5 days ago
We Doubted the Snooz Breez, But This Combo Fan and White Noise Machine Won Us Over
One nice feature of the Breez is that it is surprisingly energy-efficient, even compared with other fans. During my tests, I measured it at about 7.8 watts on low and 38.7 watts on high, results that place it somewhere between our top-pick fan from Vornado and one of our more energy-efficient picks, such as the DC-powered Dreo PolyFan 704S. If you were to run the Breez on high 24 hours a day for three months of the summer, it probably would cost you only around $10 total, based on the average price of electricity in the US.
And if you run the Breez with just the white noise machine, it uses significantly less energy than that, ranging from 2.4 to 6.4 watts. If you were to run that component on high for 24 hours a day for three months of summer, it would cost you less than $2. You probably wouldn't want to do that, though, since the white noise machine cranks up to 70 decibels — around the top of the range for 'normal conversation levels,' according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Then there's the actual cost of the Breez, which currently sells for $200. That's a lot of money, even if you are getting two devices in one. It's slightly more expensive than other fashion-forward fans, too, including the stylish Vornado Silver Swan Alchemy, one of our recommendations. You could find a comparable smart room fan that performs just as well for around $100 and then combine that with a separate white noise machine and save a little money, depending on the model; our top pick costs about $50, while our usual recommendation for a fan-based white noise machine similar to the Snooz is closer to $65. (The standard Snooz white noise machine — which is similar, if not identical, to the one in the Breez — usually goes for around $100.)
But the Breez could still be worth the investment for the right person. It's an impressively well-made device — durable, attractive, and easy to use. It's the kind of thing that could spruce up a home and really make it pop, unlike other fans, which are just sort of there at best. The Snooz Breez comes with a two-year warranty, too, although it's rugged enough that it should hold up for much, much longer than that. As a bonus, it could save you some outlet space, as well, since you wouldn't have to plug in a fan and a white noise machine separately. Finally, there's the benefit of balancing your wind speed, fan noise, and actual white noise volume. That's a nice and useful feature, especially for a sensitive sleeper. Thom Dunn/NYT Wirecutter
I had a lot of reservations about the Snooz Breez when I first heard about it. But this little fan really won me over. It's a nice, high-quality machine full of thoughtful design choices, and it certainly fills a niche, particularly for breezy background noise connoisseurs. It isn't the right choice for everyone, of course. There are other white noise machines that offer a wider variety of sounds, which can better block out different distractions. You can also find more robust fans, and certainly cheaper ones, too. But if you're already intrigued by the idea of a combination fan and white noise machine, the Snooz Breez really is a great little gadget.
This article was edited by Harry Sawyers and Maxine Builder.
