Ridgid Vs. Ryobi 18V Hybird Fans: Which Is Better, According To Users?

Whether you want to keep your area cool while at the job site or simply need to circulate air in your car tent on your next camping trip, a fan can make a huge difference. Of course, there are multiple types of fans that can perform different jobs, such as misting and oscillating, but if you're looking for something simple and cost-efficient, a couple of brands at The Home Depot fit the bill.

The Home Depot has both Ridgid and Ryobi tools, and these two brands sell near-identical job site fans — Ridgid's 18V Hybrid Jobsite 7.5 Inch Fan and Ryobi's 18V ONE+ Hybrid Whisper Series 7-1/2 Inch Fan. Both of these fans come with a 2.0 Ah battery — however, the prices are a bit different. Ridgid's fan has a list price of $158, though, at the time of writing this article, it was on sale for $99 at Home Depot. Ryobi's fan costs $99. Yet, even though these two fans have a lot in common, there are a few specifications that are a bit different, which may make them work differently as well. With that said, according to users, which hybrid fan is better? A detailed explanation of our methodology can be found at the bottom of the article.

Both the Ridgid and Ryobi fans have a 7.5-inch fan diameter, work off an 18V battery or extension cord, and have a pivoting head, but that's about where the similarities stop. The Ridgid fan is wider at 15.3 inches, whereas the Ryobi fan is only 11.3 inches, Furthermore, the Ridgid fan runs quieter at 50 dBA while the Ryobi fan has a sound rating of 59 dB, or decibels which is the noise level. 

One notable feature, or lack thereof, is that Ryobi gives no indication of the fan's runtime. Some users did their own tests and posted the results on the product page's questions and answers section. One user said it took about 35 hours with a 4.0 Ah battery on low, while another stated the battery lasted four hours on medium without any indication of which battery amperage they used. The only thing Ryobi says in the comments is that the runtime varies on battery conditions, work conditions, air quality, and other things, which isn't the most helpful. Ridgid, on the other hand, stated a runtime of a little over seven hours on max speed using a 6.0 Ah battery. One user said they ran their fan at max speed with a 2.0 Ah battery, and it lasted 3.5 hours.

Fans also come with specific measurements — the CFM, which is cubic feet per minute and describes the volume, and the FPM, which is feet per minute and illustrates the speed. The Ridgid fan can deliver up to 670 CFM and 1,070 FPM. Meanwhile, Ryobi's version provides 570 CFM and 900 FPM. This means that Ridgid can move more air at a quicker speed. 

Right off the bat, the Ridgid hybrid fan received a 4.6 out of five-star rating from just under 700 users, while Ryobi's fan has a 4.8 from 3,200 consumers, so, in terms of ratings, they're both fairly close considering the number of people who participated. It is noticed that though Ridgid doesn't have it in the product description, one commenter revealed that the fan has a 210-degree swivel, which is a whole 50 degrees more than Ryobi's at 160 degrees.

YouTuber Tool Review Zone did a review video comparing these two models, and though he did spend a good portion of it ragging on another channel, he did bring up some good points about the fans. The wind speed of both feels relatively the same — however, the Ridgid fan has more mounting options, 10 to be exact, and the dial has seven settings, including off. Ryobi, on the other hand, only has a couple of mounting options and four settings, including off. 

Overall, it seems that though both fans are good, due to Ridgid's mounting options and along with its other features, it comes ahead of Ryobi. Additionally, if you register your Ridgid tool within 90 days of purchase, you'll receive a limited lifetime warranty. Ryobi only offers a three-year manufacturer's warranty.

All of our information came from the product description pages on Home Depot for both fans. Many user reviews were read through and compared to see what features seemed to have more positive and even negative feedback. We also looked for customer reviews comparing the two fans in real testing. We took into account all reviews and made the decision of which fan was far superior based on users and not our personal opinion.

However, it's important to note that both fans should be a good choice. We encourage you to take into consideration which battery line you want to invest in so the battery that comes with your fan can also work with other tools in the brand. Additionally, if you already own a Ridgid or Ryobi 18V battery, you can save money by purchasing the tool-only version. Ridgid's option is $79, and Ryobi's is $59.