Written by TJ Donegan, who has covered electronics, TVs, smartphones, parenting for 10+ years.
Updated November 10, 2023
Ceiling fans are some of the most useful fixtures you can have in your home, providing a room with improved ventilation, a decorative flourish, and (often) a source of light. They’re also functional year-round, moving air up or down to make your room warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, all while being more energy efficient than a traditional air conditioner.
The best ceiling fans mount at the height most needed, and include blades large enough to effectively move air. Our top picks also provide attractive lighting where appropriate, are easy to control by either pull chain or remote, and can often be installed outside in wet locations.
To find the best ceiling fans, we dove into thousands of user reviews of the best-selling and top-rated selection of ceiling fans online. After reading through tons of reviews (both good and bad), these are the best ceiling fans that we’ve found in stock on Amazon, Walmart, and more.
Editor's Note:
The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.
Honeywell Carnegie Industrial Farmhouse LED Ceiling Fan
- Mounting types: Standard, angled (long downrod not included)
- Controller type: Remote control
- Speeds: 3
The Honeywell Carnegie is a top-rated ceiling fan for a reason, providing a good all-around blade size of 52 inches, reversible motor, integrated modern lighting kit, and multiple mounting options. Whether you need to mount this at typical ceiling heights, tall ceiling heights, or on a slope, the Carnegie can do just about anything—and look great in the process.
Just about the only downside here is the lack of a pull chain. You’ll need to keep the remote handy to adjust the speed or direction of the blades, which can be a bit annoying if you don’t change it that often. Other than its lack of a chain the Honeywell Carnegie is the best quality ceiling fan we’ve seen.
Pros
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Includes remote
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Modern styling
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Flexible mounting options
Cons
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No pull chain
$111.60 from Amazon
$114.00 from Walmart
Home Decorators Collection Kensgrove LED Ceiling Fan
- Mounting types: Standard, flush, angled (long downrod not included)
- Controller type: Remote control
- Speeds: 9
The Home Decorators Collection Kensgrove fan has a massive 62-inch blade size. It will absolutely dominate even the biggest rooms, with an integrated light kit to provide a little extra illumination.
Its design will fit classic, contemporary, and modern styles, and it can even be mounted in outdoor wet locations, giving you a ton of options. If you’re looking for powerful cooling, then the Kensgrove is one of the best ceiling fans out there. Also, because it’s wet rated, you can use it outdoors.
Pros
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Indoor and outdoor-ready
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Massive 72-inch size
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Includes remote
Cons
-
No pull chain
Buy now at Amazon
$236.61 from Walmart
Honeywell Palm Island Ceiling Fan
- Mounting types: Standard, flush, angled (long downrod not included)
- Controller type: Pull chain, remote (sold separately)
- Speeds: 3
Honeywell’s Palm Island Indoor/Outdoor ceiling fan is another great all-around choice with a 52-inch blade size, multiple mounting options, compatibility with both the included pull chain and optional remotes, and a reversible motor. If you have the kind of home and space to complement the palm design, this ceiling fan will be a perfect choice. Plus, it’s damp rated, so it can be used outdoors.
Pros
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Outdoor-ready
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Works with remote or pull chain
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Reversible motor
Cons
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Doesn’t move much air in large rooms
$104.00 from Amazon
Hunter Fan Company Crestfield Low Profile with 3 Lights
- Mounting type: Flush
- Controller type: Pull chain
- Speeds: 3
The Hunter Crestfield is your classic flush-mount ceiling fan, with a low-profile design that can be a great option in rooms with lower ceilings. It provides an integrated lighting kit that will throw tons of light, and it has a full range of fan speeds and direction. It comes with a pull chain for control, but you can buy an optional remote if you want.
The only thing we’d caution here is this low-profile version isn’t suitable for very tall or sloped ceilings, since it mounts flush to the ceiling and won’t provide much upper clearance. The 42-inch ceiling fan blade span is also perfect for a bedroom or small room, but may not do enough in a bigger space. You can get a downrod-compatible version of this same fan that also includes larger 52-inch blades, solving both issues if you’re otherwise sold on Hunter fans.
