8 Best Box Fans of 2023 [Reviews & Buyer’s Guide]

We know, firsthand, how frustrating summer heat waves can be. With the temperature on a steady rise, it seems almost impossible to stay cool without procuring an insanely high electricity bill. But we’re here to tell you that investing in a powerful household box fan can be a simple yet effective solution to your problems.

However, with so many different kinds of box fans available on the market, how do you choose the one most suited for you? That’s what we’re here to help you with. This article has detailed reviews of the 8 best fans available in 2023, which should help you get started with your decision.

So, without further ado, let’s jump right into it!

Listed below are the 5 best box fans from our list:

• Comfort Zone CZ200A: A sturdy, indoor metal-framed fan ideal for everyday use at home or office, offering versatility with a rotary 3-speed fan control, with its main drawback being a slight issue of durability and excessive noise.
• PELONIS PFB50A2ABB-V: This fan, with a sturdy construction and performance versatility in mind, is optimized for indoor use, boasting a compact structure and portability, but has a relatively louder operational noise.
• Lasko 3300: High-powered fan built for larger spaces, with a sturdy, energy-efficient operation and practical pivoting head offering directional control, though customers report a reduced quality in the newer version compared to older ones.
• BLACK+DECKER BFB09W: A compact desk fan optimally designed for personal cooling, easy portability, and a convenient control panel, yet some customers report motor issues leading to a reduced lifespan.
• Genesis G20BOX-WHT: High-performing ETL and UL-approved fan with a sleek design and strong copper motor for long-lasting performance, but not as quiet as advertised, especially in smaller rooms.

Whether you're looking to cool down your bedroom, living room, or home office, a box fan can provide the perfect solution. To help you choose the best box fan for your needs, here's the list of the 8 best box fans on the market today.

1. Comfort Zone CZ200A - Best for Everyday Use

First up in our guide, we have the Comfort Zone box fan in the model CZ200A. It is a metal-framed indoor fan that is ideal for everyday home, office, garage, and dorm use. It’s available in two colors - black and white - and is manufactured in the USA.

This fan is sturdy as well as safe with an outer metal cage for protection from kids or pets during use. It also has a rotary 3-speed fan control on the top and is extremely easy to operate. This enables you to regulate the airflow of the fan as per your requirement.

What’s more, it is specially built to optimize the air circulation in an air-conditioned room, making it more cooling; therefore, saving the user both energy and money. It is mainly built for indoor use and can be placed in almost any room of your choosing, including under-ventilated areas, such as garages or offices.

Furthermore, this product requires no assembly, and no batteries to operate, thereby making it extremely simple to use. The speed control knob placed on the top makes this fan even simpler to operate.

Weighing a total of 7.15 pounds, it has an extremely lightweight structure. The strategically placed handle on the top only makes it more portable and convenient to carry around when traveling.

A few users have noticed that this box fan comes with certain screws missing, making it unsafe to use while increasing the noise it produces considerably. Another disadvantage of this fan is that it is not as sturdy as the manufacturer claims it to be. The blades tend to break off whenever the device falls down or suffers any other form of impact.

2. PELONIS PFB50A2ABB-V - Best for Indoor Home and Office Use

Pelonis is known for manufacturing some of the very best small home appliances in the USA. Their reputation of excellence in their field for over 25 years has made them the pioneers of home comfort innovation. Their box fan - PFB50A2ABB is a sturdy and effective product available in two color options.

This product provides you with maximum air circulation and is recommended for a range of indoor uses like homes and office spaces. Equipped with a 3-speed rotary fan, it is versatile and enables you to regulate the airflow as per the room or your personal requirements. Moreover, the sturdy external metal grill of this box fan makes it safe during use especially with kids and pets around the house.

If that wasn’t enough, this fan also has a conveniently placed handle on top and a lightweight and compact structure that makes it incredibly portable. Constructed with solid and durable materials and stabilizing feet, it will last you much longer than its counterparts and can be placed in a variety of places without the fear of it toppling over.

Much like the fan above, this one is also built to optimize air conditioner performance and save you energy and money in the long haul. Hence, this is an ideal investment for anyone who lives in a hot and humid location.

The noise produced by this fan is quite high and irritable to most people. Therefore, this should ideally be used to ventilate larger rooms where the noise will not be too overwhelming. The name Pelonis printed right in front is also kind of an eyesore.

3. Lasko 3300 - Best High-Power Fan for Large Spaces

Lasko, as you may know, has been a trusted manufacturer of home improvement products for over 100 years now. The fans they produce are ETL listed and are thereby built to last made from both domestically sourced as well as imported parts. This fan, much like all their other electronic technology, comes equipped with Lasko’s patented 2-pronged blue plug safety fuse.

If you live in a hot or humid location and are looking for a high-powered fan that can effectively circulate air-conditioning then let me stop you right here. This fan, in the model Wind Machine 3300 is one of Lasko’s most popular box fans. Constructed with a rugged design and an energy-efficient operation, this fan has the ability to keep you cool and well-ventilated throughout the year.

