Ceiling fans are the often unappreciated heroes of keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
They are also more energy-efficient than running your air conditioning and so can keep your energy bill low. All this is on top of being elegant and attractive additions to your home’s aesthetics. Some are even smart home compatible.
The best ceiling fan is the Hunter Fan Company Builder Deluxe Indoor Ceiling Fan. It’s highly effective for a low price and has a set of attractive designs available.
To be as effective as possible, the size of your ceiling fan must be considered against the size of the room.
You can control ceiling fans by various systems. The most common method uses pull chains where one chain changes the lighting, if included, and one changes the fan's speed. Other more modern methods use either wall-mounted panels or remote controls. The most advanced ceiling fans are smart home compatible and can be controlled from your phone or by voice with a compatible AI assistant such as Google Assistant.
Ceiling fans use CFM to measure how much air they can push and pull around the room in one minute. The higher the CFM, the better, as you can adjust your thermostat to save as much energy as possible.
Blades that are wide with high pitch angles are better able to move higher quantities of air. Look for ceiling fans with blades at least 5 inches wide with pitches of 12 to 14 degrees.
Ceiling fans with an Energy Star have to meet a set of standards marking them as energy-efficient and consumer-friendly. These standards are:
Ceiling fans typically cost $50-$500. The cheapest fans cost less than $100 but aren’t very effective. You’ll want a $100-$150 fan instead. Larger and better fans typically cost up to $300. The best start around $300 and can cost as much as $1,000 or more.
A. It helps by moving cool air around the room in hot months and pushing hot air down during cold months. This means you can set your AC to a different temperature than normal to save a few percentage points on your energy bill for each degree less it has to work.
A. They are effectively the same, save for outdoor capable ceiling fans are designed to resist the effects of moisture and humidity. This applies to both the blades and the motor.
A. Both mounting styles are designed to move air around a room as efficiently as possible depending on the height of the ceiling. Flush-mounted fans are meant for low ceilings, while downrod-mounted fans are for ceilings higher than 8 feet.
Hunter Fan Company Builder Deluxe Indoor Ceiling Fan
What you need to know: It’s effective, attractive and well priced.
What you’ll love: The Hunter brand is well-respected. It comes in three designs including an all-white model and a lovely brown and silver-accented model. It has a reversible multi-speed fan and pull controls for the fan and the light. Installation can be done at a variety of heights.
What you should consider: It’s compatible with some remotes, but you need to purchase one separately. Some consumers had issues with ticking sounds developing after a few months.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
Honeywell Ceiling Fans Carnegie Indoor Ceiling Fan
What you need to know: It’s another well-priced unit but with rustic charm.
What you’ll love: It’s available in three designs, all with rustic flair. It has a three-speed reversible motor that runs quietly, even at full speed. The blades have different finishes on either side, giving you an extra choice in your home decor. It has three mounting options.
What you should consider: Some customers struggled to install it. Others felt the fan doesn’t move enough air. The lightbulbs aren’t shaded, so looking into them can be dangerous.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Big Ass Fans Haiku L Smart Ceiling Fan
What you need to know: It's designed to integrate with your smart home fully.
What you’ll love: It’s available in five designs, including all white and all black. It has seven speed settings, an economy mode, time and “whoosh” mode that simulates natural breezes. It’s controllable from an included wall panel, a free app and with voice commands through AI assistants such as Amazon Alexa.
What you should consider: It isn’t as capable of pushing air as non-smart fans and the setup requires a certain degree of tech-savviness. Some purchasers reported app issues.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
