Honeywell HO-1100RE Oscillating Tower Fan review – smaller than the norm

Not all tower fans are the height of a tall child. Not unreasonably, some people who want powerful cooling would prefer it not to come in the form of an immense grey monolith, making their living room or bedroom appear more like an industrial estate.

It’s for these people that the Honeywell HO-1100RE exists. If other tower fans are like intimidating looking battle droids, the 1100RE is far more R2-D2 – considerably more approachable looking in imitation metal, and around half the height. It does, however feel a bit more cheaply constructed than its rivals, despite costing around the same price.

I did encounter some oddness switching it on, mistaking the timer button for a power button and eventually working out that the power button is also the fan speed button, it simply cycles through the three speeds before turning off again. Still, once I’d grasped that, despite its diminutive frame, it manages to put out a decent blast of air.

Performance

Measured immediately next to the fan, it registered a speed of 4.4m/s on our anemometer, dropping to 1.9m/s one metre away and 0.8m/s two metres away. That is – unsurprisingly – not as high as your average tall tower fan, but a little ahead of Honeywell’s new dedicated quiet fan, which averaged 3.6m/s up close. The pay off – as the name suggests – is noise-level, and on that score the 1100RE punches above its weight again, but this time in a less positive way. At full blast, I measured a sound level of 75.8db, reducing to 48.9db two metres away.

Like its larger Honeywell brother, the 5500RE, it has a holder for its remote control – this time on top, making it easier to get to than most. It too has a strange idea of how a night-time mode should work – it oscillates between high and low blasts in a manner that not only seems quite inefficient, but quite distracting for someone looking for some restful shut-eye. Still, in the quiet phases, it is indeed peaceful, registering a noise-level of 68.4db. It also produces a generous 70 degrees of cooling before you even take it 75-degree oscillation (rotation) into account.

Conclusion

The Honeywell 1100RE isn’t a bad choice for those looking for something a touch more discreet than the full-height tower fans, and it puts out a reasonable blast despite its small frame. It’s quite noisy, and the night mode is probably best completely ignored, but it delivers its core functions pretty well at an appealing price, despite its lack of bells and whistles. A better choice for most would be the slightly more expensive Honeywell Quietset HY254E1 but if the small size appeals the 1100RE is still a sound buy. Check out our Best tower fans 2016 for some award-winning alternatives. Buy Now from Amazon