Guide and picks
How much does a box fan cost?
Three tiers, and the one that is worth paying for depends entirely on where the fan is going to live. Then there is the bill nobody adds up.
By Sawyer V. · Published
The short answer
About $25 to $40 for a plastic 20-inch box fan, and about $45 to $90 for a steel commercial fan or a five-speed one — the live, dated price for every fan named below is on its own button. The number that gets missed: running one eight hours a night through a 90-night summer costs about $13 a year at 18.34¢/kWh, so across five summers the electricity costs more than the fan did.
Fan & Frost earns a commission when you buy through our links, at no cost to you. It never changes a ranking, and we say so when the right answer is the cheaper unit or nothing at all. Full disclosure · How we pick.
At a glance
The picks, ranked
Tap any row to jump to the full reasoning. Prices are live from Amazon where we have them, and read “check price” where we don’t — never a number we cannot verify today.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The bottom of the market Lasko B20301 20" Weather-Resistant Box Fan 7.25 lb of plastic and a weather-resistant motor, at the price a box fan has cost for a decade. Lasko publishes no performance figures for it at all. | A spare room, a second fan, or anywhere the fan will be used a few weeks a year | |
| 2 | The middle tier, and the usual answer Lasko Power Plus 20" Box Fan A published 73-102 W, a weather-resistant motor, a wider steel body and a 2-year warranty — the specification most people should buy. | A window the fan will live in all summer, every summer | |
| 3 |  The top tier that is worth it Air King 9723 20" Commercial Grade Box Fan 2,163 CFM on 105 W, published with blade speed and amperage, in a steel body on a permanently lubricated 1/25 HP motor. The only box fan you can actually specify. | A garage, a workshop, or a fan that will run most of the day for years | |
| 4 |  The premium end, and what it buys Vornado Model 80 High-Velocity Box Fan Five speeds instead of three, a removable grille, and a 5-year satisfaction guarantee — the longest warranty of any box fan. | A living room, where five speeds and a five-year warranty are worth more than a spec sheet | |
| — |  The one to skip if you wanted a box fan Lasko Max Performance 15" Air Mover Several times the price of a bottom-tier box fan and 178 W, for a 15-inch blade in a utility drum. Different tool, different budget. | Drying a floor or airing a basement — not for cooling a room cheaply |
A box fan is one of the few appliances whose price has barely moved in twenty years, because almost nothing about it has changed: a 20-inch blade, an AC induction motor, a frame shallow enough for a sash window to close on.
The differences between a cheap one and an expensive one are real but narrow, and they are not the ones listings emphasise.
The tiers
What each price tier actually buys
| Tier | What changes | Worth it when |
|---|---|---|
| Entry, around $25-$40 | Plastic frame, 3 speeds, no published figures, 1-2 yr warranty | A spare room, or a second fan for a cross-flow setup |
| Standard, around $40-$60 | Steel body, weather-resistant motor, a published wattage | The fan lives in a window all summer |
| Commercial, around $45-$70 | Rated motor, published CFM, RPM and amps, polypropylene blade | A garage or workshop, or the fan runs most of the day |
| Premium, around $70-$90 | 5 speeds, removable grille, 5-year warranty | A living room, where the lowest setting matters |
Tiers describe the category as it is currently sold. The exact current price of every fan named on this page is on its own button, with the date it was checked.
The bigger number
What the fan costs after you have bought it
This is the part almost nobody adds up, and it reverses the usual advice about buying cheap.
| Setting | 8-hr night | 90-night summer | Five summers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air King on low, 65 W | 9.5¢ | $8.58 | $43 |
| Lasko on low, 73 W | 11¢ | $9.64 | $48 |
| Lasko on high, 102 W | 15¢ | $13 | $67 |
| Vornado on high, 120 W | 18¢ | $16 | $79 |
Wattages are manufacturers’ published figures; costs are our arithmetic at 18.34¢/kWh, from the EIA Electric Power Monthly.
A fan used nightly through five summers on high spends $67 in electricity. That is more than an entry-tier fan costs to buy, and it is why a $45 fan that runs on 65 W is cheaper over its life than a $25 fan whose draw nobody will state.
This one is not a DIY job
The cheapest useful configuration is two entry-tier fans, not one good one. One in a window blowing out and one in a window on the opposite side blowing in moves air through the building rather than around a room, and two cheap fans cost less than one commercial one.
