Lasko A20107 3-Blade Air Circulator Fan Review

My review of the Lasko A20107 3-Blade Air Circulator Fan. Over the last decade or so, Lasko has really started to lack ingenuity in the fans. The majority of the fans use the same motor with slight variations in power, the majority of the fans use the same blade shape, and consequently the majority of the fans suffer from the same problems. Finally, here's a Lasko unit with a different blade; unfortunately it's different in perhaps the least creative and unique way possible -- 2 of the 5 blades were cancelled out, resulting in a 3 blade unit. I was very skeptical of this blade when I first saw it. I was expecting it to be obnoxiously loud and not very effective. Surprisingly, this fan is excellent, aside from the balance and price. This is the first fan I've seen in a while of this size and form factor that has a really nice slow, quiet low. The velocity isn't particularly impressive on any of the speeds, but the air stream carries away from the fan quite nicely, which makes up for it. The volume of air moved is also relatively low compared to some of the other models, but since the air stream carries so well, it's more effective than others at being felt around the room. The low speed is well below conversation volume, almost inaudible in larger spaces with some background noise. I imagine it would be quite tolerable even in a smaller bedroom. In addition to the low volume, the sound it makes is quite pleasant. It's lower frequency without annoying whirring. There's definitely some cost-cutting involved compared to the regular cyclone unit. In fact, it really feels like a cheaper version of it. The speed control is placed right near the motor to reduce the amount of wire required to the build the fan, requiring the user to lean over the fan if adjusting it from the front, which I think poses a safety hazard in some cases. The stand is much less bulky and quires some simple assembly. As of the time of this taping, this unit is priced about 2 dollars more than the regular Cyclone with 5 blades. Since this build clearly uses far fewer materials and a less powerful motor, I don't understand why it costs more. The blade balance is also absolutely atrocious, which is nothing out of the ordinary for Lasko, but this is so bad it can be considered a new low. Unless you're specifically trying to move a high volume of air through a window or doorway, I tend to think this unit is generally superior to the regular Cyclone. It has a better range in speeds and tones down really nicely on low--something lacking from a lot of fans made today. The sound is pleasant and noise level low. While it is lower velocity up front, which will matter in some cases, the air flow travels further from the fan for longer, which I think will make more effective in most scenarios.