Fans do not only keep our houses cool but also keep the air in circulation. Besides, ceiling fans should also create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere without causing any stubborn noise.
Despite this, some ceiling fans have loud motors that produce humming noise that’s a distraction. Also, older fans can make the same sound due to wear and tear, thus prompting you to search for a new and quiet one.
Quiet ceiling fans are the ultimate go-to when you want all-season comfort in your house. In addition, most quiet ceiling fans deliver eye-catching style giving your room a whole new look.
In this guide, we’ll see some of the quietest ceiling fans for your home or business.
Types of Quietest Ceiling Fans
There are seven major types of ceiling fans, namely;
Standard Ceiling Fans
Low-Profile Ceiling Fans
Energy Star Ceiling Fans
Dual Motor Ceiling Fans
Smart Ceiling Fans
Outdoor Ceiling Fans
Commercial Ceiling Fans
Let’s explore some essential details about the fans above, such as how they operate, where you can use them, and a brief overview of their pros and cons.
Standard Ceiling Fans
Standard ceiling fans boast an array of different styles, colors, and sizes; hence are easy to cooperate with varying house designs.
The fan is either mounted on the side, under, or onto the motor. The versatility of standard ceiling fans is what makes them famous.
Since they have three or four blades, standard ceiling fans cool the room by pushing cold air downwards to blow the heat away and outside the house. When blades rotate either clockwise or clockwise, air circulation starts cooling off the room or area underneath.
Standard ceiling fans function well in different places. You can use them in the household or for commercial and industrial purposes. They are common in churches, large stores, offices, schools, factories, and warehouses.
Pros
· Come in different styles
· Consume less energy.
· Work well for both medium and large-sized rooms.
· Most have speed settings
Cons
· They can be noisy
· Difficult to clean
Low-Profile Ceiling Fans
They are perfect for low-hanging ceilings and have the fan attached directly to the mounting bracket. The standards of building codes require a space of 8 feet between a ceiling fan and the floor.
They lack a down rod. As such, they don’t hang down as low. If you have children, you can use these fans as they hand high enough where children can’t reach even when they jump playing on their beds.
They have three or four blades that rotate either clockwise or anticlockwise to create an oscillatory movement of air. Through this movement, low-profile ceiling fans cool a small height room effectively.
Pros
· Low risk of injury
· Lowers the ambient temperature
· Saves cooling and heating costs
Cons
· Ineffective in rooms with a height of 8 feet plus
· Noisy when tear and wear begins
ENERGY STAR Ceiling Fans
Energy Star ceiling fan is a product by the Environmental Protection Agency which comes with both standard and low-profile varieties. This product is a favorite for many consumers because it consumes less energy.
The cost-effective operation of Energy Star fans results from their motors. They have a unique, powerful motor that delivers a superior airflow in the room consuming the least possible energy. In addition, they have speed options where you can select high-speed airflow or a gentle breeze.
Energy Star ceiling fans feature different conditions, including indoor, outdoor, and have a wet rating. That said, you can use them for bathroom and pool house settings.
Pros
· Saves energy
· Reduces carbon footprint
· Improved lifespan
· Some have illuminating light.
Cons
· It may be expensive
Dual Motor Ceiling Fans
This fan types boast a dual mechanism that delivers twice the comfort of a standard ceiling fan. The motor is at the center and supports two horizontal rods from the directly opposite side, holding the two side fans.
Since the fans face opposite directions, these fans are slightly more effective than standard fans. Each fan creates airflow from opposite directions making sure the whole room is cool. Also, another feature that sets these fans apart is the ability to adjust the speed of each fan independently.
Dual Motor Ceiling fans are suitable for use in public spaces. Not forgetting commercial spaces.
Pros
· Has speed settings for each fan
· It’s more effective where airflow is needed in different directions
· Some have illuminating light
Con
· It consumes a little more energy than standard fans
· It’s expensive due to the multi-function feature
Smart Ceiling Fans
Smart ceiling fans can respond to instructions from your smartphone since they have Google Assistant. Therefore, the phone functions as a remote control.
They support wireless connections with google assistant, making it easy to adjust your fan’s settings comfortably. It operates like a standard phone and has a down-rod. It circulates either anticlockwise or clockwise to maintain airflow in a room.
Smart ceiling fans suit both indoor and outdoor settings, especially with high ceilings. However, outdoor is the best since you can adjust settings easily, even from a distance. Also, these fans are perfect for office or commercial purposes as they offer convenience and comfort.