Context
What else that money buys in cooling
- A reversible twin window fan sits in the same bracket as a standard box fan and exchanges indoor air for outdoor air rather than stirring it. The window fan category.
- A DC tower fan costs more than any box fan here and runs on 2.9 W, publishing 23 dBA. Over five summers its electricity is $1.91.
- A window air conditioner starts several times higher and runs at roughly 73¢ a night rather than 15¢. What a window unit actually costs to run.
Under a hundred dollars, a box fan is rarely the best thing you can buy — but it is the thing that works in the most places. The best cooling under $100.
Say the unwelcome thing
Do not buy the cheapest box fan for a window.
A fan that lives in an open sash window is exposed to night air, humidity and blown-in rain. The specification that matters is a weather-resistant motor, and that is the one thing the bottom of the market cuts.
A window-rated motor adds very little to the purchase price and roughly doubles how long the fan survives the job box fans are best at.
In full
Every pick, and what is wrong with it
Published specifications only, each linked to the page it came from. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says so — we do not fill blanks in.
1. The bottom of the market
Lasko B20301 20" Weather-Resistant Box Fan
Lasko · model B20301
7.25 lb of plastic and a weather-resistant motor, at the price a box fan has cost for a decade. Lasko publishes no performance figures for it at all.
This tier is where most box fans sell, and the honest description is that you are buying the shape. A 20-inch blade, a three-speed switch, a steel-and-plastic frame, a carry handle.
What you do get at this price that is worth having: a weather-resistant motor, which is the specification that decides whether a fan survives living in an open sash window, and two years of warranty.
4.38 inches deep is the other number that matters, because it is what lets the sash close on top of the fan.
What you do not get is any published figure to compare. Lasko quotes running cost — “less than 2¢ per hour” — rather than watts, and nothing else.
What’s wrong with it
No published wattage, airflow, blade speed or noise figure. You are buying a format rather than a specification, and a light frame buzzes on a hard floor.
Running cost
Lasko does not publish a wattage for the B20301, so we cannot calculate what it costs to run. We are not going to estimate one. If Lasko publishes a nameplate figure, this block will show the arithmetic.
| Power | Not published (Lasko states "less than 2 cents per hour") |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 3 |
| Blade | 20 in |
| Motor | Weather-resistant, for indoor window use |
| Dimensions | 20.5 W x 4.38 D x 21.75 H in |
| Weight | 7.25 lb |
| Cord | 6 ft |
| Safety | Blue Plug fused plug |
| Air delivery (CFM) | Not published |
| Noise | Not published |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Every figure above is from Lasko product page, B20301. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
2. The middle tier, and the usual answer
Lasko Power Plus 20" Box Fan
Lasko · model B20801
A published 73-102 W, a weather-resistant motor, a wider steel body and a 2-year warranty — the specification most people should buy.
The step from the bottom tier to this one buys a wider steel body, about 3 lb more fan, and a published wattage: 73 W to 102 W, 0.6 to 0.9 A.
That published figure is worth more than it looks. It is what lets you work out that the fan costs 15¢ to run for an eight-hour night, $13 across a summer, and $67 across five of them. A fan whose maker will not state a wattage cannot be budgeted for.
The Wind Ring shroud is Lasko’s own claim of 20 per cent more air velocity; there is no published CFM figure behind it, so treat it as a design feature rather than a measurement.
What’s wrong with it
Lasko still publishes no CFM, no blade speed and no noise figure, so the step up buys durability and a wattage rather than measurable performance.
Running cost — B20801
| Nameplate power | 73 W – 102 W | manufacturer's published figure |
|---|---|---|
| Energy, 8-hour night | 0.82 kWh | 102 ÷ 1000 × 8 |
| Cost per hour | 1.9¢ | at 18.34¢/kWh |
| Cost per 8-hour night | 15¢ | on the highest speed |
| Cost per 30 nights | $4.49 | 24.5 kWh |
| Same month, lowest speed | $3.21 | at 73 W |
Rate: 18.34¢/kWh, the US average residential price for June 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3). Yours will differ — swap it in: (watts ÷ 1000) × hours × your rate.
| Power | 73 W - 102 W (0.6-0.9 A at 120 V) |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 3 |
| Dimensions | 21.25 H x 22.5 x 4.75 in |
| Weight | 10.1 lb |
| Motor | Weather-resistant |
| Air delivery (CFM) | Not published |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Every figure above is from Lasko product page, B20801. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
3. The top tier that is worth it
Air King 9723 20" Commercial Grade Box Fan
Air King · model 9723
2,163 CFM on 105 W, published with blade speed and amperage, in a steel body on a permanently lubricated 1/25 HP motor. The only box fan you can actually specify.
