Choosing the best outdoor ceiling fans for whether your deck, patio, or front porch is NOT that hard.
In fact, with some knowledge base plus you-know-what-you-want, it will be much simpler than your initial thoughts, we promise!
Start with 8 top-rated options that we’ve picked based on our experts’ suggestion to give you an inceptive touch about ceiling fans:
- Hunter Indoor 59264 – Best overall
- Emerson CF765BQ – Best for covered lanai
- reiga 52-in Ceiling Fan – Best for damp locations
- Honeywell Sabal Palm 52-Inch – Best for decoration
- Honeywell Belmar 52-Inch – Best budget option
- Prominence Home 80091-01 Abner – Best for front porch
- Prominence Home 50345-01 Auletta – Best for gazebos
- Honeywell Ceiling Fans 50609-01 Xerxes – Best for large area
Hunter Indoor 59264 – Best overall
- Energy-star certified -> help you save more money without compromising the performance
- Have reversible motor that you can use it all year round
- Have a slight hum at high-speed settings
Regardless of the reliable long-standing brand name it is made by, the fan features everything needed – even more – to keep you not just cool but also feel ease in mind. The ETL Damp rating is what we concern the most and it, like other counterparts here, achieves this certification.
It also meets Energy Star standards for superior energy efficiency to help you save more money.
The fan provides 3631 CFM of airflow at the highest speed setting and moreover, its motor is reversible so you can use it during the winter as well.
Product Specs
| Fan Size | 52 in |
| Material Type | Metal |
| Speed Airflow (CFM) | 3631 |
| Highlight Features | Energy-star certified; reversible motor |
In consideration the performance, silence, and energy efficiency, we rated this Hunter Indoor 59264 as the best overall choice.
Emerson CF765BQ – Best for covered lanai
- Offer extremely high air circulation abilities with 4-speed settings and ultra-long blade -> ideal for large outdoor spaces
- Remote control adaptable -> you can link it to a separate remote control for more convenience
- Create a wonderful downtown feel -> add character to your outdoor space
- No lighting kit
- The wire nuts to install the switch is rather small
We highly recommend this pick for large high-ceiling covered lanai because of its 60-inch blades and the brushed steel finish that can’t handle damp situations.
In turn, it moves tons of air to beat the heat during summer months, and there are 4-speed settings with remote control adaptability.
The full-black painting which creates a fantastic industrial vibe is quite promising. It adds a wonderful downtown feel to your outdoor space while solving nicely the air comfort during hot summer days.
Product Specs
| Coverage Area | 700 square feet |
| Fan Size | 60” |
| Material Type | Steel |
| Speed Airflow (CFM) | 7530 |
| Highlight Features | 4-speed settings; Remote control adaptable; Create a wonderful downtown feel |
If you’re seeking the best ceiling fan for a covered lanai with no needs of a light kit attached, the Emerson CF765BQ is a nice try.
reiga 52-in Ceiling Fan – Best for damp locations
- Have a LED lighting kit which gives you 1000 lumens for lighting with color temperature adjustment -> ideal for both lighting a space and creating a mood
- Superior in terms of wet resistance to work safely and efficiently in open porches
- Include a remote control and multiple timer settings for optimal control and extra convenience
- Quite pricey
- The price doesn’t include battery for the remote control, you have to buy it separately
- No separate control system for the light and its bright levels, which is a bit inconvenient sometimes
In addition, it has CB report as well as passes the IP44 testing to work like a dream in those damp locations like showers, bathrooms, and front porches open to the weather.
The fan is also known for various add-ons, such as the 1000-lumen 24W LED light with adjustable color temperature, the remote control, and the multiple timing functions.
Product Specs
| Fan Size | 52” |
| Material Type | Steel |
| Speed Airflow (CFM) | 5614 |
| Highlight Features | LED lighting kit; high wet rating; Include a remote control and multiple timer settings |
If a versatile, multi-functional ceiling fan is what you’re all about, look no further.
Honeywell Sabal Palm 52-Inch – Best for decoration
- Feature elegantly aesthetic blades to give a Mediterranean feeling
- Provide a lifetime warranty -> give you more confidence with this purchase
- Have a lighting kit to brighten up your space
- Just ideal for a low ceiling, otherwise, you’ll have to replace or add length to its chains
- The instructions aren’t helpful
Its Tuscan sandglass of the bowl light fixture complements nicely to the rich bronze finish to brings a perfect Mediterranean feeling. With such aesthetic elegance, we believe this ceiling fan will be a wonderful décor item to any outdoor space.
