Best Bathroom Exhaust Fan

It is hard to understand the power of a good bathroom exhaust or extractor fan until you experience a good one for the first time.

A quiet and powerful exhaust fan can take your bathroom from a moldy mess that smells damp to a fresh-smelling paradise where you can relax and unwind after a long day.

However, finding a good fan can be a problem for many.

They want something that works quickly and is powerful but isn't too loud.

Some people also want extractors fans that come with built-in heaters and lights.

Whatever you are looking for, we are going to help you find the best fan for you today.

Below, we have reviewed 5 top of the range bathroom exhaust fans.

Broan-NuTone 765H80LB Bathroom Exhaust Heater And Light

The Broan-NuTone 765H80LB Bathroom Exhaust Heater and Light is our top pick because not only does it do everything you could want an exhaust fan to do.

But it does it flawlessly, too.

Let's start with the elephant in the room - yes, this is one of the most expensive exhaust fans on this list.

But, we think that this fan does enough and does it well enough to justify the price.

This fan is made at such a high quality that you will have to replace it less regularly than any other fan on the market.

This fan also comes with a long warranty - over 5 years and you can also purchase an extended warranty for the fan online.

The fan is an investment, but it is one that will pay off over time, as you find yourself not having to replace it every few years.

As you can tell by its title, the Broan-NuTone 765H80LB Bathroom Exhaust Heater and Light comes with both a heater and a built-in light.

The fan is designed so that you can use the LED lighting in the body of the fan to light your bathroom.

Or you can slot it over your already existing lights and use it that way.

LED lights have an incredibly long lifespan and there is a small panel that you can move to get access to your original lightbulb if you need to change it.

The Broan-NuTone 765H80LB also comes with a 1300 Watt heater.

This can be used to both warm your bathroom and help to dry more quickly and more thoroughly.

If you like in a damp area or an area where the houses are made of porous stone then this could help to keep away the black mold.

The fan itself is nearly silent, despite operating at a speed of 80 CFMs.

You will find that this fan can clear a steamy room in less than 10 minutes and it can completely dry it in 15-20 minutes.

If you are looking for an easy to use and easy to install fan that can do everything you could want it to do.

We think it is as close to perfect as an exhaust fan can get.

Pros

• Well made
• Easy to use
• Long warranty
• Will suit most bathrooms
• Easy to install
• Comes with a light
• Comes with a powerful heater

Cons

• Expensive

AC Infinity AIRLIFT T10, Shutter Exhaust Fan 10"

This fan is very different from the Broan-NuTone 765H80LB, but it is still a great fan that has a lot to offer a lot of people.

The AC Infinity AIRLIFT T10, Shutter Exhaust Fan has no light in it but it does offer some of the best temperature and humidity control on the market.

One of the real selling points of this fan is how easy it is to install.

This fan really is so simple to install that most people could do it on their own, without having to call in an electrician.

It is also the perfect size to slot into the hole where your previous fan sat.

A lot of more modern fans are on the bigger side, and you may find yourself having to drill a new hole to fit them into. But not this fan.

Our favorite thing about this fan is the control panel that it comes with.

This panel takes this from a simple bathroom exhaust fan to being an AC unit that has control over the temperature and the humidity in the room.

And all of this can be done with a few clicks of a button.

The one issue that we have with this fan is that if you turn it up too high, it gets very loud.

We would have hoped that a fan that costs this much would be a lot quieter.

Any fan that costs over $100 should be next to silent in our opinion. This really disappointed us.

We also noticed that the black color of this fan meant that it really stood out in our bathroom - against all the white and soft blues.

However, if you have a darker bathroom then this would really not be an issue.

So, this is a great product that is easy to install and has a lot to offer.

It is only really let down by the fact that it's very loud when working hard and it could clash with the color of many people's bathrooms.

Black fans do not show the dirt as easily as white fans, however, which is a bonus.

Pros

• Easy to install
• Well made
• Offers temperature and humidity control
• Easy to use
• Comes with a remote to control it - adjustable settings

Cons

• No light
• Black could clash with many bathrooms
• Loud
• Expensive

Endurance Pro Universal Bathroom Vent

The Endurance Pro Universal Bathroom Vent is a very simple fan that could be the best choice for anyone looking to save money.

The main selling point of the Endurance Pro Universal Bathroom Vent performs like a fan that costs a lot more than it actually costs.

When you are buying this fan you should be aware that you are only getting the fan blades and the motor - you are not getting a cover or any other kind of setting.

However, if you purchase it from Amazon, you can get housing and a cover for this fan for under $10.

Apart from having no cover, this fan doesn't really have many flaws.

There are two places where we have noticed room for improvement - in the installment process and in the lifespan of the fan.

You may want to have an electrician come in and install this for you if you are not very handy.

You will also find that where a lot of the fans on this list will last for 7+ years, you will have to replace this one every couple of years.

However, if you don't want to spend $100, $50, or even $30 on your bathroom exhaust fan then this could be the option for you.

This fan is quiet but powerful. It performs like a premium fan despite being an absolute bargain.

This is just loud enough for you to tell that the fan is on, but not loud enough to be disturbing or grating while you are in the bathroom.

Pros

• Amazing price
• Well made
• Very fast

Cons

• No cover
• No light or heater
• Doesn't last as long as the more expensive models
• Slightly tricky to install

Tech Drive Super-Quiet Bathroom Ventilation and Exhaust Fan

The Tech Drive Super-Quiet Bathroom Ventilation and Exhaust Fan is going to be the best friend of anyone who likes to take long baths without being disturbed by their exhaust fan.

