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With the peak of the summer months approaching, your home can quickly become hot, stuffy, and uncomfortable. You might think buying a cheap ceiling fan to cool the room will solve the problem — because who doesn’t love solving problems and saving money all at once? However, it’s best to consider if cheap ceiling fans are truly worth the money before you add one to your cart.
Cheap ceiling fans save on costs upfront, but overall they’re not worth the money. That’s because they are made of low-quality materials that will quickly wear out, leading to necessary repairs during long-term use, hence more money spent in the long run.
Read on to learn more about cheap ceiling fans, why they aren’t ideal for long-term use, and why you should consider spending more on a quality ceiling fan.
| Image | Brand | Model | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Portage Bay | Hugger 52" | $ | Buy on Amazon |
  | Honeywell | Carmel 48" | $$ | Buy on Amazon |
  | Honeywell | Xerxes 62" | $$$ | Buy on Amazon |
  | Modern Forms | Vortex 60" | $$$$ | Buy on Amazon |
Contents
Why a Cheap Ceiling Fan Is Not Worth the Money
An inexpensive ceiling fan may be tempting to buy when you’re investigating possible options to purchase. Why spend more money than you have to? If they serve the same overall function, how much better can an expensive fan really be?
A low-priced ceiling fan may be a decent, quick fix for your stuffy room, but it won’t hold up over time, and you’ll be sacrificing a degree of quality for a cheaper product.
Below are the reasons that cheap ceiling fans are not a good investment:
Cheap Ceiling Fans Have Quick Wear and Tear
Like any product you utilize for a long time, the quality will deteriorate the more you use it. This is especially true for cheap ceiling fans. For the price to be lower, manufacturers will use more inferior quality materials to construct the fan. This means your ceiling fan won’t last as long as a higher-priced ceiling fan made of more durable and quality materials.
Lower quality materials mean that your ceiling fan will most likely contain blades made of medium-density fiberboard or pressboard. These materials aren’t durable, meaning they can easily become warped or bent. A warped or bent fan blade causes the entire fan and its mounting to become unbalanced, which will lead to wobbling or irritating humming noises.
Suggested: Can a ceiling fan fall?
They Have Low-Quality Mounts and Motors
Another factor to consider when buying an economy fan is the mount and motor the fan uses. Lower-priced fans have lower quality mounts, which depending on design and material, can mean that your fan moves less air. Moving less air means that your room will have a lower airflow, which will only add to any stuffiness or feeling of heat.
The most common mount used in an inexpensive ceiling fan is a design consisting of a singular ball and bracket, leading to disruptive noises caused by the unavoidable vibrations.
You want your ceiling fan to possess a top-notch motor for both lifespan and quality purposes. A higher-quality motor will last longer and provide stronger airflow, therefore keeping your room cooler than a lower-costing fan with a smaller motor.
Suggested: Can you replace a ceiling fan motor?
Cheap Ceiling Fans Aren’t Energy-Efficient
This is another factor you’ll want to consider when choosing between a more expensive fan or a cheaper one. Ceiling fans that are energy efficient are far more costly upfront but can save you money on the costs of heating and cooling your home in the long run.
Energy-efficient ceiling fans use enhanced designs to consume less electricity, and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
| Image | Brand | Model | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Bay | Hugger 52" | $ | Buy on Amazon |
| Honeywell | Carmel 48" | $$ | Buy on Amazon |
| Honeywell | Xerxes 62" | $$$ | Buy on Amazon |
| Modern Forms | Vortex 60" | $$$$ | Buy on Amazon |
What Makes a High-Quality Ceiling Fan
Several factors make a ceiling fan “better” than the rest. The fan’s power, type of blade, and energy efficiency are all components to consider.
First-class ceiling fans will have powerful motors that include noise-dampening features to minimize any sound it makes. The power, energy efficiency and durability of high quality fans are also generally much better.
Suggested: 8 Reasons your ceiling fan isn’t working and how to fix it
Another component that high-quality ceiling fans have is blades that are made from traditional hardwood. This means they’re far more durable and won’t become unbalanced, preventing your ceiling fan from vibrating, so it won’t have humming or shaking noises while spinning.
Finally, top-notch fans are often environmentally friendly. When shopping for a ceiling fan, look for an Energy Star label. These fans are proven and tested to use improved materials and meet strict performance criteria laid out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Choosing the right ceiling fan can save upwards of $20 a year on your electric bill.
How Much Should You Spend on Your Ceiling Fan?
As a starting point, spending anything less than $75 on a ceiling fan isn’t worth the money. Any ceiling fan for this low price is almost guaranteed to be poor quality, noisy, and won’t last long.
Ceiling fans between $100 and $150 can be worth it if you choose an appropriate model. Most of the time, these fans are the right choice if you plan on only running them occasionally, in a room where the temperature doesn’t need to be cooled drastically.
It’s also best to keep fans within this price point in a smaller room if you want them to have better cooling effects. Keep in mind that fans in this price range will usually not contain a light component or fixture.
It’s best to invest in a $150–$300 ceiling fan with a decent energy-efficient motor. If you spend more than $300 for a ceiling fan, that means you’re paying for a specialized ceiling fan. Specialized fans are luxurious, custom-modeled fans with unique blade designs and sizes.
Suggested: Ceiling fan price guide
Conclusion
It’s better to invest in a good quality ceiling fan. For a long-lasting and quiet ceiling fan made from high-quality materials, you should expect to spend between $150 and 300.
Buying a cheap ceiling fan isn’t worth the money. The overall cost may seem less upfront, but over time they’ll deteriorate, and you’ll end up spending more money than before.
