The Best Bathroom Extractor Fans For Humidity And Smells

The SIL100T is the fan we fitted most recently, and it's the one we'd put in most bathrooms with a standard 100 mm duct. It shifts more air than anything else here, so steam clears quickly, yet it's quiet enough that nobody minds it running on. Envirovent quotes 26 litres per second at 26.5 dB, and getting that much airflow from a 4-inch axial fan without the drone is what sets it apart.

Wiring it to the light was very easy on our job, and the overrun timer keeps it clearing steam after the light goes off. Behind the fascia it spins at 2,400 rpm, it's IP45 rated and carries the Quiet Mark, and Envirovent says it'll do a kitchen as well as a bathroom. Everything you need comes in the box, so a straight swap is a short job. The styling is plain and it only comes in white, which suits most bathrooms but won't please anyone after a feature fascia.

The C4HTS is the humidistat and timer version of Xpelair's Contour range, which also comes as a basic fan, a timer-only model and a pull-cord version. Its humidistat senses moisture in the air and starts the fan once the room hits its trigger point, so steam gets cleared even when nobody remembers the switch. We've fitted an Xpelair fan with a humidistat ourselves, and the photo in the buying guide shows its light glowing after the sensor started it. That unit has a grilled fascia, so it isn't the Contour pictured in the listing, and the C4HTS write-up rests on Xpelair's figures.

Xpelair quotes just 16 dB on the lower 15 litres per second setting, so it's very quiet ticking over, and the higher speed moves 21 litres per second. The smooth fascia twists and clicks off for cleaning, and it can go on a wall, ceiling or panel using the fixings in the box. It's IPX4 rated with a 2 year guarantee, which is shorter than the three years Airflow and Manrose offer.

What makes the iCON ECO different is its iris shutter, which closes when the fan stops and keeps air from blowing back into the bathroom. On a windy outside wall that means fewer cold draughts, less noise from outside and less dirt finding its way in. The low profile fascia sits close to the wall or ceiling and looks neater than the chunky grilles on budget fans.

Airflow quotes a flow rate of 19 litres per second and a sound level of 30 dB, so it isn't the most powerful or the quietest fan here. The range has three models of different sizes and power to match the room, and Airflow says it suits any bathroom or en-suite. It's IPX4 rated, comes with all the fitting hardware and carries a three year warranty, but expect to pay more than for a basic fan.

Knightsbridge sells this fan in 14 variations, and the one we'd choose is the 100 mm model with built-in LEDs that light up when the fan starts. It's a bold design that turns the fan into a feature on the wall or ceiling, which some people love and others won't want in a simple white bathroom.

It clears steam nearly as fast as the Envirovent, with Knightsbridge quoting 25 litres per second, but you'll hear it working. Its 35 dB rating is the loudest in this roundup. There's an adjustable overrun timer, and the brand says the fan meets current building regulations. Knightsbridge also sells matching ducting kits, which saves hunting for the right parts if you're fitting a fan from scratch.

Manrose built the QF100T to run quietly, and its quoted maximum of 27 dB, measured in an anechoic chamber to a recognised UK standard, puts it within a whisker of the Envirovent. It also gets a 3 year warranty and built-in backdraught shutters, so cold air stays outside on a windy night instead of drifting back down the duct.

Its 21 litres per second is plenty for a typical bathroom and comfortably above the 15 litres per second minimum in the building regulations. The 4.8 watt motor costs very little to run, and the overrun timer keeps it going after the light goes off. Manrose also says it complies with Parts F and L. The housing is ABS plastic and the styling is plain, so this is a fan you buy for how it works rather than how it looks.

The VASF100T is Vent-Axia's flagship bathroom fan and the quietest in this roundup, with a quoted 13 dB at 3 metres. We fitted one in a rental's family bathroom that sits next to several bedrooms, after the tenant told us the old fan kept waking them, and the near-silent Vent-Axia went down very well.

The flat, square fascia has an anti-static finish to stop dust clinging to it, and the unit is made from ABS plastic and rated IP44. Extraction is 21 litres per second, which is enough for most bathrooms but short of the Envirovent's 26. Vent-Axia says it complies with Parts F and L, and all the fixings come in the box. You do pay a premium for that quietness.

The Newlec NL880T is the budget pick in this roundup, and Newlec pitches it as a professional quality fan that works as a direct replacement for a faulty unit. Our lead photo shows a Newlec fan on a wall, with the plain louvred grille that gives the brand its no-nonsense look. The model number isn't visible in it, and we haven't fitted this one ourselves.

For the money, it moves a lot of air. Newlec quotes 24 litres per second, more than several of the dearer fans here, though its 32 dB rating makes it noticeably louder than the Envirovent or Manrose, so it's better kept away from the bedrooms. It's CE and BEAB approved and made from ABS mouldings, though the finish doesn't feel as refined as the premium fans.