There’s always a need for a fan in an art studio. Drying out projects, moving air around, keeping things cool in the summer… you’re going to need a fan at some point.
My favorite studio fan is the Honeywell HT-900 Air Circulator Fan because it is small, effective, and dirt cheap. It’s so cheap that it’s ok if it gets beat up and covered in clay and gunk. It is definitely not a most powerful fan, instead it is a gentle fan that is great for drying clay or plaster projects on a countertop, or for moving a bit of air around the studio. These fans are also a LOT quieter than a box fan, which is fine by me. Regarding noise, in online reviews some complain that the latest models of these fans are too quiet and don’t work as “white noise” machines anymore.
I also use one of the larger Honeywell models, the HT-908 to move air in the kiln room, but the HT-900 is great for gentle, countertop drying.
For around $15, I can’t imagine finding a better fan at a comparable price.
Table of Contents
Our Main Pick for a small studio fan
Advantages of the Honeywell HT-900 Air Circulator
Other fan options
A Note on fans and air quality
Wrap-up: The Best fan for your studio
Top Pick For A Small Studio Fan
The Honeywell HT-900 Air Circulator
In the ceramics studios I’ve managed, there’s almost always a fan running to dry projects or move air around the room. A box fan is always an options but for a small, countertop (and cheap!) fan, the best we’ve found is the Honeywell HT-900 Air Circulator. For around $15, you get a 3-speed, 9 inch wide fan that can pivot from horizontal to vertical. The housing and stand is made of plastic and it has plastic blades. It measures about 9” wide, 11” tall and is a bit over 6” deep.
In the studio, we’ve got one of these fans that is about 15 years old and a new one. We had to replace one after the cord ripped at the back of the fan after years of heavy use in a community ceramics studio. We belive a tool should be a “lifetime” investment, but 15 years for a countertop fan is a great run.
If you want something bigger, go for the 12 inch wide Honeywell HT-908 (shop at amazon), which is more of a floor or table fan. It’s built exactly the same as the smaller HT-900, but measures a total of 14.5” wide, 15” tall and 8” deep. This larger model is great to move air in a kiln room.
Advantages of the Honeywell HT-900 Air Circulator
An older (back) and brand new Honeywell HT-900. We use these fans hard! They get dirty with clay but just keep working.
This small fan has a lot going for it:
Compact
Pivots
3 speeds
Quiet
Easy to store when not in use
Moves a lot of air
Approximately 3 foot cord
Other Fan Options
There are tons of fans out there: box fans, desk fans, pivot fans…. As long as they work, they’ll do what you need them to do—move air. Here are a few of our favorites:
Vornado Compact Air Circulator
Vornado makes great fans, with a variety of different models. The Vornado 133 Compact Air Circulator is my number two pick for a fan and it comes highly rated on Amazon and other sites. In many ways, it’s a better fan and built more durably than other options with features such as a removable air grill for cleaning. It does have just two speeds. If you like quality, go with a Vornado. But for a studio fan that gets dirty and covered with clay, I like the cheap Honeywell fans for a busy community studio. But for your personal studio or home, where you know you can keep it just as clean as you’d like, the Vornado is great.
Holmes Convertible Tabletop and Clip Fan
The Holmes Convertible Desk and Clip Fan is a great little combo fan that gives you a lot of versatility around the studio. You can use it as a gentle table top fan, or quickly remove the clip from the base, and attach it to a chair, pottery wheel splash pan, cabinet door or anywhere else. This is useful if you need air to move in a very specific direction, or you want to move the fan around the studio easily. Just make sure you don’t lose the base if you need that option. Small clip fans are also great to put in your bathroom at home or for a desktop where space is a premium.
Lasko High Velocity Floor or Wall Fan
If you need to move a lot of air or have a bigger room, you will want the power of a fan like the Lasko 20” High Velocity Floor or Wall Fan. This will really move air and is great for a shop, garage or bigger room. The all-metal construction and sturdy base make this a great option at around $60. This 3-speed model with a pivoting head is highly rated on various consumer sites, and it also has a built-in handle to make it easy to pick up and move around.
A Note on Fans and Air Quality
If you are working in a ceramic studio, woodshop, or anywhere generating dust, be cautious and use best practices when using a fan. You don’t want to breathe the dust generated in these studios. If the air is dusty, a fan is only going to keep this dust in the air and possibly make things worse. Before using a fan, make sure you are keeping floors clean, that you are not kicking up dust, that you are using air filters if necessary, and that the fans are operating on low speed so that the air flow doesn’t generate more dust. If you can have open windows or doors, aim the fan outdoors. If the air continues to be dusty, stop using the fan and assess where the dust is coming from and remediate those problems before turning your fans on again.
Wrap-Up: The Best Fan for Your Studio
Two Honeywell HT-900 Air Circulator fans. The latest model is at right.
The Honeywell HT-900 is a great, compact and cheap fan that moves a lot of air and is very durable. It holds up just as well as its more expensive counterparts but if it gets beat up or you spill glaze and clay on it, you won’t worry too much. If you need a more powerful fan, step up to the Honeywell HT-908 Floor Fan, which is also effective and relatively sturdy for it’s price and size. Both of these models are quieter than a comparable box fan, and take up less room on a countertop or floor.
Whether you are working in ceramics, sculpture or painting, there’s almost always a need for a fan and the Honeywell fans are cheap, effective and they just work.
What fans do you use in the studio? Please share in the comments.
