Have you been sweating through a sweltering hot summer this year? Chances are the answer is yes given the skyrocketing temperatures worldwide. The UK has seen the hottest summers on record, and the EU and US have likewise seen sweltering heat, with the NOAA announcing the highest global temperatures for July ever.
Life’s getting hotter, which means that it’s getting harder to keep cool and carry on – which is what makes investing in ACs and fans so important. The former can command a steep installation cost and monthly electricity bill, making fans feel like a breath of fresh air by comparison.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what you should be on the hunt for when browsing the best quiet desk fan options on the market, and which offers are breezy, easy, and worth your time and money.
What to Look for
First and foremost, you need to make sure that the fan can actually cool a space. That means it needs to effectively circulate air, which in turn means it has to have more power to do so than one of those tiny handheld battery-powered fans people carry at amusement parks and stadiums. This means finding fans that circulate air effectively
Of course, you don’t want to have to choose between feeling hot and feeling like you’re trapped in a wind tunnel. That means your air needs to be able to strike a balance between circulating air and not sounding like a jet engine, so look for a quiet desk fan and check the decibel levels whenever possible.
This fits in with another key component – longevity. You don’t want a fan that’s quiet for a few weeks and then starts to wear out and starts howling like a tornado. To count as a truly silent desk fan, you need to be able to count on its ability to remain silent and consistent for years to come.
If you are indeed looking for a desk fan, or one you can pair with your computer, USB compatibility would be a nice touch. In addition, you’ll want to think about how you’re going to power this fan. If you aren’t powering it off of your laptop or whatever the source of that USB port may be, you’re left with the old options of battery power or plugging it in. Which of these is more cost efficient will depend on the model, so pay close attention to how long each model can run and their energy efficiency ratings.
Finally, you’ll want to give a thought to just how big of a fan to get. After all, as a desk fan, you need it to fit on your desk comfortably without taking up too much space. While bigger can sometimes mean a more powerful unit, there are plenty of smaller desk fans that are small, quiet, and still capable of circulating air with the best of them.
Top Seven Desk Fans
So the quest for the quietest desk fan begins. Discussed below are seven selections that are among the best available.
1) Vornado VFAN Mini Classic Personal Vintage Air Circulator Fan
When you think of a desk fan, you probably think of something like this model from Vornado. Those “classic” and “vintage” descriptors, as this model manages to capture a traditional desk fan style without actually looking or feeling old-fashioned. It also comes in a variety of colors, from white to grey to taupe. If you’re looking for a Traditional Desk Fan 2.0, without much fuss, this may be a good choice.
Of course, that doesn’t mean anything as far as how well this model is able to circulate air or cool down a room. While it doesn’t give a decibel reading like other fans on this list, it is nevertheless on the quieter side. It boasts two different settings, and the head of the fan can be tilted, allowing you to better angle the fan in such a way as to maximize the degree to which you are able to keep cool.
This model can be on the pricier side, but as long as you’re willing to pay, you’ll likely like what you get in return.
- Classic design
- Comes in many colors
- Powerful fans
- Multi-directional tilt ability
- Pricier model
Our rating: 
4.8 / 5
2) Ozeri Brezza III Dual Oscillating 10″ High Velocity Desk Fan
This silent desk fan comes with a lot of controls on both the base of the unit as well as a remote control, allowing you a greater degree of control over your fan close up or far away. It is also one of the quietest desk fan options listed here with low decibel levels.
The casing is a sleek black and grey, while the model itself is a standard circular fan that can be tilted up and down. It has an impressive four speeds to its credit, and also boasts a four-hour time as well as several additional settings. It is also quite compact, lightweight at just about 6 lbs, and affordable.
- Lightweight and portable
- Four fan speeds
- Low decibel levels
- Simplistic design
Our rating: 
4.7 / 5
3) Vornado Zippi Small Personal Fan
Points for creativity – this is definitely one of the most unique designs on our list, if only because the blades are not covered by an outer shell casing and instead whirl free. If that sounds for a horrible recipe for disaster a la propeller blades from Indiana Jones, never fear – these blades are made from soft nylon, making them soft to the touch and completely safe. Adding to that aesthetic style is the wide range of colors in which this model is available, from traditional black and white models to “Blueberry” and “Sublime Green.”
What’s more, the lack of casing around the blades and the overall compact size of this model makes it incredibly portable. If you’re looking for a choice to take with you to and from work, or on the road with you, this may be a good option.
This option also has two settings, and while there is a slight difference between them in terms of sound, neither is particularly loud.
