Best quiet fans for sleeping: bedroom fans that cool on high and disappear on low

The DREO Tower Fan 518 is the pick for the bedroom where the fan runs all night and must not be heard. DREO rates it at 20 dB on low, a figure below the ambient level of a quiet room and the lowest published number in our category, and its DC motor spreads nine speeds and four modes across the range, so the step from too warm to audible is small. At the top it still moves 28 ft/s of air, enough to cool an ordinary bedroom before you get in, and the 12-hour timer covers a full night where many fans stop at eight.

The caveats are honest ones. It stands 42 inches tall and needs floor space beside the bed; the 20 dB figure is DREO's own measurement, not an independent one; and there is no app or voice control at this level, which is what the 519S adds. On our worth-the-money list it is a worth-it pick for exactly the reason it is first here: the quietest published figure in the category.

The Lasko Pinnacle DST100 is the fan for a big or warm bedroom that needs real airflow overnight. It moves 32 ft/s of air with a 50-foot throw, the strongest numbers here, and Lasko still rates it at 24 dBA on the lowest of its twelve speeds, level with a quiet room rather than below it. The DC motor, 90-degree oscillation and remote match the DREO; the extras are an Auto mode among its four modes and a built-in night light.

Those extras are also the reservations. If the Auto mode changes speed, the shift in noise can wake a light sleeper, so run it on a fixed speed at night. It is 40 inches tall, it uses a replaceable filter, which is a small ongoing cost, and it is among the dearest fans we cover. If your room is ordinary in size, the DREO 518 is the quieter fan; if the room is large, this is the one that will actually cool it.

The DREO 117S is the compact pick: a 36-inch tower that fits beside a nightstand and still moves 892 CFM of air with a 33-foot reach, which is more than a small or spare bedroom needs. DREO rates it at 28 dB on low, louder than the 518's 20 dB and still well under the level at which sleep is disturbed. It has four speeds and three modes, a remote and a touchpad, and 90-degree oscillation.

It is the second fan rather than the first for two reasons: four speeds give less fine control between warm and audible, and the timer tops out at 8 hours, so it may switch off before you wake. For a kids' room, a guest room or a small main bedroom where the 518 would be too tall, it is the better fit.