19 Under 42 in Ceiling Fans, Ranked by Efficiency

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Why not running cost? A ceiling fan uses so little power that even the biggest efficiency gap here works out to a few dollars a year — not a meaningful number to shop by. CFM per watt (how much air it moves for each watt) is what actually separates a good fan from a mediocre one.

19 ENERGY STAR certified models, from 47.4 to 173 CFM/W (median 121).

Top 5 most efficient

#1 Indoor

Minka Aire F693L

36 in · 173 CFM/W

#2 Indoor

Minka Aire FN36

36 in · 173 CFM/W

#3 Indoor

Visual Comfort & Co 3RZHR32***

32 in · 155.8 CFM/W

#4 Indoor

Visual Comfort & Co 3RZHR32XXX

32 in · 155.8 CFM/W

#5 Indoor/Outdoor

Hunter 53520

40 in · 138.7 CFM/W

All 19 models

Rank	Brand	Model	Rated for	Size	Efficiency
1	Minka Aire	F693L	Indoor	36 in	173 CFM/W
2	Minka Aire	FN36	Indoor	36 in	173 CFM/W
3	Visual Comfort & Co	3RZHR32***	Indoor	32 in	155.8 CFM/W
4	Visual Comfort & Co	3RZHR32XXX	Indoor	32 in	155.8 CFM/W
5	Hunter	53520	Indoor/Outdoor	40 in	138.7 CFM/W
6	Globe	37000132	Indoor	30 in	128 CFM/W
7	Globe	GL37000132	Indoor	30 in	128 CFM/W
8	Generation Lighting	3TTHR32***D	Indoor	32 in	127 CFM/W
9	Generation Lighting	3TTHR32XXXD	Indoor	32 in	127 CFM/W
10	Modern Forms	FH-W1802-38L	Outdoor	38 in	121 CFM/W
11	Modern Forms	FH-W1802-26L	Outdoor	26 in	110 CFM/W
12	Artika	28FAN-SUR-C2BL	Indoor	24 in	97.5 CFM/W
13	Minka Aire	F743L	Indoor	36 in	92 CFM/W
14	Minka Aire	CR1707-36	Indoor	36 in	92 CFM/W
15	Artika	28FAN-SUVR-C2BN	Indoor	25 in	91 CFM/W
16	Artika	FAN-AUR-C2BL	Indoor	19 in	69.3 CFM/W
17	Artika	23FAN-DAR-W2BL	Indoor	19 in	69 CFM/W
18	Artika	FAN-SUR-SL	Indoor	19 in	60.1 CFM/W
19	Kichler Lighting	330150***	Indoor	34 in	47.4 CFM/W

CFM/W (cubic feet per minute of airflow, per watt of power) is ENERGY STAR's own certified efficiency figure. This list includes discontinued and not-yet-sold certified models, and some brands are white-label relabels of the same unit.