The noise made by this fan only registers as 0.8 stone - the next quietest fan on this list registers as 2 stone.

That shows you how quiet this is.

However, you don't have to compromise power for that quietness.

It offers 90 CFM in a 25 square foot room.

This fan comes with a 2-year warranty and promises at least 25,000 hours (that's 1041 full days) of use.

It comes with a white cover that is easy to clean and that suits most bathrooms.

However, if quietness is not your top priority then you will find that this fan does not offer much else for its high price tag.

It comes with no light, no remote, and also has no heating features.

Pros

• Unbelievably quite
• Easy to install
• Well made

Cons

• Expensive*
• No light or heater

*There is a slightly louder and older model of this fan available for half the price.

HUGOOME Exhaust Fan Ventilation Extractor With Anti-Backflow Check

If you have a small bathroom that does not need a state of the art exhaust fan then you might be interested in the HUGOOME Exhaust Fan Ventilation Extractor with Anti-backflow Check.

This is a well priced, low powered fan that would be perfect for a small bathroom, wetroom, or shower room.

This fan is only 4 inches and will take less than 10 minutes to install.

It is a 12 Watt fan that has an anti-backflow check valve that prevents dust, odors, or any unwanted gases from being cycled back into the room.

It is a quiet fan that is suited for a smaller room, as it won't give you a headache if you have to listen to it for a long time.

But it is not really powerful enough for a bigger room.

The only real issue we have with a fan is that it is smaller than the average fan, so you would have to carve out a custom hole for the fan and its cover.

Pros

• Good cost
• Filter
• Quiet
• Easy to install

Cons

• Not powerful enough for a big room
• Smaller than average fan and body

Buyer's Guide

So, you have just spent a lot of money revamping your bathroom and you need to choose an exhaust fan to keep the room mold free?

Or, has your old fan just died of old and now you need to replace it?

No matter your reason for needing a new exhaust fan for your bathroom, this buyer's guide will be able to help you find your next one.

In this guide, we are going to look at what makes a good fan and how you can work out what type of fan suits your needs best.

Sound Quality

When picking out a new fan for your bathroom, we would recommend looking at how loud the fan is first.

A quiet bathroom fan will measure between 0 - 2 stone. An acceptable bathroom fan will measure between 2 - 3 stone.

And a loud bathroom fan will measure 3+ stone.

If the fan is less than 1 stone then you will struggle to hear it at all.

2 stones will be enough to let you know that the fan is on, but not so loud that it will disturb you.

3 stones will be very frustrating to spend more than 5 minutes around.

Power

When it comes to the power of a fan, the statistic you are going to be most interested in is its CFM (cubic feet per minute).

This statistic will show you how quickly your fan can cool or dehumidify a room.

A top of the line fan will have a CMF of 100+. Average fans will have a CFM of between 75-100 CFM. And a poor fan will have anything less than 75 CFM.

However, in a smaller bathroom, you might be able to get away with a fan that can only manage 50 CFM.

Light

Traditionally, bathroom exhaust fans have been installed in the far corner of the room on the wall or the ceiling.

Modern practice has the fan installed in the very middle of the ceiling.

If you want to put your hand in the middle of the ceiling - then you might want it to have a light inside it or to slot over your existing lighting.

Look out for LED lighting, as that lasts much longer than other types of bulbs.

If this is something that you want then you should expect to pay a little bit more for your fan.

Heater

Another feature of modern exhaust fans in bathrooms is heaters and/or humidity control.

If you are looking for a fan with a heater, make sure that it has between 1000-2000 watts, more if you have a very big bathroom.

If you have a smaller bathroom you might not need this feature.

If your fan does have this feature, then try to get one with a remote. This will make adjusting the settings a lot easier.

If this is something that you want then you should expect to pay a little bit more for your fan.

Price

Finally, the thing that will probably have the biggest impact on the type of exhaust fan you purchase for your bathroom is its price.

The more features you want, the more you will typically have to pay for your fan - however, there are some bargains out there that perform much better than you would expect them to for their price.

If you want some of the higher-end features, but don't want to pay that higher price point - then you should try being a slightly older version of your ideal model.

You will get the majority of the features for a lower price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we leave you, we want to answer some of the burning questions you have about exhaust fans for bathrooms.

We know that a lot of people are curious about the process of installing exhaust fans, how they work, and how effective they are.

We are going to answer the three most frequently asked questions we get asked on the subject.

Is There A Good Alternative To Exhaust Fans In The Bathroom?

No, if you are trying to keep the moisture levels down in your bathroom then you can't do much better than an exhaust fan.

Exhaust fans are typically plugged into an outside vent and suck the moisture out of the bathroom and push it outside the house.

By doing this they can prevent damp damaging your walls and black mold building up around the room.

Just opening a window will not cut it.

Do Bathroom Exhaust Fans Remove Smells?

Bathroom exhaust fans are designed to remove moisture from the room.

However, in some cases they can help with smells, depending on the cause of the smell.

They also provide ventilation for the bathroom and move around the air - preventing smells from pooling or lingering in one space.

Should I Get An Electrician To Install Or Replace My Exhaustion Fan?

Yes, if you are installing a fan for the first time then you should bring in an electrician to do it.

The mix of humidity and the electric fan can be disastrous if it goes wrong.

If you do not have to touch the electrics to change your fan then you could do that yourself.

However, we recommend playing it safe and getting an electrician to do it for you.