Also known as bathroom exhaust fans, bathroom fans play an essential role in our bathroom by expelling odors and maintaining adequate moisture levels in the bathroom. Without proper ventilation or exhaust fan, your bathroom is exposed to long-term damage to ceiling, walls, trim, and flooring from mildew, mold, and rot.
But choosing a quiet bathroom fan with light often presents a paradox: you want something that’s both powerful and not so loud. On the other hand, if you bring the noise levels to near 0 decibels, will the fan be effective? Well, it’s important to understand that noise isn’t directly proportional to efficiency. The ideal bathroom fan is both efficient and quiet. In this article, I will be looking at some of the quietest bathroom exhaust fans that strike a right balance between efficiency, noise rating, capacity, and cost.
Silent Bath Fan Comparison Chart
| Image | Name | Air Capacity (CFM) | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Broan-NuTone 678 Ventilation Fan and Light Combination | 50 | See Price on Amazon |
  | Win Air Ultra Quiet Ventilation Fan Bathroom Exhaust Fan | 70 | See Price on Amazon |
  | KAZE APPLIANCE SE110L2 Ultra Quiet Bathroom Exhaust Fan with LED Light | 110 | See Price on Amazon |
  | Panasonic FV-11VHL2 Ceiling Mounted Bath Fan | 110 | See Price on Amazon |
  | Air King BFQ 140 High Performance Bath Fan | 120 | See Price on Amazon |
  | Delta Products Corporation GBR80HLED | 80 | See Price on Amazon |
  | Tatsumaki LD-120 Electric Bathroom Fan | 120 | See Price on Amazon |
Best Quiet Bathroom fan with Light
1. Broan-NuTone 678 Ventilation Fan and Light Combination
The first in my list of noiseless bathroom fans is Broan-NuTone. It’s a popular choice among homeowners and one of the cheapest (under $50) and reliable ventilation fan with light.
The fan and light combination helps in reducing odors, moisture, and mildew while at the same time providing enough power to light up rooms up to 45 square feet. It comes with a 100 watt light capacity (bulb sold separately) with shatter-resistant light lens for long-lasting use. The while polymeric grille complements any room décor hence contributing to the aesthetic appeal of your home.
It’s UL listed for use over showers and bathtubs when the fan is connected to a GFCI protected branch circuit. A one year warranty backs the Broan Ventilation Fan.
2. Win Air Ultra Quiet Ventilation Bathroom Exhaust Fan
If you’ve been looking for a quiet, affordable and yet reliable bathroom fan, then look no further- as Win Air does provide all that. It gives powerful air movement at 110 CFM quietly, and it boasts a styled white polymeric grille to complement any bathroom décor. It is designed to comply with Energy Star requirements. In addition the fan requires a ceiling opening of 10.5″x10.8, Duct Size: 6″ and.”Height: 8″.
The best part is that if you don’t prefer ceiling mounting, the fan can be wall-mounted. The downside is that the fan doesn’t have a damper.
3. KAZE APPLIANCE Ultra Quiet Bathroom Exhaust Fan with LED Light
The KAZE APPLIANCE fan is perfect for bathrooms up to 150 square feet size. The product measures 11 3/8″ x 10 1/2″ therefore you might need to do some readjustment to the existing ceiling if your current fan is smaller in size. This unit will not only ventilate your room but will also provide overhead LED lighting without making noise.
The fan is manufactured using high-quality materials and is permanently lubricated- so you won’t need to maintain the motor once you’ve installed the unit. In addition, the fan housing is designed using 26 GA galvanized steel that’s painted to prevent it from rusting and the condenser motor is designed to operate at very low temperatures hence guaranteeing longer life of the motor and the bearings.
4. Panasonic FV-11VHL2 Ceiling Mounted Fan
Made in here in the USA, the Panasonic FV-11VHL2 is a fan designed to continuous trouble-free operations for years thanks to its high quality and durable components and a permanently lubricated motor. Unlike the WinAir bathroom fan above, this unit is equipped with a built-in damper that prevents backdraft hence preventing outside air from coming through the fan.
