This budget-friendly Vonhaus fan will be ideal for those who prefer a more gentle breeze to a powerful gust
I put the Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan through it's paces in my home
This fan may not be the quietest or the most powerful I've tested, but that's not to say it doesn't have much going for it. For an affordable pedestal fan, it creates a comfortable breeze and can get the air flowing. This will be ideal if you find strong wind speeds uncomfortable, as this fan is much more gentle. This is also an ideal option if you find some pedestal fans too short as this is by far the tallest pedestal fan I've tried.
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Tallest fan I've tested
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Affordable
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Simple to use controls
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Gentle wind speeds are lovely
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Not the most powerful
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Noisy in higher speed settings
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With a run of mild weather and the first heatwave of the year signalling a warmer summer to come, it's been the ideal time for me to put the Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan through its paces.
I've been testing various models from a whole range of brands and price points in my own home so I can help you choose the best fan for your home.
This time, it's a budget-friendly pedestal fan offering from Vonhaus. But can this affordable option stand up against its more expensive competitors?
In a nutshell
If you want a pedestal fan and are on a tight budget, then the Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan will be well worth investigating. It's height is great if you prefer a taller fan (it's the tallest fan I've tested with a max height of 128cm), and it offers a decent scope of wind speeds, from ultra gentle to a more significant breeze. If you find the wind speed of some fans to be too strong, then the lower speed settings of this one will be right up your street. In addition to being really comfortable on the skin and not drying your eyes out, the lower speed settings are pleasingly quiet.
But if power is what you are after, then you may be disappointed. Even out of 24 wind speeds, it's top speed is more like the middle speed of other fans I've tested that have a more premium price tag. With a more affordable price tag, you may also have to make a compromise when it comes to how loud the fan is at higher speeds. If you aren't bothered by noise then this won't be an issue, but if you are, this may be a deal breaker.
This budget-friendly Vonhaus fan is less powerful than other fans I've tested, which will suit those who find stronger wind speeds uncomfortable.
As well as being Ideal Home's Renovation Editor, I also look after all of the website's heating and cooling content, which means I'm well versed in what it takes to keep your home a comfortable temperature year round and how you can do that in the most energy efficient way possible. I tested the Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan in my 1970s three-bed home daily for more than three weeks. As well as trying it out in my kitchen diner to see how well it performed in a larger space, and my living room, I used it in my bedroom every night. Find out more about how we test fans.
Specification
- Type of fan: Pedestal
- RRP: £64.99
- Weight: 5.4kgs
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 42 x 110-128 x 42cm
- Wattage: 30W
- Wind speed (metres/second): 0.8-3.7m/s
- Running costs per hour (based on energy price cap at the time of writing): 0.74p/hour
- Number of fan speed settings: 24
- Noise in dB: 37-81dB
- Smart features: N/A
- Dual functionality: None
- Oscillation: Horizontal (80°), manual vertical tilt (+7/-15°)
Unboxing, setting up and first impressions
The Vonhaus 16'' Pedestal Fan arrived in a cardboard box, with the pieces wrapped in recyclable plastic and molded cardboard forms.
There's a little bit of assembly required (you'll need a little screwdriver), which was largely manageable, but I did find the instructions for assembling the fan head a little confusing. However, with a little trial and error, I managed to get it together. All in all assembling the fan took me just under 10 minutes.
Once put together, I just needed to plug it in and then it was ready to go.
My first impressions on looks were that this was taller than other fans I'd tested, which I liked (this may be down to the fact I'm quite tall myself, but my friend had also recently explained to me that she needed to invest in a new fan for her daughter who has a taller bed and the existing fan meant she didn't feel any of the benefit of it). I also noticed that the fan blades were transparent, which I'd not seen before.
What's it like to use?
The Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan is quite intuitive to use via the on-board controls or simple remote control. By default the fan starts on speed 10 (of 24) which you can adjust easily using the plus and minus buttons on the remote, or repeatedly pressing the wind icon on the fan itself. I found it easier to use the remote as your can cycle up or down the wind speeds, while the control panel only allows you to cycle upwards.
