The Vornado company is known for its full line of durable, dependable fans. They feature a variety of attractive designs. When I was looking for a small, portable desk fan, the Zippi really grabbed my attention. The design is innovative with a certain retro feel, particularly the color choices. When I bought mine, besides jet black, they had a choice of the classic '60s colors Avocado, Flame, and brighter than the classic Harvest Gold, a nice bright yellow. I have since seen it in a blue reminiscent of '50s-era car colors. The motor runs almost silently, and it's very safe, with soft cloth blades that won't harm even the tiniest fingers. (It looks so cute and almost toylike, you might have to discourage children from playing with it!) It has two speeds, and without any cage around the blades, there's nothing to obstruct the flow of air. One thing I have noticed is that after a couple of years of use (It's quite long lasting for a portable fan!), the top-heavy motor tends to sink the fan head. But that can be corrected with a little glue (so it won't be adjustable any more), or by jamming something into the part it swivels from. It's reasonably priced, too. All in all, it's a delightful little fan.     Air Flow For its size, the air flow is the best because there's no grill getting between you and the air - and nothing to get clogged up with dirt, either! Ease of Use Plug it in, turn it on - what could be easier? Durability Lasts much longer than any other fan I've used. Design I really like how it looks. Only flaw is that the top-heaviness tends to make it drift downward after much use. I try not to adjust my new one very much in hopes it will last longer without doing that.

selkie305

Brooklyn, NY

I wasn't particularly looking to purchase a fan when I aquired my **Vornado Zippi Mini Table Fan**a few months ago. I was waiting to pick up my daughter who was playing tennis with some friends when I spotted a sign for a nearby community garage sale. Figuring I'd kill some time there I wandered over. When I first saw it I wasn't sure what it was. The Vornado Zippi Mini Table Fan stands only a little more than 9" tall with cloth (yes, cloth) blades that span 7". **In Use** I use the fan on my desk when I'm working from home and have the air-conditioning on efficiency mode. It moves enough air around me, even on the low speed setting that it overcomes the stuffiness of still air. I'm impressed by the almost total absence of operating noise. With its folding blades, there's a good chance that this fan will accompany my daughter to camp in Georgia next summer. Air Flow Keeping in mind that this is intended to be a "personal space" fan, it provides excellent airflow in your immediate area. I find that it is quite sufficient as a small desk fan I use when I'm in the office. Ease of Use This is a two speed adjustable head fan. There's not much to its operation. Durability The previous owners had and used the Zippi Mini Fan for about 3 years and used it for a couple of hours a day. Since purchasing it several months ago it continues to operate quietly. This fan is so simple in its design that motor life is pretty much the only question. Vornado fans I've owned in the past were quite long-lived. Design I like the cloth blades and the compactness of this fan. Although the blades are harmless, it still is a little disconcerting that there's no protective cage surrounding them. The feature that allows the blades to be folded back to make the fan very compact and portable is a big plus.

RudiXeno

Boca Raton, FL

Not sure if I should rate this on its performance as a fan or the entertainment value it has provided at work. At my place of employment, cubicle space was converted from assigned to free access workspace. Because I like having a fan in my workspace, I needed to replace my old fan for something more portable that fits nicely in my backpack because I commute to work by bicycle. I found this fan at BUY.COM and the price was low enough for me to take a chance to give it a try. At first I was leary if the cloth blade design would provide me with the coolness I was getting from my larger desk fan that it was replacing, but I was pleasantly surprised by its performance. I not only was kept cool, but the quiet operation almost made me forget it a couple of times when packing up at the end of the day. When packing it for the backpack, the fan folds in between the pedestal for compactness. The fun part is the exposed cloth blades are entertaining to everyone in the office and I often have visitors stop by to touch the fans blades while in rotation. It is painless, but everyone seems to find this amusing.

jzepeda

Tomball, TX