Panasonic ventilation fans have been trusted to deliver the best power rating to get rid of air impurities while at the same time operating at whisper-quiet noise levels. The unit has separate controls for heater, vent, light and night light. In addition it’s equipped with two fans, one for exhausting air from the bathroom and out of your house through ducting. The other connects to the heater and blows hot air into the restroom, and each fan is controlled separately.
5. Air King BFQ 140 High-Performance Bath Fan
The Air-King BFQ is a quiet bath fan that guarantees high-performance ventilation at an affordable price. It features a state of the art Snap-In installation system whereby the provided screws or nails to the ceiling joist hence allowing the fan housing to snap-in.
What makes this unit unique from other bathroom exhaust fans is the UL listed molded durable plastic housing that’s multi-beneficial. Traditional bathroom fan housings are made using welded steel. With time the welds can break resulting in the fan to operate louder and at times with rattling noise. In addition metal housing reverberates and echo noise. With Air King Bath fan, you’ll be safe from these downsides because the fan boasts a plastic housing. Plastic is a natural sound-absorbing material. The backdraft damper that comes with this unit ensures not only quiet operation but also prevents outside air from entering the room.
6. Delta GBR80HLED Bath Fan with Humidity sensor
The Delta bathroom exhaust fan guarantees superb ventilation, quiet operation, and exceptionally low power consumption. The good part with this unit besides quiet operation and efficiency is the bright light to light up a room. According to the manufacturer, the Delta operates at 0.8 sones which is equivalent to 22.4 decibels according to the conversion chart.
You can use it over a shower as long as it’s installed on a GFCI protected circuit. However, this unit cannot be placed on time. In addition it comes with one switch which operates the light and the fan together. However if you wish to have fan and light-independent, you’ll need multiple wires and switches – sold separately.
7. Tatsumaki LD-120 Electric Bathroom Fan
Equipped with a 1007 RPM fan, the Tatsumaki bathroom fan operates quietly without disturbing other people in the house. This exhaust fan is near silent making it perfect for shared housing. It’s equipped with a 120 CFM ventilator which provides powerful suction to remove mildew, odors and smells from rooms measuring up to 120 square feet. In addition, it’s equipped with a 6w LED light panel to provide room illumination.
Quiet Bathroom Fan with Light Buying Guide: What to Consider
If you genuinely want the best quiet bathroom exhaust fan, there are features that you should put into consideration to ensure that what’s delivered to you is exactly what you wanted and ordered. These factors include:
Sones levels
Sones are the industry-accepted units of evaluating noise levels for bathroom fans. They are based on the psychological perception of sound intensity. The quietest bathroom fans have sones rating less than one while the loudest economy models are rated 4.0 or more. All bath exhaust fans in my review all have sones levels below 1.0.
Air movement
The power of a bathroom fan is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). It’s the volume of air the fan can suck out of the bathroom per minute.
A rule of thumb, a bathroom exhaust fan should have a minimum of 50 CFM. But to take full advantage of your fan’s CFM capability, it’s recommended to supply sufficient intake. This can be achieved by leaving the bathroom door slightly open when the fan is running. Bathroom fans don’t just expel bad air; they create air exchange by sucking fresh air in at the same time. So if you starve the fan, it won’t get the job done effectively.
The cost factor
The last factor to consider when buying a quiet bathroom with light is its cost. An ultra-quiet bath fan may not be worth buying if it’s beyond your budget. It’s also important to note that a cheap model might be noisy that it rarely gets used. The most affordable and yet quiet bathroom fan in my review is the Broan-NuTone- you’ll get a quiet operation for less than $40.
Final thoughts on quiet bathroom fan with light
A sturdy, reliable, and quiet bathroom exhaust fan is an important tool in your bathroom. As you can see, irrespective of your budget, there’s a quiet unit out there that’ll meet your needs. You can read more about quiet products here