Last updated on November 18th, 2021
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If you’re reluctant to cool off in the summer with a fan with blades because of the safety issues (especially with kids and pets around), bladeless fans are the answer to your heat problem. Bladeless fans are generally quieter and more energy-efficient than bladed fans, plus they don’t have any sharp moving parts to harm anyone.
Our review looks at bladeless tower fans of a variety of sizes and features, including some with extras such as a HEPA air filter or ambient lighting. We list the pros, cons and features of each model and then our recommendation.
Our Buyer’s Guide discusses the features to look for in the Best Bladeless Fans.
Best Pick
Runner-up
5 Best Bladeless Fans reviews
1. NETTA 36 Inch Oscillating Tower Fan
Best Pick
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The NETTA Tower Fan, 36 Inch Oscillating, has a wide variety of features to make you comfortable in warm and hot weather. The black, rectangular tower stands 90cm tall and has a matching circular base with a 30cm diameter. This is quite sturdy, though some online reviewers state that the tower tends to wobble a bit when people, children or pets go by. However, throughout our research, we found the same complaint about most of the tower bladeless fans we reviewed.
This NETTA bladeless fan gives you a choice of both speed and wind types. Choose from high, medium and low-speed settings for normal, natural and sleep wind types. The normal wind type is a constant stream of air; the natural type blows soft and more assertive streams to mimic nature, and we were unable to find out what the sleep-wind type actually does. There’s a handy ion mode for those with allergies that keep the dust down.
You don’t have a choice of temperature though. It’s automatically set and the fan kicks in when the temperature of the surrounding environment goes above that. You can choose where to point the fan though – statically in one direction or have the fan oscillate through 65°.
The LED display panel on top of the fan lets you know what’s going on and also lets you change any of the settings. Alternatively, you can use the wireless remote that comes with your purchase, along with the batteries. The LED panel conveniently shuts off 60 seconds after you finish using it, so you don’t have the bright light shining all the time, especially important at night-time.
There’s no OFF switch for this bladeless fan, however, so you have to cycle through to the high speed to turn the fan off. Online reviewers have also remarked on the beeping that sounds when they change the settings – this noise can’t be turned off.
Pros
- Black bladeless tower floor fan stands 90cm (36in) high on a circular base.
- Choice of three speed settings and three wind types, including one for when you’re sleeping.
- LED control panel on the top front of the tower displays and lets you control all settings for the tower’s use.
- Wireless remote control (battery included) for changing any of the settings from afar.
- Oscillates 65° or is static and faces in just one direction.
- Automatically senses room temperature and switches on when needed.
- Timer can be set for up to 8 hours of use.
- Carry handle for portability.
- Ion mode to help keep dust down.
- One-year warranty included.
- Dimensions: 90cm (height); and 30cm (base diameter); 4.32kg (weight).
Cons
- Loud beeping when adjusting settings (can’t be turned off).
- No off switch.
Our recommendation
The NETTA Tower Fan, 36 Inch Oscillating, is our Best Pick out of all the bladeless fans in this review. We like its choice of sizes and the selection of airspeeds and wind types. The oscillation feature and the eight-hour timer make it suitable for both daytime and nighttime use. The wireless remote lets you change any settings without having to get off the sofa or out of bed. This bladeless fan is not perfect, but the many features it does have easily overcome its very few downsides.
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2. U ULTTY Bladeless Tower Fan with Air Purifier
Runner-up
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The U ULTTY Bladeless Tower Fan with Air Purifier is a stylish cylindrical fan with a unique difference – it’s also an air purifier. Using the world-renowned HEPA filter, this bladeless fan keeps you cool at the same time as cleaning the air in the room up to 30 m2 five times an hour.
As a fan, the U Utility has nine-speed settings (the most of any bladeless fan we came across) and two wind type modes. (The sleep mode is especially quiet with a sound level of less than 32db, allowing children and adults to sleep soundly.)
This fan not only oscillates within a wide arc of 90° but you can manually adjust its inclination to up to 15° from the horizontal. The grill through which the air exits is located at the top one-third of the front of the tower. This means that you can have the cool air pointing upwards or downwards from whatever surface the fan sits on.
As an air purifier, the HEPA filter takes in air from all around, 360°. It removes smoke, bacteria, droplets of yucky stuff as well as dust and pollen. The clean air is blown out by the fan. The manufacturer recommends replacing the HEPA air filter every three to six months depending on your local air quality.
