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Stay Cool (Or Warm) With the 16 Best Ceiling Fans at Every Price Point
For indoors and out.
Growing up, you may have experienced the noise of a loudly creaking ceiling fan when visiting your great aunt's house, along with the fear that it could come crashing down on your head at any minute. Thankfully, the best ceiling fans to buy today are much quieter—and chicer—than that. There are seemingly endless options for modern ceiling fans with features like LED lights and remote-control motors. Plus, the designs range from textured rattan to sleek chrome finishes, so you can find one to suit your decor perfectly.
Bryan Johnson, CEO of lighting retailer Shades of Light, is inspired by today's variety of ceiling fans that weren't available 20 years ago. "It was a lot of polished brass with oak blades," Johnson says. "The category as a whole has really grown up over the past couple of decades, frankly." You can choose between modern fans that are like a work of art on your ceiling, canvas blades that remind you of sails for a modern coastal look, angular arms that mimic an airplane rotor, or even windmill fans for farmhouse decor.
Not only do ceiling fans add to the overall look and feel of a room, but they also provide comfort year-round comfort. A pleasant breeze goes a long way toward regulating the temperature of a room. It's easy to think of them as mainly cooling, but ceiling fans can warm up a room too—something people often forget. "When you reverse the direction of the fan blades, it actually shoots air down," Johnson says. By sending the warm air back down into the room, there's a desirable warming effect for colder seasons.
Ceiling fans are a durable and low-maintenance part of your home, as Johnson says you're more likely to have to replace a remote than the fan itself. They're an investment you want to take your time making to ensure you love it. "When choosing a ceiling fan, pick a model that blends in with the interiors and doesn't draw attention to itself," advises Cameron Watt, owner of hospitality group Acre, who utilizes ceiling fans in his Los Cabos Treehouse Hotel. "When it comes to fans, I choose function over fashion, and as far as technology, I advise buying one of good quality and quiet. There's nothing a guest hates more than a wobbly, noisy fan; I want something both audibly and visually invisible."
We'd argue that the same is true in residential spaces. Plus, Johnson says a ceiling fan can and should scale with the size of your room, so you'll need options to choose from. Go ahead, discover great ceiling fan options at a variety of price points to upgrade and cool down your home.
Indoor/Outdoor Metal and Wood Ceiling Fan with LED Light
Indoor/Outdoor Metal and Wood Ceiling Fan with LED Light
With plenty of different options for the wooden blades and the motor hardware plus the option to add a light fixture, this fan is extra customizable. "If you’re traditional, this will work," Johnson says. "If you're modern, this will work. If you're transitional, this will work, so regardless of your style aesthetic in your room, it's just a good all-around fan that is going to fit with any decor."
Hunter Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan
Hunter Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan
Whether you're choosing this color for its unexpectedly savvy camouflaging abilities in an outdoor space (read our explainer on Go Away Green for more details on its genius "hiding in plain sight" abilities) or because you love muted pastels, this indoor-outdoor ceiling fan is affordable, effective, and stylish. Bonus: It's available in four other colors.
Petrel LED Ceiling Fan
Available in both 52- and 64-inch diameters, this sleek fan boasts energy-saving technology. Its reversible motor has six speeds and uses 70 percent less energy than conventional alternatives, according to the company. Plus, it has various finish and blade options.
SculptAire Ceiling Fan with Light Kit
SculptAire Ceiling Fan with Light Kit
The translucent acrylic blades on this fan allow it to sit flush against the ceiling, practically disappearing. This is a great choice if you’re not looking for a fan to be the most important or eye-catching piece in a room.
Spitfire Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan
Spitfire Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan
A modern, remote-controlled ceiling fan will impress your family and friends in your new guest bedroom. This one is made of die-cut metal with buttonwood blades; depending on the color scheme of your room, you can choose from natural, dark walnut, or white. The fan is also damp-rated, so if you have a balcony or patio, consider installing this unit under a protected outdoor setting.
Jemma Smart LED Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan
Jemma Smart LED Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan
Johnson cautions that those living in coastal areas should pay attention to materials when selecting an outdoor fan. Just being marketed as "outdoor" won’t cut it. "Even if it's rated outdoor, they will corrode, end of story," Johnson says. "So you really want to look for something that is true stainless steel to be able to have it stand up to a salty air environment." This one is marine rated, so it can stand up to the saltiest sea air.
West Elm Embrace Ceiling Fan
West Elm Embrace Ceiling Fan
Super simple and sleek, this ceiling fan will stand out on its own while also complementing a variety of environments. The built-in flush mount light will also provide some extra ambient lighting. It will definitely help improve airflow but is smaller in size, making it ideal for tinier spaces and lower ceilings.
