Fans of home-reno shows know: If a fixer-upper has a ceiling fan, sure as shiplap, the interior designer will tear it out and replace it with a light fixture. The message seems to be that scrapping a fan that is out of step with your décor is easier than finding a good-looking replacement.

But that’s a bummer if you’re a fan of fans, not to mention shortsighted in some climates and in multilevel homes, where, by keeping air circulating, a fan can help maintain a constant temperature. Plus, ceiling fans are energy savers; using one in the summer can allow you to comfortably raise your thermostat four degrees, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Or, put another way, having a fan can cut energy consumption by 40% in summer and 10% in winter, studies show.

Fans impart atmosphere, too, points out designer Amanda Lindroth, founder of the Amanda Lindroth Collection, who has an office in Nassau, Bahamas. Lindroth puts a ceiling fan in every room of homes she designs in tropical locales, not only to provide steady airflow but also for the relaxing sound of the turning blades.       

We consulted a panel of decorating pros to find out which styles they consider ceiling worthy (as well as get a few shopping guidelines—scroll to the end for that info.) Here are 10 designer-approved models to take for a spin.

As a general rule, the more blades a fan has, the quieter it is, because it moves the air with less “chop.” But as technology has improved, two- and three-blade fans have caught up to five-blade versions, allowing similar performance but with a more contemporary look. Joy Williams, principal designer of Joyful Designs, based in both Atlanta and Chicago, calls the two-blade Minka Aire Wave II “beautiful, aerodynamic and design forward.” She especially likes the fan’s finish, which is intended to mimic distressed Hawaiian koa wood, for homes with beachy or tropical décor.  

The manufacturer claims the Haiku L Smart Ceiling Fan is “the world’s most energy efficient ceiling fan,” and the independent certification body Energy Star agrees, awarding the company a Most Efficient label for 2021. Our experts appreciated that the sustainability comes in a stylish package. The fan is available in both 52-inch and 60-inch sizes and in bamboo for indoors or aircraft-grade aluminum for a patio. All versions can be controlled with a remote control or via your phone or smart device.

Hunter fans have a reputation for quiet, reliable motors and lifetime warranties, and these models also offer a neutral design Lindroth notes can work with nearly any décor, indoors and outdoors. The 52-inch Hunter Original is made of warp-resistant aluminum and is damp rated, meaning it will work on a porch or patio that doesn’t allow direct exposure to rain or snow. (If your fan will be hung where rain hits it, you’ll want one that’s wet rated.) The 54-inch Casablanca Panama, also made by Hunter, has a similar style but uses wooden blades, so it’s for indoors only.

As the name suggests, a fandelier is a cross between a fan and a chandelier—or sometimes a fan masquerading as a chandelier. Williams has two favorites: The glittery, almost-over-the-top Crystal Fandelier from Horchow hides the three fan blades behind 20 pieces of beveled glass crystal. The Four-Light Fandelier has a vintage-inspired look and surrounds the fan blades with a fabric shade so that it looks like a light fixture unless you’re standing directly beneath it, looking up. 

For indoor spaces that need light, Kevin Sawyers, principal of San-Francisco–based interior design firm Sawyers Design, suggests the Minimalist 56-inch LED fan from Monte Carlo (it’s Energy Star compliant, as well). He likes the natural look of the curvy wooden blades, made of either weathered oak or dark walnut. If you’re after value, the Verse 60-inch fan has a quiet, energy-efficient motor that delivers strong airflow, says Jean Liu, principal of Jean Liu Design in Dallas. She notes that the Verse is priced well because it’s a direct-to-consumer brand—no store markup—and she has found that fans are generally in stock and often ship the next day, an appealing prospect in light of recent supply-chain issues. Both are indoor-only fans.

With a light-fan combo, one ceiling fixture handles both cooling your space and illuminating it. (Pro tip: If there’s already a light mounted on the ceiling, make sure your fan is installed fairly far from it, Lindroth says, to avoid a strobe effect.) A fan with lighting typically requires more energy than one without, but you can counteract that by looking for Energy Star–certified fans that also use LED bulbs. Monte Carlo’s 60-inch damp-rated Armstrong model meets those criteria, and the company claims it’s 60% more energy efficient than standard fan/light combos. Sawyers appreciates its “modern, simple lines.” The Craftmade Phoebe fan, also 60 inches in diameter and damp-rated, has a similar but simpler design at a lower price. These are both indoor-outdoor fans.

Standard ceiling fans start at 42 inches in diameter, referred to as the “sweep” of the fan. A 42-incher will work effectively to circulate air in rooms that are up to 144 square feet, or 12 by 12. A 60-inch fan can handle a 15-by-15-foot room—and there’s every size in between. You may want to check out guidelines for measuring a room and picking a fan.  

You should also pay attention to how much air a fan circulates, which is measured in cubic feet per minute or CFM, says Liu. The larger the space you want to cool, the higher a CFM you should look for; 2,000 to 3,000 CFM will cool a small bedroom (200 square feet or less), while a large space (450 square feet or larger) requires a CFM of 5,000 to 9,000. 

Hanging a fan too high compromises its ability to move the air in the room. Most fans are sold with a short down rod (the extension pipe that connects the body of the fan to the mounting hardware on the ceiling). For a ceiling taller than 10 feet, there’s a chance you’ll need a longer down rod, which you can buy separately. 

If your ceiling is angled, you’ll need a fan that works with a slope adapter, says Liu. Most models come with a mounting kit, but if your ceiling is very steeply sloped, you may need an extra part. (You can figure out your ceiling’s slope with an online calculator.) 

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