Which USB fan is the quietest?
There are three answers, one per maker.
| Maker and basis | Lowest figure |
|---|
| AC Infinity, "Total Noise" | MULTIFAN S1 and S2, 17 dBA |
| Noctua, maximum speed | NF-A20 5V PWM, 18.1 dB(A) at 800 RPM |
| Vornado, spec table | PEBL, 35 dBA |
The 17 and the 18.1 look close. AC Infinity does not say what speed or distance its figure describes, though, and Noctua names no distance. A 35 dBA desk fan beside a 17 dBA cabinet fan says even less, since Vornado and AC Infinity may measure from very different spots.
AC Infinity's MULTIFAN line for cabinets and consoles
The S1 and S2 share the lowest figure among AC Infinity's USB fans, 17 dBA, with the S2 moving 35 CFM to the S1's 26. These are the spec table figures on November 7, 2026.
| Model | Fan | Figure | Airflow | Price |
|---|
| MULTIFAN S1 | 80mm | 17 dBA | 26 CFM | $14.99 |
| MULTIFAN S2 | Centrifugal blower | 17 dBA | 35 CFM | $17.99 |
| MULTIFAN S3 | 120mm | 18 dBA | 52 CFM | $15.99 |
| MULTIFAN S4 | 140mm | 18 dBA | 57 CFM | $18.99 |
| MULTIFAN Mini | 40mm | 18 dBA | 12 CFM | $15.99 |
| MULTIFAN S5 | Two 80mm | 18 dBA | Not consistent on its page | $18.99 |
| MULTIFAN S7 | Two 120mm | 19 dBA | 104 CFM | $22.99 |
The whole range spans just 2 dBA. On AC Infinity's numbers, airflow decides more than noise does. The S2 is a blower that lies on top of a box, while the S1, S3 and S4 stand beside it on rubber feet.
The full AC Infinity range, AC-powered cabinet fans included, is on our AC Infinity fan decibels page.
Noctua's 5V fans on USB power
Among Noctua 5V fans whose infosheets list a USB power adaptor cable in the box, the NF-A20 5V PWM has the lowest maximum: 18.1 dB(A) at 800 RPM. Each figure below is at the fan's top speed.
| Model | Size | Maximum | Airflow |
|---|
| NF-A20 5V PWM | 200mm | 18.1 dB(A) at 800 RPM | 146.9 m³/h |
| NF-A12x25 5V and 5V PWM | 120mm | 21.4 dB(A) at 1900 RPM | 96.2 m³/h |
| NF-F12 5V | 120mm | 22.4 dB(A) at 1500 RPM | 93.4 m³/h |
| NF-A9 5V PWM | 92mm | 22.8 dB(A) at 2000 RPM | 78.9 m³/h |
Each infosheet says the USB cable lets the fan "run on power banks, devices with USB host ports or USB power supplies". They are bare fans, with no stand or speed dial. Think of a cutout in a cabinet back, or a vent you can screw one to.
The rest of Noctua's range, 12V fans included, is on the Noctua fan decibels page, and its smallest 5V fans are on the 40mm fans page.
Can a TV, router or console USB port power a cooling fan?
Both cabinet fan makers say yes. AC Infinity's MULTIFAN plug "can power the fan through USB ports found behind popular" AV electronics and game consoles, and Noctua's from "devices with USB host ports".
The draw is small: 0.75 W for the NF-F12 5V, 0.85 W for the NF-A20 5V PWM and 1.75 W for the NF-A12x25 5V PWM, on Noctua's infosheets. Up to four MULTIFANs can share one USB source by daisy chaining, AC Infinity adds. A fan powered from the device it cools also switches off with that device, which is often what you want in a media cabinet, but neither maker promises that a given port will be strong enough, and a fan that stutters may need a separate USB adapter.
Is a Noctua 5V fan quieter than an AC Infinity MULTIFAN?
The figures cannot say. AC Infinity gives a "Total Noise" number with no speed or distance; Noctua gives a top-speed figure with no distance or standard.
Size and airflow compare more cleanly. A 120mm MULTIFAN S3 moves 52 CFM at 1300 RPM, and Noctua's 120mm NF-F12 5V lists 93.4 m³/h at 1500 RPM, in metric units. The MULTIFAN arrives ready to stand on a shelf with a speed controller. The Noctua arrives as a bare fan you mount.
Why two makers' dB(A) figures can sit far apart for similar fans is covered in our page on comparing decibel ratings.
Vornado's USB desk fans
The Passage lists the lowest Vornado figure, 34 dBA, but we found it nowhere on Amazon. The PEBL lists 35 dBA and was in stock there on November 7, 2026.
| Model | Price | Figure in the spec table |
|---|
| Passage, USB-C | $29.99 | 34 dBA |
| PEBL and PEBL PAK | $24.99 and $29.99 | 35 dBA |
| FLY MOVE, USB-C rechargeable | $69.99 | 48/46/45 dBA |
None of these figures names a speed.
The FLY MOVE page adds that low "registers below 32dB", which clashes with its table, so the table figure is the one it ranks on. The PEBL PAK is the PEBL with a carry case, and the two share one owner's guide.
The AC-powered side of the desk fan market, where Lasko labels its figures by speed, is on our desk fans page.
Limits and ranges from Gaiatop, OPOLAR and JisuLife
None of the three ranks against Vornado. Gaiatop and OPOLAR print limits rather than plain figures, and JisuLife prints a range.
Gaiatop's TF40 runs "with noise below 40dB at high speed", and for the AF-04 it says "Minimum noise is just 35dB". OPOLAR says its 9-inch F511 keeps "its low noise, less than 40dB". A ceiling tells you only that the fan should not go above it. A minimum tells you nothing about the speed you will actually run.
JisuLife's Table Fan 1 table reads "Noise 42-45dB" across four speeds, and a banner higher up the page promises "As Low As 40 dB". JisuLife and Gaiatop handheld fans are compared on the handheld fans page.
Honeywell and Dreo print nothing we could find
Neither has a USB fan with a maker noise figure. Dreo's US store listed no USB-powered fan on November 7, 2026, and Honeywell's US fan site blocked our requests that day. Honeywell's HTF090B Turbo on the Go is widely sold as a USB or battery fan, but without the maker's page there was no figure to read, and retailer listings do not count here.
