Whether you use your garage as a dedicated workspace or for weekend tinkering, you need it to be comfortable. But without air conditioning, your garage can heat up quickly and get really stuffy, especially in summer. When it happens, your indoor fan will be of no help as it’s not powerful enough for a larger place. A two- or three-car garage can be anywhere between 400 and 1,200 square feet, so you need a more powerful fan to cool it. Luckily, there are fans specially designed for that purpose.
With one of the best garage fans on our list, your garage will be as cold as a mountain spring, with the bonus of removing airborne contaminants quickly. We gained an insight into major features of such fans and examined plenty of customer and expert reviews to bring together 8 different fans and cover all possible needs. Whether you want it to be wall- or ceiling-mounted for continuous cooling, or you want to take it with you to create a directed air stream, you can pick one of those fans below. Depending on the square footage of your garage, you can choose more or less powerful fan. And we covered such details as speeds, build, and even power cord length to give you all the information you need while making your choice.
The table below will guide you to the type of fan you are looking for quickly by identifying your needs. It is followed by in-depth reviews of the top eight fans on the market today, so be sure to check them out as well. And, as you peruse this article, be sure to go through the Buying Guide to find out everything you need to know to pick your best garage fan.
There is a lot to like about this large fan from Lasko, which is why it is considered by many to be the best garage fan on the market today. First off, it is extremely easy to use. All you need to do is plug it in, aim it, and then choose from one of the three powerful air moving speeds, with its highest putting out 3,460 CFM. The plug on this fan is built for both safety and practicality. It is a grounded three-pronged plug, which will cut off all current to the fan if there should be a problem with the fan’s motor or a power surge. This feature is a wonderful way to guarantee your safety while you work.
The fan features tubular steel construction and metal blades, which add durability. The motor, which will provide a relatively quiet experience, is also built to keep this fan running for a good long time. It’s built with a protective case around it, but with several small openings in the housing to help the motor cool. However, you shouldn’t worry about contaminants. Dusting the motor off once a year would be enough to keep it clean and safe.
One of the best parts of this fan is how quickly and easily it can be switched from a floor fan to one hanging on the wall. On the floor, the strong rubber grips help to keep it in place, no matter where you have it aimed. If you choose to use this fan on the wall, you can install the included mounting hardware and hang it up easily.
This fan is lightweight, small, and easy to mount just about anywhere, making it an ideal fan for either a small or large garage workspace. It is also built to work and keep on working in a dirty and dusty environment. This is due to its totally enclosed and dustproof design. The blades are powder-coated steel, which is both durable and rust resistant.
The fan can be tilted up to 180 degrees, which makes it easy to get just the right angle to keep your workspace well ventilated. The 11-foot power cord makes it easy to find the right spot for this fan without having to use an extension cord. The fan is operated with a pull cord, which, while easy to operate, might tend to break down after years of heavy use.
Don’t let the size of this fan deceive you. Vornado has a long built reputation for getting a lot out of the small package. This is especially true for the 660, as this tiny titan can move air up to 100 feet! It also has four easy to access and utilize speed settings, making it super simple to operate.
This fan also can be aimed in a variety of directions, making it easy to adjust the air flow to exactly whatever you require. This makes it the ideal fan for a small to medium sized garage, whether you want to use it for ventilation or cooling purposes. Put it on any of you garage storage system shelf or on a workbench! It would be especially good right on a workbench, since it runs so quietly.
The cord is something that you will need to take into consideration as well. While the cord has been safety tested and designed for safe use, it is relatively short, measuring only six feet in length. This might put a limit on your location options in your garage.
This wall mount fan from Air King is built to last. It features sturdy steel construction and a tough powder coat to prevent rust, and you would be hard-pressed to find a more durable garage fan. This fan can be attached to a wall, ceiling, or I-beam, which is a great way to save space. It does not need to be hardwired into the circuit breaker and comes with a 9-foot power cord. This makes it easy to mount anywhere near an outlet, though it is not a fan you can move around easily once it is installed.
This fan can be run at three different speeds, moving 1,360, 1,170, or 1,010 CFM on high, medium, or low speed. This makes it ideal for a garage, although it might work best if you had a few of them, since they will not oscillate. Even if you had a few of these fans running, you wouldn’t really notice, since they are so quiet.
This model is a 20” industrial grade fan that is great for crowded areas. Thus, you can buy it if you want a fan for a church, gym, or other spaces that need efficient air circulation.
With this model, you get a powerful motor that powers the fan effectively. It also comes with a ball bearing mechanism that is always lubricated; thus you don’t have to worry about rust.
It also sports durable construction that ensures that it lasts for several years without any issues. The 20” blades are made from powder coated steel and are always lubricated.
While this is a wall mounted fan, it comes with a nice design that ensures near-total rotation. With CFM of 3670, this fan will deliver powerful performance regardless of where you are in the room.
It is therefore ideal for congested or large spaces. Another good thing about the model is the low noise. Unlike other powerful fans that might drown out your voice, this model will deliver quiet performance.
Overall, the brand has done really well to bring this powerful, durable fan to the market. With the ability to pivot and change the direction of airflow, it stands out from many other units on the market right now.
This fan comes with an easy to pull along stand that makes it by far the most mobile large garage fan out there. With the help of this large and easy to move fan stand, you will be able to get the correct amount of ventilation and cooling power wherever you need it, right when you need it there, all with the minimum amount of effort needed. Once you have the fan stand in position, all you have to do is aim the fan, lock it into place, and let it go.
