Typical scenario in my shared condo - It's 2 AM and I'm lying in bed baking as I try to get some sleep. For whatever reason, my room is the warmest room in the house so I'm the only one who's sweating. I consider getting up and opening a window but it's raining out and that wouldn't make much difference anyway. It would just get everything wet.
So, finally, unable to take it anymore, I get up and turn the AC on. I stagger back to bed and prepare to drift off to sleep. I'm in bed for about two minutes before I hear a door open and the AC abruptly stops and I'm roasting again.
I'm at the store - I see the fans displayed and this Lasko Wind Curve catches my eye. I've never really been thrilled with having a fan in the house because they tend to be ugly but this one doesn't look too bad. Realizing I don't really need anything that powerful, I think this thing looks ideal. At about $50, the price isn't bad so I grab it. What I like -
1. Easy to assemble. I would have preferred no assembly at all but the base (Which comes in two pieces and slides together) screws on easily enough and that's the extent of the assembly. You only need a phillips screwdriver.
2. Three speeds. Actually I don't remember ever having a fan that didn't have 3 speeds but it's still nice to have them.
3. It's quiet. All reviews I've read mentioned this but it really is remarkably quiet. Even on high. Some have exaggerated. You will hear it in a quiet room but it's not noisy by a long shot.
4. It looks about as good as you can expect a fan to look. The tower design does save space
5. Remote control. This is just the icing on the cake. It isn't really necessary but it's convenient. All functions can be controlled from the remote.
6. Moves a surprising amount of air.
7. The oscillating feature is completely silent. I was wary of this because I've had oscillating fans and heaters that were very noisy. So far, no noise. This feature does not cover an extremely wide range. I'm not sure what it's range is. It is sufficient for one or two people sitting a reasonable distance away from the unit.
8. It has a timer function. I actually don't use this function but it can only be a bonus in case you ever need it, right? The implementation of the timer leaves a bit to be desired. It can take quite a few button presses to get just the time you want. But it's there and it works. Up to around 7 hours. What I dislike -
1. The curved profile isn't all that visually appealing. The fan looks good from the front but in profile, looks a little strange. I would have preferred it to be a straight column.
2. The ionizer doesn't seem to do anything even after extended periods.
3. The manufacturer has provided no way to disassemble the unit for cleaning. You must attempt to clean it with a vacuum. I doubt that is very effective (haven't tried it yet). What I mean here is you can't take it apart without voiding the warranty and risking damage to the unit (and possible injury to yourself). Lots of air moves through this unit. It stands to reason that it will eventually get very dusty inside.
Conclusion - I bought this to provide a light breeze in my hot, stuffy room. For that purpose, it works nicely. I would not try and substitute this for air conditioning in a very hot climate. It works better if you use it to supplement your air conditioning. My room is still quite warm but I don't notice as long as I'm in front of the fan.
If you are looking for a fan that will create a tornado in your house, this one isn't it. The highest setting will provide a gentle breeze from about six feet. It will cool you off. It won't blow you out of your seat.
I sleep better now without having to mess with the AC or worrying that other people are going to be too cold. I just run this when I need it and I rarely need to bother with AC anymore unless it gets really warm. I can't yet attest to it's durability.
Additional Notes - Epinions has this listed as an air purifier but it's basically a fan. I believe you will find it listed as a fan most places where it's sold.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50 Battery Life: N/A Noise Level: More quiet than most
3-speed oscillating tower fan with onboard remote control Wind Curve profile helps maximize air distribution Energy-saving timer offers auto shut-off ...More at Amazon
With its sophisticated Wind Curve Profile, Fresh Air Ionizer technology and oscillation, the Lasko Tower Fan 2551 provides fresh air throughout your e...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.