The pivoting head of this fan paired with its 3 high-performance fan speeds provides you full control over the direction and quantity of air that you wish to circulate. Even at its lowest speed, this fan can move a lot of air, and hence, is ideal for ventilating larger household spaces.

What’s more? This lightweight fan comes equipped with an easy-grip handle and a 6-foot cord that makes it extremely portable and convenient to move around. Apart from that, this product also produces a soothing purr sound that can drown out outside noises and therefore creates effective white noise for sleeping.

Customers have found the newer version of this fan to be of lower quality as compared to its older versions. Some have noticed a strange clicking noise while it’s on, and others have received it covered in black greasy gunk. However, in each of these cases, the company has been willing to refund or replace the product as per their 1-year limited warranty.

4. BLACK+DECKER BFB09W - Best Compact Desk Fan

Next up, we have the home equipment brand BLACK+DECKER which has come up with a unique and innovatively designed desk box fan. It has a white matte finish and is the perfect fan to keep you cool and comfortable on those unbearably hot and humid summer days.

This fan has a condensed, frameless, self-standing design that enables you to place it on your desktop or any other workspace furniture or tables with relative ease. So, if you’re looking for a fan that is meant for personal cooling, instead of ventilating entire rooms, then this product is undoubtedly the one for you.

If we hadn’t made it evident already, this fan is an extremely compact and portable device that enables you to carry it around wherever you go. This is in fact, the ideal fan to carry to your office whenever you’re in need of some extra cooling. It also requires no assembly and is thereby ready for use when it arrives.

Equipped with an easy-to-access control panel and 3 air circulation speeds, this box fan is not only extremely easy to use but also customizable to your personal needs. Furthermore, BLACK+DECKER is very confident of this fan’s performance and hence guarantees user satisfaction by providing a 1-year warranty for your purchase.

Some users have noted a mild burning smell being emitted from the motor. This has led to the fan dysfunction and thereby not lasting for more than 2-3 months at a stretch. Honestly, this is a flaw that needs to be fixed by the brand ASAP.

5. Genesis G20BOX-WHT - Best ETL and UL-Approved Fan

Genesis is a home equipment brand committed to delivering exceptional quality devices through its effective research, design, and strategy. The brand has thereby successfully developed a range of elegant yet powerful fans that are reliable and cool your office and homes in an efficient and quiet manner.

Genesis has designed a sleek and powerful floor fan that can basically be operated on any flat surface you place it on. The 20’’ blades in this fan produce high-volume airflow, making it appropriate to ventilate just about every room imaginable.

Equipped with a durable copper motor, this fan has a significantly strong fan speed and is constructed for overall long-lasting performance. The 2 energy-efficient fan speeds of this fan allow you to customize the airflow according to your needs. Furthermore, this device delivers a strong unwavering performance no matter the weather, hence making it extremely handy to have around the house.

Apart from that, the stylish and elegant design of this fan amicably matches most interior decor without clashing. If that wasn’t enough, this device is also ETL as well as UL-approved, making it one of the highest-performing fans in our guide and thereby one of our top contenders.

This floor box fan is not as quiet as it claims to be. Quite a few customers found it bothersome to operate it in small rooms. However, when installed to ventilate a large room, this fan will cause significantly less disturbance.

6. OPOLAR F816

OPOLAR has come up with an innovative desk box fan that is equipped with an inbuilt timer and has up to airflow speeds including one natural wind setting. This stylish yet compact desk fan is available in 3 color variants, and although on the expensive side is worth the bucks for its stellar features.

This is the second desk fan that we have on our guide. It has an angle-adjustable stand that also doubles up as a handle, allowing you to customize airflow direction while also making it very portable.

Equipped with 4 fan speeds and a natural wind setting, this fan enables you to choose the option you are most comfortable with. Moreover, if you like to sleep with the fan on but are also energy-conscious, then this device is perfect for you. This is because the in-built timer in this fan allows you to set it up for 1/2/4/8 hours at a stretch, and then automatically switch off on its own.

The multiple powered options of this fan further facilitate ease of use by enabling you to connect it to your laptop or other such devices as well as the usual wall socket for operation.

There’s been a few complaints of this fan developing an unbearably loud whining noise after a couple of days of use. This has made it difficult for customers to continue using it for extended periods of time. The USB charging point also tends to get really hot when in use, which again makes it difficult to operate for a long time.

7. Impress IM-719BX

Next up, we have Impress who have come up with a remarkably affordable and lightweight box fan made of durable polycarbonate plastic. It is one of the least expensive yet most highly rated products on our guide today.

The classic and lightweight build of this box fan, paired with its budget-friendly price makes this product incredibly value-for-money. Equipped with stable and elevated feet, this fan can be placed on any flat surface eliminating any worry of it toppling over while in use. The 3-speed rotary knob placed at the bottom right corner of this fan makes it extremely user-friendly.

