If you’re ready to get blown away by the comfort and energy efficiency of a new ceiling fan, you’ve come to the right place! Even when summer is at its hottest, a good ceiling fan can help you lower your energy expenses, as well as provide a stylish look to your home’s decor. Choosing the right ceiling fan that fits both your home’s decor and your own personality can be a difficult process. If you’re in the market for the best most modern ceiling fans currently available, you’re in luck. We’ve done the work and the research to find the ceiling fans that provide you with the best features for the best budget. Across the web, these four ceiling fans come up again and again as some of the best fans that money can buy.
1. Minka-Aire F843-DK
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Why we like it: For your average buyer, the name of the company means everything. When it comes to purchasing ceiling fans, most of us know very little about what companies we should like and trust. Minka Group is one of those companies. Minka Group’s sole purpose as a company is in making decorative lighting and fans. Indeed, this is prominently stated at the top of their website. For good product design, specialization is the name of the game. Minka specializes in fans and lighting, and the Minka-Aire F843-DK is one of their best products on the market.
The Minka-Aire F843-DK comes with 3, solidly built blades that cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. This remote-controlled, variable speed fan has a low, medium and high setting. The speeds range from 61 RPMs on the low speed, 107 RPMs on the medium speed, and a speedy 153 RPM on the highest setting. As with any ceiling fan, the higher the speed setting, the more it utilizes energy. However, this fan comes with an Energy Star stamp of approval, so you’ll start seeing the savings not long after installation and use.
This fan has a rather large blade sweep of 52 inches, and produces airflows of 2699, 4537, and 6580 cubic feet per minute, ranging from the low to high speed. This means you’ll experience extremely large and extremely efficient airflows, even on the lowest speed setting. Likewise, the energy-efficient design is built to maximize airflow, while using the least amount of power, saving you money in the long run. This fan comes with an incredible 48 degree blade pitch, giving you much more airflow than you’ll know what to do with.
The Minka-Aire F843-DK has a contemporary style and feel. The fan is made of a solid, yet flexible wood: Koa. This highly quality wood, which is also used in the construction of furniture and surf boards, is distressed to give it a unique and aged look. However, the fan can also be purchased in silver or white colors, adding variety for the buyer.
- Energy Star certified
- 3-speed setting with remote control
- Sturdy, flexible Koa wood
- No light fixture included
2. Hunter 53091 Builder
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Why we like it: If you’re hunting for good value and great quality, the Hunter 53901 Builder is going to provide with you exactly what you’re looking for. As a company, Hunter has a singular focus: ceiling fans. When it comes to specialization, you can’t get better than that. On their website, Hunter even provides a simple and comforting promise: “With a Hunter ceiling fan, you can count on quality craftsmanship, powerful air movement and inspired design to create that perfect feeling in every room.” While every company certainly makes false promises, consistently strong reviews prove that for Hunter, those aren’t empty words.
The Hunter 53901 Builder comes with 5 blades, the most of any on our list. This three speed fan maxes out at 5110 cubic feet per minute at the highest setting. The fan also comes with Hunter’s branded WhisperWind motor, giving you not only excellent airflow, but very quiet and pleasant sounds. You’ll be able to feel the breeze without having to listen to it as well. Unlike the other fans on our list, the Hunter also provides for reverse airflow, giving this fan use in the winter as well. The reverse airflow will draw cooler air up from below, and push the warmer air down, giving you more efficient heating in your home.
While the fan does not come with an Energy Star stamp of approval, you’ll be happy to know that it does provide you with a light fixture and a much lower budget than the other fans on our list. The Brazilian cherry/stained oak wood provides you with excellent style for your home’s decor. As any good homeowner knows, it’s not just all about the energy and efficiency. Sometimes, the look is just as important.
If you’re in the market for great design, great value and good airflow, the Hunter 53901 is for you. Few fans offer you year-round use; the Hunter 53901 Builder is one of those few that will. While not the most efficient, the fan is certainly a crowd favorite.
- Strong customer ratings
- 3 speed settings
- 5 blades for increased airflow
- Extremely quite WhisperWind motor
- Not Energy Star certified
3. Minka-Aire F844-DK
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Why we like it: It should come as no surprise that a company focused solely on great quality fans and lights would have more than one entry on our short list. The Minka-Aire F844-DK is in the same line as the Minka-Aire F843-DK, but comes with a light included. While that is the only actual distinction between the two, it also warrants the fan having its own place on our list.
