The 10 Best Outdoor Ceiling Fans Of 2024, Tested And Reviewed

Best Overall Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Hunter Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan

View On Amazon $119 View On Wayfair $140 View On Walmart $130

Our Ratings

• Setup
  5/5
• Design
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Quality
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

We declared the Hunter Cassius Outdoor 52-inch Ceiling Fan the winner mainly because it is compact, quiet, and doesn’t hang low from the ceiling—which was key for us because our ceilings are low. More importantly, it kept our room cool even on blazing hot days. The fan is also damp-rated, so it is safe to use under a covered patio but should not be exposed to the elements.

Thanks to clear directions and diagrams inside the instruction manual, it didn’t take us long to install. Even the wires were color-coded (which made it even easier)—we had it up and running in an hour.  

The fan features three standard speeds (low, medium, and high) and three blades to push the air around. Compared to portable fans which are often noisy when on high settings, this fan was completely silent; it ran without a sound or vibration.

The Cassius is one of the more reasonably priced fans out there, so we didn’t expect it to come with a remote. However, you can easily change the settings with a pull chain. Additionally, the blades are reversible, which allows it to push both cool and warm air around. It’s available in white, matte black, matte silver, and bronze.

Number of Blades: 3 | Damp/Wet Rating: Damp-rated | Diameter: 52 inches | Blade Material: Plywood | Max Airflow: 4,031 CFM

Best Budget Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Hampton Bay Gazebo III 42 in. Indoor/Outdoor Brushed Nickel Ceiling Fan

View On Home Depot $82

If your rooms, porches, or back patios measure 10 by 10 feet, this affordable 42-inch Hampton Bay Gazebo III is an ideal pick. It’s not fancy, but at less than $100, it’s super cheap—costing a fraction of the price of a regular ceiling fan.

This fan features three basic speeds, which are controlled using pull chains. No remote or wall switch comes with it. But if you want them, you can buy a universal wall switch or remote separately. Like most other fans on this list, it has a reversible motor that lets you change the direction of the blades in cooler months. Also, this fan doesn’t have lights but contains built-in wiring just in case you want to get them later. 

The fan comes already partly assembled, all you have to do is connect the blades. Plus it’s wet-rated, which means the fan’s body can be safely exposed to the elements. The fan is available in brushed nickel and white options. 

Number of Blades: 5 | Damp/Wet Rating: Wet-rated | Diameter: 42 inches | Blade Material: Plastic | Max Airflow: 3,393 CFM

Best Outdoor Ceiling Fan With Light

Hampton Bay Mena 54-Inch Ceiling Fan

View On Home Depot $159

If you’re looking to add a sleek and modern touch to your outdoor space, we found this damp-rated Hampton Bay 54-inch Ceiling to be worth considering. It features a matte black finish and comes with a round, shatter-resistant light shade. Plus, it comes with a remote, so you can easily control the settings from the comfort of your porch swing. It’s a dual-mount fan, which means that you can hang it from both standard and extra-high ceilings. For regular ceilings, use the down rod that’s included. But, for anything higher, you have to buy a longer extension rod separately.

This fan features three reversible speeds. On all settings, airflow was excellent and we hardly heard any white noise. Even when we put the fan on high, we were barely able to tell that it was on. The fan is powerful (much better than our old fan) and was able to move a lot of air, especially when we put it on the highest settings. We thought that the medium and low settings offered more than enough circulation. But for hot days, we would probably only use the highest settings.

The motor was the heaviest piece on this fan. The blades were extremely lightweight, so the fan was mostly balanced and not at all wobbly—even at high speeds. It comes with a 21.5-watt dimmable LED light that features three color settings, so you can switch between warm mood light and bright daylight-like settings. Just keep in mind that the lights can only beam straight downwards and cannot be angled.

This fan was the Home Depot’s Innovation Award Finalist in 2020 because of its easy and fast installation. It installs 50% faster compared to other ceiling fans due to features like a sliding mounting bracket and blades that can be attached to the main body without screws. We were able to install it ourselves without the help of another person in under an hour.  

