Kitchen & Housewares : Vornado 530B 3 Speed Compact Air Circulator, Black

Rating: - Makes too much noise!
I previously owned the Vornado 510W compact air circulating fan, and I was very happy with the low noise level and the air exchange capabilities. Unfortunately after several knocks to the floor over 4 years it stopped working.

Then I order this model (530B) as a replacement. In the lowest speed it rattled like an old pick up truck with a payload of aluminum cans. In the two higher speeds the unit rattled less but was as loud as those huge metal "industrial" fans that are used in gyms or dance clubs to move vast amounts of stale air. Usually the hum of a fan helps me sleep at night, but this Vornado was WAY too disruptive. The fan's noise dominated the room such that I couldn't watch TV at a decent volume. I'm returning this fan. This is a disappointing product from Vornado brand.

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Rating: - Excellent fan
I love these fans. The photo is not exactly like the product I was delivered, but it isn't worth complaining about (the base is different). The only drawback is the fan speed is preset (L, M, H) whereas an older Vornado I have of this same style has a variable speed.

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Rating: - Poor Quality on an Expensive Fan
Considering the fan is from Vornado, I had expected it to be well designed and manufactured. The fan is almost entirely made of plastic. This itself isn't a major problem. But the plastic components aren't assembled tightly, which causes the fan to wobble and produce an annoying sound when operating at any speed. This makes for an unpleasant experience when the fan is sitting within a couple feet of me. I'm reluctant to use the fan because of the irritating noise it generates.

I've had good experiences with the more expensive Vornado whole-room air circulators. But, in this case, Vornado clearly put their reputation on the line to save a few dollars with a poorly designed & manufactured product.

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Rating: - It's a GREAT Fan!!!
I don't understand the negative remarks in other reviews. This is a great little fan. I don't see how it could be any quieter. Blowing air makes some noise. It is more powerful than any fan it's size and it has a small footprint for the amount of air it puts out. I highly recommend this fan.

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Rating: - Not as good as previous Vornado compact fans
Is the new model 530 as good as older Vornados that established the company as a quality innovator? In this review, I compare the new 530 to two older compact models that I own. These are the excellent model 180 compact fan(infinite speed, no longer available) and the very good 510 compact (3-speed and in very short supply - watch out for merchants who substitute the current model 530 for the 510). These (and the larger, venerable model 280) have great features, quietness, quality, and durability. My comments should apply to the model 530 regardless of the color of the plastic case, since color has no bearing on performance in this product.

FEATURES
The 3-speed compact design is similar to that of the older models (note that some slightly more expensive Vornado models have infinite speed control instead of 3-speed but are otherwise the same). But the 530 has one major disadvantage that you're likely to miss in the promo copy. The fan head doesn't tilt as much as those in the older models. This model tilts only about 50 degrees, while the older fans tilt about 80 degrees. The older design is much better at getting air from the floor to the ceiling.

QUIETNESS
The whirring fan blades make as little noise as the older models (whisper quiet on low, moderate amount on medium, a lot of "whoosh" on high), but the 530 has an irritating low-pitched motor noise the older models don't have. Because it's low frequency sound, it will even go through walls.

QUALITY
Personally, I think the motor, because of the noise, must not be up to the quality of previous models. One of the fan blades on my 530 still had plastic from the molding process that hadn't been removed. Definitely a quality-control problem. My older models were all manufactured in the US; this one in China (judging from a recent visit to a store that had a number of Vornado models, the company's moved manufacturing of most, if not all, of their consumer market fans offshore).

DURABILITY
We'll have to see. Comes with a limited 5 year warranty (you must get an RMA and ship to Vornado in Kansas and other reviewers have complained about shipping and handling costs nearly equaling the cost of a new fan).

BOTTOM LINE
In my view, this fan departs from the Vornado tradition of quality and quietness. I don't recommend using the model 530 in a bedroom or other place where you need quiet due to the low-pitched motor noise. Note that the user manual pictures both the model 530 and the R2D2 looking model 630.