The Best Shop Fans (Review) in 2020

Honeywell wasn’t the brand we expected to hold the crown of best shop fans, but we’re happy to say that our expectations were exceeded. This little 12” fan packs a punch and circulates your shop very well. Breezes can be felt from 32 feet away, and they even include a one-year limited liability warranty. It’s limited because the plastic shell is fairly thin, and not very shock resistant. Knocking this off the table might spell its end.

Apart from that, the 90° pivoting head is only in one direction, and it’s rigid to move on your own. Keeping that in mind, it’s a very quiet fan that provides the perfect volume to be considered a workplace white noise machine. Honeywell’s HT-908 uses such a small amount of power that you won’t even see a change on your utility bill, so there’s no need to ration how long you have it on in the hopes of mitigating your electric bill.

Lasko is known for making some of the best high velocity fans, and this garage-specific shop fan is no exception. Included in your purchase, you get an easy carry handle (affixed) to move this fan around depending on where you need it, but you also get a metal bracket for wall mounting, which is particularly useful for garages. Everything about this fan meets ETL safety standards, so you don’t have to worry about having it around your children aged five and up. There is something peculiar about the speed dial, though: it goes from 0 to 3, and then descends from there.

You basically have to kick it on full blast straight away, even if you don’t want it. That’s just an odd design. There’s also a light whirring sound on the 1 speed, but it disappeared on the 2 and 3. You’ll notice that the blades have center cuts in all of them. This makes movements much more aerodynamic, so you’re using less power, while getting the maximum amount of wind power out of this fan. Whatever project you’re running, this is going to help keep things aerated properly.

Easily the best industrial fan for small shops and garages, Stanley’s consistency over the years doesn’t go unnoticed. Starting out right at the top, you get two separate 120 V outlets right next to the fan controller. Much like others, it has a zero to three setting, then descends from there. The entire operation is whisper quiet, even when you kick it on the highest setting. That’s partially because of the blower motor instead of blades being present. It looks good on the outside, but that luster will soon fade.

The exterior plastic is prone to retaining scratches and damage. Beyond that, the air flow is good, but only up to 18 feet away. After that, you can’t really feel much of it. The whole duct pivots in a vertical motion to give you multiple angles, while the quick carry handle makes it easy to move around as needed. There’s no option for wall or permanent mounting, but since it’s so lightweight, you won’t have an issue getting it from A to B quickly.

As far as a high velocity fan, Hurricane did a fantastic job making one of the most viable ones on the market. The price is in the higher range, but it gives you so many options to circulate air in your workshop or garage that it’s crazy. Use the oscillation lever to mess with the three speeds and change the direction, all without worrying about the motor overheating—there’s thermal protection in place to automatically shut it down.

The thing is, that oscillation lever I mentioned isn’t sturdy. It’s prone to being bent, so do be careful. The only major downside to this fan is that the unique grooves on the fan blades just harbor more dust, so cleaning needs to be done often, and can take a while. Your 1400 RPM motor is built tough, so you can circulate air in your workspace with a single, wall mount-ready fan in no time.

You need a shop fan, one single fan to do the entire job. If you’ve got a bigger space, this high velocity 7,680 CFM fan is just the ticket. You can choose from three variable speeds, just be warned that it’s powerful enough to send some papers flying. Not ideal for super small spaces. That’s because it’s powerful, but also because it’s very noisy, and the smaller the space you’re in the louder the noise will be.

With all that power, the motor vibrates a bit. This can loosen the torque bolts without any manual intervention, so perform maintenance on this fan once a month to check for loose bolts. Speaking of the motor, it’s thermally protected, meaning when it reaches a certain temperature the kill switch engages, and powers everything down. Plug in the long power cable, leave it on, and it will take care of the rest.

While this might not be an industrial fan, it behaves like one. You get a good amount of airflow through the three variable speeds, as well as the different positions you can rig the fan in. Choose to either wall mount or leave on the stand, but if you want an opinion of someone who’s tested this, the wall mount option is better. The stand can tip over sometimes, making it a bit difficult to position it without mounting it.

Mounting the fan is simple, and everything is included, but you might need to use a wall stud finder to get a good spot before continuing. Overall, it’s the most affordable fan on our list with this much power, because B-Air wants to introduce you to their brand and their higher line of fans. This gives you a moderate amount of circulation for, say, a two-car garage, and isn’t very loud either.

You might know Lasko for all those window box fans you had when you were a kid, but they also make a great small high velocity fan. This 20” fan comes with enough power to circulate air in a one-car garage with ease, and still provides good ventilation for larger spaces as well. The floor grips on the stand are decent, but don’t really provide enough traction to be considered excellent.

There’s a low hum that comes from the motor when you turn it on. The blade is a bit loose and needs to be tightened from time to time, which can be mildly inconvenient. Using the wall mounted bracket, you can just pick this up and pop it on the wall whenever you like. Choose from three variable speeds on this ETL-listed, safe shop fan to keep things moving.

You need a high power fan? Maxx is one brand that won’t let you down. Unlike many brands that do their primary manufacturing in China, Maxx handle most of their practice in America, where they have high standards for what passes. This fan rarely comes with any defects; it’s a well put-together unit. Taking the grate off to clean it is a bit of a chore, though.