Hampton Bay Indoor/Outdoor Aged Bronze Ceiling Fan
Hampton Bay Indoor/Outdoor Aged Bronze Ceiling Fan
That tropical vacation you've been yearning for may not be on the immediate horizon, but you can bring island vibes to your home with this ceiling fan. It has a three-speed reversible motor with a pull chain—meaning you can cool down in style with the cute leaf-shaped blades. If you have a porch that needs a fan, this one is a good pick. It's wet-rated so you don't have to worry about those splashes of rain.
Honeywell Ceiling Fans Xerxes Ceiling Fan
Honeywell Ceiling Fans Xerxes Ceiling Fan
At 62 inches in diameter, this ceiling fan with eight reversible blades is ideal for big rooms. It comes with an integrated LED globe light and three-speed remote control. It's available in four colorways and is even compatible with smart devices like Google Home.
Portage Bay Hugger Ceiling Fan
Portage Bay Hugger Ceiling Fan
Not only is this low-profile ceiling fan ideal for small rooms, but it's easy to install and budget friendly. Reviewers confirm the pull chains on it are smooth for hassle-free use.
Bella Depot Chandelier Ceiling Fan
There are moments when your room just needs a bit of dazzle to shake up your interior design. The 52-inch Bella Depot chandelier ceiling fan fits the bill. The five-blade unit features LED lights, a chrome finish, and crystal embellishments. Switch on the motor or change it from up to downdraft depending on the season with the convenient remote control.
Wrap Custom Ceiling Fan
Wrap Custom Ceiling Fan
The unique and sophisticated blade design on this fan is an elegant way to add air circulation to your home. It's also designed to be hung from sloped ceilings and comes with a remote, making for easy installation and use.
Westinghouse Lighting Industrial Indoor Ceiling Fan
Westinghouse Lighting Industrial Indoor Ceiling Fan
For a sleek, industrial design, look no further than this metal ceiling fan. Available in brushed nickel or white, it has three steel blades that offer strong air movement at a quiet noise level. More than 1,400 five-star reviews on Amazon confirm it's a great choice.
Carbon Loft Montrese Bronze/Teak Ceiling Fan
Carbon Loft Montrese Bronze/Teak Ceiling Fan
If industrial vintage and elegant chic had a love child, it would be birthed in the form of this ceiling fan. The oiled bronze cage has a mesh perimeter, allowing you to see through to the three teak blades and giving the piece an early-1900s flair. The fan is conveniently activated by remote control.
Parrot Uncle Industrial Ceiling Fan with Light
Parrot Uncle Industrial Ceiling Fan with Light
Worthy of gracing the ceiling of your favorite speakeasy lounge, this ceiling fan has three eye-catching Edison-style bulbs surrounded by a vintage cage design. You can control the three speeds conveniently using the wall controller.
Three Posts™ Socorro 52" Ceiling Fan with LED Light
Three Posts™ Socorro 52" Ceiling Fan with LED Light
This ceiling fan comes with both a reversible motor and reversible blades, so you can make changes to suit your needs with the seasons. The cage-like shades around the light fixture help this fan fit well in an industrial room scheme.
Does Ceiling Fan Blade Material Matter?
Yes and no. Typically, the blade material isn't what determines the effectiveness of the fan; the CFM (cubic feet per minute) is. This is the measure of airflow that the fan will generate, and it's a function of two metrics: blade pitch and motor size. "What's going to drive performance is going to be the pitch of the blades and the size of the motor," Johnson says. "So that's really what you want to pay attention to. The greater the pitch, the more airflow it's going to create."
When you're looking to purchase a fan, you'll want a higher CFM as opposed to a lower one. However, in older fan models that have thin composite or plastic blades, you could see cases of what Johnson calls Droopy Blade Syndrome. "After 10 years, all of your fan blades just wind up looking like frowny faces, and it's a pretty poor look," Johnson says. Opt for wood blades to avoid this effect, as Johnson says they're more likely to retain their rigidity.
Why Trust Us?
We consulted experts on ceiling fan selection for both hospitality and residential use. Bryan Johnson, CEO of lighting retailer Shades of Light, has been working in the lighting industry for more than 13 years, and he has followed the many changes in ceiling fan design trends. He's familiar with how a home's environment responds to ceiling fans, and vice versa. Cameron Watt chose ceiling fans for his Los Cabos Treehouse Hotel and knows how to prioritize function for the utmost comfort. As shopping editors, we follow market trends closely and know where to find the most stylish products at every price point. We combined their experience and expertise with our in-depth design knowledge and product research to bring you the best ceiling fan picks possible.
Kelly Allen is the current Associate Editor at House Beautiful, where she covers design, pop culture, and travel for digital and the print magazine. She’s been with the team for nearly three years, attending industry events and covering a range of topics. When she’s not watching every new TV show and movie, she’s browsing vintage home stores, admiring hotel interiors, and wandering around New York City. She previously worked for Delish and Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
Janae McKenzie covers all things shopping for House Beautiful. As an associate shopping editor, she’s constantly scoping out the best finds for every part of your home. Janae holds an MA in journalism from the University of Missouri and has been published in Glamour, Food Network and Vox Magazine.
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