Vornado
OSC84 41-Inch Whole Room Air Circulator Tower Fan
About the product
A powerful fan with an atypical design
Vornado has been making fans since 1945 and is well known for its innovative designs. The Vornado OSC84 41-Inch Whole Room Air Circulator Tower Fan is no exception. It boasts 130 degrees of oscillation and a unique diagonal airflow pattern that Vornado claims circulates air better and helps cool a broader area more quickly and thoroughly than the average tower fan.
The BestReviews Testing Lab checked out these claims and found them to be 100% accurate, making the Vornado one of our favorite tower fans. Though we had some quibbles that lowered its score a bit, including it being the loudest tower fan we tested, we still think it’s excellent overall.
What is the Vornado OSC84 Tower Fan?
Product Specifications
Speed settings: 4 | Height: 41.3” | Weight: 11.35 lb | Oscillation: 130 degrees
The Vornado Tower Fan is a high-end fan with extra-broad airflow coverage thanks to its diagonal design. It features a powerful motor that can push air farther, so you can really feel it even when you’re sitting 100 feet away. Impressively, it was able to lower the temperature of our testing room a full degree after oscillating for 30 minutes on speed setting three (of four). Its diagonal design also looks great, standing out in all the right ways.
We did have some minor issues with it. Namely, the setup process is more troublesome than that of most tower fans. Not only do you have to thread the cord through several sections of the baseplate, but you also have to screw the plate to the tower, and the fan doesn’t come with the necessary tools. We also found that it makes the most noise of all the six tower fans we tested, capping out at 56.5 decibels, which is about as loud as a normal conversation. Even its two lowest speeds, which measure 44.2 and 47.1 decibels, are several points louder than similar speeds on the other fans we tested. Lastly, we were disappointed that its only extra mode is an eight-hour timer since even tower fans that cost half as much offer something extra.
That said, we don’t think these issues should dissuade you. Not when we also found the overall construction quality and cooling effectiveness to be so good. The only thing that should concern you is the size of your rooms, because we found the Vornado is at its best when you can take advantage of its broad airflow coverage.
Price and where to buy
The Vornado OSC84 Tower Fan retails for $99.99. You can find it on Amazon and Best Buy.
Why we like it
Diagonal airflow
The diagonal design of the fan provides excellent cooling to a large swath of a room even when the oscillation is off. When you turn on the oscillation, it increases the fan's coverage to a 130-degree range.
Quality construction
Well-made with high-quality materials, the fan looked and felt sturdy, which is what we would expect from a Vornado fan. It’s backed by a five-year warranty.
Aesthetics
The diagonal design also gives the fan a striking look that easily distinguishes it from other tower fans. If you care about how a tower fan looks in your home, the Vornado is a great choice.
What we don’t like
Setup struggles
You must follow several steps to set up the Vornado, including using screws to attach the base to the tower. A suitable tool is not included.
Noise level
The Vornado has four speed settings. The two lowest settings are relatively quiet, with decibel readings of 44.2 and 47.1, but settings three and four registered 53.7 and 56.5 decibels, respectively. The latter number is the loudest of the six tower fans we tested.
Limited features
Though some may prefer this fan’s simplicity, we wished it did more. Besides the diagonal design, its only features are an oscillation toggle and an eight-hour timer that can be set at one-hour intervals. When the time expires, the fan switches off.
Vornado OSC84 Tower Fan setup
The multistep setup process for the Vornado is slightly troublesome. You start by clicking together the two halves of the baseplate, then feed the power cable through the plate and attach it to the tower. That involves lining up two pins and then using four screws to secure it, yet the fan doesn’t come with a screwdriver or other suitable tool. Finally, run the cord through the baseplate’s cord path and plug it in.
Airflow and cooling efficiency
Because of its diagonal design, the Vornado has a broad coverage range of 130 degrees, which is impressive considering that most fans max out at 90 degrees. The design also means that, even when the fan isn’t oscillating, you still get broad airflow. Combine this with its mighty motor and four strong fan speeds (low, medium, high and turbo), and you’ll have no issues staying cool.
Design and construction
We love everything about the Vornado’s design and construction. The diagonal airflow looks great, elevating its otherwise plain all-black design, and the materials used are of high quality. We also love that the storage space for the remote, on the top of the tower, is magnetic, which keeps the remote in place if the fan gets bumped. It rests on a sturdy base with silicone feet for extra stability.
Features and controls
The Vornado is limited in features, having only an oscillation toggle and an eight-hour timer. However, both of these worked perfectly when we tested them.
The Vornado comes with a remote and touch-sensitive onboard controls, and both are responsive and feel comfortable to use. The only issue we had with the display is the series of eight lights on the lip of the top of the tower. We couldn’t see these at all unless we were right next to them. These white lights indicate the speed setting (for instance, two lights means it’s on low and eight lights means it’s on turbo). And when you press the clock icon, the lights turn orange to indicate that you’re setting the eight-hour timer.
How does it compare to other tower fans we’ve tested?
The Vornado OSC84 Tower Fan compares the closest to the Dreo Cruiser Pro T1. The Vornado’s diagonal fan provides powerful, unusually broad coverage, but it has limited features and fan speeds. The Dreo Cruiser Pro T1, on the other hand, offers twice the fan speeds and three extra modes but only 90-degree coverage. The Dreo Cruiser Pro T1 costs about $90, while the Vornado is $10 more.
Testing the Vornado OSC84 Tower Fan
The BestReviews Testing Lab used five trials to score the Vornado’s abilities.
- Ease of setup included considering the time and effort required to get the fan out of the box and ready to run.
- Cooling effectiveness involved taking temperature readings after 30 minutes, testing the fan’s oscillation range and subjectively considering any temperature changes in the testing room.
- Design and aesthetics considered both its general construction and quality plus a subjective consideration of its looks.
- Noise generation involved taking a baseline room reading, then noting the decibels at every fan speed.
- Real-life use combined the prior four tests plus a subjective assessment of the fan’s functionality outside the testing environment.
Should you get the Vornado OSC84 Tower Fan?
There are less expensive or more fully featured tower fans for people who live in small homes or need the extra features, but if you have extra-large rooms to cover or you live in a shared space where you need broad air coverage to cool everyone, there’s hardly a better tower fan.