You control some of this through an LED one-touch switch on the front of the unit. A light tells you the setting of each of the options and you change them by touching the button until your selection appears. Alternatively, use the remote control (batteries not included) from up to 10m away to change any of the options and to turn the unit on and off. A third choice is to invoke the eight-hour timer so the fan turns off automatically at the end of your chosen length of time, perhaps after you’ve fallen asleep or left the house.
Some online reviewers highlight the noise level of this fan as a problem. But this is a common issue raised for almost all fans and is subjective. Your best bet is to figure out what noise levels in decibels (dB) you can live with and check out what each bladeless fan produces.
Pros
- Grey bladeless cylinder-ish fan with integrated air purifier that stands at 60cm (24in) high.
- Sealed air purifier HEPA filter takes in air from 360° around, cleaning a 30 m2 room.
- Air multiplier technology produces a widely distributed, diffuse airflow.
- Fan has nine speed settings and two wind type modes.
- Oscillation is a 90° arc with up to a 15° inclination to the surface it’s on.
- Grill is top 1/3 of front of cylinder.
- Timer works for up to 8 hours.
- Sleep mode for quiet (less than 32db) night-time operation.
- LED touchscreen display on the front of the fan lets you turn the unit on/off and select the speed and oscillation.
- Wireless remote control lets you adjust any of the settings.
- Dimensions: 60cm (height) and 23cm (diameter).
Cons
- Remote control battery not included.
- Noisy on highest settings.
Our recommendation
The U ULTTY Bladeless Tower Fan with Air Purifier is our Runner-up Pick in this review of the Best Bladeless Fans. We like that it first cleanses the air through a HEPA filter before it cools it and blows it around your room. The 90° oscillation arc covers a good segment of your room with the cool air, while the choice of nine airspeeds lets you have a gentle breeze through to a more assertive gust of air. If you’ve avoided fans so far because of dust or other allergies, this is the one to buy.
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3. ZUVO 30″ Oscillating Tower Fan
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The ZUVO 30″ Oscillating Tower Fan is a grey, rectangular shape that is billed as a floor fan. Though at just 75cm high, you could put it on a low table to raise the flow of air a bit. This fan has a simple design, with all the controls on the sloped top of the tower and the grill taking up two-thirds of the front face.
The controls of the ZUVO bladeless fan are all manual, there’s no remote control. The top of the control panel has the timer dial in 20-minute increments up to 2 hours; below this are four buttons: OFF (ON is on the timer dial), and one for each of the three speeds (low to high). Below this is a single dial that controls the fan’s movement – press it in for the 90° arc oscillation and leave it out for the fan to remain stationary. That’s it – operating this fan is easy and straightforward.
You’ll notice that there’s no wind type selection with this ZUVO fan – you just receive a steady and constant flow of air. And, as we’ve already said but want to highlight, there’s no remote control so you have to get up to change the speed settings and turn the fan off or on.
This model is also available in black or white.
Pros
- Grey bladeless tower floor fan stands 75cm (30cm) tall on a circular base.
- Controls are a series of buttons and a dial on the sloped top of the tower.
- Oscillates in a 90° arc, split between the left and the right side of the fan; also an option to stand still.
- Three speed settings from low to high.
- Grill is most of the front of the tower.
- Timer sets to a maximum of two hours.
- Motor is made of pure copper and has a protective over-heating safety mechanism.
- Tower of the unit is made of ABS plastic.
Cons
- No wind type selection.
- No remote.
Our recommendation
The ZUVO 30″ Oscillating Tower Fan is our choice for those who want a smaller and basic bladeless fan. Its three wind speeds (low, medium and high) give you air strength options, and all the controls are easily found and used on the control panel on the top of the tower. We especially like that the grill is most of the front panel of the tower and that the oscillation arc is a wide 90°. Although this is a basic model, it’s one of the few that come in a choice of colours.
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4. PureMate 38-inch Oscillating Tower Fan
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The PureMate Tower Fan, 38-inch Oscillating, is a mid-size fan that stands 97cm tall. It’s the standard black colour and has a 32cm circular base. Even so, some reports of wobbliness can be found online – a common issue with tower fans. This bladeless fan has many of the same features as its competitors but with a few surprises.
