The best fans to keep your bathroom dry and well ventilated

Bathrooms carry relatively high moisture content compared to other home areas. Often, the warm and moist air from hot showers and bathtubs creates the perfect conditions for mildew and mold proliferation. On top of that, inhaling toxic fumes from cleaning agents can lead to allergic reactions or mess up your respiratory system. The fact that good bathroom ventilation can be a luxury, a bathroom fan becomes a necessity. Regardless of your bathroom size and installation preference, we have a comprehensive list of the best bathroom fans.

Whisper quiet

Panasonic FV-08-11VF5 WhisperFitEZ Fan

Staff Pick

Whether you are remodeling or looking to incorporate a fan into new construction, look no further than the Panasonic WhisperFit fan. It moves air up to either 80 or 110 cubic feet per minute(CFM) in an ultra-quiet but incredibly powerful manner. Included is a 'fast install bracket' for quick installation. You can barely hear it even on the highest CFM.

$120 at Amazon

Economy Series

Broan-NuTone 688 Ceiling and Wall Ventilation Fan

Keeping your bathroom free of pollutants, excess moisture, and odor doesn't have to break your bank. Suitable for bathrooms of under 50 square feet, the 50 CFM rated Broan 688 fan is built with a galvanized metal casing and super strong flanges for both ceiling or wall mounting. The plastic grille can be painted to match the wall or ceiling color.

$15 at Amazon

Ultra-modern

Hunter Sona Bathroom Fan with Light

Having a fan and light installed as a single unit gives the bathroom a clean finish, unlike having fixtures all over the ceiling and wall. On the outside, the fan looks like a regular flush-mounted light fixture. However, it has an incorporated motor to help remove excess moisture and uses two 60-watt light bulbs. You can also install a 7-watt bulb for a nightlight.

$109 at Amazon

Near-silent

Tatsumaki LD-120 Electric Bathroom Fan

With its efficient 120 CFM ventilation capacity, the fan sucks out excess moisture and odor with a near-silent mechanism, and it's suitable for bathrooms measuring up 120 sq. feet. Besides, you get a 6-watt LED light panel with gentle lighting. It comes with a double hanger bar system for easy installation, and it fits easily between most ceiling joists.

$105 at Amazon

Sturdy Construction

BV Ultra-Quiet Bathroom Ventilation & Exhaust Fan

We all love installations and appliances that last us long enough. The fan has a heavy-duty motor that rids excess moisture and odor from a ton of air at just 0.8 sones. The motor is housed in a stainless steel casing perfect for the continuous operation of the fan. And, at that price, with its sturdy build, this bathroom fan is quite a steal.

$72 at Amazon

Fan Combo

Broan-Nutone 9093WH Exhaust Fan

Why could you want to wait up to 15 minutes for your home central heating system to heat your bathroom when the Broan Nutone fan can do that instantly. The Broan-Nutone fan comes with a heater and light combo capable of heating rooms up to 65 square feet, and it is rated 70 CFM. It includes a four-function wall switch to give you control.

$225 at Amazon

Green Energy

Delta BreezGreenBuilder Bath Fan

A humidity sensor is excellent because it monitors the moisture levels in your bathroom. This fan comes with an adjustable humidity sensor that triggers a higher CFM speed to lower humidity levels. It comes with a blue and amber LED light that indicates the fan is running. With an energy star rated brushless motor, you don't have to worry about power bills hitting the fan!

$96 at Amazon

Snap it in

Air King BFQ 90 Bath Fan

Nobody wants to be frustrated with the installation process of any item, bathroom fans included. The Air-King BFQ fan is quite simple to install, and it is rated 90 CFM with 2.5 sones noise level. That can be a bit loud, but it is assuring to hear your fan running in the background. It comes with a 4-inch plastic duct collar with a black draft damper.

$32 at Amazon

Stealth Technology

Panasonic WhisperCeiling Ventilation Fan

If you have a large bathroom or multiple showers, toilets, and a hot tub, using the Panasonic WhisperCeiling fan will be a great way to control humidity and get rid of bad odors. This is because it is rated for an incredible 290 CFM at 2.0 sones. How such a powerful fan circulates huge air volumes at such a negligible noise level is reason enough to settle for the fan.

$209 at Amazon

The cental point

The bathroom is generally the most humid room in the house, and that is why you need to suck out the moisture before it damages fixtures and compromises the air quality. While we have made the search easy, considerations like noise level, additional light fixture, or energy rating are a matter of personal preference.

The noise from fans can bother other users while it is a non-issue for others. If you love near-silent bathrooms, Panasonic has set quiet operation standards with their Panasonic FV-08-11VF5 WhisperFitEZ Fan. As much as it is quiet, it still sucks out moisture and odor with incredible. For medium to small-sized bathrooms, the Broan-NuTone 688is such a great pick. It can be mounted on either the ceiling or wall, giving you the freedom to work with your already limited bathroom space.

While extra bathroom fan characteristics are left to personal preference, a basic checkbox is your bathroom size. Pair the right fan with the correct bathroom measurements, and you will continuously enjoy better air quality.