The Best Ceiling Fans

Buying Guide for Ceiling Fans

Why buy a ceiling fan?

There’s nothing quite like stale air, nothing quite as bad. A ceiling fan helps with just that. The breeze is refreshing and even soothing, too. If you like essential oils, you could activate an aromatherapy diffuser, turn on your ceiling fan, and enjoy a genuinely even distribution of your favorite scent. As with just about any indoor home appliance, ceiling fans are decorative, too. Install one with a light in the middle of a common room for better room lighting. Perhaps most importantly, ceiling fans are an energy and cost-efficiency option.

What should you look for in a ceiling fan?

• Style: Some aspects that contribute to a ceiling fan’s style include material, shape, light type and fixture, number of blades, color, etc. A ceiling fan may have the classic frosted light globe, five fan blades, and two pull chains—the style you might picture if someone mentioned a ceiling fan in passing. There’s also an industrial-style ceiling fan, which looks completely different. It’s worth considering your current interior decoration style before you decide.
• Features: Though intrinsically connected to style, components have utility value first and foremost. What do you want from your ceiling fan? If you wish for a super-quiet fan, look for one with a DC motor, which uses less power than AC motors and runs smoother. Many come with remote controls, which you use to control light settings, fan speeds, and a timer. A bit of an outlier, the bladeless ceiling fan is more compact, safer, and energy-efficient than most bladed ceiling fans.
• Size: If you live in a 50-square-foot studio apartment, you probably don’t want a 52-inch ceiling fan designed for approximately 150-square-foot rooms. You might need to create a shelter with that much wind, especially at high speed. Size includes how far down a fan hangs, too. If you have a low-ceiling room, it makes sense to seek flush-mount ceiling fans or even the bladeless ceiling fan.

How much should you expect to spend on a ceiling fan?

If you want a quality ceiling fan that does its job well and has excellent longevity, don’t be afraid of higher prices. Why spend little money on a poor-quality fan when you have to replace it much sooner than starting with a better-built model? A nice ceiling fan can cost around $150. Pricier options will have better quality motors, other parts, and more features. 

Our Picks for the Best Ceiling Fans

Pros: This classic-style ceiling fan may scratch that itch for a bit of nostalgia for retro home decor, depending on your age. It features a frosted opal globe light, two pull chains, and five two-sided ceiling fan blades in walnut and maple. The low-profile, or ‘hugger’ mountable, 42- x 14.5-inch fan works great for around 350 square feet in smaller rooms. Fortunately, this old-school fan has several updates to impress you. The reversible, three-speed motor is quiet, for one thing. Reverse the direction the blades turn to save energy in the cold and warmer times of the year. Also, the bulb is LED, which is another energy-saving feature.

Cons: While the fan is compatible with universal ceiling fan remote controls, it does not come with remote control.

Bottom Line: It’s built to last, looks nice, and offers decorative variety. Just reverse the blades for a whole new look. Plus, it comes at a reasonable price.

 

Pros: Remove two of five blades from a standard ceiling fan, install a low-profile light, add several modern technical luxuries, and get this attractive and efficient ceiling fan. The silicon steel direct current (DC) motor is known for power and energy efficiency, an attractive combination. This ceiling fan has many admirable features that you can access through the remote control. Use the remote control to adjust the LED light from white to warm and yellow light, six wind speeds, and to set the timer from 1/3/6 hours. You can also switch between rotating directions and activate the fan and light together or separately.

Cons: This ceiling fan may be difficult to install.

Bottom Line: This 52-inch ceiling fan is excellent for 100- to 250-square-foot rooms. Its two-way rotation airflow helps keep energy costs down when it gets warmer, and the upward setting does the same when it gets colder.

 

Pros: This Westinghouse Lighting 56-inch industrial ceiling fan features alloy steel parts treated with brushed nickel for a shiny, clean look. Install it in your home, business, or any space around 400 square feet. The three-blade fan is ideal for rooms with high ceilings and lofts. Control the fan using the five-speed wall control unit. There are no fancy frills here, just high-quality basics.

Cons: This ceiling fan can be noisy.

Bottom Line: What you see is what you get—transparency in any home appliance is a positive. This ceiling fan has a few moving parts, but they’re all high-quality.

 

Pros: If you have a front porch, gazebo, or back porch, you may find this outdoor ceiling fan intriguing. The weather-resistant blades handle rain, high humidity, and damp weather. Made of durable ABS plastic, the 52-inch blades will hold up well over time, and their wooden texture maintains their quality look. Also important is the lovely frosted bowl light fixture, which includes two 3,000K E26/A15 LED bulbs for a bright but not-glaring glow. Please take advantage of the reversible, three-speed motor to create a warming updraft when it’s cold and a cooling downdraft when it’s warm. Yes, the reversible motor helps outdoors, too. Finally, you can mount this white outdoor fan three ways: down rod (standard), angled-mount (sloped), and flush-mount.

Cons: The blades may seem short and not give enough circulation.

Bottom Line: If you have the right outdoor setting, this Honeywell ceiling fan could be just the thing for creating a pleasant atmosphere regardless of the weather.

 

Pros: Powered by a brushless motor, the air is sucked through a vent in the fan’s base, then thrust through a series of asymmetrically aligned mini blades through a tube, creating pressure that multiplies the initial air intake by 15 times. It’s quieter, safer, and a conversation starter. This bladeless fan features three dimmable LED light settings, three fan speeds, and remote control. You can manipulate all these features, including a timer. If that’s not enough to win you over, the fan comes with a downloadable app. So you can set that remote control aside and power everything with your smartphone.

Cons: It may be a learning curve to download and pair the app to your smartphone.

Bottom Line: This bladeless ceiling fan offers many energy-saving qualities and easy modes of operation.

Final Thoughts

Ceiling fans are a great alternative to using AC as they can add warm and cool airflow to any room and provide energy efficiency year-round. There are plenty of styles and added features to choose from that can give you a functional yet decorative piece of furniture that suits your taste.