The crowning feature of this box fan, however, is its whisper-quiet operation. It is hence, safe to say, that this product is one of the less noisy products on our guide, which we absolutely love.

That is not all though, because this fan is not only the least noisy but also one of the most lightweight box fan models available in the market. Weighing a total of 2.80 lbs., this product is incredibly easy to carry around or relocate to any other room of the house, as and when required.

The dimensions mentioned on the website of this product are incorrect. While the specs of this fan claim it to be 9 inches, the actual diameter of this fan is 12 inches. This incorrect description has posed an issue to many customers who bought this product expecting it to be of a significantly smaller size.

8. Air King 9723

Air King is a popular appliance brand that offers a full range of industrial-grade air-circulating fans manufactured for both industrial as well as commercial purposes. All Air King fans are renowned for their extensive durability, powerful motors, and grounded plugs. The quality of their products is thereby unmatched by most other brands in the market.

The Air King box fan in the model 9723, is undoubtedly one of the most durable and powerful devices on our guide. Constructed with a steel frame, chemical-resistant polypropylene blades, and an impact-resistant plastic grill, this fan has the ability to last for years. 

Furthermore, thanks to the 1/25 HP motor that is permanently lubricated, this popular box fan provides a powerful performance at a significantly low noise level.

Although made of such hardy materials, this fan is still incredibly lightweight, weighing only 6.2 pounds, and comes with a handle attached at the top for easy portability. The 3 versatile speeds available on this fan provide airflow capacity of 2163 CFM, 1900 CFM, and 1463 CFM, thereby providing you the utmost comfort at any setting of your choosing.

What’s more, the snap-on feet and compact design of this device enable it to be kept on any surface and thereby perfect for any space from dorms and gyms to schools and homes.

This fan is one of the most expensive devices on our guide today and hence may deter some users from investing in it. However, we can assure you that this box fan makes up for its steep price with its extensive features. 

What is the Best Box Fan?

This section offers a direct comparison of top-rated box fans, emphasizing critical product specifications. The accompanying table provides clear insights into the size, available speeds, cubic feet per minute (CFM) output, noise levels, and power consumption of each fan.

Buying Guide For The Best Box Fan

Did our comprehensive reviews aid you in choosing the right fan for yourself? If not, we have some added factors you might want to consider before deciding on which device to invest in.

1. Size And Structure

This factor is especially crucial to consider if you don’t have a lot of space at home or office, or are planning to move your fan around for multiple purposes. A compact structure will ensure that the fan can fit even in confined spaces. A lightweight build with an in-built handle will, alternatively, make it easy for you to carry it around.

2. Build Quality

The overall build materials and quality of your fan is another important feature to consider. This factor determines not only how long your fan will last you, but also determines its performance and efficacy in the long run.

3. Noise Production 

Ventilation and cooling fans are known to produce a significantly loud noise when operated. Hence, it is important to ascertain how much noise you can tolerate and buy a fan accordingly. 

Some box fans nowadays are also equipped to produce white noise that is instrumental in helping people fall asleep. Hence, if you’re looking for a fan that can produce white noise, make sure to check its specifications.

4. Speed Settings

Most box fans come with 3 in-built speed settings that help you fix the airflow to the rate most comfortable for you. Each speed thereby refers to a certain airflow capacity measured in CFM. If this CFM is mentioned, it is recommended to tally it with the area of your room for optimum ventilation. For example, 100 CFM is said to effectively cool and ventilate a 100-square-foot room.

5. Additional Features

Box fans these days come equipped with additional features such as timers and rotational heads. If any of these features come in handy for you, they are worth considering while deciding on which fan to purchase.

What is the difference between a box fan and a tower fan?

The key difference between a box fan and a tower fan lies in their design and airflow. A box fan is usually more robust, delivering a stronger, direct airflow, while a tower fan, with its slim and tall design, oscillates to distribute air evenly throughout a room.

Can I use a box fan in a window?

Absolutely, many box fans are specifically designed to be positioned in a window, serving as efficient exhaust fans. They aid in circulating fresh air, thus cooling down a room remarkably effectively.

How do I clean a box fan?

Cleaning a box fan involves a simple procedure: it starts by disconnecting it from any power source, followed by removing the exterior grille to eliminate loose debris. Subsequently, use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down blades, and for the motor and interior parts, a soft-bristled brush is recommended. After cleaning, let everything dry thoroughly before reassembling the fan.

Can a box fan be used to cool a room?

Certainly, a box fan can cool a room by generating a breeze and promoting air circulation. Nonetheless, to maximize the cooling effect, it's advisable to combine it with other cooling techniques such as air conditioning or keeping windows open during more relaxed parts of the day.

How do I choose the right size box fan for my room?

To choose an appropriately sized box fan for a room, consider the fan's size, which, presented in inches, pertains to the length of one side of the fan's grille. Generally, for a room up to 225 square feet, a 20-inch box fan should suffice, while a 24-inch fan is suitable for rooms up to 400 square feet.