Pros
· Smart operation which supports wireless connection with a smartphone
· Has adaptive features which can sense your presence for air circulation
· Easy to operate
Cons
· In case of slight damage, they might be hard to repair
· They’re expensive
Outdoor Ceiling Fans
Outdoor ceiling fans are long-lasting and impeccably stand humid and wet conditions.
These fans support both clockwise and anticlockwise movements. In summer, they’re set to move anticlockwise and create a downdraft, creating the direct cooling breeze. On the other hand, outdoor cooling fans should go in a clockwise direction to create an updraft during the winter. As a result, the fan circulates warm all over the room.
Outdoor ceiling fans are perfect for the backyard deck, lawn, porches, or patio. Also, they’re perfect for the outdoor living area of a house.
Pros
· Strong and durable
· Survives in moisture conditions
· Create effective airflow
Cons
· Difficult to clean
· Can cause injuries
Commercial Ceiling Fans
These fans boast of their efficiency in serving a larger area, ensuring air circulation in a large area.
They are unique and use powerful motors to power their blades. They’re suitable for ceilings with a height ranging between 10 to 25 feet. For summer cases, they’re good facing forward side to create airflow and, as a result, bring temperatures down. During the winter, they can operate in reverse and bring warm air into the house
These fans are ideal for commercial areas such as offices, shopping malls, stores, and restaurants. Also, gymnasiums and warehouses use these fans.
Pros
· Serves a wide area
· They’re durable
· Have a good aesthetic appeal
Cons
· It makes a louder noise
· Are heavy
Quietest Smart Ceiling Fans
1. Honeywell Carmel 48-Inch Ceiling Fan
Honeywell company manufactures high-quality ceiling fans. This version features a bronze finish with a cased white glass that houses a bowl light. It’s a low-profile ceiling fan with 2 separate blade finishes—ironwood on one side and cimarron on the other.
This item comes with remote control for quick setup. With the remote control, you can easily adjust between the 3-speed settings. The settings range from ‘Smart Sync’ that supports quick adjustment, ‘Walk Away Light Delay’ and light dimmer.
This ceiling fan has a quiet reversible motor that supports 3-speed settings. A reversible motor allows the ceiling fan to rotate clockwise or anticlockwise. Therefore, you can run it in reverse during the winter season to turn warm air in the room.
It has 48-inch blades that are perfect for medium to large size rooms. As such, it can fit well in your bedroom, dining room, living room, and common areas in the house.
2. Portage Bay 50252 Hugger 52″ Ceiling Fan
This ceiling fan works well for low-hanging ceilings. It weighs 13.16 pounds and measures 11.5 inches from where it attaches to the ceiling to the bottom of the light. The frosted cased light is dimmable from 100% to 10%.
Portable Bay 50252 fan has 5 dual finish blades that measure 52 inches. Besides, it has a high-performance motor that powers the blades to give you a relaxing breeze in your rooms. Also, it has led bulbs that are compatible with CFL bulbs.
This ceiling fan uses electricity as its power source. It functions well in indoor settings, thus perfect for offices, bedrooms, shops, Livingroom, and restaurants. With a brushed nickel finish, this ceiling fan gives a room’s interior a unique design.
3. Enclosed Ceiling Fan
This unique smart ceiling fan boasts several unique features that improve user experience. Its make is a product of iron that makes it strong and durable. Also, it has a led light for illumination and can adjust colors.
Brightness settings from 0-10 improve the suitability of this device for comfort. This product has 3-speed gears that adjust the fan’s speed to increase room cooling. In addition, it has a highly sensitive remote control that connects anywhere between 32 feet distance.
Since it has an iron grid design, it’s ideal for rooms with bunk beds. It’s perfect for children’s rooms since you don’t have to worry about them hitting fan blades. Thankfully, it has a timing feature to set it to run for a specific time.
It’s an acrylic fan with a silent motor. The fan consists of 7 acrylic fan blades housed inside the iron grid. The fans are powerful enough to deliver strong airflow around the room. In addition, it produces manageable sound, 35 dB, thus improving the quality of life, and is silent enough to run as you sleep without being stubborn.
Quietest Low-Profile Ceiling Fans
4. Hunter Dempsey Indoor Fan
Hunter Dempsey is a modern ceiling fan with a LED light housed in cased white glass that inspires your home’s interior design. Further, it has a multi-speed reversible fan motor to adjust the fan’s movement and direction of airflow.
Also, the fans LED light kit has unique energy-efficient light bulbs with light-control support. Light control adjusts the brightness and improves room ambience. The light bulbs are durable.
This product comes with a universal handheld remote that controls the fans’ settings. You can easily adjust the fan’s settings, including light bulb brightness or fan speed, from direct positions of your room.