Number of Blades: 5 | Damp/Wet Rating: Damp-rated | Diameter: 54 inches | Blade Material: Plastic | Max Airflow: 5,246 CFM

Best Wet-Rated Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Three Posts Murray Hill 56-Inch Ceiling Fan

View On Wayfair $290

On the days when it feels like you could fry an egg on the sidewalk—a wet-rated fan like this Wayfair option is a must-have to keep cool on your outdoor porch. The Murray Hill Ceiling Fan is safe to put outside and can withstand the elements, making it well-suited for the humid and periodically rainy Southern climate. It’s also a good option if you have sloped ceilings up to 35 inches.

This fan features three long and sweeping 56-inch blades that offer effective air circulation and a max airflow of 5,306 cubic feet per minute (CFM), which is ideal for cooling extra-large rooms measuring 18 by 20 feet. The fan’s blades are made from metal, not lightweight plastic, which makes us confident that it will last for years to come.

Use a wall control switch or wireless remote to control its four speeds. The fan also is a smart model which works with an app and voice assistants to control speed and settings. Although, you have to buy the Wi-Fi accessory controls separately, including the remote. And keep in mind that this option does not have lights included. The fan comes in four finishes: matte black, matte white, metallic matte bronze, and brushed nickel.

Number of Blades: 3 | Damp/Wet Rating: Wet-rated | Diameter: 56 inches | Blade Material: Aluminum | Max Airflow: 5,306 CFM

Best Quiet Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Hunter Key Biscayne Ceiling Fan

View On Amazon $228 View On Wayfair $330 View On Walmart $289

Our Ratings

• Setup
  4.8/5
• Design
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Quality
  5/5
• Value
  4/5

The fan is damp-rated and comes with some of the most solid blades (it has five) and construction we’ve seen so far. It’s a basic, three-speed fan measuring 54 inches in diameter—which is the ideal size for large gazebos, outdoor porches, or indoor rooms. 

The fan is advertised as whisper quiet, which we found to be the case. It was extremely quiet—so much so that it provided no white noise or any kind of humming while we slept. At the higher speeds, we might have heard a little ‘whoosh,’ but it was still very quiet. 

The fan has a rustic design including an LED lantern light that flawlessly matched with the rest of our mostly farmhouse-style furniture. It’s priced at just over $300, making it one of our more expensive picks. However, keep your eye on reduced prices as it's possible to get the fan at a marked-down price (like we did). 

The lights are dimmable plus energy-efficient, so you can control the brightness and mood of your outdoor space. The fan blades can be reversed to either push or pull warm air. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a remote, so you’ll have to pull cords (it has two) or use a switch to change the settings. 

The manufacturer estimates the installation to take about an hour. However, it ended up taking us longer than other fans we installed on the list. Also, we don’t advise anyone to install it alone because of how heavy the fan motor is. You’re going to need at least two people to wire the fan and hook it up to the ceiling. The fan is available in weather zinc and onyx finishes. 

Number of Blades: 5 | Damp/Wet Rating: Damp-rated | Dimensions: 54 inches | Material: Plastic | Max Airflow: 5,291 CFM

Best Simple Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Honeywell Belmar Outdoor LED Ceiling Fan

View On Amazon $116 View On Wayfair View On Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Setup
  5/5
• Design
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  4.8/5
• Quality
  4/5
• Value
  4.5/5

When you need a fan to help you stay cool and keep the bugs from flitting around you (especially in the South) the Honeywell Belmar Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan does the job and more. It features five weather-proof plastic blades that effectively cooled down our room. Compared to our old fan, we found the Honeywell to be more powerful, even though they both were roughly the same size.  

The manufacturer claims this fan has a quiet operation, which we found to be true….to an extent. The noise was not an issue until we switched it to the highest setting and it got too loud. But, despite that, the fan operated smoothly and we hardly felt any sort of vibrations at any speed level. 

Setting it up was pretty easy and we were able to take down the old fan and put the new one in its place in about an hour and a half. However, if you don’t have any DIY expertise, it's better to hire someone to ensure the job is done right. We liked how flush the fan was to our ceiling. It fits way better than our previous fan, so it probably is a good product if you have low ceilings. 

This fan can be used year-round. You can program the direction of the blades depending on the season. We only used the summer mode, which we enjoyed and found to be cooling. But, if you switch it to winter mode, the blades change direction to distribute warm air.

Other than an integrated light, there are no extras. There is no Bluetooth or remote control—you have to use the wall control or pull cord to turn it on or off. If you prefer no light, it’s also available without. 

