Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A comparison of 3 competitor fans from the 90s/2000s era: the Lakewood Kool Operator Jr., the Honeywell HT-800 Turbo Fan, and the Vornado 540.
This test confirmed my critiques of the Lakewood Kool Operator Jr.. After observing it in this larger space, I did take more of a liking to it on low, but that's it. On low, it pushes a nice gentle breeze that's good for about a 6' range from the fan. Very quiet with a pleasant tone. Anything above low is a joke. The noise level of medium and high is off the charts for the air moved. The aerodynamics of the fan are generally not very good; the air flow is strong coming out at the guard but fizzles out very quickly.
The Honeywell lacks a good variance in speeds, but is quite powerful. It can be felt clear across the room. It's not particularly quiet either, but at least it pushes a lot of air a good distance. The air carries very well from this fan. The major downfall is the lack of versatility; without that nice quiet low, this is not a good fit for use in close proximity situations such as at a desk.
The Vornado got everything right. It has a great range of speeds from very gentle and quiet on low to absolutely blasting on high. It's not quiet on high by any means, but like the Honeywell, it pushes a very strong breeze clear across the room. The air flow is very smooth and concentrated. The downfall to the Vornado is the price tag.
I unfortunately do not have retail price information for all these units, but I suspect the Vornado was always the most expensive, perhaps even 2-3 times more expensive. Albeit it's from a reputable brand, but it just uses a basic C-frame shaded pole motor. For the premium price, I would really expect premium guts such as a PSC motor with ball bearings.
Out of these 3, I would say the Vornado is the best performer and most versatile. It's as quiet as the Lakewood and more powerful than the Honeywell. Depending on the use case, the Honeywell is probably the best value. It's not quite as strong as the Vornado, but certainly more than half as effective. It's probably about 75% as effective. The Lakewood I really have little liking for. If you specifically want a gentle, quiet fan for use in close proximity, it's great on low, but that's about it. It's far too loud for the air moved for any other applications to be practical.
On high speed, they're all quite similar in regards to noise. They even feel similar right up close, but the air flow from the Lakewood doesn't carry much at all, meanwhile the Honeywell and Vornado can be felt clear across the room. All 3 are horrifically inefficient. If you have a small area and need a lot of air moving, then 2 of these will get the job done, but if you can spare a little more space, this form factor just isn't the most ideal option. A 12" oscillating fan powered by a PSC motor would give you more air for less noise and less power.
A comparison of 3 competitor fans from the 90s/2000s era: the Lakewood Kool Operator Jr., the Honeywell HT-800 Turbo Fan, and the Vornado 540.
This test confirmed my critiques of the Lakewood Kool Operator Jr.. After observing it in this larger space, I did take more of a liking to it on low, but that's it. On low, it pushes a nice gentle breeze that's good for about a 6' range from the fan. Very quiet with a pleasant tone. Anything above low is a joke. The noise level of medium and high is off the charts for the air moved. The aerodynamics of the fan are generally not very good; the air flow is strong coming out at the guard but fizzles out very quickly.
The Honeywell lacks a good variance in speeds, but is quite powerful. It can be felt clear across the room. It's not particularly quiet either, but at least it pushes a lot of air a good distance. The air carries very well from this fan. The major downfall is the lack of versatility; without that nice quiet low, this is not a good fit for use in close proximity situations such as at a desk.
The Vornado got everything right. It has a great range of speeds from very gentle and quiet on low to absolutely blasting on high. It's not quiet on high by any means, but like the Honeywell, it pushes a very strong breeze clear across the room. The air flow is very smooth and concentrated. The downfall to the Vornado is the price tag.
I unfortunately do not have retail price information for all these units, but I suspect the Vornado was always the most expensive, perhaps even 2-3 times more expensive. Albeit it's from a reputable brand, but it just uses a basic C-frame shaded pole motor. For the premium price, I would really expect premium guts such as a PSC motor with ball bearings.
Out of these 3, I would say the Vornado is the best performer and most versatile. It's as quiet as the Lakewood and more powerful than the Honeywell. Depending on the use case, the Honeywell is probably the best value. It's not quite as strong as the Vornado, but certainly more than half as effective. It's probably about 75% as effective. The Lakewood I really have little liking for. If you specifically want a gentle, quiet fan for use in close proximity, it's great on low, but that's about it. It's far too loud for the air moved for any other applications to be practical.
On high speed, they're all quite similar in regards to noise. They even feel similar right up close, but the air flow from the Lakewood doesn't carry much at all, meanwhile the Honeywell and Vornado can be felt clear across the room. All 3 are horrifically inefficient. If you have a small area and need a lot of air moving, then 2 of these will get the job done, but if you can spare a little more space, this form factor just isn't the most ideal option. A 12" oscillating fan powered by a PSC motor would give you more air for less noise and less power.
