Finding the Best Fandelier: Our Research

What exactly is a fandelier?

Yes, this word is a mash-up of fan and chandelier, although some fandeliers don’t look like chandeliers. 

Fandeliers have a fan installed, sometimes in a stealth way (the blades retract so it looks like a light fixture when the fan is not in use). Other fandeliers take a more steampunk approach, with an antique look of fans that rotate around a light fixture.

We interviewed three lighting experts with a combined 33 years of experience in interior design to get their insights and picks for fandeliers. Here are four pieces of advice we learned during these conversations:

  1. Consider the space you want to cool. If the fandelier is to be installed in a room with high ceilings, consider a fandelier that has a drop rod to hang lower. Conversely, if the ceilings are low, consider a flush mounted or low-profile fandelier.
  2. How big is the room? Some fandeliers have small fan blades and won’t be appropriate to cool a larger room.
  3. Consider the noise level. Most fandeliers are far from silent and that might be an issue if installed in a bedroom.
  4. What other features would you like? Most fandeliers have remote controls, but also consider whether you want the blades to retract to provide a more seamless look.

    After researching a dozen models, we found these these models to be best bets for quality and ease of use.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!