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When I learned temperatures were bound to soar to 95 degrees Fahrenheit on the weekend I planned to move out of my fifth-floor walk-up apartment, I panicked a little. Am I going to be okay? Should I reschedule my U-Haul? I knew that drinking plenty of water and taking tons of breaks was only one part of getting through the ordeal: I also had to stay cool.
My studio is 350 square feet, so on most summer days my basic Haier AC unit is enough to keep the tiny place cool. But around a week before my move, I decided to set up an extra precaution: Windmill’s new air circulator and fan. The product is the brand’s second launch since 2020 and officially hit the market this past March. As a design editor, I had heard plenty about Windmill’s air conditioners and how they are beloved for being aesthetically pleasing (there are no fussy displays on the front) and offering speedy circulation.
Off the bat, I wasn’t expecting to be wowed by a fan. Then I found out this one is 29% more powerful, 25% smaller, and 20% quieter than other traditional fans in its category, which justifies its steeper $74 price tag. Perhaps, I thought, it could make my NYC move a little less painful.
Windmill Air Circulator and Fan
The Look
I opted for white, thinking it would be able to blend in against a wall in my future home. Of course, in true Windmill style, the company offers other fun colors, including black, navy, pink, and butter yellow. If you’re someone who is planning to have a fan out on display 24-7, these chic hues are a plus. The internal parts are made with recycled materials, and while I haven’t had the need to clean it yet, the brand swears it’s easy to do thanks to the detachable front panel.
The Flow
Once I slipped the fan out of its compact box and flipped through the safety-slash-instruction manual, I got to know it a bit more. On the base of the fan there is a discreet power button, which is what you also conveniently hold down when you want to up the speed. There are five speeds in total. On my move-in day, I had it set at level 4, which I discovered was the speed where I started to actually hear the fan oscillating (on the lower three settings, it barely seemed to make any noise, which I found astounding). I placed the fan on the opposite side of my apartment from the AC unit, with the goal being to circulate as much air in between the two zones as possible. You can adjust the easy-tilt head, but I kept mine in its original position most of the day.
The Smarts
In my haste of moving, I didn’t put to use some of the fan’s smartest functions. But for people who are all about syncing their devices, the perks are worth noting. For starters, by linking your fan up with the Windmill Air app on your phone (Android or Apple), you can control it from anywhere, set timers, and create automations to synchronize the fan with other Windmill products. The piece has a memory function so you don’t have to cycle through to your favorite speed every time.
The Consensus
I put Windmill’s fan to the ultimate test by using it in a situation that was unavoidably sweltering. Sure, it didn’t keep my entire apartment cool, but it did offer me some relief every time I made the trip up to grab another box.
Living in a small space, I never considered a classic box fan or a tower fan—they take up too much precious real estate. So one that is less than 11 inches tall and can easily fit on a dresser or desk without making a ton of ruckus is cool in my book.