Number of Blades: 5 | Damp/Wet Rating: Damp-rated | Diameter: 52 inches | Blade Material: Plastic | Max Airflow: 5,549 CFM

Best Smart Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Modern Forms Skylark 54-Inch Ceiling Fan

View On Amazon $400 View On Wayfair $400 View On Home Depot $400

Six speeds and Bluetooth capability make this 54-inch, wet-rated Skylark Ceiling Fan a technologically advanced pick for your indoor and outdoor spaces. This fan comes with a built-in LED light and pairs with the latest smart tech such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Ecobee Control 4, Samsung Smart Things, and Josh AI. It also comes with an app to control fan speed and smart features. It is Bluetooth compatible via the remote control or wall control switch. And you can use the remote to control multiple fans in the same range.

This fan comes with tons of innovative features that you won’t find with most other fans. For example, it features adaptive learning which lets your fan study your routine and then recommend the best times for the fan to be on and off. There is also a breeze mode which provides the feeling of a natural breeze by manipulating your fan’s speeds.   

According to the manufacturer, the fan is 70 percent more efficient compared to regular fans. All fans come already balanced and sound-tested, so your fan runs quietly and is wobble-free. 

If you have a sloped ceiling, this is a great pick to consider. You can install it on ceilings up to a 30-degree angle with the down rods that are included. But, if you need a longer length, you have to buy what you need separately. 

Number of Blades: 3 | Damp/Wet Rating: Wet-rated | Diameter: 54 inches | Blade Material: Plastic | Max Airflow: 3,768 CFM

Best Coastal Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Hinkley Lighting Tropic Air 52-Inch Fan

View On Amazon $499 View On Walmart $499 View On Home Depot $499

While we can’t all live near a Florida beach, that doesn't mean that our homes can’t provide the same ambiance. This paradise-themed fan is 52 inches in diameter, which is the best size for medium to large areas from 100 to 150 square feet. It is also wet-rated, so it can handle precipitation. The fan consists of five palm leaf-style blades made to look like weathered driftwood, which add a beachy feel to any room or patio. It would also make a great addition to a beach house or vacation rental. You can install the Tropic Air on both flat and sloped ceilings. 

The fan includes easy-to-follow instructions and a balance kit plus a hanger bracket to make installation a breeze. The fan also comes with a light and four speeds, which you can control by pulling a chain on the fan. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have a remote control, so you have to buy one separately if you want one. There is also no built-in smart function with this option. You can reverse the blades to circulate cool and warm air too—just not by a switch. Instead, it's done manually via the chain. The fan is available in graphite, matte black, and matte white options.

Number of Blades: 5 | Damp/Wet Rating: Wet-rated | Diameter: 52 inches | Blade Material: Composite | Max Airflow: 4,523 CFM

Best Small Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Home Decorators Bentley II 18-Inch Oscillating Ceiling Fan

View On Home Depot $130

For small patios and outdoor spaces, there’s no need for a big fan when a small one will do. That’s why the Hampton Bay Bentley II is such an appealing choice to beat the heat. This ceiling fan looks like a portable fan that’s been mounted on the wall. It consists of three blades, measuring only 13 inches long. The total diameter of the fan with the cage is 18 inches. The fan is damp-rated, so it should be installed on a covered porch to protect it from water and moisture. 

To provide you with maximum airflow around the room, it oscillates from left to right. However, if you would rather direct the breeze in one area, you can simply switch the oscillating feature off. (Side note: You need to have your fan wired to oscillate—so you might have to get a pro to help.) 

The fan has the typical three speeds: low, medium, and high. There is no reverse function on it, and it can only blow air downward to cool the room.  While it doesn’t have a remote, it does come with a wall control to control the settings. Just be aware that there is no on/off switch on the fan, so if you need to turn it off completely, you’ll have to set the speed to 0 and switch the oscillation to off on the wall panel. It has a 4.5-inch down rod, which means that your ceiling needs to be high enough to install it. (The brand recommends ceilings should be at least 9 feet, and no lower than 8 feet.) And according to the installation instructions, it’s not suitable for sloped ceilings.

Number of Blades: 3 | Damp/Wet Rating: Damp-rated | Diameter: 18 inches | Blade Material: Aluminum | Max Airflow: 1,684 CFM