A bathroom exhaust fan plays an important function in helping prevent the build up of moisture and humidity which can lead to mold growth. They also help prevent odors by removing stale air and overall make showering more pleasant. They remove vapor from your walls and mirrors, keeping them and everything in the bathroom in good conditions.
A bathroom exhaust fan with a light and heater will warm up and light up the bathroom while giving you fresh, well-ventilated air to breathe while you shower in peace. Here are eight of the best bathroom exhaust fans with light and heaters, so you can find the perfect one for your bathroom.
Top 9 Bathroom Exhaust Fans with Light and Heater Combo
Broan Nu-Tone Directionally-Adjustable Bathroom Heater
There are several different Broan-Nutone models on this list. That should come as no surprise considering how this company is one of the leaders when it comes to making bathroom ventilation fans. This Broan Nu-Tone Directionally-Adjustable exhaust fan with heater model sets itself apart from the others by allowing you to adjust the direction of the fan itself. The fan comes with an integrated heater and an incandescent light that'll brighten up your bathroom as well.
The most crucial feature of this bathroom exhaust fan model is the adjustable heat outlet. With that, you can point the heat precisely to where it needs to be in your bathroom. For example, you could point it right at your toilet seat, or even at the entrance to your shower; wherever you prefer.
The heater itself is quite powerful, with a 1500watt heater that won't take long to make your bathroom pleasant and toasty. The combination of heat and steam from your morning showers could be unpleasant sometimes. That won't be the case with this unit thanks to its 2.0-Sone (a measurement of its loudness), 100 CFM rating bathroom ventilation fan.
True to Broan-NuTone's company values, this model will ensure that the air inside the bathroom is just as fresh as the air outside. The unit also brightens up your bathroom with its bright, 100-watt incandescent lighting. It also does a great job at being energy efficient with all it's power.
Broan-NuTone Ceiling Heater, Fan, and Light Combo
Another great unit from the Broan-Nutone lineup, the QTXN110HL model is an impressive bathroom exhaust fan and heater combo.
The most notable feature of this model is that it's much quieter than the other ones on this list. This exhaust fan operates at only 0.9 sones which is whisper quiet when you compare it to some other brands sones rating. A quiet exhaust fan means that you won't wake up the rest of the house whenever you switch it o, plus, your own experience in the bathroom will be a much more relaxing one.
The unit carries a 1500watt heater that you can either use with the ventilation fan or entirely independently. That's another element of control you have with this unit: you can enable each function separately.
Ventilation is critical to remove the humidity in the bathroom and provide it with fresh air, which is essential in preventing a sweaty toilet. Luckily, this is something that this unit does exceptionally well. The fan can handle as much as 110 CFM (or cubic feet per minute), so you won't have to wait at all for the humid warm air and fog to clear out. Buying it is one easy way to improve the air quality in your bathroom.
This unit is simple enough for any DIY type of homeowner to install themselves. Plus, you have the option of purchasing multi-function wall switches built specifically for use with this NuTone model.
Delta BreezRadiance Exhaust Bath Fan
The Delta Products Corporation also earns a spot on this list with its BreezRadiance 80 CFM exhaust fan that comes with a light and heater combo. This unit is part of Delta's Breez Ventilation System lineup, which includes a series of different models that'll suit your needs. Here, though, we're looking at the RAD80L model in particular.
If you're looking for an energy-saving unit that's Energy Star rated for your bathroom with lots of safety features, this is the one you'll want to buy. Delta built two things into this exhaust fan with heater features that you'll appreciate. First, using DC motor technology, and second, a built-in thermostat that keeps temperatures consistent. Together, these two features will contribute to significant energy-savings that'll reduce your power bills each month.
The heating module is quite powerful at 1300 watts, so you'll get the warmth that you're expecting. But more importantly, there are several safety features included in the design as well. The heater module has a thermal cut off and thermostat. If it ever gets too hot for whatever reason, the unit will shut itself off, reducing any dangers of overheating. It also has a metal guard to make sure that you'll never touch the heating wire by accident when fixing or handling the unit.
In terms of lighting, Delta included a 26-watt CFL lamp which will keep your entire bathroom area well-lit. The exhaust fan in this unit can handle 80 CFM of airflow. That’s not the highest on this list, but it's still pretty good, and it will keep your bathroom well-ventilated.