What the extra money buys here is a motor rated for duty cycles and numbers you can check. Both matter, and the second is rarer than the first.
2,163 / 1,900 / 1,463 CFM on 105 / 87 / 65 W, at 1,220 / 1,075 / 855 RPM. No other box fan manufacturer publishes a comparable table, so this is the only fan in the category whose price you can judge against its performance.
1/25 HP, permanently lubricated, PSC motor in a steel body with a polypropylene blade. The reason that is worth the premium is simple arithmetic: a fan that runs eight hours a day through a working summer costs $8.58 a year in electricity on low, and a bearing failure in year two costs you the whole purchase price again.
At 20.6 CFM per watt on high and 22.5 on low, it is also the most efficient box fan with published figures. The efficiency comparison in full.
What’s wrong with it
Roughly twice the price of the bottom tier, 11.4 lb, no published noise figure, and visibly a commercial object rather than a domestic one.
Running cost — 9723
| Nameplate power | 65 W – 105 W | manufacturer's published figure |
|---|---|---|
| Energy, 8-hour night | 0.84 kWh | 105 ÷ 1000 × 8 |
| Cost per hour | 1.9¢ | at 18.34¢/kWh |
| Cost per 8-hour night | 15¢ | on the highest speed |
| Cost per 30 nights | $4.62 | 25.2 kWh |
| Same month, lowest speed | $2.86 | at 65 W |
Rate: 18.34¢/kWh, the US average residential price for June 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3). Yours will differ — swap it in: (watts ÷ 1000) × hours × your rate.
| Air delivery | 2,163 / 1,900 / 1,463 CFM (high / medium / low) |
|---|---|
| Power | 105 / 87 / 65 W (0.94 / 0.72 / 0.56 A) |
| Efficiency | 20.6 CFM per watt on high, 22.5 on low (our arithmetic) |
| Blade speed | 1,220 / 1,075 / 855 RPM |
| Blade | 20 in |
| Speeds | 3 |
| Motor | 1/25 HP, 120 V, 1 phase |
| Dimensions | 21.38 W x 6.38 D x 22.5 H in |
| Weight | 11.4 lb |
| Oscillation | No |
| Noise | Not published |
Every figure above is from Air King commercial box fan product page, model 9723. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
4. The premium end, and what it buys
Vornado Model 80 High-Velocity Box Fan
Vornado · model 80
Five speeds instead of three, a removable grille, and a 5-year satisfaction guarantee — the longest warranty of any box fan.
Five years of warranty against two from Lasko and none published by Air King. On a $25 fan a warranty is a formality; at this price it is a meaningful part of what you are buying.
Five speeds is the other half. Two of them sit below where a three-speed fan’s low sits, which is the difference between a fan you can leave running and one you turn off.
120 / 90 / 70 W published across three of those settings — 10¢ a night at the published low.
The removable grille is an unglamorous feature with a real payback: a blade you can clean properly keeps moving the air it was bought to move. How to do it safely.
What’s wrong with it
The most expensive box fan here, and Vornado publishes no airflow figure at all, so the premium buys features and warranty rather than measured performance.
Running cost — 80
| Nameplate power | 70 W – 120 W | manufacturer's published figure |
|---|---|---|
| Energy, 8-hour night | 0.96 kWh | 120 ÷ 1000 × 8 |
| Cost per hour | 2.2¢ | at 18.34¢/kWh |
| Cost per 8-hour night | 18¢ | on the highest speed |
| Cost per 30 nights | $5.28 | 28.8 kWh |
| Same month, lowest speed | $3.08 | at 70 W |
Rate: 18.34¢/kWh, the US average residential price for June 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3). Yours will differ — swap it in: (watts ÷ 1000) × hours × your rate.
| Power | 120 / 90 / 70 W (three of the five settings published) |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 5 |
| Blade diameter | 16.15 in |
| Supply | 120 V, 60 Hz |
| Dimensions | 19.99 W x 6.41 D x 20.19 H in |
| Weight | 12.96 lb |
| Cord | 6 ft, 2-pin polarized |
| Grille | Removable, for cleaning |
| Air delivery (CFM) | Not published |
| Noise | Not published |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Every figure above is from Vornado product page, Model 80 High-Velocity Box Fan. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
Skip this one
Lasko Max Performance 15" Air Mover
Lasko · model U15720
Several times the price of a bottom-tier box fan and 178 W, for a 15-inch blade in a utility drum. Different tool, different budget.
