Bionaire 12 Inch Remote Control Power Fan

I like the way this fan looks, & it has great features, so I really wanted this to be a great 5* fan. But unfortunately, it is not a 5* product, & here's why. I have twelve fans in use in my house, from small personal units all the way up to a "hurricane" force model for the garage workshop, so I have a lot of fans to compare this one to.

Pros:

1. looks sleek & is quite attractive

2. this remote is 5* all the way. It controls everything the fan can do, not just some things, as some other remotes do. It's one of only four fans I have with a remote available, & is easily the best of the remotes.

3. has a design which enables the fan to create oscillating wind without having a moving fan head (the slats on the front turn in a circular motion; since the slats are angled in different directions, this creates a side-to-side & an up-to-down air movement pattern). There is a double-slat design on the grill (vertical & horizontal), which is both good & bad; it's good because it keeps small fingers away from the plastic blades.

4. this fan has 4 timer options (telling the fan when to turn itself off): 1, 2, 4, & 8 hours. That's more options than any of my other fans.

5. this fan has a simulated "wind" feature. This is nice, but minimally effective on ANY fan that has only 3 speeds, as this one does (it also uses "off" as a 4th speed for the wind effect). One of my fans is a 10 speed model, & that one does actually produce an effective "natural wind" simulation. If you want a good "wind" simulation, you'll need to get a fan with more than 3-4 speeds.

6. this fan has a retractable cord, not available in any of my other fans. It's nice to have, but not a big deal for me. Like a vacuum cleaner cord, this fan has a button that when pushed, allows the cord to rewind into the fan's housing.

7. this fan's outlet plug contains a small fuse, a good safety feature. Although most houses have outlet circuit breakers or fuses, this fan will isolate the problem before it become a problem for the entire fuse or circuit it's connected to. It even comes with an extra fuse.

8. it has an LED control panel, which is nice, but it is poorly placed on top of the fan & is impossible to see from your seat if you are using this as a table fan. You can see it better if you're using this fan on the floor, or if you're standing, but a better location would be on the front of the fan's housing.

That's a whole lot of "Pros" for a fan to have, but unfortunately, this fan fails in the most important areas.

Cons

1. the most important function of a fan, of course, is to deliver moving air to a spot or spots where you want to feel its cooling effect, & this fan does not do that. The air flow is weak, to say the least. I need it to deliver air to one specific spot, my chair, which is exactly 7 (seven) feet away from the fan, & it barely does so, even on the highest setting. That is a completely unacceptable performance for any fan (except the smallest personal desk fans), & especially unacceptable for a fan that cost me $47 here at amazon. The 3 speed settings could more accurately be called "Low, Lower, & Lowest." Even with the air conditioner on, I can barely feel anything at the "Medium" setting, & I feel nothing at the "Low" setting, so I need to keep it on "High" at all times to actually feel the wind. One of the reasons for this problem seems to be the grill itself (see above). The grill is apparently not designed for a straight-out air flow; it seems to be designed to disperse air upwards, downwards, & to the left & right. The grill slats are angled & do not point straight ahead, so this air flow would be expected. If you're looking for a weak air flow to cover a broader area, this feature may be good for you. If you want the air to flow to a specific spot, you're basically out of luck. To get the air to flow in my general direction, I had to sit on my chair & let the fan oscillate until I felt the strongest flow in my direction, then stop the oscillation at that point. Unlike a traditional oscillating fan, you can't tell exactly where the air is directed just by looking at it.

2. the "carrying handle" is an indent in the top of the fan's housing that is too shallow to fit my fingers in far enough. That, plus the fan's weight & the very smooth curved plastic of the indent, make it difficult to carry this fan with one hand. Many people will need two hands to lift it by its bottom, an inconvenience.

3. the manual is in English & Spanish, but there is very little detail given on the actual usage methods of this multi-featured fan. An example is "Press the Sleep/Breeze button to mimic...the wind". "Sleep" button? What is that? It turns out that what they mean is that the simulated "wind" effect is assisted by an "off" speed ("sleep"?). A little more detail here would be helpful. Again, this is a $47 fan, & a more detailed manual would seem warranted.

4. the oscillation feature grill does seem to work, but it's hampered by the weak air flow.

5. considering the poor air output of this fan, it is quite noisy. I have several more powerful fans that make less noise than this one does, & the ones that make an equal amount of noise all deliver better air flow than this fan.

Overall, this Bionaire is good looking, has a terrific remote control, & utilizes some innovative ideas. Unfortunately, all of the positive aspects of this fan are fairly meaningless considering the fact that the air flow is so weak. I'd like to see Bionaire leave the features as they are, but improve the air flow by a great deal, without making it any noisier than it is. I recommend this fan only for people who need a non-directed, weak air flow, perhaps as an assist to an air-conditioner, or for people who are sitting 5 feet or less away from the fan, or for people who have a small space that will not allow the movement of a traditional oscillating fan head. This fan will also be useful for people who have limited mobility to adjust a fan, & who need a remote-controlled fan where air flow is not the main concern.

I bought the fan to go in my bedroom. I like all the features it offers except it needs a lower fan speed. I would like the motor to be quieter too Had to go back to my old fan which is very quiet so I could sleep. So, if it had a slower fan speed & a quiet motor, this fan would be ideal for the bedroom environment.

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This is a super table top or floor fan. It is packed with nice features., in fact it's design is even attactive. You will never find another fan on the market that has the features found on this product. It has a retractable cord reel that w/be handy for storing the fan when not in use. Think you might misplace the remote control, not if you place it in the sleek compartment (molded into the side of the housing/ chassi). The timer can be set for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours and is electronic not analog. There are two breeze settings, and the grill oscilates to direct wide range air-flow coverage. Finally, with so many features, Bionaire offers a 5 year warranty. The only negative comment I would make is that the fan is noisy. Obviously the highest speed is the loudest. The lowest setting isn't too bad. If it were not for the gushing air flow noise, this would be the ideal fan for just about any need or application.

I have noticed two model numbers for the Bionaire 12 Inch Remote Control Power Fan. Both models are identical in features and design. Contact wtih Bionaire is pending to ask whether there might be two editions/models for this product (described on this page as model # BFF-1210AR-WM). The other model is # BFF-1209R-BU which is sold by Mid-Alantic Merchant, and Ace Hardware (featured on Amazon product pages). Mid-Alantic Merchant has a great price, even with shipping charges. (I missed seeing this seller when initially searching for the product).

I also favor Soleus fans & products. I own a 10 inch Soleus fan (model FTY-25) and I do love this fan. I do believe Soleus has conquered and manufactures the "quietest table top fan" ever produced, at least this is true w/model FTY-25. Soleus only offers a 1 year warranty on the FTY-25, and most likely all their electric fans. The 10 inch Soleus fan (FTY-25), delivers as much power and air flow as the Bionaire 12 Inch Fan.

After several months of constant use, the Soleus fan stopped working and became sluggish, it was necessary to disassemble the fan (removing grill & back panell) to lubricate the motor and thoroughly clean surfaces.

Bottom line & Conslusion: If I can eventually adjust to the operational noise of the Bionaire 12" Fan (model # BFF-1210AR-WM), I'll keep my cool w/no problems.

Read Best Reviews of Bionaire 12 Inch Remote Control Power Fan Here

I love this fan. The remote makes it so convenient to operate. The way this fan oscillates is great too. I want a couple more for the bedrooms. Its great outdoors on the patio too, for days when their is no wind and you want to be outside.

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I love the fan. I ordered 2 of them and received both. The box that they were packaged in was damaged in transit, yet, I did not find any damage to the fans.