Hunter Dempsey ceiling fan is suitable for low ceilings. Since it has no down rod and hangs slightly below the ceiling, it’s ideal for children’s rooms, living rooms, bedroom, or nursery settings. One last thing, it has a lifetime motor warranty.
5. Hunter Fan Low Profile Ceiling Fan
This is a classic ceiling fan with a LED light to illuminate your room. The LED light fits at the center in a cased white glass available in different designs that freshen up your kitchen or living room with a classic design.
This products’ multi-speed powerful, and the reversible motor is a feature to reckon with as it delivers consistent airflow at high-speed. However, you can adjust the fan’s speed settings for a cool breeze. Another control mechanism feature with this product is the LED light bulb. The long-lasting bulb has display settings to adjust brightness.
This classic sealing fan has a premium handheld remote that adjusts the fan speed or light for ease of operation and convenience. An audible beep confirms when you apply button commands on the remote successfully.
This fan is suitable for low-profile ceilings and children’s rooms because the blades are a few inches from the ceiling.
6. DewShrimp Flush Mount Ceiling Fan
This fan comes with an array of unique features that set it apart from other low-profile ceiling fans. It’s both dimmable and reversible and has a LED light with various brightness settings from 10% to 100%.
The light changes between 3 color changes, white, medium, and warm. The fan also has 6-speed settings to adjust the fan’s speed and give your room an ambient temperature.
This product has both an APP and a remote-control system. That said, you have different options to control the fan between your phone and remote. If you leave the remote alone, it turns off automatically after one or two hours. The APP does the same; it turns off in one or two hours, switching off the fan if you fall asleep.
Thankfully, this fan has a silent motor that produces less noise and saves a lot of energy. It has a safety design with an outer cover to reduce the risk of injury from the rotating blades.
Quietest Outdoor Ceiling Fans
7. Honeywell 50207
Honeywell Palm Island outdoor ceiling fans bring a breezy island vibe in your veranda or porches. It has a quality design featuring a bronze finish resembling the palm leaf-looking fan blades.
This product comes with a traditional pull chain to switch on and off easily. Although it doesn’t come with a remote in the kit, it supports other Honeywell universal remotes available at your local store.
The motor produces less noise and is reversible as well. It’s conveniently quiet for your bedroom’s cooling needs. You can run it in reverse during the winter to rotate air effectively in the room.
It’s ideal for medium or large size rooms. With 52-inch blades, it boasts of a powerful airflow mechanism that can serve a large size room. For example, it’s suitable for dining rooms or common areas that need a powerful air supply.
8. Ceme 52” Indoor & Outdoor Ceiling Fan
This ceiling fan comes with a smart mechanism that allows you to adjust its settings using your smartphone settings. Also, it supports remote control apart from the smart mechanism.
With these two options, you can operate this fan from different locations in your room.
It has a powerful DC motor that powers the blades to give your room a cool breeze. Further, the fan has 10 different wind speeds to adjust between and select the best airspeed. This fan gives you a windspeed of 4024 CFM at high speed, while on the lower side, it powers 980 CFM.
The Silicone DC motor offers powerful performance while suppressing noise production. Also, its reverse airflow function allows air movement in different directions. You can adjust from downward to upward depending on the period of the year.
The dimmable light and fan have separate control systems. Therefore, you can control each independently. In addition, this fan type has 3 brightness resolution settings, cool, full light, and warm; the resolutions for each setting are 400K, 300K, and 2700K, respectively.
This item has a schedule function and timer. These two features are crucial when you want to involve a schedule, such as setting the fan to go off after a given period if you’re asleep. Lastly, this ceiling fan supports indoor and outdoor use, although ideal for outdoor settings.
9. Hunter Cassius Ceiling Fan
Hunter Cassius fan has a unique design with grey walnut stripe blades that support the reverse movement. Besides, the stylistic blades give the home interior a current and inspired appearance.
The multi-speed fan gives a variety of options to adjust the airflow speed. Though the motor is powerful enough to supply air to a large room, it offers quiet performance. The reverse motion allows for a downward motion during summer, while the updraft is perfect for the winter season.
This rustic ceiling fan has a pull chain control. The pull chain is an easy way to switch the fan on and off. Besides, the pull chain has control over fans’ speed, thus adjusting the fan speed respectively.
When it comes to room placement, this fan is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use; however, it’s perfect for outdoor use such as sunrooms and porches.
10. Honeywell Belmar 52-Inch Ceiling Fan
This outdoor ceiling fan has a bronze finish and features 5 ETL damp-rated blades. The fan’s finish is compatible with various settings since the color hardly colors clashes.
