Bathrooms are the most humid places in the entire house and without a good bathroom exhaust fan, there are high chances of mold and other fungus growth.
Not only that, damp and moist bathrooms often are ground zero for many dangerous and easily contaminable diseases. Thus it is really important to drive out odours and moisture out of the small room as soon as possible. An exhaust fan is specifically designed to do just that.
An exhaust fan works on the principle of suction. Opposite of any normal fan, these fans are pointed to outside of the room and when turned on, they rotate anti-clockwise. Thus they suck the odours and damp air from inside, push it outside while pulling in fresh air from outside to inside.
Choosing the best bathroom exhaust fan is a difficult job. On one hand, you need a fast fan to push out as much air as possible as fast as possible but these are way too noisy. But if you pick a silent operating fan, they may not be able to function in a better way. This article will help you make an informed choice on which one to pick.
After a detailed 48 hour research, our team has picked, reviewed and ranked the best available exhaust fans suitable for bathrooms in India. Also, we have included a “buying guide” at the end of the article that will help you understand our research and help you pick a better fan.
Best Bathroom Exhaust Fans in India
| Best Bathroom Exhaust Fans | No' of Blades | Warranty | Speed | Sweep | Power | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luminous Exhaust Fan Vento Deluxe | 5 | 2 Years | 1350 RPM | 200 | 35 watts | Check the Price |
| Havells Ventilair Exhaust Fan | 3 | 2 Years | 1350 RPM | 300 mm | 40 watts | Check the Price |
| Usha Crisp Air Exhaust Fan | 5 | 1 year | 1250 RPM | 200,150 and 250 mm variants | 40watts | Check the Price |
| Orpat Ventilation Fan 6 Inch | 6 | 1 year | 1800 RPM | 150 mm | 20 watts | Check the Price |
| Bajaj Maxima Exhaust Fan | 5 | 1 year | 1000 RPM | 300, 200 and 150 mm | 55 watts | Check the Price |
| MAA-KU Exhaust Rotary Fan | 5 | 1 year | 2600 RPM | NA | 22 watts | Check the Price |
Top 6 Exhaust fans in India – Reviews 2019
1. Luminous Exhaust Fan Vento Deluxe 200 mm
Topping our list is the Luminous exhaust fan vento. This deluxe fan is made out of plastic and has a 200mm sweep capacity.
Bright white in colour, the dimensions for this fan are about 33 cm X 14.5 cm X 32 cm and thus it is ideal for a 10 inch *10 inch wall window space, this exhaust fan is not just a staple for bathrooms but is a perfect fit for kitchens too.
Made entirely out of plastic, do not let the quality fool you, it is as sturdy as it can get. Easy to get mounted on the wall, its ability to handle the odours of the bathroom and the smoke, grease and lint from the kitchen are equal.
Apart from offering good ventilation, the fan is energy efficient too as it operates at a wattage of 35 watts. It offers a smooth winding and noiseless operation.
But the only problem with this fan is the speed of operation. Comparatively, it seems to be a little lagged behind in this area but at the same time, it seems to compensate this by high suction power.
The Luminous Exhaust Fan Vento Deluxe comes with a 2 year manufacturer’s warranty for any product malfunctions during the tenure of the warranty.
Things we liked about the fan:
- White colour
- Simple design
- 33 cm X 14.5 cm X 32 cm are perfect for a maximum of 10 inch X 10 inch wall
- 35 watts wattage used
- Durable plastic
- 2 Years manufacturer’s warranty
Things we didn’t like about it:
- Speed concerns
2. Havells Ventilair DSP 230mm Exhaust Fan
The next product on our list comes from Havells, a trusted brand for home and kitchen appliances in India. The Havells Ventilair DSP is a metal Exhaust Fan with a 230mm sweep.
It features high-quality metal blades and body that offers amazing performance. The three sharp blades, just like others help in uniform distribution of the air in all directions.
With a air sweeping size of 230 mm, it helps in better air delivery. The energy consumption of this device is about 400 watts of electricity which is probably a concern if you are on a shoestring electricity budget..
Though the working speed of the fan is 1350 rpm, it is incredibly noiseless in operation and provides optimum airflow for sucking out air from inside.
Also, it is fast in pushing it outside too thanks to its 700 cubic meters per minute suction power
Weighing around 2.77 kgs this fan is easy to install. If you want an exhaust fan from a reputed brand with advanced features like high-performance motor, jerk-free oscillation, and superior low voltage you can consider this one Havells Ventilair 130mm Roof Mounting Exhaust Fan (White), which is available at a slightly higher price.
