We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGEEK

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Home

What is a Standing Fan?

By R. Kayne
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

A standing fan is a traditional fan set on an extendable pole attached to a base. The standing fan can be adjusted to move up or down for maximum comfort. Set in the corner of a room or in another advantageous location, a standing fan can have a greater affect on cooling a larger area than a table fan.

A standing fan usually has three wind speeds that range from a cool breeze to a hard blast. The head of the fan can oscillate 180° or remain steadily pointed in one direction. It can also tip upwards or downwards.

Anyone who has ever used a fan probably knows how annoying it is to get settled, only to find the fan’s breeze is rattling the pages of a magazine, directly blowing into your face, or missing you entirely. Getting it just right can take a few trips back and forth from your seat to the fan. No more! A standing fan can come with a remote control to make adjusting it as easy as changing the channel on your television set. Some models also come with a programmable pad that will start or stop the fan over a period of hours. This is a great way to keep the house cool for the pets while you are away at work.

If you’ll be using the fan in the house, look for a standing fan that is quiet. Bear in mind that the most powerful fans are often the noisiest, so if the room is not large, there is no reason to get an exceptionally powerful standing fan. Lower settings will produce less noise than higher settings, not just because the motor is not working as hard, but because the wind generated off the blades can also make noise. The shape of some fan blades make more wind noise than others. You might consider reading customer reviews to see which fans are quiet.

For warehouses and workplaces, power is usually more important than noise and a remote is probably unnecessary. A box fan might be a better choice for a warehouse. A box fan is much larger than a standing fan and moves more air. It is also noisier, but in a warehouse this shouldn’t be an issue.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By Laotionne — On Apr 02, 2014

Sometimes with an air conditioning system all rooms don't stay at the same temperature. The standing fan is a simple and inexpensive way to remedy the problem. I prefer to keep my thermostat set high during the warm weather and then use standing fans to make my house more comfortable.

A major advantage of a standing fan over the ceiling fan is that the standing fan can be easily moved from one room to another. Also the standing fan is cheaper than the ceiling fan and there is no complicated setup with the standing fan.

By Sporkasia — On Apr 02, 2014

My grandparents had several of the window box fans that were so popular many years ago. The fans worked great, especially at night when they could draw in the cool night air.

While I do not want to install one of these fans in my home, I do like the feel of that cool night air being sucked into the house. By opening my bedroom window and raising one of our standing fan to its full height and placing it in front of the window, I am able to recreate the effect of the old window fans at my grandparent's home.

By mobilian33 — On Apr 01, 2014

Though they are more difficult to find now a days, I always choose the metal standing fans over the plastic ones made today. I have one of the older metal ones, and I think it produces much more air than the plastic ones. I also prefer the look of the metal fans.

You should be careful with the blades of any fan, but keeping kids and objects away from the metal blades is even more important because these harder blades can cause more damage and injury.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.