Devola Low Noise DC 12” Air Circulator Pedestal Fan Review – Almost silent

Temperatures are hotting up again, and I am still on the quest to find the perfect fan for both office use and sleeping.

As much as I would love an air conditioner, they are too big and expensive for me to justify the one or two weeks worth of warm weather we get up north each year. They are also very noisy with the quietest ones running at 38-48db on their quietest setting.

A fan, on the other hand, can operate and much lower noise levels. They will never come as close to the cooling performance you get from an air-con but they are significantly cheaper and can offer very low noise levels ideal for sleeping.

Typical Decibel Sound Levels

It is claimed the average room will be 50dB while a library will be 40dB and a bedroom at night will be 30dB or under. The hearing threshold is 0dB

This all depends on what is going on around you. Most basic sound meters can only go as low as 20dB, and the accuracy at low levels is questionable. In my office, in the morning with low traffic and windows close I generally have around 25dB.

Features

• Smart display room temperature
• Adjustable 12-level wind speed
• Maximum 9 hours timing function
• Vertical & Horizontal oscillation automatically
• Display room temperature
• 7 fan blades design for strong wind power
• Low noise without trouble your sleep
• Maximum Height: 1030 (mm)
• Oscillating Base

Set up

I have found most pedestal fans easy to put together; this is no different. Unlike other options, most of the electronics appear to be in the base of the unit, including the fan control, it also has a finger of eight power adaptor, so ti is easy to replace should you lose or damage it.

Sound Levels & Sound Profile

I tested this in both my office and bedroom, I don’t have a highly accurate sound meter, so I find that my own hearing is a better judge of the performance in these scenarios.

This fan has a sound profile, the noise it makes is consistent, it is slightly more high pitched that large fans which is a given, because it is a smaller fan, but it is not an annoying pitch.

Office Use

In the office at the lowest level, I can’t hear this over the faint hum from my PC (which is built to run as silently a possible, the pump noise from the radiator is the only thing I can hear) it provides enough breeze for me to feel it, but in a warm office, I need a little more. In this room in the morning at 5 am before the noise outside picks up my sound meter reads 30dB, and the lowest setting doesn’t increase this.

Upping the setting to level 3, there is a more pleasant breeze, and the sound meter increases to 33dB. At this level, I can easily hear it, but it is quiet enough that it is not distracting in the slightest.

At level 5, if the fan is pointing on me it offers enough breeze to keep me cool in my hot office, but the fan is easily audible over all the other ambient noise, registering around 36dB.

Bedroom and sleeping

Performance at night is better than average but not the best. The 12” blades need to spin at higher speeds via a 16” fan, so even on the lowest setting, this is audible vs the Ansio I use. However, I have found that it generates less of a mechanical noise at the lower speeds so if you can cope with the slight hum of the spinning blades and air, then the overall sound can be less annoying. 

This significantly outperforms the expensive GeoSmartPro AirGo smart fan which was given a Quiet Mark award.

Other Features

Like most decent fans this has a remote, can swing from side to side and has multiple speeds settings.

You get 12 speeds settings, far better than the 4 of the AirGo which is essential to get the noise down to an acceptable level for sleeping.

You then get a sleep mode with 4 settings and an eco mode.

This is the first fan I have reviewed that offers both left and right swing as well as up and down. You can have both enabled and once and is sort of swivels all around.

The fan also displays the temperature on the base, which is then used to adjust the speeds in eco mode. The one downside here is that you cant appear to switch the LEDs off, so when I used it in the bedroom I had to cover the base.

Price and Competition

At under £60 this is priced well, in my opinion.

There is the Jack Stonehouse 12 speed fan for around the same price. This appears to be the same white label hardware as Ansio. It uses 16” blades so, in theory, should be quieter but they claim 27 decibels vs 26dB of the Devola

The 16-inch 8-speed Ansio I have previously recommended is currently £65

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Jack Stonehouse 12 Speed Electric Pedestal, 16 Inch Portable...	No ratings yet		Buy on Amazon
	ANSIO Pedestal Fan with Remote Control - 5 Blades -8 Speed...	No ratings yet		Buy on Amazon

Overall

Overall this is an excellent fan; there seems to be a noticeable difference in the quality compared to the white label fans that you find on Amazon from the likes of   Jack Stonehouse, Ansio and others.

With this being a 12-inch fan the sound levels can’t get quite as low as fans with larger blades, but these typically cost more. Even with the smaller blades, I would say the sound levels are acceptable for most people while sleeping, but very light and sensitive sleepers may need to invest in something a little more expensive.

This now lives in my office full time, it is a perfect fan for that, offering excellent air flow without being annoyingly loud.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

Last update on 2024-10-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API