I really don’t like being hot.
I dread the arrival of hot weather and fantasize about ways to escape it. As soon as the heat threatens, I panic-load the freezer with Popsicles and pull out the fans from the closet.
Thankfully, a particularly powerful fan with a vintage vibe helps keep me cool all summer long.
My house has ductless mini-splits, so I’ve found it especially helpful to have fans to spread that cool, delicious conditioned air to areas it can’t quite reach on its own.
For almost a decade, Wirecutter has been recommending some version of the Vornado 630 Medium Air Circulator. The first time I tried it, I couldn’t believe how that small fan could make my home’s AC feel that much more powerful than it was—I could feel hints of cool air in hard-to-reach spots around the house where there had never been any before.
But there was one problem: I didn’t particularly like looking at it every day.
I would style plants around the fan to obscure it as much as I could without hindering its function. And as soon as the heat loosened its sweaty grip, I’d stuff the fan back in the closet for winter.
So when I saw that Vornado also made a pretty, vintage-looking version, the Vornado Silver Swan Alchemy (Wirecutter’s upgrade pick), and that it performed just as well as our almost decade-old top pick, I couldn’t order one fast enough.
Having objects around the house that bring me joy every time I look at them is my version of ASMR. And if they’re also functional, well, that just makes my heart skip a beat.