- Stylish design
- Great color variation
- Highly portable
- Nylon blades are safe and innovative
- Weaker than other fans on our list
Our rating: 
4.6 / 5
4) Honeywell HT-900 TurboForce Air Circulator Fan
This is a very traditional desk fan, no more, no less. Honeywell HT-900 is on the quieter side, with Honeywell boasting that it’s 25% quieter than the competition. It has a max range of 27 feet, which is pretty good for a small quiet desk fan. It comes with three speeds and can pivot as far as 90 degrees, which allows you greater control over where you want the air to blow and how strongly you wish it to do so. For small to medium rooms especially, it should be more than enough to help you keep cool.
In addition, the unit is designed to help you save money on electricity bills by being up to 20% more efficient than other models.
It may not have some of the bells and whistles of other models, but you could indeed do well with Honeywell’s traditional desk fan.
- Highly efficient
- Good for small to medium rooms
- Good pivot action
- Excellent price
- No frills means fewer features
Our rating: 
4.5 / 5
5) Honeywell HTF210B Quiet Set Personal Table Fan
Here we have another option from Honeywell, and one with a far different design than the other, more conventional one. This desk fan has a more cylindrical design, making it easier to fit into narrow areas.
It is a bit larger than other quiet desk fans at around 13 inches tall. On the other hand, it is incredibly lightweight at just two pounds. It has four speeds and can oscillate to circulate air around the room with ease. This model is highly affordable, but you get what you pay for, and the inexpensive plastic on this model is more fragile and prone to cracking when put under pressure.
Still, as long as you’re gentle with it, this can be an effective fan.
- Quiet operation
- Lightweight and portable
- Affordable
- Plastic parts can crack
- Although considered low noise, the operation is not as quiet as with other fans on our list
Our rating: 
4.4 / 5
6) Dyson Powerful Large Air Multiplier Pedestal Fan
Can you imagine a fan without the fan blades? If so, chances are you might be thinking of something like this offering from Dyson. As one of the most established names in the appliance industry, Dyson is always looking to innovate, and this bladeless model can indeed seem like a glimpse into the future.
The lack of blades makes this one of the safest models. In addition, no blades means no air friction against those blades, hence no whirring sound, thus making this one of the quietest desk fan options out there. Instead of blades, it has a special system which generates its own airflow through a special ring. This model is taller than other models, making it less portable. However, that’s more than offset by the fact it is also quite energy efficient, using as much as 15% less electricity than other models.
The innovations don’t stop there. This model’s Air Multiplier technology allows it to generate a consistent flow of air without stopping, but still comes with a sleep timer so you don’t have to worry about it blowing all night and wasting electricity. In addition, it also features a remote control with 10 different settings, allowing you to have more control over how your fan blows than with most other models. It also features an oscillating and tilting design that allows you to angle the airflow just about anywhere. Without the blades, the inside of the ring is extremely easy to clean.
It is much more expensive than other fans on this list, but if you’re truly looking for one of the most advanced and quietest desk fan options on the market, it’s hard to go wrong with this dynamic Dyson.
- Innovative bladeless design
- Whisper quiet
- 10 remote control settings
- Oscillating tilting design
- Energy efficient
- Very expensive
- Taller than the average desk fan
Our rating: 
4.3 / 5
7) Fancii Small Personal Desk USB Fan
Made from sturdy aluminum, this small desk fan plugs right into your computer or anywhere else that supports a USB cable. It comes with its own long USB cable, so you plug it in and move it where you need it. The model is very small, only about 10 cm in diameter. In addition, it does not take a lot of energy, only about two watts, making it one of the most efficient silent desk fan options on this list.
If you’re wondering how two watts could possibly generate a lot of airflow, the answer is that it doesn’t. This is not the kind of model that is designed to cool an entire room. The clue is in the name – this is a small, personal desk fan to cool yourself, not your entire office. That said, this can also be more convenient for those looking for a slight refreshing breeze without disturbing paperwork around you.
- Very quiet at only 30 decibels
- USB cable included
- Compact model
- Good for personal use
- Weaker than other models
- While a quiet fan, for some 30 decibels might be too much
Our rating: 
4.2 / 5
Conclusion
So, where does that leave us?
As you can see, your choice of silent desk fan depends a great deal on what you value.
If you care about your fan being lightweight and portable, the Ozeri and Honeywell HTF201B are among your best bets.
If what you really care about is style, the nylon blade-baring Vornado Zippi can be an excellent choice.
But if you want a model that is top of the line and don’t care about the cost, the Dyson is a fantastic investment, and one that can make its money back with its energy efficiency.
Lastly, if silence is the name of the game, then the Dyson and Fancii fans are among the most whisper quiet models out there.
Don’t sweat your desk fan choice. Match your needs and desires against the models listed here, and any of these quiet desk fan options can help you keep cool and carry on this summer and beyond.
