I think I paid $39 for this fan after I returned the Lasko (unbelievably cheaply made, missing parts) I originally purchased. I was only looking for something to make white noise but as other people have said, this thing is pretty powerful on high. It's surprisingly quiet given the amount of air that it moves. I almost considered returning it for a box fan that would be louder since sound was the original intention but this wound up working prefect after some trial nights. I still feel like almost $40 is pricy for it, I've only had it for a month so I can't attest to it's longevity.