Pedestal Fans
The classic pedestal fan is just as popular today as it's ever been. They're simple, affordable, and effective, making them an all-around great way to keep cool!
No-Nonsense Air Cooling
The classic pedestal fan is still one of the best ways to keep cool. They come in many shapes and sizes, but the models you see on this page all offer unbeatable value for a high level of performance.
Incredible Value
If you’re looking for something powerful enough to cool down a medium-to-large room without breaking the bank, a pedestal fan is ideal. They’ve been around for a long time, and are probably the first thing you’ll picture when you think of an electric fan. There’s a very good reason why they’ve been around for so long while still having the same basic design – they’re the best-value fans around!
Ideal for Keeping Rooms Cool
Almost all pedestal fans have an oscillation (or swing) setting to help them circulate air around a room more effectively. They also have large fan heads with wide blades, which means they can move a large amount of air at high speed. Both of these features combined mean pedestal fans are really good at circulating air around a room, so they can easily cool 4-5 people at once (unless it’s a smaller model).
Placement
Like all fans, pedestal fans are best placed near an open door or window. This helps them work with a room’s existing airflow so they can move the air around more effectively. Remember that fans don’t extract heat from the air, they just get it moving which helps it stay cool and fresh. If the air is already moving a little thanks to an open window, placing your fan there will help make its job a little easier.
Desktop Pedestal Fans
If you don’t want or need to keep a whole room cool, you can pick up a smaller desktop fan. Instead of placing it on the floor, pop it on a desk nearby! Bear in mind that these fans aren’t really designed to cool down whole rooms, but they’re great for staying chilled in the office or in the kitchen.
History of the Electric Fan
The very first electric-powered fan was a pedestal fan! While handheld fans have been used across the world for thousands of years, it wasn’t until 1882 that the first electric model was designed. American engineer Schuyler Wheeler’s first design was essentially made of two large propellers powered by an electric motor. There was no protective cage around the fan blades, which was exactly as dangerous as you’d think!
The design was bought by the Curtis and Crocker Company, which was where Wheeler worked. They were the first to commercially manufacture electric fans, although thankfully they did start to put protective cages around them!
While the fan was initially expensive, as more manufacturers from across the world started coming up with their own designs, their prices started to drop. The fans became more refined, smaller, and with improved blade shapes to improve performance. By 1910, fans were small and affordable enough to be practical for household use. Around the same time, businesses were less reliant on fans for their air cooling needs because of a hot (or should that be cool?) new invention – the air conditioner! This meant fan manufacturers could focus their attention on homeowners rather than commercial customers, which led to pedestal fans becoming cheaper, smaller, and safer.