Maxx asks for a pretty high price point for this fan, but when you look at the versatility and power, it’s not unreasonable, just high budget. You can mount this on the wall, ceiling, or use the two-wheel stand to move it around on the floor. Everything is OSHA-compliant thanks to the 10-foot grounded cord, and the 180° swivel function helps to circulate air in larger areas.

A fan is a fan—if it serves its function, then I’m happy with it, but Air King has a bit of a problem maintaining aesthetics with this industrial fan. The black metal finish wears down after a few months, but it doesn’t impede upon the function. You still have 7,400 CFM of power to seriously circulate the air in your workspace. Mix that with the convenient two-wheel floor stand, and it’s usable just about anywhere you need airflow.

It works well to prevent mold and mildew growth, while simultaneously complying with OSHA and ETL standards for safety. Pivot this any way you want, and feel just how powerful this three-blade fan can be. It’s simple to clean, but when it comes to the warranty, it’s anything but simple to understand. They layer in so many different clauses, making it difficult to properly fulfill that warranty if you run into issues down the road.

This high velocity floor fan brings you 100 ft of distance when aimed in a direct path on its highest setting. With three variable speeds, you get drastically different amounts of airflow to contour to different tasks you’ll be performing in your shop or workspace. They include a five-year limited warranty, but it has one odd stipulation: you can’t use this fan outside of the US, otherwise it voids the agreement.

On top of that the handle is basically useless. You can move the fan with it, but the grip holds almost zero traction, so you might feel this fan swing in your hand unless you have an iron grip. In terms of safety, it’s OSHA-certified thanks to the ten-foot grounded power cable. On the bottom of the fan stand, those four rubber grips do an excellent job of keeping it in place even when it’s on max.

Patton wasn’t a brand we thought of when we decided to make a list of the best shop fans, but they surprised us. This high velocity fans gets the job done for a while, but eventually you can notice that the motor starts to wear down and the high velocity wanes a bit. It’s quiet and directs a good amount of airflow through the 18” blade diameter, kept upright by the sturdy stand.

Taking the guard/front grate off is easy, making fan cleaning time a breeze. You can position the fan by adjusting the stand, but after a while, you’re going to have to use some WD-40 on the hinge. It squeaks after a few weeks due to how tight the stand is, so it’s like a small problem created because the fan prevents a bigger problem; tipping over.

Designed for the front porch, but versatile enough to be used in your shop, Maxx Air brings you a simple wall mount unit. It’s lightweight enough to mount easily and not have a ton of drag on the wall, which is good if you’re putting it through a simple sheetrock stud. Position it any way you want with the 180° swivel function, and let it circulate the air in your room. I would only use this when you’re home or actually working in your shop, because the motor can heat up a bit.

It takes a few hours and there’s no fire hazard, but it’s still something that makes most people (myself included) uncomfortable). It’s also quite loud, which won’t be an issue if you’re using power tools. Assembly is quick right out of the box, and everything is OSHA-compliant for that extra peace of mind. You get good air flow from the 18” diameter, and a middle-of-the-road price point to even everything out.

This is a ton of power packed into a small fan. Before testing, we were fully expecting it to not meet the necessary standards. It actually lives up to the 170 ft distance promise very well, despite only being 14” in diameter. If you position the fan to blow straight down, you can cool up to 85 ft in all direction, making it very handy for drying out a garage all in one motion. It’s a high price, and while it’s worth it there’s no budget option, like choosing a lower diameter fan.

Apart from the price, it’s been known to arrive with missing parts. The fan itself still functions, but you might be left without washers or a handle. XPOWER is quick to resolve the issue, but it’s still an extra step that shouldn’t be a concern. You can’t underplay the power here—if you position this properly, this is the last fan that you’re ever going to need in your shop.

Air circulation is important for plenty of reasons that we list below in our buying guide. B-Air made this circulation fan to help with water damage, but that makes it perfect for your shop. Choose from one of the three variable speeds and let it go to town, blowing air throughout the bottom of the room to circulate it upwards. You can use the quarter circle handle to position it to directly aim upwards. It’s a good fan, but when it comes in the box, it might have some scratches in the plastic body.

This isn’t surprising since it arrives a bit dusty and not in proper packaging half the time. Even if it’s brand new, it might not look like it. Utilize the extension inputs under the variable speed dial, and aim it where you need it to prevent mold and mildew growth in your shop, while keeping the air fresh. Floor fans like this help prevent chemicals from gathering on surfaces as well.

Stanley is basically the old reliable of tool and equipment brands. It just works. This fan only comes in their hazard yellow color that they’re famous for, but it delivers on all the quality aspects you’d expect from Stanley. First and foremost, it’s a high velocity unit that maintains good air flow even at the total 20” diameter (largest model). It runs pretty heavy though, so your energy consumption is going to be increased.

Apart from that, the only downside is the lackluster warranty, which came as a bit of a surprise from Stanley. You can chose from four separate sizes, so that it can fit your budget as you see fit. With sturdy rubber grips on the bottom of the stand, this stays where you put it regardless of the flooring material—concrete, tile, doesn’t matter. It’s sturdy and reliable, but expect to see a spike on your energy bill if you have this running for multiple hours each day.