The only drawback we find with this product is that it is too slow for an exhaust fan.
Overall we are satisfied with the performance of the product, it features three blades, noiseless, working speed of 1350 rpm.
Things we liked about the exhaust fan:
- High quality three sharp blades
- Sweeping size of 230 mm
- Noiseless technology
- Working speed of 1350 rpm
- Air delivery speed of 700 cubic meters per minute
Things we didn’t like about it:
- Low speed
3.Usha Crisp Air 200mm Exhaust Fan
Usha is a well known brand in Indian households for a long time now. The Crisp Air exhaust fan comes in with the same trust and quality that Usha has been bringing to the Indian Middle class since ages.
One of the best fan available in India at an affordable price and probably the only fan in the list that features automatic shutter. Also,it is one of the few fans on the list that comes with rust proof feature and has a stylish and sleek design.
First let us talk about the automatic shutter featured in this which opens the rear shutters of the fan automatically, due to airflow whenever the fan is switched on. Even though the fan is made out of metal, the blades and the body is coated with anti-rust powder painting which aids in the prevention of the formation of any kind of rust on it.
With a sweeping size of about 200 mm and a motor speed of 1300 rpm, the fan aids in better air delivery and suction thus providing better exhaust.
Light in weight and noiseless in operation, the fan is also energy efficient with a meagre consumption of only 40 watts thus having very low impact on your electricity bill.
The Usha crisp is not just available in the 200 mm variant but also available in 150 mm variant and a standard 250 mm variant.
Apart from the poor quality of plastic, the Usha crisp performs well and is an incredible addition to your bathroom as an exhaust fan. Furthermore, it comes with a warranty of one year from the manufacturer like others
Things we liked about the fan:
- Sweeping size of 200 mm
- Automatic shutter
- Rust Proof body
- Lightweight
- Noiseless.
- 1 Year manufacturer’s warranty
Things we didn’t like about it:
- Poor quality plastic.
4. Orpat Ventilation Fan 6 Inch
The Orpat Ventilation fan is a simple 6 X 6 inch fan which has a very minimal energy consumption plastic bladed axial fan.
With a total air sweep of 150 mm, the Orpat fan has a stylish design, a plastic netted cage like covering and a blade with a neat and unique design. The small blades help in sharper cutting of air and thus facilitate in higher air flow.
Also, the fan has an inner fuse protection. This protection will make sure that in the events of high electricity of voltage surges, the fan does not get damaged due to it.
The motor of this ventilation fan claims of noiselessness but has a certain decibel noise which, in a wider opinion, can be learned to ignore.
Apart from that, the low air suction power of this fan is also a concern which one needs to look after. Having said that, it should be pointed out that this is one of the most affordable fan in the entire list. If your bathroom is a small one, where you are just a family of 2 or 3, then this is a perfect purchase.
The Oprat ventilation fan comes with a manufacturer’s warranty of 1 year for any defects or malfunctions during the tenure of the warranty.
Things we liked about the fan:
- Unique blade cut axial fan
- Durable plastic body with a neat netted plastic cage closing
- Inner fuse protection against any sudden voltage surges
- 6 inch size
- 150 mm sweep
- 1 year manufacturer’s warranty
Things we didn’t like about it:
- Low suction power
- Has noise issue
5. Bajaj Maxima 300mm Exhaust Fan
Bajaj needs no introduction in India. A trusted brand of home appliances in India, Bajaj’s Maxima is a 300 mm sweep exhaust fan from its maxima ventilation fan collection.
Built out of special high grade plastic, this fan promises a longer life than most of the fans in this list.
As mentioned, it has a sweeping size of 300 mm and 5 blades all of which promises to provide better air delivery and clear out the dampness of the bathroom.
To aid this sweep, the fan has a motor that runs at a speed of 1000 rpm at a meagre power consumption of 55 watts. But for larger bathrooms, this fan speed may not be an ideal fit which is kind of a minor let down of the fan.
Apart from the 300 sweep version, Bajaj’s maxima also has 150 and 200 mm sweep variants priced differently but function totally at the same level as the 300 mm quality.
Bajaj provides you with a 2 year manufacturer’s warranty for any product manufacturing defects or malfunctioning during the tenure of the warranty.
Things we liked about the fan:
- Warranty of two years
- Sweeping size of 300
- Special grade plastic
- Five numbers of blades
- 55 watts power
Things we didn’t like about it:
- Low motor speed.
6. MAA-KU AC Axial Cooling Blower Exhaust Rotary Fan
MAA-KU is a relatively new entrant into the market but their AC-Axial Cooling blower exhaust fan is a great addition to a healthy and hygienic bathroom.