This fan has a more rounded shape than the more angular towers we review. This softens its appearance a bit, making it suitable for more traditional interior decors. The grill through which the air blows takes up most of the front centre panel so you receive a deep stream of air as the fan remains stationary or turns through its 70° oscillation arc.
Controlling this fan is straightforward. The On one-touch button is in the centre of the control panel on the top surface of the tower. Surrounding it are touch buttons for the oscillation, the timer, the airspeed and the wind mode. Information about the settings you chose displays at the top of the front panel within an LCD panel; the information is easily seen and interpreted from the icons used.
Speaking of settings, you have the choice of three wind speeds (the usual low, medium and high) and four wind types – Normal, Natural, Sleep and Child. The Child wind type is especially quiet. The timer lasts for up to 12 hours in one-hour increments; this is longer than any other bladeless fan timer we encountered and is good news if you’re out of the home all summer’s day and want to have a cool place to come home to.
Alternatively, you have a remote control (batteries included) to adjust any of the settings and to turn the fan on and off.
One strange issue discussed by some online reviewers with this PureMate Tower Fan is the LCD light on the display screen. Apparently, it goes out when the fan is off but stays on when the fan is on. This means that if you’re running the fan in the dark in your bedroom at night time, the LCD panel shines brightly, which can be detrimental to a good night’s sleep. We didn’t test this ourselves, but several users reported this so it’s worth checking out before you make this purchase.
Pros
- Black bladeless tower fan stands 97cm (38) high on a circular base.
- Oscillates within a 70° centred on the tower grill; fan can also stand still.
- Three wind speeds and four wind type settings, including Sleep and Child.
- Grill is on half the tower’s front width.
- Integrated carry handle for easy portability.
- Built-in timer lets you run the fan for up to 12 hours before it automatically shuts off.
- Wireless remote control (batteries included) to adjust any of the fan’s settings.
- Digital display at the top front of the tower lets you see the running information.
- Buttons on the top of the tower to adjust the settings.
- Dimensions: 97cm (height); and 32cm (base diameter); 3.38kg (weight).
Cons
- Noisy.
- Light reported to stay on when fan in standby mode.
Our recommendation
The PureMate Tower Fan, 38-inch Oscillating, is our choice of a fan for those who plan to keep the fan running constantly for a long period. The 12-hour timer on this bladeless fan lets you do that in one-hour increments up to the maximum period, before automatically switching the fan off. The choice of three wind speeds and four wind types gives you many (12) combinations of air streams into your environment to keep you cool whatever the weather.
5. ElectriQ Quiet Tower Fan
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The electriQ Quiet Tower Fan – eiQ-AM07 has a different look to all of the other models in our review of the Best Bladeless Fans. The eletricQ model is a tall oval shape tower with an egg-shaped opening in the top half – think of slicing a hard-boiled egg lengthwise and looking at the cross-section. This organic shape is in white ABS plastic for a retro-futuristic vibe, especially with the ambient light feature.
Along with its eye-catching appearance, this bladeless fan has all the features needed to keep you cool – and then some. Standing 60cm tall, you can use this fan as a desk or low table unit. We know that you have the choice of the fan standing still or oscillating, but we couldn’t find the degree of oscillation arc anywhere, even on the manufacturer’s website or in the technical specifications.
You do have a choice of three airspeeds – quiet, normal and turbo. We don’t know if turbo here equates to other models’ maximum speeds, but it is a catchy term. The 7.5-hour timer is a little quirky too; you have the choice of 30 minutes, one hour, two hours or four hours, or any combination of these, adding up to a maximum of 7.5 hours.
The lower part of the front of this electriQ fan has the touch buttons clearly displayed along with lights to indicate which options you choose. You also access everything via the included remote control, once you buy the batteries to use with it. The air grill is around the inside circumference of the oval; the manufacturer says that it’s safe for anyone (kids included) to put their hand on the loop when the fan is running.
The unique part of this bladeless fan, though, is the ambient light ring around the grill. It looks black when the light’s turned off as it operates separately from the fan. However, you have the choice of having it turn into a gentle glowing white, blue, purple or green light ring. Choose your colour to set whatever mood you’re going for, sit back and cool down.
Pros
- Sleek white bladeless oval loop fan stands 60cm (24in) high.
- Choice of three speeds: quiet, normal and turbo.
- LED light ring around the oval opening of the loop has a choice of four colours.
