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When on the hunt for a great fan for your room, the best window fans stand out because they save-space and limit your energy bill (when compared to air conditioners), without you having to sacrifice on power or cooling capabilities. But, knowing what to look for in a window fan is tricky, and not all of the information manufacturers put out there is 100 percent honest. So, what makes for a great window fan?
The best window fans are dual, reversible fans, which are generally superior to their single fan counterparts. That's because with two-fan designs, as one fan pushes the warm air out, the other fan simultaneously cools air from outside and funnels it back into your space. While some single fans can work well, you'll have to sift through a lot more subpar options that take longer to cool, and can't work as efficiently as dual fans. That's why all three of the window fans on this roundup feature twin, reversible designs.
From there, your decision will come down to extras you might be looking for: ultra-quiet performance; a remote control to operate it; or a budget-friendly price tag. But, to help you narrow your search, I've done the research and can say that these are the three best window fans for the money.
1
Best Overall Window Fan
This Bionaire window fan is built with 8.5-inch blades that move air up to 30 feet away, and comes with a lot of convenient features that other models don't. With a remote control operation, this fan can be adjusted (in temperature, speed, etc.) or turned on and off from anywhere in the room. You can also program the thermostat to automatically adjust to your preferred temperature. The fan's motors are water-resistant, durable, and can be used to intake cool air, push out warm air, or do both simultaneously. This fan also has a lightweight frame that is designed to fit double-hung, vertical-slider, and casement windows from 24 to 37 inches wide.
2
The Quietest
For the quietest overall experience, this window fan from Lasko has multiple silent settings, so you can pick your preferred sound level. While "whisper quiet" is a bit of a buzzword in the fan community, this Lasko fan actually lives up to the hype with fans praising it's silent performance: "Works very well! Quiet enough for me to sleep at nights with it running. Moves a nice amount of air and keeps it circulating."
Although it is smaller than the Bionaire model, it has the advantage of coming with snap-on feet, in case you want to convert it to a stand-alone fan to sit on the floor or other surface. It also can be installed horizontally or vertically into windows 25 to 35 inches wide. But, please note, one big reason this fan doesn't take the overall best spot on this list is that it's not water-resistant. While the majority of the fan will be protected by the frame of your window, if you live in particularly rainy areas, this might not be the best option for you.
3
The Most Affordable
With more than 4,000 reviews to its name and an $18 price tag, this Holmes dual blade window fan is a great buy. It features two twin 6-inch, water-resistant blades, and a water-resistant motor that can cool your entire space. In addition, the fan has two speeds, and a manual-reverse air flow control, which means you'll have to flip your fan in order to get it to switch from bringing cool air in, to letting hot air out.
One Amazon reviewer breaks down how it differs from the more expensive models on this list: "I purchased this just after buying the fancier Bionaire reversible model with remote and thermostat. This is basically a no-frills version of that one. Slightly smaller and less bulky (actually fits in the window better than the Bionaire) and it is only reversible if you flip the unit around. However, it's still a great little fan!"
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