Ceiling fan Finder: We can help you find the perfect fan to meet your needs

Best Rated Ceiling Fan Brand: Mercator

With 94% of Aussies recommending Mercator, it's the ceiling fan brand of choice. It had solid scores across the board, including for performance, design and features and functions.

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The cost of a ceiling fan can range from $70 to $2,000 or more. When choosing a ceiling fan, you need to know the size of your room and the height of the ceiling. Then you can consider how many blades you want, what material you prefer, how many speeds you need and other important features.

How do ceiling fans work?

Ceiling fans cool you by moving air around your body and making sweat evaporate. Unlike air conditioners, fans don’t affect the temperature of a room. Instead, they affect how the temperature feels to your body.

You can use your ceiling fan year round to circulate air by reversing the direction of the fan when the seasons change. In warmer months, a counter-clockwise spinning fan will feel like a pleasant breeze. In cooler months, a clockwise spinning fan will rotate the warm air trapped at the ceiling back down to the floor and make the room feel warmer.

How to choose the best ceiling fan

The price of ceiling fans generally ranges from $70 to $2,000 and depends on size, material, finish and brand.

When looking for a ceiling fan, the first thing you need to do is measure the room where you're going to install the fan.

• Room size

  The size of your ceiling fan should depend on the size of your room. If you choose a fan too small for a room, it will be ineffective at circulating air. If you choose an oversized fan, your room might feel cluttered. Ceiling fan blades have the following suggested lengths, also referred to as sweep or span, based on room size:

  Room size	Fan blade length
  Less than 8m²	60cm to 106cm
  8m² to 14m²	106cm to 120cm
  14m² to 28m²	120cm to 150cm
  28m² or more	150cm or more

• Ceiling height

  When it comes to ceiling fans, the height of the room is just as important as the size of the room. Generally, a room must be at least 2.4 metres high to be able to accommodate a ceiling fan since they need to be at least 2.1 metres off the ground to satisfy safety standards. If your ceiling is higher than 3 metres, you will likely need to use an extension rod, which may or may not be included in the cost of the fan.

• Blades

  • Number of blades. Ceiling fans can have between two and six blades, but the most common number of blades is four. The number of blades has little to do with how much air a ceiling fan can circulate. The motor and the angle of the blades are more important when it comes to the efficiency of a fan.
  • Angle. The angle of a blade is measured in degrees based on how the blade is positioned relative to the fan. Many people consider the most efficient angle to be between 10 and 15 degrees.
  • Material. Fan blades can be made out of timber, metal or plastic. Metal blades are considered to be more effective than timber blades, but they are also louder. Timber blades can be great for kitchens or bathrooms where moisture can rust metal blades. Plastic blades are often as quiet as timber blades and are easy to keep clean.

Additional features to consider:

• Reversible rotation. We mentioned earlier that fans can help move warm air around a room in winter, but this is only the case for fans with reversible motors. If you experience cold winters and want this handy feature, look for fans that offer reversible rotation.
• Remote control. Older fans are often operated by pull-cords or wall switches. With modern fans, remote controls are often included with a fan but can sometimes be an optional extra. Remote controls give you the convenience and ease-of-use of wall switches, without requiring professional installation. There are also some smart fans that automatically turn on and off based on temperature and can be controlled by an app installed on a smart device or connected to a smart speaker.
• Light. Many ceiling fans come with options for integrated lights. If you want ceiling lighting for a room with a ceiling fan, look for fans with built-in lights. Installing ceiling lights separately can sometimes make the light look like it’s flashing.
• Weatherproofing. If you want to install your ceiling fan in an outdoor area, make sure to get one with waterproofing and protection. However, even a weather-resistant fan cannot be exposed directly to water and needs at least two walls to shield the fan from wind and other elements.

Ceiling fans vs air conditioners

We all know air conditioners can be expensive to use, but the fact remains that they can cool down a room very efficiently. Whether you choose a ceiling fan or an air conditioner will depend on what you expect from your cooling device and how much you want to spend on an ongoing basis.

Many people find using both a ceiling fan and air conditioner in tandem works well. Once the air conditioner cools the room, a ceiling fan can help circulate the colder air. You can then turn your air conditioner to a lower setting or turn it off entirely. You can also save money by using the air conditioner only on really hot days and use the fan on warm days where you just want a nice breeze.

4 things to consider

• Ceiling fans can be loud. If you want a quiet fan, see if you can see the fan in motion before you make a purchase. You can also read user reviews to see if anyone mentions the noise level of the fan. If your fan is noisy due to excess wobbling, a fan balancing kit could help.
• It’s important to maintain your ceiling fan. If you want your ceiling fan to last a long time, you need to care for it and clean it regularly. Dust collected on the top of ceiling fan blades can spread around the room and worsen allergies, asthma and other conditions.
• You will need to have your fan installed. Australian regulations require ceiling fans to be installed by a qualified electrician. The cost of installation will depend on the structure and architecture of the room and home. You might want to contact an electrician to get a quote for installation before you buy a fan so that you can have a better sense of the total cost before making a purchase.
• Remember to turn off your fan. Your ceiling fan will only work while you are in the room since fans don’t actually lower room temperature. When you leave a room, turn off your ceiling fan to help reduce energy consumption.

Best rated ceiling fan brand award breakdown

Data: Finder Retail Brand Survey, 2020, Kantar. Metric out of 5 stars unless indicated. Methodology and more info.