Pros
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Works with pull chain or remote
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Low profile mounting
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Classic styling
Cons
-
Remote sold separately
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Not for large rooms or 10-foot ceilings
Buy now at Amazon
$152.99 from Walmart
Honeywell Carmel Ceiling Fan
- Mounting types: Standard, angled (long downrod not included)
- Controller type: Remote control
- Speeds: 3
The Honeywell Carmel is another excellent all-around fan that’ll work in a wide variety of rooms, complement both classic and contemporary designs, and cap off a room without stealing the show. It comes with a remote control, is available in a variety of colors, and can run at multiple speeds and in either direction.
The integrated LED light kit can sometimes be an issue on other fans that use proprietary LED bulbs, but the Carmel has three 40-watt bulbs that just need to fit inside the bowl structure. As a result, this fan will throw a great deal of diffuse, even light, unlike other fans that tend to have multiple exposed bulbs pointing in all different directions.
Pros
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Low profile design
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Multiple mounting options
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Includes remote
Cons
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No pull chain
$120.70 from Amazon
$120.70 from Walmart
Harbor Breeze Mazon Flush Mount Ceiling Fan
- Mounting type: Flush
- Controller type: Remote control
- Speeds: 3
If you have a tight space and don’t need much air circulation, then the Harbor Breeze Mazon is a great option. Ideal for a small bathroom or entryway, this 44-inch fan has three blades and a low-profile design. Though it’ll look most at home in a more modern setting, the brushed nickel should complement any similar fixtures in your home. Otherwise, this is a very well-reviewed fan that’s easy to install and can operate at multiple speeds as needed.
Pros
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Flush mount
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Short blades fit anywhere
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Integrated light
Cons
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No pull chain
Buy now at Amazon
$122.99 from Walmart
How to choose the best ceiling fans
Since it can be a pain to install a ceiling fan—and even more of a pain to swap out once you’ve installed it—it’s important to pick the right option for your space. Here are some things to consider.
Size
The first thing to figure out is the size of the blades that you need to move cool or warm air around your room. If you plan to actually use the fan to help your room feel cooler or warmer based on the season, it needs to have blades large enough to effectively circulate air. It’s fairly straightforward: A large room will need a larger fan.
Though not perfect for every situation, here’s the basic guide to figuring out how big of a ceiling fan you need for whatever sized room:
- 200 square feet or smaller: 44 inches or smaller
- 300 square feet or smaller: 52 inches or smaller
- 400 square feet or smaller: 62 inches or smaller
- 500 square feet or larger: larger than 62 inches
If you’re replacing an existing fan, you can simply measure the blades of the one you have and adjust from there. If you do not currently have a fan where you plan to install one, it’s important that you figure out whether the fan will bump into any sloped ceilings and whether there’s enough structural support at the light fixture to support the fan’s weight.
Mounting and Ceiling Height
The second thing you need to figure out is how you’ll install the fan, and at what height. If you have a standard eight- or nine-foot ceiling, then you can likely use a flush or semi-flush mount, but you may want to have a low-profile fan that will leave you plenty of headroom so you’re not bumping into the pull chains or accidentally stretching and hitting a fan while running.
If you have higher ceilings—like 10 feet or higher—then you’ll likely want to use a downrod. A downrod is a hollow rod that typically attaches to a ball joint at the ceiling. It extends down, anywhere from 4 inches to several feet, and the ceiling-fan motor hangs off of it.
In huge rooms like that, you want your ceiling fan to have at least 10 inches of clearance above the blades and 9 to 10 feet of clearance below, so you’ll need to figure out your downrod length to hit that sweet spot. You’ll also definitely want to control a fan by a remote if it’s that high up.
When it gets really hot, you'll likely want to supplement your ceiling fan with a great tower fan.
More Articles You Might Enjoy
- The Best Fans
- Air Conditioners Vs. Fans: Which is Right for Your Home?
- The Best Desk Fans
- 5 Ways to Stay Cool While You’re Sleeping this Summer
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Meet the tester
TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled "Cranberry Capitol of the World," which is, in fact, a real thing.
See all of TJ Donegan's reviews
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