It’s the choice for many people as it gives an easy control system. With a simple pull chain, this fan switches on and off. However, the fan supports universal Honeywell remotes that you can easily access in workshops.
It has a quiet reversible motor hence serving a multipurpose direction of airflow. The motor can run in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions to serve different year seasons. Also, it has 3-speed control settings for speed control.
It’s a perfect choice for medium or large-sized rooms. The powerful motor powers 52-inch blades for power performance. As such, it’s ideal for outdoor patios, gazebos, workshops, and other outdoor spaces.
11. Minka-Aire F896-65-CL Xtreme
Minka-Aire is good for people who shy from the modern aesthetic designs of outdoor ceiling fans. It has 3 blades of a 52-inch span. The large blades offer an airflow capacity of between 3600 to 4500 CFM.
Since it’s a protruding design with a downward extension, it suits rooms with high ceilings since it’s easy to cause an accident if the ceiling hangs low. This product of Minka has a quiet fan that doesn’t abandon the company’s design.
It boasts of a remote-control system and reversible motor. These two features are essential as they contribute to user convenience or experience. The motor has a button to change the fan’s direction.
Quietest Dual-Motor Ceiling Fans
12. Harbor Breeze Oil-Rubbed Bronze Fan
This award-winning ceiling fan boasts a unique design that displays an outstanding beauty from its dual mechanism. Besides, it offers lifetime durability. It’s specifically built for looks and durability.
It has an AC motor that’s reversible and has 3-speed settings. With speed settings, you can adjust the airflow speed in a room from strong air to a cool breeze. Also, it has a pull chain as the control system for switching it on and off.
The fan is strong enough to power a wind speed of 4450 CFM. Besides, the airflow efficiency averages 7-CFM per watt.
Given that it has 6 blades on both sides, it’s easy to change the design without touching the fan or purchasing new blades. The excellent appearance of this dual mechanism ceiling fan often comes from the oil-rubbed bronze finish.
Quietest Ceiling Fan Buyer Guide
Selecting the right quietest ceiling fans helps cool down the sizzling summer afternoons, thus adding a pleasant and relaxing touch to any room. However, when purchasing a fan, here are some factors to consider.
Ceiling Fan Types
If you’re keen on ceiling fans, most have similar parts, including the mounting assembly and the blades. As such, it’s possible to replace these parts or modify them. That said, when searching for a ceiling fan, here are four basic fan types you might want to consider;
Standard Ceiling Fans: They are characterized by a descending vertical bar from the point of ceiling mounting. These fans hand low from the ceiling thus are perfect for rooms with high ceilings.
Most of them have a lighting fixture, although those with simple blades without lighting also work well. Also, standard ceiling fans have a common reversible feature that offers dual function during winter and summer.
Flush-mount Fans: Unlike the standard ceiling fans, flush-mount have little to no down rod extension. When in a room, they give a large head allowance since they hang high above reach.
However, now that they lack space between the fan blades and the ceiling, they often struggle to achieve the same level of airflow and circulation.
Multi-head Fans: Multi-head fans have two or more heads around the motor housing. They are the go-to for people who need airflow in different directions. However, they might not achieve the same circulation level as the standard and flush-mount ceiling fans.
The smaller heads of fans are independent. Therefore, each one rotates independently. This allows you to switch on the fan head facing the direction you want airflow.
Damp or Wet-rated Fans: These are primarily fans that support outdoor settings. Damp fans work well in regions with high humidity, while wet-rated fans are good for places with high moisture—for example, wet-rated work well in bathrooms.
In addition, if you’re looking for a perfect garage fan, this is the category you should consider.
Quietest Ceiling Fans Noise Levels
Fans produce noise due to several reasons. Such reasons include the humming noise that results from the motor operation. Therefore, when searching for a ceiling fan of your choice, it’s essential to consider the noise level it produces.
Ceiling fan noises can go above 70 dB, which is above the noise people produce when engaging in a conversation. This is a lot of noise capable of interrupting your thoughts.
Therefore, when looking for a ceiling fan, one that produces low noise ranging from 40 dB to 60 dB is ideal and certainly won’t interrupt your thoughts.
Ceiling Fan Blades
The best ceiling fan blades provide an additional attractive design element. However, they are the key factors to delivering the proper air movement.
So, if you’re looking for a ceiling fan with wooden blades, select ones that have a wrapping around them to prevent warpage. For example, fans in a porch or a bathroom should be sealed.
