Recently my employer performed a "security and safety" sweep on our floor in downtown Houston. This company, my company, occupies about 25 floors in this building. During the sweep they forcibly removed two AC-powered fans they found at employees desks. They also confiscated a couple of space heaters.
Their rationale is that the electrical device could overheat and start a fire. You don't want fires in high-rise buildings.
For some reason, they think it's a fire hazard to use an AC-powered fan at a desk, but a USB-powered fan is ok. As if they cannot jam up or malfunction or overheat and catch fire?
Fortunately we got a heads-up that they would be coming to our floor, so several of us - including myself - took our AC-powered fans home before the official sweep. Even though the temperature on the floor is kept around 70 degrees, many of us - myself included again - need a fan now and then. Some of us are just hot. And bothered. I decided to comply and started searching for a good USB-powered fan. Everybody was suddenly in the market.
There are quite a few models out there. The picture below shows two recent purchases side-by-side. The cute one, on the right, is a bladeless piece of shit pudgy robot thing with useless multi-colored LED bellylight. It's so cute. The breeze it produces is barely noticeable; the buzzing sound it makes is stupidly loud. Not ear-piercing, but the damn thing produces more noise than breeze. But it's cute.
It's got a single speed and is only USB-powered. No battery. That fan is so bad that there is not one identifying mark on it: no company logo, no country of origin, no ID plate, no nothing. Nobody wants to take credit for that noisy piece o' shit. As far as I can tell, it's made by "Trademark Global" and is listed as "11 inches". 11 inches TALL, yes, but the "bladeless fan" area is only about 5". They go by "TG". Go by. Don't buy.
The other tiny fan, on the left, is a blowing machine. The maker is Lileng, and it is clearly Made in China. It's got 3 speeds, and High really does the job without much noise. On Low speed, you can't really hear it at all over the white noise that my employer pumps onto the floor, but the breeze is good. As the box says in stilted English, "super strong wind."
In fact, all of the instructions are written on the box.
Sample, under Features:
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The Lileng also uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which charges when plugged into a USB port on a computer (that is also powered on). And there is also a single LED bulb on the side of the unit. Never know when you might need some extra light. It's a good product. So far. If the battery craps out within the first uses, we'll see.
Lileng wins, hands down and shirt unbuttoned.
Sample, under Features:
Using the brushless motor and improved PCB, ensured the super strong wind and long life.
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The Lileng also uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which charges when plugged into a USB port on a computer (that is also powered on). And there is also a single LED bulb on the side of the unit. Never know when you might need some extra light. It's a good product. So far. If the battery craps out within the first uses, we'll see.
Lileng wins, hands down and shirt unbuttoned.
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