I Want This + HOUSE: New Mexico #2

Fan love.

Vornado VFAN - doorsixteen.com

This is my new fan. It’s a Vornado VFAN, and I love it so much. I kind of can’t believe I laid out $150 for a fan, but I have no regrets. For about a week, I did that thing where I’d add it to my cart at Amazon, click through to the checkout page, and then close my browser. Finally, late one night, I just went for it. Two days later, this baby was on my doorstep in a ridiculously huge box the size of a small refrigerator (why does Amazon use such massive boxes??). I brought it inside, unpacked it, and caressed it gently. My fan.

I’ve owned Vornado fans—excuse me, air circulators—and space heaters before, and they’re functionally excellent and well-made. As far as plastic fans go, they look OK…but they’re nothing that’s going to knock your socks off visually.

Vornado VFAN - doorsixteen.com

I tend to be pretty wary of fake-vintage (a.k.a. “fauxld”) stuff, since it can look kind of cheesy in that “I want my basement man cave to look like a 1950s diner”/HGTV kind of way, but I think Vornado really hit the mark here. You can see how close this is to the authentic original vintage Vornado fan it’s based on (there are a bunch of vintage Vornados on Etsy and eBay, if you want to go that route)—it’s a really, really well-done reproduction.

The most noticeable change from the original is the additional grille bars. This is a good thing if you’re concerned about getting stuff (curtains, chihuahua tails, etc.) stuck in the blades. Speaking of blades, there are now five of them instead of three—and they’re made out of plastic instead of Bakelite. Instead of a single-speed toggle switch on the front, there’s a three-speed control dial on the back. Other than that, though, it’s remarkably faithful to the original. The body is made entirely of heavyweight metal—the largest size weighs 12 pounds. Hefty! The operation is very smooth, and the lowest speed is really quiet. You can hear it on the higher speeds, but it’s the kind of steady sound that just fades into the background as white noise. No squeaking, no rattling, no excessive vibration.

I am really pleased with the color, too! I was expecting it to be a little more green based on the product photos, but in real-life it’s actually a soft greenish-gray with just a touch of blue. I’m happy that it’s more muted than I thought it would be.

Vornado VFAN - doorsixteen.com

The one thing I wish Vornado had done differently is the cord. As nice as the VFAN is, it would be that much nicer if the cord were cloth-covered. You know? No complaints, though. If I really want a cloth cord, I can switch it out.

I bought the Vornado VFAN Sr., by the way, which is the largest size they offer. It also comes in two smaller sizes—the standard VFAN and the VFAN Jr., which is perfect for desktops or side tables, and as a standing pedestal fan. If green isn’t your thing, there are chrome, red and white options, too! I’m considering getting a little white one for my bedroom.

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16 Comments

  • Reply Bethany August 1, 2016 at 2:28 pm

    I’ve had a vornado on my wishlist forever! How’s the performance? Loud? Does it feel like a gentle breeze in the room or a little more forceful than that? Does it really move air around in parts of the room where it’s not facing?

    • Anna @ D16 August 1, 2016 at 2:32 pm

      Hi Bethany, I mentioned the performance/noise in the post, but as far as the air movement goes, it’s like other Vornado fans—it circulates the air throughout the room. There are three speeds, so the breeze level you’ll feel if you’re sitting directly in front of it varies.

  • Reply Julie August 1, 2016 at 2:29 pm

    I have this same fan and I love it. I want the white one as well, they only had red and green when I bought mine a few years ago.

  • Reply Priscilla Lynch August 1, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    I have the small green in my bedroom. Looks great and very quiet. The white one looks cream colored in person, at least it does in Bed Bath & Beyond.

    • Anna @ D16 August 1, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      That’s good to know, Priscilla! Cream is even better than bright white.

  • Reply Taste of France August 1, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    My grandma had an old oscillating fan in her kitchen. I was terrified of it, having been sternly warned to keep my fingers far away, but loved it, too, for the cool breeze. That thing lasted 50 years. If yours lasts but 25, it would be well amortized.
    Even now, I have no A/C (it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity and we have none), and a fan is blowing on me. Yeah!

  • Reply Elise Xavier August 1, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    The green-coloured one is definitely the loveliest of them all. Amazing that it’s quiet, too. I’m a bit surprised about that actually!

  • Reply Staci August 1, 2016 at 4:12 pm

    I have an ancient one that I picked up at an estate auction, in the same color as this. This one does look very faithful to the original, and much safer. I ran my old one until the motor went on the fritz — now it only runs at “airplane takeoff” speed. I still keep it around because it’s cool to look at. Would love the get one of these repros.

  • Reply Junedotbe August 1, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    Hahaha. I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one obsessively toying with online shopping baskets.
    And that fan is gorgeous ! Hhmmm… I wonder if they ship overseas…

  • Reply jesse.anne.o August 1, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    I have one of their repros from a few years back – the Swan? You can take it apart to clean it (you know, cats), which was a nice option. The connector piece broke on me at one point and Vornado lets you purchase replacement parts — I got mine 4 years after I bought the fan. So, the fact that you can at least partially repair them is also a huge plus.

    • Anna @ D16 August 1, 2016 at 8:09 pm

      That’s great!! It makes me crazy when I can’t fix something because it needs one little part—I hate that things like fans and vacuum cleaners have basically become disposable. They should last for decades!

  • Reply Ana August 1, 2016 at 7:59 pm

    I have a small green one in my bedroom and at the start of summer I pulled the trigger on the biggest one it cream. It was a smart decision. I love them!

  • Reply ShashiNYC January 3, 2017 at 6:08 pm

    It’s the coolest looking fan ever…can you get inside to clean the blades, which inevitably get dusty/grimy?

    • Anna @ D16 January 3, 2017 at 6:09 pm

      Yes, the grill snaps on and off easily.

    • Trish January 16, 2017 at 12:59 am

      I was just looking at mine, thinking it needs a good cleaning, but I was afraid I was going to have to take it all apart—I didn’t realize that the grill just snaps on!

      I’m in complete agreement with you in regards to most fake-vintage products, but I was really pleased with the Vornado. Most people that see it in our house assume it’s vintage.

  • Reply fefe January 22, 2017 at 6:16 pm

    What a great find!!

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