Of course, its excellent performance is the main reason for our decision.
It delivers soothing air circulation to cool up a space of 450 square feet without making a sound. Another good news is with this model, you’ll get three 40W bulbs for lighting as well as a lifetime warranty. So, for the price, it bangs for the buck.
Product Specs
| Coverage Area | 350-450 square feet |
| Fan Size | 52” |
| Material Type | Wooden |
| Highlight Features | Feature aesthetic elegance; Provide a lifetime warranty; Have a lighting kit |
In a nutshell, we suggest this Honeywell Sabal Palm for people who are finding an efficient ceiling fan that can also play as a nice décor item to add vibe to your outdoor space.
Honeywell Belmar 52-Inch – Best budget option
- It has many high-end features while the price is much lower than other counterparts -> very budget-friendly
- Give you many mounting options -> versatile and convenient
- A little loud
- No lighting kit
It’s priced under $90 but still able to provide you 3-speed settings, reversible function, and remote control adaptability. The blades, besides, are bronze coated for high damp resistance to work outdoor like a breeze.
The biggest selling point lies in its versatile mounting options which are three overall – angled, downrod, and close mount. A complete satisfaction guarantee is also included, therefore, this inexpensive product doesn’t compromise its quality.
Product Specs
| Fan Size | 52” |
| Material Type | Metal / Wood |
| Speed Airflow (CFM) | 5070 |
| Highlight Features | many mounting options; 3-speed settings, reversible function, and remote control adaptability |
For under $100, nothing can’t beat over the Honeywell Belmar 52” ceiling fan. It is functional, convenient, and versatile, and there’s also a warranty provided. What else to ask?
Prominence Home 80091-01 Abner – Best for front porch
- The light is bright enough to leave no dark spots in your front porch but still not overpowering or stark -> very functional
- Provide two-blade finish options to choose from
- Not quite easy to install
It features a LED light fixture but what’s worth mentioning about this addition is the clear schoolhouse globe with one E26/ST19 Edison bulb. At 4.5W, it puts out a warm, bright light without being overpowering or stark.
Regardless, it gives you all must-have features of a standard ceiling fan, like five 52” blades, a reversible motor, several speed settings, and covered wet rating.
One bonus is the two blade finish options – silver oak and dark maple – for you to choose from.
Product Specs
| Fan Size | 52” |
| Material Type | Steel |
| Highlight Features | clear schoolhouse globe with one E26/ST19 Edison bulb; two-blade finish options |
Designed with a functional 5-blade fan and a bright, aesthetic lighting kit, the Prominence Home 80091-01 Abner can work perfectly as an air circulator and a main light source for your front porch.
Prominence Home 50345-01 Auletta – Best for gazebos
- Blades are waterproof and the body is crisp matte black coated for superior durability when used outdoor
- Feature two bright LED bulbs to shine up your space without attracting bugs
- Not helpful instructions
- Don’t have a remote control
It has four whopping 52” waterproof blades and a crisp matte black body which immediately adds a vibe to your outdoor space. And we’re sold on their abilities of air circulation from the first time turning it on.
If you also expect for a couple of soft bulbs for night time without attracting bugs, its 800-lumen fully-integrated LED light fixture with 2 E26/A15 bulbs will never let you down.
Product Specs
| Fan Size | 52” |
| Material Type | Steel |
| Speed Airflow (CFM) | 5568 |
| Highlight Features | Waterproof blades; crisp matte black body; two bright LED bulbs; |
For gazebos sizing of 12’x12’ to 18’x18’, the Prominence Home 50345-01 Auletta is an excellent contender in terms of style and performance.
Honeywell Ceiling Fans 50609-01 Xerxes – Best for large area
- The light provides 1400lm with dimmable function, controlled by a twist-lock -> bright enough to be the main light source of your space and easy to adjust to your needs
- Ultra-long blades without compromising of airflow speed and aeration ability -> efficient
- Battery is included -> convenient
- Narrow light beam -> can’t cover a huge area
- The Standard Extension Rod doesn’t fit perfectly
It features 8 blades of 62” long – about 10” longer than others of our picks here – but seems like the amount of air circulation isn’t degraded because of that. Evenly, it kicks much more air than them.
The upgrade LED lights are another worth-mentioning thing.
Its brightness is leveraged to 1400 lumens with dimmable functions up to 100%. Particularly, the integrated globe has a twist lock for separate control and battery is included along with the remote control.