Broan-Nutone Heater, Fan, and Light Combo
This Broan-Nutone mode is the QT9093WH, and it's perfect if you're looking for a bathroom exhaust fan with good air flow capacity that is still a combo unit.
Unlike the other units, the grill-side facing the bathroom is round and much smaller, giving it a more discreet profile overall. It consists of a grille 8 inches in diameter and a glass lens (for the light) that extends only 3 inches from the ceiling. Honestly, at first sight, you or even your houseguests might not even realize that this is a powerful exhaust fan/heater/light combo, just by its small size. Don't let it fool you, it still works great for medium sized bathrooms and large ones.
It's not just a heater, fan, and light combo. This bathroom vent fan also serves as a nightlight. It consists of a 7-watt bulb, which creates just a soft glow. So, if you're the type that sleeps with the bathroom light on, this one works great for that function.
True to the Broan-Nutone name, this one has a powerful heating elements at 1500-watts and a ventilation fan with 110 CFM. Both of those numbers are pretty high when you compare them with the rest of the units on this list. Those two features complement each other well. The more heat generated inside the bathroom, the more steam and humidity will come of it. So, there needs to be an equally-powerful ventilation fan to keep the air clear.
For your convenience, the manufacturer also includes a four-function wall switch. That will add to your convenience as it lets you switch any of the four features on or off quickly.
Broan-NuTone 765H80LB
Another great Broan-NuTone bathroom exhaust fan, and just like the previous ones, this unit comes with a heater and light built into it.
The fan is quite impressive. It has an airflow capacity of 80 CFM to keep the air clean and crisp, no matter the humidity in the bathroom. Plus, the thing will run at only 2.0 sones so that you won't hear anything louder than a soft humming noise coming from it.
As expected, you'll get some quick and powerful heat coming out of this model. Broan-NuTone includes a 1300-watt heating element capable of delivering fast heat from the moment you switch it on. So, you won't have to wait around for the air to heat up before using your bathroom. You can quite literally jump right in, first thing in the morning.
Here's where it gets interesting. The lighting for this model has a bit of flexibility. You can choose to use either incandescent light or LED lighting instead. As you might already know, LED lighting is another excellent way to reduce your energy usage, so that'll contribute to lowering your power bill at the end of the month.
There are some safety features to take note of with this model. Most important among them is thermal protection. Should the unit overheat for whatever reason, it'll automatically reset itself to keep you out of danger. That will lower any risk of the unit damaging itself, burning up, or causing a fire in your home.
Aero Pure Quiet Bathroom Fan
Aero Pure A515A W model is another fan, heat, and light combo that doesn't take up much space, and it's efficient at all its three functions. This quiet bathroom exhaust fan can handle an air volume of 80 CFM, which means that it stands shoulder to shoulder with most of the other models reviewed on this list. You can rest assured that humidity will not be a problem in your bathroom with that much airflow capacity. Plus, it'll remove any odors or smells from your bathroom very efficiently.
Aside from that, the heating elements this model uses is also fascinating. Instead of an internal one like other models, this one utilizes two anti-blast heat lamps, each offering 270W of heating. If those two aren't enough, you could also opt for a four heat lamp version of this model.
Aside from that, there's also a third lamp, though this one isn't for heating. It's the 60W incandescent bulb that provides lighting to keep the inside of your entire bathroom area bright.
It offers a quiet operation as the steel housing that you mount this unit in also comes with a vibration-reducing feature. Features like these make it one of the quietest bathroom exhaust fans and also causes less movement on your bathroom walls.
Aero Pure also offers another bit of flexibility that you might enjoy. You can wire all of the three functions — heating, lighting, and ventilation separately. That means you can have one switch that turns all of them on together, or you could split it out into several controls however you like.
Broan-Nutone Ultra Silent Series
The Broan-Nutone QTX110HL model has everything you're looking for in a good bathroom exhaust fan — ventilation, heating, and lighting. This exhaust fan is what you want if you're looking for spot heating rather than heating the entire bathroom. It'll deliver a relatively-targeted supply of heat thanks to its 1500-watt heating element, and it'll do so quietly.
The whole model operates at only 0.9 sone, probably the lowest level of sound on any model. It has the best sones rating than the other units you've on this list. You'll probably never experience a fogged mirror in your bathroom again once you purchase this bathroom exhaust fan. That's because the model has an airflow capacity of 110 CFM, which will quickly reduce the bathroom’s humidity and keep the air clear improving the air quality. That's one excellent CFM rating.This model is so powerful that it'll keep the air clear in bathrooms of up to 100 square feet in size!
