeless fan in the base. It won't cool an entire room, but if you're working on a craft project or reading a book at your desk, it can keep things from becoming too stuffy. Or, if you need more powerful cooling in your office of WFH workspace, the GreenTech Environmental pureFlow QT7 remains a good choice. Unlike many, it tilts as well as oscillates, so it delivers air right where you need it.
June 11, 2019:
A bladeless fan, also referred to as an air multiplier, is a safe way to cool down your room, since it blows air from a ring. There are no external moving parts that could hurt curious little fingers or paws. The blades are hidden in its base as airflow is directed through a hollow tube. The concept has been around for nearly 40 years, and has improved over time, as technology has advanced. Our list features some of today’s best choices in a variety of shapes and sizes, some of which conveniently double as lamps or heaters.
In this update, the Lasko Stand Up Tower joins the list. This ETL-listed tower fan can either stay still or oscillate, according to your preference. This setting and others can be changed easily with the included remote control. It’s a plug-and-play choice, with no assembly required (although you’ll need to insert two separately sold AA batteries into the remote). It comes from a century-old manufacturer based in Pennsylvania that makes its products in the U.S.
Another new addition is the Geek Aire 40-Inch, which boasts a sleek, compact design and is loaded with cool (no pun intended) features like nine speed settings, three breeze options (sleep, natural, and strong wind), a smartphone app, and a handy remote. You can also control it with your voice when you pair it with Alexa or Google Home. What’s more, the air tube is detachable, so it’s a cinch to wash.
Leaving the list, due to availability concerns, are the Lasko AC600 and Turcom AirLight.
The Invention Of The Bladeless Fan
Dyson made a big splash in 2009 with the release of bladeless fans.
Dyson made a big splash in 2009 with the release of bladeless fans. If you were to stop by any electronics store, you would likely see that the majority of bladeless fans being sold are still Dyson models. The United States Patent and Trademark Office even credits Sir James Dyson and a group of his engineers with the invention, so you would be forgiven for assuming they created the technology, but as with everything, looks can be deceiving.
According to documents at the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO), Toshiba originally submitted and received a bladeless fan patent in 1981. They even denied Dyson's first patent claim in 2009 because, as they said in their initial ruling, the Dyson version "cannot be considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive step."
Dyson had to resubmit another patent attempt, which highlighted a key design feature known as the Coanda surface. The air in Dyson's bladeless fans is pushed out over an aerofoil ramp, which is the Coanda surface, and, because of the angle, additional air is sucked in and it creates a smoother and more powerful air stream. This additional design feature was considered enough of an improvement on Toshiba's technology for Dyson to receive a patent.
How A Bladeless Fan Works
While the bladeless fan, or Air Multiplier as Dyson calls it, doesn't have any visible blades, it does indeed use blades to create air movement. In the pedestal, there is a brushless electric motor, which contains nine asymmetrically aligned blades that rotate and pull air into the unit. This tiny little motor can suck in roughly 20 liters of air per second.
The air then flows around the tube and comes out from tiny 16mm slits around its frame at a 16-degree angle.
Once the air is introduced into the system, it flows through a tunnel in the pedestal and up to a hollow tube that acts like a ramp. The air then flows around the tube and comes out from tiny 16mm slits around its frame at a 16-degree angle. Due to the physical law of inducement, the flowing air being pushed by the motor induces air behind it to follow.
Due to the law of entrainment, the air surrounding the edges of the fan also start to flow in the direction of the breeze. A low pressure area is created inside the hollow tube, which sucks in even more air through multiple strategically placed areas on the fan. All of this adds to the original amount of air introduced into the system via the motor in the pedestal.
The simultaneous push and pull of air produces a constant flow and, according to Dyson, can even increase the output by 15 times the amount that is taken in through the motor. While this unique fan design produced an incredible amount of air flow, it did have one main drawback - it was exceedingly noisy.
There was a lot of turbulence created by the air being sucked into the base and bouncing around in the pedestal's chamber. To solve this, Dyson integrated a Helmholtz cavity into the base. Their efforts resulted in a 75% reduction in sound and also allowed them to significantly scale back on the motor size because of the increased efficiency in air flow.
Benefits Of A Bladeless Fan Over Standard Fans
For those of you considering purchasing a bladeless fan, it might be hard to justify the cost, but they have a number of benefits over traditional fans. First off, the air is moved in a much smoother pattern, which creates a more consistent flow.
It's also hard to overlook the stylish design of bladeless fans and, unlike conventional fans, they will often add to your decor rather than detract from it.
This results in two advantages over conventional fans. It is more relaxing to sit in front of one as the stream of air is less choppy and feels more comfortable against the skin. It also increases the fan's cooling ability as you will have continuous airflow coverage.
With the addition of the aforementioned Helmholtz cavity, bladeless fans are nearly silent now. Even sitting right beside one, you probably won't be able to detect any noise and, if not for the cooling stream of air, you wouldn't even notice the fan is on. For those of you who find the loud hum of traditional fans annoying and distracting, a bladeless fan is definitely worth the price.
If you have a curious small child running about your house, a bladeless fan can be significantly safer as there are no external moving parts. They are also surprisingly durable as well, despite their fragile, artistic look. You don't have to worry about blade edges hitting the fan guard if you hold it at angle or accidentally knock it over while it is running. It's also hard to overlook the stylish design of bladeless fans and, unlike conventional fans, they will often add to your decor rather than detract from it.