Though specifically designed for usage in a thermal cooling rooms, this fan is a perfect fit for normal bathroom of kitchen usage too. Thus it is a multipurpose fan. Room size has to be about 5X3X6 feet.
While the outer body and the fan is out of high quality aluminium die cast, the fan has a powerful motor, the blades are made out of durable plastic.
The fan is light in weight but needs an extra casing protection if you are fixing it for a long time. This will help prevent any damage to the blades (though the body is made out of iron, there is a very little chance of rusting)
Coming to the operation of the product, it is very smooth and provides very good suction. Also at the same time has a very and almost negligible noise of just 40dB.
But, owing to the very small size of the fan, you cannot use it for larger bathrooms. Ideal only for smaller bathrooms. The product comes with a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty for any manufacturing malfunctions during the tenure of the warranty.
Things we liked about the fan:
- Durable aluminium die cast body
- Durable plastic blades
- Noiseless operation at just 40 dB sounds
- 1 year manufacturing warranty
Things we didn’t like about it:
- Too small size.
Buying Guide: How to pick the best bathroom exhaust fan in India:
As we mentioned earlier, choosing a correct bathroom exhaust fan might be tricky. But once it is fit, you do not need to worry about it for over many years to come for. Today, in this guide, we will be talking about the various important factors one needs to consider while picking an exhaust fan.
1. Types of Exhaust fans
Exhaust fans are primarily of only two types.
a) Kitchen Exhaust Fans: These fans are primarily used in kitchens to drive out smoke and other minute particles of air. Not so ideal to drive out damp airs.
b) Bathroom exhaust fans: As the name suggests, these exhaust fans are specifically designed to push out damp air and moisture from insides of bathroom to the outside.
Make sure that you are covering all of the following important factors before you make a choice of buying a bathroom exhaust fan.
2. Size of the fan.
This is without saying the first and the foremost important factor one needs to look for before picking a fan.
You cannot randomly walk into a store and expect a single size of fan to fit the bathrooms window. Most people think that a big window with a small fan will help push more air outside but this will just led to random and unfiltered air to enter your bathroom and increase the overall moisture levels of the room.
Larger windows need bigger fans whereas smaller windows need smaller fans and all of these measurements are taken in the form of “cubic feet per metre” or CFM. The CFM value decides how much ventilated fan you need for your bathroom.
For this, first you need to calculate the square size of your bathroom by foot. This is nothing but the product of the width of the wall to the height of the room. For instance, if the bathroom is 5 feet wide and 7 feet tall, then the room is 35 square foot (which is not that big).
It is a good idea to get a fan that is slightly bigger than the size of the exhaust fan wall. A standard size is about 60 CFM while the minimum available size begins with 50 CFM.
If your bathroom has a jetted tub or any other dual room or shower cabins or anythings as such, then it is suggested that you get more than one fan. A single fan may not be that helpful.
The following chart will guide you in picking the right size fan for your bathroom wall.
| Size of the bathroom | Required Ventilation in order of CFM |
| < 50 sq. ft | 50 CFM |
| 50-100 sq. feet | 1 CFM per square ft |
| >100 sq. ft | Different fixture have different sizing measurements
For Toilet-50 CFM For Shower-50 CFM For Bathtub-50 CFM |
3. Noise factor:
This may seem like a laughable factor but cheap and ill quality bathroom exhaust fans are often very noisy and messy. But until you have installed a fan in your bathroom, you never can experience if the noise emitted by the fan is bearable or just too much to bear.
In order to get an idea of how noisy these fans can be, there is a unit of measurement called Sones.
The sones value of an individual fan gives you an idea whether the fan is noisy or has bearable sound emission. It is not just for fans but also gives you an idea of how electrical or other items work.
For instance, when you switch on and use a Television, the typical sound is about 4 sones, a fridge has a sound of 1 sone and the sound generated by rustling leaves on a tree are just about 0.5 sones. An ideal bathroom fan should have a sone value of 1 or 2. Higher means noisy. There are even models with sone levels as low as 0.3 too. It is all about how better of a research you do before picking the right product.
4. Efficiency
The next important factor one has to look for is the efficiency of the fan. While these fans may seem like small pieces of equipment, you need to consider the fact that, if picked wrong, they may end up consuming a lot of power.
Silent fans are silent in operation and do not consume a lot of power too. But this doesn’t mean that loud fans consume a lot of power. The efficiency of the fan is dependent on its star rating.
Before you buy a product off a shelf, be sure to check its star rating as this will give you an insight of how energy efficient the product is.
