The Best Fog Machines
In the past, fog machines were an expensive gimmick that was reserved for heavy metal bands and haunted houses. These days, you can find a wide assortment of reasonably-priced fog machines that are clean, portable, powerful, and packed with a variety of features. There are lots of different options available, so we decided to whittle them down to the best of the best. Read on to discover the perfect pick for you and your foggy aspirations.
JDR FMB-400 Fog Machine
Control the fog
Whether you need it for a club, a theater, or the dance floor, the JDR FMB-400 delivers. Featuring a rapid warm-up that starts delivering fog within just minutes, the FMB-400 will spray a fat cloud of fog intermittently. You can control it via the wired controller and the wireless controller. Better yet, it sports three powerful LED lights that create colorful lighting effects to help bring a wider variety of moods to your staging. It also comes with a strong aluminum handle that doubles as a mounting bracket.
Pros:
- Wide spray distance
- Fairly affordable
- Warms up quickly
Cons:
- The wireless remote isn’t very effective if there are obstacles in the way
TheeFun 400W Smoke Machine
More fog for less
Sometimes, you just want to spray 2,000 cubic feet of fog per minute into the club and watch people lose their minds. If this sounds like you, get yourself a TheeFun smoke machine. This powerful little machine features no lights, no strobes, and no rotating spouts. Instead, it sports a simple-yet-powerful 400-watt motor that spews fog far and wide. It comes with both a wired and wireless control unit, so you can crank up the fog from a distance. It is a real value for artists on a budget.
Pros:
- Durable metal handle and mounting bracket
- Red indicator light alerts when fog is ready
- Easy to operate
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- The wired remote must be plugged in for the wireless remote to work
AGPTEK Fog Machine
Thirteen colorful lights
For DJs, musicians, and stage managers looking to step up their effects game with an all-in-one solution, there is the AGPTEK Fog Machine. This 500W machine is powerful and fast. Best of all, the AGPTEK also includes 13 independently-controlled LED lights of different colors. With the wireless remote, you can control light effects such as fade, flash, strobe, and smooth at different speeds. With its advanced, electronic “constant temperature system” and specialized pipeline technology, the machine reduces energy consumption without sacrificing fog.
Pros:
- Wired and wireless remotes included
- The body is strong and durable
Cons:
- No auto-cycle feature
American Dj Mister Kool Graveyard Low Lying Fogger
It's a graveyard smash
Let’s face it: low-lying fog is the creepiest fog. Dracula didn’t walk out of a fog bank near the bay, he rose from a coffin in a graveyard covered in ground fog. If you’re going for macabre, you need the American Dj Mister Kool Graveyard Low Lying Fogger. It uses a combination of regular ice and a proprietary “Kool Fog” liquid to cool the fog and produce a low-lying fog effect. It also comes with a timer to automatically spew fog when needed, with separate controls for output and duration.
Pros:
- Produces huge amounts of fog
- Lasts 4 hours on one tub of ice
- Does not require dry ice
Cons:
- No remote control
- Can set off smoke alarms
Chauvet Hurricane Haze Machine
For those hazy nights
You do not always need a thick layer of fog to get your point across. Sometimes, you actually want to see the band. Enter the Chauvet Hurricane, a water-based haze machine that creates a thin atmosphere that enhances any light show. Once the machine has had its initial warm-up, it puts out a continuous, thin haze, so it does not require monitoring. It also features a simple digital display for setting the function of the fog easily.
Pros:
- No controller needed
- Easy to use
- Handle for transportation
- Surprisingly quiet operation
Cons:
- Expensive
- Goes through fog juice quickly
Frequently Asked Questions
What chemicals are in fog juice?
Most fog chemicals have two primary ingredients: deionized water plus an active ingredient. The active ingredient can be glycerin, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, or a mixture of all of these. It is important to use the right fog fluid with your fog machine since the vaporization temperature varies for each of these ingredients. Your fog machine instructions should suggest a recommended product.
The fog just comes out like a cloud and disappears. Is my fog machine broken?
No, your fog machine is likely still working, you’ll just have to experiment with the various settings. Usually, the secret is the temperature of the fog. Since fog machines mix heat with chemicals to create fog, the end-product is invariably warm and rises into the air before evaporating. Try this: take a 3-foot strip of landscaping pipe and drill some holes in the middle of it, then seal it with duct tape on one end. Freeze water in plastic water bottles, stick them in the pipe, then attach the open end to your fog machine. Cool fog will spill from the drilled holes and stay close to the ground.
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