Best Bathroom Fan Lights 2023 For Your Home

For many people, the feeling of joy and peace that a shower or bath brings after a long day at work is unmatched. That is why they spend so much money, time, and effort to invest in the best possible equipment for their bathroom. In such an environment, a combination of fan and light will perform the individual task of each component brilliantly without charging extra on the price tag.

If this sounds like something that would suit your property, we have got you covered. Here are the best bathroom fan lights for the modern home – and some additional information that can help you in the purchasing process. Let’s get to it:

Exhaust fans are devices set up on the walls or ceilings or your room for ventilation purposes. In particular, bathroom fans will eliminate the excess moisture, steam, and odor that build up after baths and showers – and reduce the chances of mold and mildew forming in your bathroom.

Bathroom fan lights are these aforementioned fans that have the lighting functions incorporated. They look like bathroom lights and can do a good job of illuminating your space, but they come with hidden fans for practical ventilation use in the bathroom.  

1. Broan-NuTone 678 Exhaust Ventilation Fan and Light Combination

Specifications:

• 50 CFM

• 2.5 sones

• UL listed

• 100-watt bulb

• 1-year warranty

Pros:

• Easy installation

• Great for decorative purposes

• Powerful and reliable

• Even light distribution

• Quiet

Cons:

• No bulbs included

2. Hunter 81030 Halcyon Bathroom Exhaust Fan and Light

Specifications:

• 90 CFM

• 2.5 sones

• 2x 60-watt bulbs

• ETL and HVI certified

• 5-year warranty

Pros:

• Great for decorative purposes

• Easy installation and replacement

• Great design

• Quiet

Cons:

• Reliability issues

3. Delta Electronics RAD80L Exhaust Light and Heater Ventilation Bath Fan

Specifications:

• 80 CFM

• 1.5 sones

• Heater included

• 26-watt bulb

• 3-year warranty

Pros:

• Great build quality

• Consistent temperature with heater

• Very safe to use

• Quiet

• Energy efficient

Cons:

• Might be tricky to install

4. Tosca 7117-02-BN Bathroom Fan Integrated LED Light Ceiling Mount Exhaust Ventilation  

Specifications:

• 80 CFM

• 1.5 sones

• 4000K LED bulb

• 3-year warranty

Pros:

• Durable

• Easy installation

• Quiet

• Dimmable lights

• Nice design

Cons:

• Might be hard to install

5. HOMEWERKS WORLDWIDE 7117-01-BN Bathroom Integrated LED Light Ceiling Mount Exhaust Ventilation 

Specifications:

• 80 CFM

• 1.5 sones

• Motion and humidity sensor

Pros:

• Great build quality

• Easy installation

• Quiet

• Motion sensor helps save energy

• Humidity sensor

Cons:

• Non-changeable bulb

Bathroom fan lights are a necessity for modern homes, but it does not mean that you can just save your effort and choose whatever you want. In fact, there are still a number of key considerations that you have to make – let’s take a look at them:

Ventilation: In general, the level of ventilation that you need is determined by the size of your bathroom. The performance of such a device is measured by its CFM rating, which indicates the airflow capacity of the fan in cubic feet/minute.

On the packaging, you should be able to find the information about the CFM rating and recommended room size that the fan will operate well in. A good rule of thumb when it comes to ventilation is matching the rating that you need to the room’s square footage. For example, larger bathrooms will need fans with higher CFM ratings than smaller ones.

Illumination: More than just air-cleaning devices, bathroom fan lights will also take care of the illuminating task – and save you from having to install different fixtures for different purposes. You can either use it as a supplementary light to add extra illumination to the bathroom lighting setup that you already had or use it as the individual source of light for your bathroom.

If you want more complex lighting features out of your bathroom fan lights, such as dimmable options or different lighting modes for daytime and nighttime and so on – check the “additional features” section to get more information.

Installation: Obviously, you would want to set up your bathroom fan light near or over areas where the moisture comes from – like the shower enclosure, bathtub or sink. However, you also have to make sure that you have a good ventilation system in place to release the exhaust outdoors to prevent further issues.

Bathroom fan lights with more complicated features might require extra wiring or circuitries in the installing process – which can cause difficulties, especially if you have a big bathroom and need to install multiple units.

Safety: Many bathroom fan lights are certified by the Home Ventilation Institute and come with an HVI rating – which means that they have been tested and shown to adhere to specific standards when it comes to safety and efficiency. You can assure that these ventilation products are safe to use.

Energy efficiency: When using bathroom fan lights – if you want to further cut down on electricity costs, look for units that have Energy Star certifications. These models are proven to be more efficient at using energy than others – saving you even more money in the long run.

Noise level: A quiet bathroom fan light will keep the relaxing ambience that you need when using the bathroom – so it makes sense to take a look at the amount of noise that your desired models generate, and choose ones that are the quietest.

Ideally, models that come with sone ratings (noise measurement units) of 2 or less are perfect and will not disrupt any activities in the bathroom.

Additional features: A bathroom fan light combination is already a great innovation, but you can even go further with the advanced features to make your whole bathroom experience more convenient. Modern options are now equipped with heaters or motion and humidity sensors – which cost more but will pay off in the long run.

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Which rooms can you use these fan lights in, other than the bathroom?

In general, you can use these fan lights in rooms that are in need of both ventilation and illumination. You can also take advantage of this equipment in areas that have high humidity, while the light can act as a decorative factor.

Areas like your garage, exercise room or even kitchen are some notable examples where both ventilation and illumination are much-needed.

How long should you keep your bathroom fan light on after taking a bath/shower?

According to the experts, keeping your bathroom fan light on for at least 20 minutes after getting out of the shower/bath is enough for it to do all the ventilating work. You can dim the light or turn the light off completely to avoid wasting energy.

Is it safe to install your bathroom fan light right over the tub/shower?

Many bathroom fan light models are UL listed for installation and use over the tub or shower. However, you should also be realistic about where you want to set up your unit. It would be better for both the fan light and your family if you place it near the bathing/showering area – without any negative effects on its performance.  

Do you need a fan light if your bathroom has a window?

Of course, opening the window is a good way to ventilate the bathroom and keep it fog, odor and moisture-free. However, this might not be the most effective way to ventilate your bathroom – and you still have the need for lighting anyway. Getting a bathroom fan light combination is a brilliant way to get both ventilating and illuminating tasks done effectively.

What type of lighting do these bathroom fan lights provide?

For the bathroom, fan lights will bring you any type of lighting that you need. Some are better for decorative purposes, others can be used as recessed or normal lights. The former are fancier, while the latters are straight to the point and more affordable.

Bathroom fan lights have become an essential part of the modern home, due to their budget-friendly and functional nature. With it, extracting any undesired odor, humidity or fog has never been easier – and the best part about this is that you can use your ceiling space better and brighten up your bathroom.

For the best bathroom fan lights with advanced features, it is a toss-up between Delta Electronics RAD80L Exhaust Light and Heater Ventilation Bath Fan and HOMEWERKS WORLDWIDE 7117-01-BN Bathroom Integrated LED Light Ceiling Mount Exhaust Ventilation. For decorative purposes, Broan-NuTone 678 Exhaust Ventilation Fan and Light Combination is the one to go for. For all the benefits that they bring to the table, adding one to your home is certainly a no brainer. And while you are at it, use this guide as reference for the best results.