The Vornado Transom swaps the usual twin blades for one long fan in a low, 8-inch-tall case that fits windows 26 to 40 inches wide. Wirecutter calls it the best window fan it has tested, measuring about 10 to 11 mph of air speed at about half the power draw of other models; TechGearLab found it the quietest fan in its test but measured relatively poor air movement in CFM. Both outlets note it is hard to clean.
Full review
Wirecutter: the best window fan it has tested
Wirecutter has reviewed window fans since 2016 and calls the Transom the first that did everything it wanted. It measured an air speed of about 10 mph on low and 11 mph on high, nearly twice the Genesis and Holmes models it tested, and the breeze moved a string 24 feet away. It did this while drawing about 26 to 29 watts, against roughly 50 to 70 watts for the other fans.
Wirecutter also found it quieter, at about 49 decibels on high, easier to install, and resistant to weather that its Bionaire and Holmes test units did not survive.
TechGearLab: very quiet, weaker on measured airflow
TechGearLab recorded the Transom at 48.4 dBA, the best result in its noise test, and its lead tester liked the remote. It also praised the low-profile look and the way the fan closes when switched off to stop unwanted air exchange.
Its CFM readings, though, showed relatively poor air movement compared with other window fans, which TechGearLab says may limit it in larger spaces. The tester found the screen turned off too quickly and the touch controls registered inconsistently, and the fan cannot stand vertically.
Cleaning and fit
Both outlets flag cleaning. TechGearLab notes the fan cannot be disassembled, and Wirecutter says there is no simple way to reach the blades if they get clogged with hair. Wirecutter also found the included foam pads left small gaps at the window frame and recommends extra foam weatherstripping.
Strengths
- +Quietest fan in TechGearLab's noise test at 48.4 dBA; Wirecutter measured about 49 decibels on high
- +Low-profile case fits windows up to 40 inches wide, with foam pads to improve the seal, per Wirecutter
- +Remote control, and the fan closes when off to stop air exchange, per TechGearLab
Watch-outs
- −TechGearLab's CFM readings showed relatively poor air movement
How it compares
It uses a single long fan instead of the twin blades of the Bionaire BWF0910AR, Genesis A1WINDOWFAN, Comfort Zone CZ319WT and Holmes HAWF2043. Wirecutter measured nearly twice the air speed of the Genesis and Holmes fans it tested, while TechGearLab's CFM readings put its air movement below the other window fans it tested.
Rating sources
Counts as 3.39/5 in our score — this publisher's 138 scores on the site average 3.66, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
“It’s not the easiest fan to clean, but otherwise it’s the best window fan we’ve tested in more than seven years of firsthand comparisons.”
Not in the average — we derived this score from the review's words, and a publisher printed a score for this product, so the printed number counts instead.
Counts as 3.98/5 in our score — this publisher's 42 scores on the site average 4.53, so its scores are adjusted down to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 3.7 score is the average of 2 of the scored reviews above, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. 1 derived score above is not in the average because a publisher printed a score for this product. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
