ECO Farm Mini Flexible Electric Clip Fan VS Hurricane Supreme Oscillating Wall Mount Fan 18 in Fans
When it comes to indoor cultivation — air circulation is one of the most overlooked aspects of the grow room.
From fresh air exchange to temperature control, air circulation is a vital component of a successful indoor garden. If you’re ready to take charge of your grow tents’ environment — you need to buy the best grow tent fan available.
Below, you’ll find hands-on reviews of the best grow tent fans for sale. Whether you’re looking for an inline fan or a clip-on fan — the options listed below are well worth your consideration.
What is the quietest inline fan?
To determine which inline duct fan is the quietest, we measured the decibels of each fan. These decibel readings were then added together to determine the total noise output of each fan. All levels showed an increase in noise levels as the fan speeds were increased.
How often should I exhaust my grow room?
It depends on how many plants are in your growroom, as well as the size of the room. As a rule of thumb, you should exhaust the grow room before the plants are fully mature.
Only once the buds are ready to be harvested do you really need to lock in the space. The highest levels of air exchange are required during the first two to three weeks when the plants are still growing their vegetative stage. At this phase, it’s important to give the plants as much fresh air as possible to kick start the process of strengthening the cell structure. This is especially important for seedlings.
Note: Use an inline fan with your exhaust system to increase air exchange.
ECO Farm Mini Flexible Electric Clip Fan
Features:
The ECO Farm fan is made from sturdy materials. You can simply adjust the direction of the airflow by the use of a shake rod. You can mount this grow tent Oscillating fan on the wall or put it on a stand in a tent. This fan is versatile and convenient by ensuring a thorough circulation of the air within the room. It favors indoor gardening. With indoor grow operations you don’t need to move around hundreds of cubic feet of air (let the exhaust fans do that). It features two speeds settings. You can conveniently select the right speed to support plant growth. Unlike most swing fans, this fan product is well made to prioritize quality. The parts are ingeniously manufactured to provide durable products. It also runs quietly, spreading air in your planting tent, keeping it quiet and cool. It also allows you to achieve good coverage. Lightweight fan size can be installed well in small tents.
Hurricane Supreme Oscillating Wall Mount Fan 18 in Fans
Features:
These fans are ideal for homes, greenhouses, garages, workshops and other areas with limited footprint. The Hurricane 18 in the swinging wall fan has 3 speeds (high, medium and low) controlled by a dial or a drawcord. 3 different speeds allow you to find the perfect flow and airflow for your work area. Swing left and right to cover 90 degrees of space. It has 90° swing or can be locked in a non-swing position. There is also a multi-position tilt function. Powder-coated steel grills are clean and durable. The fan blades are made of chemically resistant polypropylene.
Grow Tent Fan Buying Guide
If you are not completely sure what type of fan you need and what features are important, this buying guide will clear some things up. We’ll begin with a rundown of the different types of fans.
Different Types of Fans
There are 3 basic types of fans typically used for gardening applications:
Inline fans
Oscillating fans
Static fans
Each type of fan is used for a specific purpose. Most serious growers will need all 3 types for a successful operation.
In addition to having humidity control and temperature control via a central A/C unit or a window mount or portable unit, having airflow is necessary for reasons discussed earlier.
It is not enough to just control temperature and humidity. And each type of fan will aid you in a different way.
Inline Fans
These are fans that are typically installed within a duct system or used as exhaust fans blowing directly outside. They are not always equipped with sensors or on/off switches but many of the higher end models are.
They are called inline, because they are used in line with the ducts, as an integral part of the ventilation system, as opposed to a free standing fan that blows air all around the room.
A serious grow tent will need at least 2 inline fans, one for intake and one for exhaust. Some larger operations will have several inline fans to do the job. Smaller tents usually just have an exhaust fan.
Oscillating Fans
Oscillators are fans that serve to move air around inside the tent, or room. Where inline fans are used in a closed system to bring in air from outside or push air from inside to the outside, oscillating fans keep the internal air from getting stale.
They also serve the important role of agitating your plants, serving as artificial wind inside your closed system. Plants need to be moved around by natural forces to help them stay healthy, and since you have no wind inside, the oscillating fans are taking the place of natural wind.
This type of fan is also good for keeping the temperature even throughout a large area. In any room, especially one with grow lights and other heat sources, hot spots will quickly emerge.
Near the lights it may be several degrees hotter than elsewhere in the tent. Moving the air from one place to another will keep ambient temperatures more uniform in your space. The moving air also serves to dry the plants, which prevents mold from forming.
Static Fans
These are the basic fans you see everywhere. They do not oscillate or move. They can either sit on the floor or be clipped on to structures, but static fans are stationary.
Static fans are used in situations where you need to constantly move air in a specific area of the room, and you want the airflow to stay on the same spot over time.
A great example of when you need a static fan would be if you had a section where several lights were in one spot. A static fan could cool the surface temp of the lights as well as drop the temp in the immediate area, before the oscillating fans move the air out of the area.
Fan Size
The bigger the fan the more air it will move. This is a simple concept which makes it easy to choose your fan size.
Of course, that is not always the only concern, considering many of us are working within finite space constraints. If you had a massive warehouse, you would simply buy as many of the biggest fans as you could afford and move as much air as possible.
Inline
Inline fans come in many sizes. The most common sizes you will see in grow tents are 4″ and 6″, with the occasional 8 or 12″ fan. They do get even bigger but once you get over 8″, you are getting into some heavy duty large spaces, not the normal grow tent situation.
Oscillating
Oscillating fans come in many sizes as well, but most situations require a 12″ fan or larger, which are the most common sizes. Chances are good that if you have a normal grow tent you will be looking for a small oscillating fan for grow tent use of around 12 inches in size. These can move a lot of air and do not take up too much space.
Static
Static fans can be found in the same sizes as oscillating fans. Most common for our application are the clip on 8″ or standard floor fans. Most box fans that sit on the floor are about 20″. You can choose the size you need based on your specific situation.
Budget
Because fans are so important, it makes sense to buy the best ones you can with the money you have. Since they are generally not that expensive you can get a significantly better fan for only a few dollars more in most cases.
You want a fan that will last a long time and move a lot of air. You usually want it to do so with a minimum amount of noise, too.
There are many poorly made fans you can get for extremely cheap, so be careful! If you stick to the fans we have highlighted here, you will be sure to get a quality unit at a fair price.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the importance of grow tent fans and plants — it’s time to consider your options.
From inline fans to clip-on fans and everything in between, the choice is yours to select the best grow tent fan for your needs. Once you buy a grow tent fan — head over to our Grow Guide to learn more tips and tricks on cultivating the best plants at home.