- Grill is the inside circumference of the oval loop.
- Wireless remote control to turn the unit on/off, and choose all options.
- Timer runs from 30 minutes to 7.5 hours (your choice) and then turns the fan off.
- All controls are one-touch and on the lower front part of the fan.
- Touch buttons for On/Off, swing (oscillation), speed, timer and colour.
- Dimensions: 57cm (height); and 29cm (width); 2.9kg (weight).
Cons
- Arc of oscillation not available, even on the manufacturer’s website and in the technical specs.
- Remote battery not included.
- No wind type option.
Our recommendation
The electriQ Quiet Tower Fan – eiQ-AM07 is our choice for people who like stylish, multi-functional appliances. This is a small fan that fits well on a low table and produces an ambient coloured glow along with an arc of cooling air. Plus it just looks good. It is the most expensive bladeless fan in our review (as of October 2021) but what price cool (literally and figuratively) atmosphere?
Buyer’s Guide
Although their minimal styling makes them look a bit intimidating, bladeless fans have only a few moving parts. But they do have a raft of features to choose from. Our Buyer’s Guide discusses the most important features to look for in the Best Bladeless Fans.
Air speed
All of the bladeless fans we review offer a choice of at least three airspeeds: low, medium or maximum. These may be called different names but they’re essentially three levels of airflow whose strength depends on the power of the fan.
Wind type
Some models give you a choice of air type. The three most common are: normal, natural and sleep. However, there’s not much of a standard definition of any of these. From what we can gather, generally normal refers to a steady stream of air; and natural refers to an alternating stream of low pressure and higher pressure air flow that may be random or on a pattern.
In some cases, the sleep wind type refers to the fact that any LCD panel is dimmed rather than to the wind type. The PureMate tower fan has a Child wind type which refers to the loudness of the airflow. It’s confusing and muddled.
Controls
Many bladeless fans have one-touch buttons for control and display your chosen options on either an LCD digital panel or by lighting up bulbs. These models of fan tend to also supply a wireless remote control through which to turn the unit on and off and to change settings. Some bladeless fans have manual buttons to use; don’t expect to receive a remote control with these units.
Movement
Generally, bladeless fans are standstill and direct their airflow straight ahead, or you can choose for them to oscillate within a set arc. In the models we review, this segment of the room that receives the cool air ranges from 60° to 90°, centred on the “straight-ahead” direction. The wider the arc, the more of the room is cooled down.
Temperature
This is a trick lack-of feature as none of the bladeless fans we looked at let you set the temperature at which the fan comes on. Most of the manufacturer’s specifications and the sales blurbs didn’t even mention this. The fans come on and shut off depending on if the surrounding environment goes above the factory-set temperature.
A way around this is to run the fan on the timer. This lets the fan run continuously for the set amount of time regardless of the surrounding temperature before shutting the fan off.
Timer
All the models we review come with a timer that runs the fan continuously for the time you select. Timers range from two hours to twelve hours and may be completely variable times or increment in set amounts. The fan shuts off automatically at the end of the period.
Height
The height of the bladeless tower fan is always given so you know whether it stands on the floor or if you can put it on a table to raise the height of the airflow.
Grill placement
The position of the air grill works along with the height to tell you where the airflow will emerge from the unit. Some bladeless fans have grills the full length and width of their front panel, while others have grills over only a small portion of the panel. Look carefully at the photos as well as the height and at the oscillation arc from where you plan to place the fan within your room to see where the cool air will reach.
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Final Conclusion
Bladeless fans provide a safe alternative to fans with rotating and sharp blades. They are also more energy-efficient and are generally less noisy. The models we chose for this review have a variety of features including wind speed and a timer, with some also having a choice of wind type, remote control and one-touch buttons with an LCD panel. Whichever model you choose, rest assured that your environment will become cooler quickly.
Our Best Pick is the NETTA Tower Fan, 36 Inch Oscillating. This model is one of the most customisable in our review. Choose both your airspeed and the wind type for a wide variety of air patterns.
The U ULTTY Bladeless Tower Fan with Air Purifier is our Runner-up choice. This unit is a combination bladeless fan and air purifier with a HEPA air filter. Those people with allergies will be especially thankful that clean air is in circulation by the fan in their room.
Now you’ve started looking at moving the air around your home, check out how your stove fan is doing and then read our Best Stove Fan Review.
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
