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Vornado fans are so great I don't even need A/C

There's no other way to say it: I was honestly blown away

A white Vornado fan sitting on the floor. Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

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Living in Boston means springtime usually lasts a grand total of three or four weeks. It's cold in the winter months, slightly-less-cold in March and April, and then—after a few weeks of warm, mild weather—it becomes disgustingly hot. I go from having my windows covered in plastic insulation to a sweaty mess in the time it takes the first pitch of baseball season to cross home plate.

At least, that was how it was until my Vornado fan came into the picture.

Last spring, I decided enough was enough with air conditioners. Window air conditioning units are luxurious, but they're also a great way to run your electric bill up.

After scouring the web for fans that could maybe hold a candle to my now-defunct air conditioner, I landed on a medium-sized Vornado fan—an air-circulator for medium-sized rooms.

Initially, I balked at the cost. "A $65 fan? That's absurd." But, the more I read about it, the more intrigued I grew. Eventually, I dumped it into my cart, paid for it, and prepared myself for disappointment. Oh, how wrong I ended up being.

Vornado fans create the ultimate vortex

A small-sized Vornado fan
Credit: Vornado

This affordable, modestly-sized Vornado air-circulator is powerful enough to cool down a small room.

Vornado fans aren't like the big wind machines many of us grew up using; even on the highest setting, they don't really blast your face with a visceral gust of air.

Instead, Vornados are specifically designed to create a vortex that circulates air across an entire room. In other words, you don't have to be sitting in the Vornado 630's line of sight in order to feel its cooling effects.

That's not to say that the Vornado fan isn't powerful—quite the contrary, actually.

But due to the lack of an initial whoosh that usually accompanies premium fans, you might be fooled into thinking you've been duped when you first plug it in, turn it all the way up, and point it at your face. Just give it some time.

Better yet, open a window, put the Vornado fan on the windowsill, and let 'er rip for an hour or so. Its effectiveness is undeniable; not only does the Vornado fan manage to keep a room cool in tough heat, but the air itself is fresh and pleasant.

The staleness I often associate with garden-variety fans is nowhere to be found—we're talkin' sweet, sweet ambient bliss, here, people! My bedroom is easily the freshest-smelling, freshest-feeling room in our apartment.

If you're still uneasy about dropping spending up on a fan, you might want to test the waters with the Vornado 133. It's less expensive, more compact, and ideal for smaller-sized rooms like offices or pantries.

Of course, if you're really looking to circulate some air, feast your eyes upon the Vornado 660, which is powerful enough to push air up to 100 feet. It'll set you back about one hundred bucks, but make no mistake: This thing's an absolute beast.

Vornado fans are made to last

A demonstration of how the Vornado VFAN Vintage circulates air in a room
Credit: Vornado

The Vornado VFAN Vintage circulates air in a room and looks damn good for a fan, to boot.

All three of these Vornado fans—the 630, the 133, and the 660—are backed by Vornado's 5-year warranty, which means with any luck, these are the last fans you'll have to buy for several years. Like any fan, Vornados have a tendency to collect blankets of dust on their blades and in their grills. Fortunately, cleaning is as easy as detaching the grill and wiping it down.

If the monochromatic, utilitarian look of these vortex-creating super-fans doesn't really fit your aesthetic, allow me to point you in the direction of the Vornado VFAN Vintage. It's got all power of a standard Vornado fan, but a style that would fit right in at an old 1950s diner. If I wasn't already content with my 660, I might be tempted to spring for the green one.

Again—I know a premium-priced fan sounds a little crazy, but trust me on this one. I've got the freshest room in my apartment, after all. If you're still in need of some assurance, it's worth noting that Vornado fans are consistently some of the highest-rated fans on Amazon. Just under 70% of the 630's Amazon ratings are 5-star ratings, and the reviews tend to be positively glowing.

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