Big brands often make sure that the fans produced by them are energy efficient. Fans approved by Energy Star are known to have over 75% energy efficiency which is a splendid percentage.
5. Blade Material
This may be an important factor for kitchen exhaust fans, but it has not that big of an impact when it comes to bathroom exhaust fans.
In the case of kitchen exhaust fans, the build material may lead to backdrafting but when it comes to bathrooms, formation of cloth lint or any other combustibles on the surface of the fan blades is not possible.
Even though, the blade material can be considered to compare and contrast the overall build quality of the fan.
Metal blades are durable where as plastic blades are not that durable but are a very economic and pocket friendly option.
6. Pricing
Not a very important factor to look out for but is important if you are on a shoestring budget but want a quality product.
Bathroom exhaust fans in general are not a costly affair. They typically are between the price range of about 800 to 2000. Higher price promises better quality and vice versa.
7. Warranty:
Typically, an exhaust fan promises about 1 or 2 years of manufacturer’s warranty. This means that whenever there is an internal malfunction or if the product is broken upon delivery, one can claim the warranty.
While many a companies have dedicated cards for warranty, often, your bill acts as the warranty proof. If the fan breaks up due to external pressure or due to falling down or due to usage by negligence, no claims of warranty are entertained by the fan company nor the seller.
How to install a bathroom exhaust fan
Installation of a bathroom exhaust fan is similar to that of any exhaust fan. Follow the given steps to successfully install a bathroom exhaust fan.
- First find and fix the place where you want to install the exhaust fan.
- Most of all modern and even retro bathrooms come with a place above the window where you can fix and install an exhaust fan.
- Now open the screws and install the fan as per the instructions give on the fan.
- Different fans have different screw settings and fittings.
- After the fan is fixed, make sure you are adding insulation and covering up the leftover gaps between the window and the fan frame.
- When you are done with fixing the fan on the window, now you have to set up the wiring of the fan.
- Add the wiring of the fan to the circuit board of the bathroom
- If the fan comes with an outer cover case, fix it, else, there are outer case covers for exhaust fans that are available online too. Buy one and fix it for extra precautionary measure.
While that was the procedure for a normal exhaust fan, if you are installing a duct based bathroom exhaust fan, the installation procedure is a bit different.
- Find a certifiable and close to the outside part of the roof in the bathroom.
- Cut a hole and look for an outside way for the duct to go.
- Never prepare a duct that goes into the attic as all of the moist and humid air will end up circulated into the very same room.
- Place the duct and direct the ending of the duct to the outside of the room.
- Fix the fan to the ceiling of the bathroom roof as mentioned in the steps above.
- Set up the wiring and you are good to go.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is CFM?
Cfm means cubic feet per minute, it is defined as the amount of air volume moved by the fan. Opt for a fan with minimum cfm of 50. Most of the fans come with cfm of 50-100. A fan with cfm of 50 is suitable for small sized rooms.
2. What is sone and how it is measured?
Sone is the measurement of noise emitted by a fan, it is better to go for the fans with sones of 2 or below. Higher sones indicate more noise.
3. What is the sweeping size of a fan?
It is the total diameter of fan blade, however large diameter cannot give you better air delivery.
4. What are timer features in the fans?
Timers of the fans are used to shut off the fans at a fixed time. Not important but always comes in handy.
While typical exhaust fans may not have an exhaust fans, if you are in the need of an exhaust fan that works in a crowded place such as for your restaurant or your workplace, consider this as an option.
5. Which type of duct is best, flexible or rigid?
It is advisable to use rigid duct whenever possible. Its resistance to air flow is less and allows the fan to operate with better efficiency.
6. How long should you run your bathroom exhaust fan?
After using the bathroom for a shower or for any other usage, the recommended time for the running of the exhaust fan is about 20 minutes to clear out, expel and eradicate all odours formed in it.
7. Can I leave the bathroom fan running all night?
As mentioned earlier, 20 minutes is the maximum and the required amount of time for an exhaust fan. Leaving the fan powered on all night would lead the ball bearings present in the fan to be at fault and this would in turn damage the fan as a whole.
Also, there is a high and sure probability of your electricity bill spiking up to a big number.
Conclusion:
With a simple design, durable build quality, low power consumption, a great performance and a 2 year manufacturer’s warranty, the Luminous Exhaust Fan Vento Deluxe 200 mm steals our list of the top and best bathroom exhaust fans available in India.
While that was our list, we are equally interested in hearing your opinions and suggestions. Did we miss out on anything? Do you have any questions related to bathroom exhaust fans? If so, please write to us in the comment section below and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
