AmazonBasics Tower Fan review: The cheap way to stay cool

Amazon’s own-brand tower fan is one of the most popular cooling options out there, and it’s not difficult to understand why. For one thing, the AmazonBasics range has built a reputation for great value and respectable performance. For another, it’s really cheap. There are other tower fans for under £50, but not many you’d want to rely on in the full heat of summer. Is the AmazonBasics the bargain basement tower fan you can trust?

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AmazonBasics 3 Speed Oscillating Tower Fan review: What do you get for your money?

For £30 you get a basic tower fan with straightforward controls, simple features and more power than you might expect for the price.

It stands nearly 80cm high, but while the glossy white plastics look good, both the control knobs and the stand feel cheap – the fan wobbles at the slightest knock.

AmazonBasics 3 Speed Oscillating Tower Fan review: What features and settings does it have?

You have two control knobs, with the left switching the fan on and operating the timer, and the right switching between the three power settings – low, medium and high – plus a button to toggle oscillation on and off. Oddly, the power control can be twisted left or right, with the settings the same on each side. The manual says this is for user convenience, though some might find it just confusing.

The timer, meanwhile, turns the fan off after a period of up to three hours. It’s a mechanical timer rather than digital, but works reliably nonetheless.

AmazonBasics 3 Speed Oscillating Tower Fan review: How well does it perform?

The most important thing with any fan is airflow, and the AmazonBasics delivers on this count. We measured the maximum airflow at a 1m range at 2.6m/sec, which is lower than the 30in Ansio Tower Fan or NSA Ultimate Column Fan, but substantially better than the NSA Dual Position Tower Fan or the Honeywell HYF1101E1. Even on the low and medium settings you can get a good airflow; we measured 2.1m/s and 1.6m/s respectively, and when you throw in oscillation, it’s fine for cooling a section of a room.

Like the Ansio, it’s on the noisy side. At full blast you’re looking at 50.3dB, and even at the lowest setting it can dish out 41.9dB, which is a lot louder than the 33.9dB of the NSA Dual Position. It’s also very similar to the Ansio in terms of power consumption, needing 33.6W at full power and 23.4W on low, matching the Ansio’s 33.6W and 23.4W very closely. For reference, the NSA Ultimate Column fan used just 12W on its lowest setting.

AmazonBasics 3 Speed Oscillating Tower Fan review: Is there anything we didn’t like?

Oscillation isn’t what you’d call a big strength. Not only is the effect restricted to a 60-degree arc, but the tower wobbles as it rotates back and forth. We also found the fan intermittently made a weird rattling noise while on the timer or left on standby which only stopped once it was turned off.

AmazonBasics 3 Speed Oscillating Tower Fan review: Should you buy it?

For this kind of money you can’t expect premium build quality or a great set of features, and some of this fan’s niggles can be irritating. Yet it’s hard to grumble when the AmazonBasics gives you good, fuss-free cooling on such a minuscule budget. Better, quieter tower fans are available, but they cost north of £50. Given the current £30 asking price, the AmazonBasics is a solid buy.