I like that there are different modes, from comfort (which maintains a consistent wind speed), natural (which varies the wind speed to mimic a natural breeze), and night mode (which gradually reduces speed as you fall asleep). You can select these on the remote control or the control panel, and there's a little icon that displays to show you which mode you are in.
The fan has 24 wind speeds in total, which range from ultra gentle (which will appeal to those who struggle with fans being too powerful) — speed 1 is very gentle indeed, so much so that it didn't register on my anemometer (which measures wind speed), but I could feel a gentle fluttering of air across my skin. According to my readings, speeds vary from 0.8-3.7 metres per second between speeds 2 and 24. By default, the fan always starts on speed 10 when you turn it on, which is a nice soft breeze. The lower speed settings will be ideal for those who find more powerful wind speeds uncomfortable.
As there are so many wind speeds, I found it really handy that there are two buttons on the remote which allow you to jump to a mid-point (speed 15) and top speed (24) rather than increasing the levels one by one.
However, as you increase the speed, the fan does get noisier, and by the time you reach top speeds, it's definitely louder than other fans I've tested. I clocked it at 81dB at top speed which my decibel meter says is the equivalent of a noisy street, so I definitely didn't use this setting when using it at night. In fact, I rarely used the top speed setting, even in the heatwave, because I have the luxury of having other fans that have faster top speeds at a quieter noise level. Similarly, while the natural mode feels lovely, you can hear the motor speed up and ease off as the wind speed changes, which wasn't that problematic when I was watching TV or listening to music, but it was noticeable when I was working and didn't have any other noise going on.
I tried this fan in different room sizes (from my 12m2 bedroom up to my 21m2 kitchen diner), and despite it's large fan head, I'd say it's best in medium sized rooms. Something more compact, or even one of the best desk fans may be better in small rooms that are short on floor space. When using this fan in my kitchen diner, I put it at one end of the room and I stood at the other (about 5m away) to see how it felt. At top speed, I could only feel a slight breeze, so I'd definitely say you need to be within 3.5m to feel the benefit of the breeze this fan creates.
In terms of oscillation, the Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan can oscillate side to side, which allows it to get more air flowing, but any vertical movement is manual. Fortunately, it's very easy to tilt the fan head to your chosen position.
When it comes to portability, it's definitely possible to move this fan around the house with you, but doing so at its full height is a little cumbersome. I'd adjust it to its lowest height before taking it up and down stairs. However, if you are much shorter than me (I'm 5'10''), this might be a little trickier.
Running costs
At 30W, and like most fans, this fan won't cost you a fortune to run. Based on the April 26 energy price cap of 24.67p per kWh of electricity, which was in place at the time of writing this review, the Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan will cost you 0.74p per hour to run.
Cleaning and maintenance
A regular dust with a dry cloth will keep this fan in good working order, and you can dissemble the fan head if you see dust starting to accumulate on the blades. I'd also say it's worth holding on to the box for storing the fan during the winter months to prevent any inadvertent damage.
Who should buy this fan?
If your primary requirements are for a tall pedestal fan with a softer breeze for an affordable price, then the Vonhaus 16'' pedestal fan could definitely fit the bill. While it has an RRP of £64.99, I have seen it on sale for under £50, which may cement your decision further.
However, if you can stretch your budget a little further, then the Silentnight Airmax Pro360 Pedestal Fan is quieter and more powerful with multidirectional oscillation, but still under £100.
If a strong wind speed is what you are after, then the AirCraft LUME fan is the most powerful I've tested, reaching 5.3m/s at top speed. It too is quieter and comes with an integrated ambient backlight. Those features do command a higher price though — the LUME has an RRP of £149. The Meaco Sefte 10'' Pedestal Air Circulator (which I've crowned the best fan overall in our round-up) comes a very close second at 5.2m/s.
For an ultra-quiet fan that is ideal for the bedroom, the Duux Whisper 3 lives up to its name and is whisper-quiet. Or you could opt for the smart version the Duux Whisper Flex 2, which you can operate from your smartphone.