Dreo PolyFan Max S Review

With temperatures in the mid-90s, I’m always looking for ways to stay cool during the day while working from my Florida home. To avoid cranking down my smart thermostat midday, I decided to try out the Dreo PolyFan Max S (available at Amazon for $139.99) to keep me cool.

Most tower fans or pedestal fans are an eyesore, but this Dreo fan is one of the best looking I’ve ever seen. Good looks aren’t all it has going for it—the oscillating fan has a variety of speed settings and smart features that keep me chilled on hot and humid days.

Overall, this pedestal fan has fantastic air flow, stylish and modern looks, and is simple to control. One thing to keep in mind is that it does need to be plugged into an electrical outlet to work, as do most pedestal fans, but that doesn’t hinder its overall performance. Here’s why I love it.

What is a pedestal fan?

A pedestal fan is best for direct air flow. Pedestal fans typically sit atop a pole stand and have adjustable heights. These fans are also oscillating fans, so they can blow air in multiple directions.

These fans have an attached power cord and require an electrical outlet nearby for operation.

Pedestal fans differ from tower fans in that they have a circle fan shape with one or multiple blades for directional airflow. Tower fans blow air through its entire length and width and are attached to a base. Like pedestal fans, tower fans may also oscillate for improved air circulation in a room.

What we like

The assembly and setup is quick and easy

This Dreo smart fan does require about 10 minutes worth of assembly time. It comes with everything you need to put it together (an Allen wrench and a screw), so you don’t need to break out your tool box.

It’s also fairly lightweight, making it easy to lift out of the box and assemble, even at seven months pregnant.

The top of the fan clicks into the standing pole. Using the included allen wrench, the standing pole gets tightened into place via the bottom of the base.

After plugging it in, you have the option to connect it to Wi-Fi to access the smart features via the Dreo app. After creating an account and logging into the app, make sure to enable Bluetooth. The app will automatically identify the fan, and then it’s as simple as following the in-app prompts to connect it to your Wi-Fi network. This part took me about five minutes.

The airflow is strong and powerful

This Dreo fan blows cool air in almost every direction.

This pedestal fan puts out a cool and strong airflow. It has five blades and eight speeds that help circulate air around the room. There are also six modes: Auto, Turbo, Normal, Natural, Sleep, and Custom.

The fan can rotate 105 degrees up and down, and 120 degrees left and right. I like that the fan settings include options for pointed directional airflow and multi-directional airflow, depending on what my cooling needs are at the time.

The fan claims to blow air up to 100 feet. While I can't verify these measurements exactly, I can feel it forcefully when sitting across the room from it—and everyone in my household agrees that this fan does a great job of keeping rooms cool.

The fan also has an adjustable height range between 37.96 inches and 43.5 inches, so you can tailor it to your cooling needs.

Also, for the amount of powerful air it puts out, it's also relatively quiet, with a decibel range of 25 to 51.

It’s full of smart features to keep you cool

This Dreo fan comes with plenty of smart features that make it convenient and easy to use. It works for voice control with Google Assistant and Alexa.

In the Alexa app and Google Home app, you can give the fan a name. For example, I have mine set to “office fan.” So, if you have smart speakers or displays in your home, you can call out voice commands like, “Alexa, set the office fan speed to 8.”

In the app, you can automate this Dreo fan by setting different speeds for certain times or temperature thresholds.

It also has an automatic mode that relies on built-in temperature sensors and a custom algorithm that adjusts the fan's speed accordingly to cool down a room.

I've used this feature several times now on hot afternoons in my office, where it tends to get stuffy during humid summer days, and it's been a handy way to keep air moving without me having to worry about constant adjustments.

The smart features are optional if you’d rather not download the app or use Alexa or Google Assistant to control the fan. It does include a remote control, and there are touch controls on the top of the fan, so you’ve options when it comes to ways to stay cool without Wi-Fi.

This Dreo fan has a stylish and functional design

Pedestal fans don’t exactly have a reputation for blending into your home’s décor, but this model Dreo fan is a beaut. With a sleek charcoal gray color and brown leather accents, the design is a modern masterpiece when it comes to cooling fans.

There’s also a handy digital display on the front of the pole that clearly shows you what speed and setting(s) the fan is using. This can be turned off, which is a nice touch if you like to sleep in pure darkness.

Overall, the digital display is a nice touch if you’re wondering what setting it’s on before you crank it up or down.

What we don’t like

The touch controls on the top of the fan are slightly confusing

While I appreciate the multiple ways to control the fan, I found the touch controls on the top a bit confusing at first. It’s definitely taken my kids and husband some time to figure out exactly what buttons to hit to get the desired fan speed.

With time, these controls are easy to use, but for me, there was a learning curve and I prefer to use the three other control methods (app, remote, and voice control).

The Alexa and Google Assistant integration could be better

Really, the only thing you can do with Alexa and Google Assistant using voice control is adjust the fan speed. When I tried to use either smart assistant to put it in “sleep mode” or to move in a certain direction, neither Alexa nor Google understood my commands.

Adjusting the fan speed is still a helpful feature, but it would be better if it could execute some of the same settings found in the app, remote, or touch controls.

Should you buy the Dreo PolyFan Max S?

Yes, this is a fantastic and attractive way to stay cool

The Dreo PolyFan Max S pedestal fan does everything I want it to. It puts out a nice cool breeze without being too loud. It offers a variety of smarts that make cooling down a room more convenient, like automatic mode and voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant.

This Dreo fan also looks sharp. Many tower and pedestal fans are white and have a boring design—but the PolyFan Max S is sleek and modern-looking.

While I, along with the others in my household, found the touch controls on the top a bit confusing at first, there are multiple ways to control the PolyFan Max S, so this isn’t something you need to worry about fiddling with if you don’t want to.

With an MSRP of $140, you cannot beat the value the PolyFan Max S packs in. Its quiet, far-reaching circulatory air power is better than any other standing or tower fan I’ve tried.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.