Product Specs
| Fan Size | 62” |
| Material Type | Steel & wood |
| Speed Airflow (CFM) | 6310 |
| Highlight Features | 1400 lumens, dimmable 10% to 100%; twist-lock; 62” blades, battery included; |
If you want to invest in a true quality ceiling fan for a large area, look no further.
How to choose the best outdoor ceiling fans?
Rating
Whether it’s a ceiling fan or light fixture or both, the most vital factor is location.
Here, we’re seeking the best ceiling fans for outdoor, which means they MUST be superior in durability and resistance levels, especially to water.
Wet-rated and Damp-rated are two common options that you will find in the market currently and there are some certain differences between them. mainly, it is about whether or not your ceiling fan can be exposed to the snow and rain.
Damp rating is inevitably inferior to wet rating, therefore, those ceiling fans with this label will be only be installed in covered locations. If you intend to place it in open spaces, which is potentially exposed to rain and snow, pick the wet-rated ceiling fans.
Size
A brutal truth is, unlike sizing indoor ceiling fans which is just simply achieved by measuring the area of the space, sizing outdoor ones is more complicated.
It depends on more factors, such as the wind speed, the width of the fan, the thickness of the blades, and RPM (Rotation per minute). There are also many complicated calculations should be made to find out the actual cooling ability of a fan and to know whether its performance meets your needs or not.
But don’t be quickly disappointed just because of that, there are many online calculators now which can help you do all such stuff, such as this website.
Lighting and more
This is optional, depending on your extra needs on a desired ceiling fan.
Lighting
For outdoor use, lighting is a great add-on. It helps you save space in terms of setup while lighting the space better at night. If you are looking for this additional feature, consider those models using LED lights for cost efficiency and they should achieve damp or wet rating as well.
It’s even better if these lights are replaceable and controlled separately from the fan speeds.
Control system
There are three common types:
- Remote control
- Wall control
- Downrod
The remote control and downrod are two most popular types. While downrod ceiling fans are the traditional and also the cheapest, the remote control offers the highest convenience levels. However, you should pay attention to its battery life.
Who makes the best outdoor ceiling fans?
Out of many good brands in the market, we nominate three shiniest candidates for this section, they are:
Hunter
An inevitable brand! Regardless of the fact that John Hunter – founder of Hunter Fans – who made the first ceiling fan, this brand has now been owned many noteworthy innovations, such as SIMPLEconnect and Surespeed.
Emerson
We feel trustful about this brand because of their hard work with professionals to unstoppably find out new solutions to improve their products while listening to the customers’ feedback. In addition, their services aren’t a joke!
Honeywell
We guess any of us has heard at least once in life about this brand. Honeywell – a famous publicly-traded conglomerate specializing in commercial and consumer products, engineering services and aerospace systems. No doubt about their product quality as well as the services.
FAQs
Can you use any ceiling fan outside?
For safety and the fan’s lifetime, we only recommend using those models specifically designed for outdoor. It’s because indoor ceiling fans are not approved or rated for any form of moisture, which potentially leads to electrical fire if allowed to work in rain or snow.
Are outdoor ceiling fans waterproof?
It depends on the rating they have achieved. There are two types – wet rating and damp rating. Only wet-rated ceiling fans are completely waterproof, meaning that it can be exposed to the rain or snow.
Do outdoor ceiling fans keep bugs away?
Yes, they do.
It’s a big thank you to the downward draft created by outdoor ceiling fans, which makes insects, like bees and mosquitos more difficult to fly.
What is the difference between damp-rated and wet-rated ceiling fans?
Damp-rated ceiling fans can work in high humidity environments but it’s not waterproof enough to withstand direct rains or snows. Only the wet-rated models are able to do that.
Is a 3 or 4 blade fan better?
It depends on your needs for cooling and aeration. A 3-blade fan is better in moving air but its aeration level is inferior to the 4-blade.
How long should a ceiling fan last?
10 years.
Conclusion
So that’s it for our ultimate guide to choosing the best outdoor ceiling fans.
It’s your turn now.
One more note for beginners, while keeping in mind those three factors that we’ve stated above, don’t forget to consider your own budget. We know not all buyers are the same, let pick one quality with price-wise. Good luck!
I’m James J. Decker, a hobbyist and DIYs and also a big of home improvement and gardening tools. I immensely enjoy how these amazing products improve productivity and efficiency, and allow me to do jobs for which I would’ve otherwise needed professional help.
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