Our Favorite Cooling Fan

The nursery is where our summer battles are won or lost. A too-warm room means the baby fights sleep, and a fan that rattles or clicks is almost worse than no fan at all. We went through a couple of cheap ones that buzzed just enough to keep everyone half-awake before we gave up and started over.

The DREO Quiet Oscillating Tower Fan is the one that finally stuck. It runs at somewhere around 20dB, which is quiet enough that it hums along all night in the nursery without anyone noticing, and it oscillates wide enough to move air across a whole room instead of just one crib. It is also light, so we carry it wherever the heat lands — nursery one night, the playroom the next.

Against the other fans we looked at, the DREO won on the boring stuff that actually matters in a full house. A few bladed fans were louder and felt flimsy around curious little hands, and a pricier tower did not move noticeably more air. This one is slim, easy to wipe down, and gentle enough on the power bill that we leave it running guilt-free. When something keeps six kids cooler and quieter without any drama, it is hard to argue with.