Not only is this one of the easiest large fans to move, but it is also one of the most powerful. It has three different speeds, with the highest setting pushing out an impressive 8,600 CFM of cooling power. Of course, all of that power comes with a price, as this is also one of the loudest garage fans out there.
Sometimes when you are in the garage, you are here, there, and everywhere. This is especially true if you are working on a lot of different projects at once. In that case, it is helpful to have a fan that can follow you around, which is exactly what this blower fan is for! Its extra-long 10-foot power cord and compact design make it a cinch to pick up and move along with you wherever you might need to go.
It also has a pivoting blower head that lets you direct the airflow right where you need it. The powerful motor is great for ventilation or cooling, although it is not good for large areas. This fan also can act as an extension cord of sorts, since it has two built-in 120 v outlets. Not only will this thing keep you nice and cool, but it will help to limit the number of cords that you need to lug around your workshop, which will save you tons of time in the long run.
Westinghouse have long been known for their quality products, and this ceiling mounted garage fan is no exception. It features a sturdy set of large, 56-inch blades. If you choose this fan, you will be able to create a comfortable workspace, no matter if it is large or small. This fan allows you to choose from five different speed settings, with the highest setting putting out 5, 973 CFM of air cooling power. Unlike a lot of other fans that have this amount of cooling power, this one is relatively quiet while it is running.
Like most ceiling mounted fans, this one needs to be hardwired in, which could pose a challenge if you are not comfortable with that sort of thing. While the fan itself is not overly expensive, getting an electrician to install it properly could add up, especially if you need more than one, so keep that in mind before you purchase.
If you are looking to your garage, all while watching your budget, then this just might be the right fan for you. It is a lightweight, easy to use fan that comes with some different settings which allow you to get the right amount of cooling power (2,118 CFM) or ventilation for your needs. One of its best features is a built-in timer, so you can set when and how the fan will run. This will help to get your garage to a comfortable temperature before you ever step foot into it for the day.
This fan has to be mounted on the wall and does not come with any hardware to be a freestanding fan. When in operation, the Hurricane is very quiet, even when it is on the highest speed setting. It also can be set to oscillate in different patterns, making it easy to get the right amount of air current flowing through your workspace.
When you are looking for the best garage fan, there are a few factors that you should always consider. Be sure to check them out.
This is where you plan to stick your fan in your garage. Most fans come on either a floor or hanging model. Luckily, though, there are separate mounting kits that can be purchased so that you can put the fan you want exactly where you want it to be. However, this might get a bit expensive, especially if you buy a large floor fan and then want to mount it. Be sure that you plan out your fan layout accordingly before you purchase: keep in mind the existing garage lighting and everything attached to the walls, including shelves, hooks, and wall-mounted garage vacuums, if any.
Most usual in-room fans won’t be powerful enough for a garage. But if your garage is a relatively tight space, make sure that you get a fan that has a relatively quiet noise level when it is running. Otherwise, you won’t be able to hear yourself think, which might ruin your concentration level. Plus, if you work with someone else, you’ll have a tough time hearing each other over the drone of a noisy fan. Unfortunately, it’s pretty tricky to measure the noise itself based on all those numbers, so be sure to check reviews.
One of the best ways to cut down on the noise levels of a fan is to pick one that has several different speeds. That way, you can control not only how much air flow you get, but also the amount of noise you have to deal with. This will also give you more control over the temperature in your garage. The volume of air that is moved by a fan is generally measured in the CFM or Cubic Feet per Minute. Basically, the higher the CFM, the higher the cooling power of a fan, and the wider the area it can cover.
Unless you have a recently updated garage, odds are that power sources are few and far between. To combat this, make sure that the cord length for your fan of choice will be able to reach the electrical outlet from wherever you plan to put it. A longer cord will also allow you to move your fan around the garage without having to unplug it. That will make it that much easier to have it exactly where you need it when you need it there.
You might be thinking, well, even if the cord is too short, I’ll just get an extension cord. While this seems like sound logic, it is not recommended with most of the larger garage fans, unless you get a really high-quality extension cord. Bigger fans use more electricity, which could make using them with smaller extension cords unsafe.
Even with the best warranty, it’s also a good idea to get a garage fan that has something covering up the motor. With all of the different contaminants that might be in the air in a garage/workshop, you want to make sure that the motor is covered up. Otherwise, it will be subject to failure due to excessive gunk and grime.
There are a lot of different options out there to control your garage climate. Whether you intend to keep it warm in winter (with a propane garage heater, for instance), or cool and ventilated in summer (with a fan or an air conditioner), all options vary when it comes to their cost. Fans are, because of their simplicity, one of the cheaper ones. However, based on the number of fans you want to use, or the power level you require, you can get into lots of different price ranges. Make sure you budget accordingly, as you will get what you pay for when it comes to fans.
It’s not a bad idea to get a fan with a good warranty, since you’ll be using it in the garage. No matter how hard you try, a garage is not the cleanest environment to be running a fan, which could cause it to fail after extended use. A good warranty will help to make sure that you don’t have to shell out a bunch of extra cash to keep your workspace cool and well ventilated.
While not an essential, a garage fan that operates on a timer might be ideal. This is especially true if you always get out to your shop at the same time each day. A timer would allow you to get your fans up and running before you are even out there, which would be great on those hot, humid, miserable summer days.
Sometimes you’ll need your fan for ventilation, and sometimes you’ll need it for cooling. Depending on how you are using the fan, you want to be able to direct the airflow easily. This is why the best garage fans can be pointed in a wide range, making it possible to get the air exactly where you need it to be.
We hope that now you now know everything that you need to know to find the best garage fan for your workspace. Best of luck, and thank you so very much for reading!