The lighting it provides is also pretty bright. Inside, it holds two 60-watt incandescent bulbs to brighten up your bathroom while you're using it. The most impressive feature is probably under-the-hood, where you won't see it. Broan-NuTone did an excellent job engineering the motor used inside, which stays permanently lubricated so that you can use the model continuously with no worries at all. You'll never have to do any maintenance on the motor, and it'll continue operating efficiently no matter what.
So, not only do you get a well-heated bathroom with this model, but you'll also have well-ventilated air and excellent lighting as well.
Air King Combination Ceramic Heater
With this AK55L model, we have a combination exhaust fan, bathroom heater, and light by Air King. Unlike the other combo units on this list, this one uses ceramic as its primary material. It's a relatively smaller unit, but don't let its dimensions fool you. It'll deliver 1,350 watts of heat generated by its ceramic heating element.
It then distributes this throughout the bathroom using its heater blower wheel that the unit balances electronically to keep the bathroom warm. In addition to that, it also has another blower that serves the ventilation function, keeping the air moving efficiently.
This exhaust fan and bathroom heater can light up your bathroom by housing a 100-watt standard lightbulb. This model houses the lightbulb under a moonstone glass lens that the manufacturer says will not discolor over time. The Air King AK55L model is energy star rated, which is noticed by how energy efficient it is.
Tech Drive Bathroom Fan With LED Light
The Tech Drive Bathroom fan is easily one of the best bathroom exhaust fans. It doesn't have a heater and just comes with an LED light making it a light combo unit. However, it works great for any bathroom size and is well equipped to provide the proper ventilation in your bathroom. Whether you want it to circulate the air in larger bathrooms or smaller bathrooms, this combo unit efficiently does it with its technology that's been UL and HVI certified.
It has a silent operation with its 2.0 sones noise level. Despite this level, it has a powerful fan that provides sufficient air movement around the bathroom. The exhaust fan offers easy installation and the LED light can cover your entire bathroom area. Do keep in mind that it requires ceiling installation, but that should't be a problem with its helpful design. So if you need to replace a light fixture you can conveniently replace it with this option without the need to install a separate dedicated electrical circuit.
Bathroom Exhaust Fan Buying Guide
Before you decide on which brand and model you’d like to purchase, it’s essential that you go back to basics to understand exhaust fans with heaters.
As the name suggests, the primary function of a bathroom fan is to remove the bathroom’s warm air and channel it outside your home. That will ensure that the air in your bathroom remains fresh at all times. Plus, it also helps remove the excess humidity you create whenever you take a hot shower, especially if your using a shower head with a lot of pressure.
Bathroom exhaust fans come with loads of benefits. As mentioned previously, the main benefit they provide your bathroom is well-ventilated air and controlled humidity, especially if you use a lot of water when you shower.
Bathroom exhaust fans these days often come paired with heating elements and lights. That way, they offer you two extra benefits — additional lighting and spot heating for your bathroom. This reduces the need for central heating, which helps you save on your monthly power bill.
There are a few essential factors to consider when choosing the right bathroom exhaust fan for you. Here are a few:
Sound - One of the first things you should consider before buying a bathroom exhaust fan is the amount of sound or fan noise it generates. When it comes to these types of appliances, manufacturers usually measure the noise in terms of sones. The lower the sone, the less noise the unit will generate. With a quieter model, your showers will be more pleasant, and you won’t risk waking up the other occupants of your home with an exhaust fan that has loud noise levels.
Airflow - Airflow is, of course, a crucial factor as well. After all, we’re talking about exhaust fans here. You’ll want an exhaust fan with higher airflow so that the air inside the bathroom is just as good as the air outside the home. Bathrooms are a breeding ground for mold due to humidity so exhaust fans with excellent airflow keep the humidity down, and also help remove any odors from the toilet. Some toilets also have their own system to get rid of odors.
Heating - These units will never replace your home’s central heating. Still, you want to make sure that the model you choose can provide enough heat for your bathroom. Naturally, the bigger your bathroom is, the more heat you’ll need.
Efficiency - Consider the energy efficiency of the bathroom fan you’re buying. You’ll want a unit that saves as much energy as possible. That way, you won’t increase your power bill by too much when you start using it. It’s also best to find a model that requires less maintenance. You don’t want to choose a bathroom fan that’ll need your attention too often.