Air circulators are home devices that have rotating blades similar to a fan, but they are not identical. An air circulator will move air around an enclosed space such as your living room and helps to keep your room well ventilated and at an even temperature.
As you know, heat rises, and you can have rooms where all the heat generated from your radiators will rise and sit close to the ceiling, yet you can have cold feet as the air closer to the floor will be cooler.
Air circulating fans will stir up the air and ensure that you remain cosy and warm in the winter yet comfortably cool in the summer. They keep the air in the room healthy and constantly circulating, preventing uneven temperatures and stale odours from building up.
Advantages and disadvantages of circulator air fans
One of the most significant advantages of using air circulator fans is that they do a great job of moving the air around and preventing it from becoming stale. When still air becomes trapped in a room with poor air circulation, the room can feel hotter and more uncomfortable to use.
Circulator fans stir up the air effectively.
The still air trapped in a room can also smell stale and make any trapped odours smell much stronger. So if you own pets, for example, your rooms can hold onto pet odours and make them far more noticeable as you walk into the spaces they sleep or eat in. An air circulator fan can fix this.
As far as disadvantages go, there really are none compared to using a standard fan!
Advantages and disadvantages of traditional air fans
Traditional air fans have been used for decades to help keep people cool during hot weather. They can instantly cool you down when you position them right in front of you. They act to cool you by blowing air over your skin and cooling the air immediately around you.
You will need to choose the right size of fan to suit the room, and you may need to buy a large fan to cover the whole room and benefit anyone else also using the room at the same time. A small personal fan might be ideal for you, but it will do nothing to keep the rest of your family cool and comfortable on the hottest days of summer.
Where to use an air circulator fan?
Air circulating fans can help to keep moisture levels down in rooms where dampness is a problem (for more serious damp problems use dehumidifier). If you have a north-facing bedroom that gets little sunlight and you notice clothing and bedding smell musty and damp, then an air circulating fan could be helpful here.
You can buy many different styles of air circulating fans and position them for maximum effectiveness. So, if you have tall ceilings, you can get one that can sit close to the floor and angle it towards the ceiling to help bring down warmer air and mix it with the cooler air below to keep the whole room at a comfortable temperature, all year round.
What is Oscillation?
An oscillating fan is one that swings from side to side (oscillates). It is the casing that holds the fan blades that is mobile and moves the fan head from left to right and back again.
Oscillating fans generate cooler air throughout the room, so it would be a better choice when more people are using the space. A fan that doesn’t oscillate is called a static fan and will only be able to move cool air in one direction.
Power Consumption of air circulator fans
Many people have switched to air circulator fans due to their energy-saving efficiency and general functioning. Air circulator fans defeat a regular static or oscillating fan in terms of energy efficiency, performance, portability, and flexibility.
The power consumption of any fan will depend on the radius of the fan blades. It also depends on the air delivery rate and RPM of the motor.
For example, a traditional ceiling fan has a power rating of anything between 60-100W. A conventional fan can be anywhere between 50-60W.
Air circulator fans are energy-efficient compared to traditional fans at around 30-50W of power.
Best air circulator fans
The best air circulator fans will always be the style best suited to your needs. Air circulator fans come in a wide range of sizes and designs.
You could choose a compact style fan that will sit out of the way in the corner of a small and cosy living room or a larger sized fan for an open plan house with high ceilings.
You can get smaller, more compact personal air circulator fans that are lightweight and portable. These are ideal for taking with you between home and office to give you all day long comfort. The portability means that if your office is poorly heated or has no air conditioning, you no longer have to suffer through long days of feeling chilly in winter or overheating in the summer.
We like air circulator fans over traditional fans because they are so much quieter, so even when you want to relax with a good book, you will hardly notice it is working to keep you cool and comfortable.
VOXON TurboForce Air Circulator
This flexible air circulator fan can be free-standing on a table or be permanently fixed to a wall. It has an oscillating function enabling it to be used to keep more than one person cool and comfortable in the same room.
Measuring just 9 inches wide with a base length of 11inches, this is an ideal fan to use in the home or to sit on your desk at work to keep you cool if there is no air conditioning. It has an ultra-quiet design.
SUPALAK Air Circulator Fan 40W Desk Turbo Fan 9
A quiet running compact air circulator fan with 360° Auto-Oscillation. This fan has three operational modes and four fan speeds. You can operate it by remote control, so you can place it out of the way on a high shelf if space is limited.
It is portable and can be moved around the house with you to use in separate rooms. This is an ideal fan to use in stuffy bedrooms to get rid of stale air and lower moisture levels that can cause damp and musty smelling clothes and bedding.
MYCARBON Quiet Desk Fan
This is a portable table fan with an automatic oscillating function. It is a super-quiet fan when running, so it would be ideal for placing on an office desk where you need to keep cool.
This fan has a ten-hour timer and remote control, so you can control how long you want it to run. It is ideal for keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter as it works with air conditioning and central heating.
HOMCOM 32 Air Circulator Fan
An ideal air circulating fan for an open plan apartment or house. This fan has three speeds and the option of 70° Oscillation and 90° Vertical Tilt for easy direction for cooling or warming air circulation.
The fan has a sturdy round base and a convenient carry handle to make it easy to move to different rooms in your home.
Pro Breeze 10 DC Air Circulator Fan
A flexible and versatile 10-inch air circulator fan that sits conveniently on your desk or sideboard. It has four modes, a timer and can be operated by remote control.
It is an ultra-quiet fan, so it will not disturb your concentration while working or relaxing with a good book. Very economical to run with an ultra-low energy DC motor. It has an ECO mode and sleep mode.
MYCARBON Oscillating Air Circulator fan
This is a versatile air circulator fan with 12-speed options. Rated with an energy class of A+++, this is a very energy-efficient choice for those wanting to keep their energy consumption down.
Ideal for use in any room in the house, this fan only uses between 7-18w of energy, depending on the speed setting. It is ultra-quiet when running, making it perfect for keeping you cool while you sleep.
Vornado Flippi V6 Personal Air Circulator Fan
Available in Vintage White / Cream colour, this compact yet effective personal air circulator fan has two-speed functions and is ideal for sitting on your office desk or side table to keep you cool.
Using Vortex air circulation, this fan is more effective at keeping the air circulating around you for greater comfort. It has an adjustable tilting head function and swivel base so you can position it perfectly to suit your needs.