This ceiling fan’s features are in-line with its extremely popular sibling. The included light features a dimmable LED, so you can vary the light settings and set just the right mood for winding down in the evenings.
This fan comes with the same technical features as the Minka-Aire F843-DK, so buyers can expect the same, extensive amount of airflow, with the same efficiency. If you’re in the market for more than just a ceiling fan, and need a ceiling fan that comes coupled with a light fixture as well, you can expect the same excellent quality in CFM and power efficiency, with the added bonus of a dimmable light.
- Added light fixture to the previous design
- Same basic stats as the Minka-Aire f843-DK
- Less favorable reviews
4. Hampton Bay Fan FBA
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Why we like it:
This particular fan offers 5 reversible blades (cherry/maple) colors are available. It has a nice Brushed nickel finish, which is very appealing to the eye. The Frosted glass bowl light fixture is simple and fits in with all decors. A helpful asset is the Remote control feature. The Airflow rate is 4,087 CFM.
Hampton bay fan has a traditional AC motor in it. These motors are cost-efficient and allow for a cheaper retail budget at purchase, but they are not cutting edge technology. Hampton Bay has not yet introduced more than a few DC motor ceiling fans.
Still, it comes with a lifetime warranty.
Hampton fan has a 4.5 in. downrod. The installation is Tri-mount (close-to-ceiling, standard, or angled mount).
Hamilton Bay Fan is excellent for indoor use also will keep large room areas cool.
Bulbs are not included in the box.
The airflow provided by this fan is a solid 5707 cubic feet per minute. This is an excellent airflow for a 52 inch, five-bladed fan. Hampton Bays unique design allows for a 4670 CFM with five blades.
While this fan will provide you with speed and comfort, its design gives 3-speed settings. This highly popular fan is also particularly energy efficient. Some of the other features are its easy installation, easy to assemble.
- Strong customer feedback
- Five blade, contemporary design
- Cherry/Maple metal/glass
- Energy Star certified
- three speed setting
Fan guide
Airflow
Every fan is measured by how much airflow it is able to produce. The best ceiling fans are able to produce enough airflow to provide excellent comfort, but not so much that you feel like you’re in a tornado or a hurricane. Fan airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The higher the CFM, the more the airflow. When buying fans, consider the size of the room you are purchasing the fan for. You will want to avoid having more fan than you need for a small room, or not enough fan for a larger room. The airflow is a direct result of several fan features, including the fan’s rate per minute (RPM) and the fan’s pitch, or the degree to which the fan is slanted to create a circular flow of air.
Blade Size
The larger the room, the more airflow you will need to cool the room. The longer the blade length, the more airflow they will produce. Consider the size of the room that you are trying to cool before making your fan purchase. Energy Star provides a very easy to understand table for those researching the blade-to-room size they’ll need to consider:
| Room Dimensions | Suggested Fan Size |
|---|---|
| Up to 75 ft sq. | 29-36” |
| 76-144 ft sq. | 36-42” |
| 144-225 ft sq. | 44” |
| 225-400 ft sq. | 50-54” |
Energy Efficiency
The energy efficiency provided by ceiling fans over air conditioning units is the reason why many homeowners should consider them as viable alternatives. While a ceiling fan neither brings the actual temperature of the room down, nor lowers the humidity, it can help move air around in a more efficient way. When combined with a heating or cooling unit, it can move air around, allowing you to keep the A/C up a bit more, or the heat down a bit lower. Ceiling fan energy efficiency is measured in the amount of cubic feet per minute, per watt (or watts/CFM). The more cubic feet per minute, per watt, the more energy efficient the fan will be. While a ceiling fan’s efficiency will go down at higher speeds, the majority of Energy Star’s most efficient fans have a rating of over 150 watts/CFM.
While fan purchases can be highly individual, making the right choice is one any buyer will end up having to live with for a while. Make sure the fan that you are purchasing is one that will suit you, fit well with your home’s decor, and provide you with the right amount of airflow that you’re looking for.