Proper ventilation in a grow tent is critical to keeping plants free from mold and mildew and ensuring healthy growing conditions. Using an oscillating fan is the best solution to keep the air flowing inside your grow tent.

However, choosing the best oscillating fan for your grow tent is not as easy as it seems. You need self-oscillating fans that provide adequate airflow from all angles. The fan should be light but strong and run quietly.

We’ll help you choose the right oscillating fan for your grow tent from some of the best fans around. Browse the guides to find the one that’s right for you.

The benefits of air circulation 

Air circulation is important for a few reasons:

Plants constantly need fresh air with lots of CO2. Outdoors this is no problem and is done by the wind but indoors there is no natural airflow so, while your tent’s exhaust does bring in fresh air, the air is placed in one area and not dispersed throughout the tent. A clip on fan is able to do this.
Air circulation helps strengthen plant structures. This means plants are sturdier and naturally produce auxin, a chemical that is anti-bacterial and helps repel pests and encourage growth in plants.

Air circulation helps balance humidity and temperature within the canopy. Humidity, especially, tends to vary throughout the tent regardless if you have a ventilation system or not. This is because, as your plants respirate, they release moisture which, if there is no airflow, sits around the leaves. Over time, this collected moisture builds up and can encourage bacteria growth, fungus, and other pests to find a home in higher humidity. This is why we see bud rot more often in areas within the canopy.

ECO Farm Mini Flexible Electric Clip Fan

Features:

The ECO Farm fan is made from sturdy materials. You can simply adjust the direction of the airflow by the use of a shake rod. You can mount this grow tent Oscillating fan on the wall or put it on a stand in a tent. This fan is versatile and convenient by ensuring a thorough circulation of the air within the room. It favors indoor gardening. With indoor grow operations you don’t need to move around hundreds of cubic feet of air (let the exhaust fans do that). It features two speeds settings. You can conveniently select the right speed to support plant growth. Unlike most swing fans, this fan product is well made to prioritize quality. The parts are ingeniously manufactured to provide durable products. It also runs quietly, spreading air in your planting tent, keeping it quiet and cool. It also allows you to achieve good coverage. Lightweight fan size can be installed well in small tents.

AC Infinity Cloudray A6 Circulation EC Fan

Features:

The newly designed next-generation clip-on fan provides precise air circulation for all stages of plant growth. Utilize the cutting-edge EC motor with PWM control to access a wide range of fan speeds, from breeze to powerful airflow. Designed with an EC motor to provide precise air circulation for all stages of plant growth. Numerous 10 speeds, from gentle breeze for seedlings to strong airflow for flowering. The IP-44 rating is designed for use in growing environments and resists high humidity and heat.

Secret Jardin Monkey Fan 16W 7.5'’

Features:

Secret Jardin Monkey Fans are great for airflow and are resistant to the humid environment your grow room provides. This pole-mounted fan is designed for grow tents and rooms, making this clip-on fan ideal for moving air without taking up the space you need. The fan blades are surrounded by a metal grid that’s too small to reach with fingers. This Monkey Fan is designed for tents with pole lengths of 0.63–0.83 inches as well as PVC (commonly used to stretch lattice on canopies).

The importance of proper air circulation

Fresh Carbon Dioxide
To reiterate, good airflow will allow your plants to breathe happily. Imagine you are trapped in a small airtight tent. Over time, as you breathe, oxygen levels drop and carbon dioxide levels rise.

For a plant grown in a tent or room, the opposite is true; it absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. Eventually, carbon dioxide levels drop so much that plants can no longer photosynthesize properly, stunting their growth.

For this reason, it is necessary to provide your plants with fresh air and plenty of carbon dioxide.

Control Humidity
Airflow helps control and maintain good humidity levels. While a certain amount of humidity is important for the growth of plants, too much humidity can be very harmful.

Water uptake is a passive process of plants. Water is absorbed through the plants as they lose water through the stomata (pores) on their leaves, which causes them to draw water (and some nutrients) from the soil through their roots. This process of transpiration is important because it means that plants retain proper water and their processes occur at a healthy rate.

If humidity is too high due to a lack of carbon dioxide-rich air, transpiration slows down, which means it is difficult for plants to absorb enough water.

Control mold and pests
The stagnant air slows plant growth while also breeding pests and creating the perfect environment for mold to thrive. Fungal and bacterial growth can be bad news for growing — think bud rot. Especially as the crop matures and produces more leaves and flowers, high humidity can become a real problem and the chances of some kind of infection or pest infestation become higher.

Keeping the air flowing helps prevent these pathogens from growing and multiplying.

Remove Heat
Apparently, plants prefer fairly warm environments. But if the weather gets too hot, then not only can this pose a risk to plant growth, it can even start a fire — something you definitely don’t want. Therefore, removing excess heat from cultivation is very useful for the crop as well as your own health and the health of those around you.

Safety concerns aside, removing stale hot air and introducing fresh air into the growing space will help heat circulate, keeping temperatures stable and conducive to plant growth.

Conclusion

Growing plants inside a grow tent requires adequate air circulation to prevent mold and mildew. You also need to ensure the optimum temperature and humidity inside your grow tent. An oscillating fan is the easiest solution to handle this situation.

But not all oscillating fans perform well enough. Fans for small grow tents should be energy efficient, quiet and provide adequate airflow.