It gets included in “how much is a box fan” searches because it is the same rough shape and the same shelf, and it is not the same purchase.
160 W to 178 W, or $24 a year running eight hours a day through a summer, against $8.58 for the Air King on low.
Buy it if you have water on a floor or a room to air out. For cooling, it is the most expensive way to be uncomfortable.
What’s wrong with it
Loud, heavy, no published airflow, and 178 W is nearly three times the running cost of a box fan on low. Nothing about it is cheaper than a box fan.
Running cost — U15720
| Nameplate power | 160 W – 178 W | manufacturer's published figure |
|---|---|---|
| Energy, 8-hour night | 1.42 kWh | 178 ÷ 1000 × 8 |
| Cost per hour | 3.3¢ | at 18.34¢/kWh |
| Cost per 8-hour night | 26¢ | on the highest speed |
| Cost per 30 nights | $7.83 | 42.7 kWh |
| Same month, lowest speed | $7.04 | at 160 W |
Rate: 18.34¢/kWh, the US average residential price for June 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3). Yours will differ — swap it in: (watts ÷ 1000) × hours × your rate.
| Power | 160 W - 178 W (1.35-1.53 A at 120 V) |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 3 |
| Dimensions | 14.5 H x 14.0 D x 11.5 W in |
| Weight | 12.55 lb |
| Extras | Two 120 V accessory outlets, 9.5 ft cord, pivoting head |
| Air delivery (CFM) | Not published |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Every figure above is from Lasko product page, U15720. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
We are not linking a buy button for this one. If you want to look at it anyway, it is easy enough to find — but we would rather send you to something that fits your room.
Questions people actually ask
Frequently asked
How much is a box fan?
Roughly $25 to $40 for a plastic 20-inch box fan, and roughly $45 to $90 for a steel commercial fan or a five-speed one. The exact current price for each fan on this page is on its own button, with the date it was checked.
How much does it cost to run a box fan?
About 15¢ for an eight-hour night on high at 18.34¢/kWh, and about $13 across a 90-night summer. Over five summers that is $67 — more than an entry-level box fan costs to buy. The low-wattage comparison.
Is an expensive box fan worth it?
It depends on where it goes. For a spare room used a few weeks a year, no. For a window the fan lives in all summer, a weather-resistant motor is worth the step up. For a garage or a fan that runs most of the day, a rated commercial motor with published figures pays for itself the first time a cheap one fails.
Why do some box fans cost twice as much as others?
Three things: the motor rating (a permanently lubricated commercial motor versus a basic one), the frame (steel versus plastic), and the warranty (five years versus one). Published performance figures tend to come with the first of those, which is why only commercial box fans publish CFM.
What is the cheapest way to cool a room with fans?
Two entry-tier box fans used as a cross-flow pair — one in a window blowing out, one in a window on the opposite side blowing in — costs less than one commercial fan and does something a single fan cannot, which is exchange the air in the room rather than stir it. How to set it up.
Do box fans get cheaper at the end of summer?
Prices in this category move with the season and with stock, which is why no price is written into this page. Every buy button here reads the live price and shows the date it was checked, so the number you see is the number today.
Sources
Where these numbers came from
- Lasko B20301 weather-resistant box fan — 7.25 lb, 3 speeds, 2-year warranty
- Lasko B20801 Power Plus box fan — 73-102 W, 0.6-0.9 A
- Air King commercial box fan specifications, model 9723 — 2,163/1,900/1,463 CFM on 105/87/65 W
- Vornado Model 80 High-Velocity Box Fan — 120/90/70 W, 5 speeds, 5-year warranty
- Lasko U15720 Max Performance air mover — 160-178 W
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3 — electricity rate
Read next
Where to go from here
Back to Fans, or read how we pick.