Thankfully, manufacturers provide a variety of blade types for every specific fan category. This allows you to customize the look of your fan. In addition, reversible blades have become common in ceiling fans and feature a variety of finishes on the paddle sides.
Also, check with the blades’ pitch and lifespan. The pitch determines the efficiency of the ceiling fans’ functioning. Of importance, the steeper the blade pitch, the higher the efficiency. The pitch should have an angle of between 11 and 16 degrees. This information should be somewhere in the manufacturers catalog.
For smaller fans that work well in tight quarters like a bathroom, blades should be canted to give a 22-degree pitch. Also, fans for damp or wet areas should be certified by Underwriters Laboratories.
Mounting Options
Ceiling fans support various mounting options; however, it depends on your choice. Three main mounting styles include flush mount, down rod mount, and angled mount.
Flush Mount: This mounting option comes in handy for ceilings lower than 8 feet. A flush mount sits closer to the ceiling, thus taking the blades 7 feet higher above the floor. Most flush mount ceiling fans need a tiny space, 6” to 10” between the ceiling and fan blades.
Down rod, Mount: Down rod mounts are ideal for ceilings with a height of 8” to 10”. They have a down rod that extends from the motor assembly to the fan blades below. These fans leave a space of 12” to 14” between the ceiling and blades.
Angled Mount: Unlike the other two above, this works for ceilings with an angle of 34 to 56 degrees. They use a “ball-joint” mechanism and a down rod to match the ceiling angle. The down rod also allows preventing the fan from sitting askew.
Ceiling Height
When making that ceiling fan choice, you need to select the mounting type and establish whether a down rod is necessary. To determine this, have your ceiling height before you begin the search.
If your ceiling is low with a height ranging between 7 ½ feet to 9 feet, it’s a low ceiling; thus, you should go for a hugger or flush mount ceiling fans. These ones have no down rod and are mounted directly to the ceiling.
Another fan suitable for low-hanging ceilings is low-profile ceiling fans. They also have no down rod.
On the other hand, if your ceiling’s height is between 8 to 9 feet, then it’s a standard ceiling. This is sufficient for fans with a down rod like the standard ceiling fans.
Lastly, if your ceiling has a height of 9 feet plus, it’s a high ceiling and needs a longer down rod to increase the fan’s efficiency.
Ceiling Fan Accessories
Accessories give room for modification or enhancement to improve the appearance or performance of your ceiling fan. Some accessories to check when buying a ceiling fan include;
Ceiling Fan Medallions: This is a decoration feature between the fan and ceiling. It’s round in shape and covers the mounting assemblies. Most medallions come in an ornate design and give grandeur to your ceiling.
Pull Chains: Apart from the smart ceiling fans, others have a pull chain that acts as the control system to switch off and on. Besides, the pull chain also adjusts the fan speed. Based on your room’s height, select a suitable pull chain.
Remote and Wall Controls: When replacing or purchasing a ceiling fan, a remote control is something to consider. It helps adjust the fan settings without moving an inch. Also, check for fans that support universal remotes.
Down rods: This is the support system of the blades. Down rods come in different styles and colors; hence, you can select one that matches the ceiling fan.
Quietest Ceiling Fans Blades: Blades come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Therefore, selecting custom blades is a factor to consider. Also, if your room is small, ensure to check the length of the blades before making your purchase.
Installation and Maintenance
Installation is a critical aspect of your new fan—poor installation results in easy tear and wear or the production of stubborn noises.
During installation, ensure to swap out the existing junction box with a ceiling fan box. The reason is that a ceiling fan’s speed rotates at high speed that can destroy a traditional electric box.
Thankfully, the installation of most fans is a simple DIY project. All you need to do is follow the procedure outlined in the user manual. In addition, ceiling fans hardly need maintenance. Although, regular cleaning is suitable for your ceiling fan. Besides cleaning, you can balance the fan blades often.
Final thoughts on Quietest Ceiling Fans
Hopefully, you have identified a perfect and quietest ceiling fans that suits your height requirement by this point. With the hundreds of quiet ceiling fans available online, it can be a stressful task to make a final decision.
That said, this guide gives you a variety of options and consists of the quietest fans you should consider when making a purchase. You not only want a ceiling fan but a quiet ceiling fan that doesn’t distract you with a humming noise.
Meet Mike O’Connor, (a DIY enthusiast), living in Cincinnati, a city ranked as the noisiest in the USA.
As a work from home dad, I have a first hand experience of how noise can truly affect your well being.
Soundproofing isn’t something that should be taken as a hobby, it should be a skill that every homeowner should be equipped with.
Most of the work documented on this blog comes from purely first hand experience, and the products recommended work as indicated.