One of the best-selling bathroom fans on the market describes itself as quiet at 2.0 sones. Another calls 1.5 sones as quiet as a whisper. Both statements are legal and neither is useful, because a sone scale is built so that doubling the number doubles the loudness. A 2.0-sone fan is not slightly louder than a 1.0. It is twice as loud.
Most fans sold as ultra-quiet are not. Sift a shelf of them by the actual sone figure and the field thins fast: plenty sit at 1.5 or 2.0, a handful reach 1.0, and almost nothing goes below it. The five below are the ones that hold up at 1 sone or quieter, and the difference between them comes down to how much air they move while staying there.
At a glance
| Fan | Standout feature | Price tier | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amico 80 CFM, 0.8 sones | Genuinely under 1 sone, at a budget price | Budget | |
| Amico 80 CFM, 1.0 sones | UL listed; the best-selling fan here | Budget | |
| Amico 110 CFM, 1.0 sones | Bigger airflow, same noise, low price | Budget | |
| Broan-NuTone 110 CFM | Sealed damper; rated for use over a tub | Mid-range | |
| BREEZE EASY | Under 0.3 sones, with switchable airflow | Premium | |
How to choose a quiet bathroom fan
What a sone actually is
Decibels are logarithmic, which is why nobody can intuit them. The sone scale was built to fix that: it tracks perceived loudness directly, so 2 sones sounds twice as loud as 1, and 0.5 sounds half as loud. That makes it the rare specification you can read literally. It also means the gap between the fans below and the cheap 2.0-sone units filling the shelves is not a nuance. It is double. And when a listing calls 1.5 sones whisper quiet, understand that it is describing something half again as loud as the fans on this page.
Check the sone rating is certified, not claimed
A sone figure printed by the manufacturer is the manufacturer’s opinion. The one that has been through the Home Ventilating Institute’s test procedure is a measurement. BREEZE EASY states HVI certification alongside its Energy Star and UL listings, which is the difference between a number someone chose and a number someone verified. Where a listing gives you a very impressive figure and no certification behind it, take the figure as marketing rather than data.
Match the airflow to the room, roughly one to one
The working rule for a standard-height bathroom is about 1 CFM per square foot, and the makers’ own numbers line up with it: 80 CFM covers 60 to 80 square feet, 110 CFM covers around 100 to 110. Amico spells that mapping out plainly, which is more use than another adjective about power. Undersize it and steam sits on your mirror and your paint; oversize it and you are paying to pull heated air out of the house faster than you need to.
Quiet and powerful is the hard combination
Moving more air usually means more noise, which is why so many fans get quiet by simply not moving much. That is what makes the numbers here interesting: two of these hold 1.0 sone at 110 CFM, and the BREEZE EASY goes under 0.3 while still offering 110 on its top setting. It does that with a DC motor, which is inherently quieter and more efficient than the AC motors in cheaper fans. If you want both quiet and airflow, the motor type is what you are paying for.
Measure the hole in your ceiling first
Almost every fan here retrofits from the room side with no attic access, which is what makes replacing one a Saturday job rather than a contractor visit. That only works if it fits your existing opening. The cutouts differ: the Amico 80 wants roughly 7.6 inches, the Amico 110 wants 9.4 by 9.4, the BREEZE EASY 9-1/4 by 8-1/2 with 5-3/4 inches of depth. Measure the hole, and measure the joist gap, before you order anything.
The duct undoes the rating
These all connect to a 4 inch duct, and the CFM figure on the box assumes a sensible run. A long duct, a crushed flexible one, or a series of tight bends will strangle a 110 CFM fan down to something much less useful, and the fan will not tell you. Broan addresses the other end of this with its TrueSeal damper, which it says cuts air leakage by up to half compared with rival models, so conditioned air stops drifting back out through the fan when it is off.
Over a tub or shower, the listing has to say so
Not every fan is rated to sit directly above wet areas. Broan states plainly that its unit is UL listed for use over tubs and showers when wired to a GFCI-protected circuit, which is exactly where you want the fan if the goal is catching steam before it reaches the room. If a listing does not make that claim, do not assume it, and do not put it there.
Amico 80 CFM, 0.8 sones
One of only two fans here that genuinely goes below 1 sone, and it does it at the price of an ordinary fan. At 0.8 sones and 80 CFM it suits a bathroom of 60 to 80 square feet, and Amico is helpfully direct about that mapping rather than making you guess. It fits a standard 8.8 by 8.8 inch ceiling opening and installs from the room side with no attic access. ETL and FCC certified with a three-year warranty. Note that Amico’s own 80 CFM sibling, at the same price, is rated 1.0 sones: same money, same air, more noise.
Pros:
- Genuinely under 1 sone, unlike most of the market
- Budget price despite the quieter rating
- Fits a standard 8.8 inch opening; no attic access needed
- ETL and FCC certified with a three-year warranty
Cons:
- Sells modestly against its noisier stablemate
- 80 CFM caps it at a mid-size bathroom
- No HVI certification stated for the sone figure
Best for: a normal bathroom, genuinely quiet, without the premium spend.
Amico 80 CFM, 1.0 sones
The best-selling fan of this group and the one difference worth knowing: it is UL listed rather than ETL, which some electricians and inspectors prefer to see. At 1.0 sones and 80 CFM it handles bathrooms up to 80 square feet, with a compact 7.5 by 7.2 by 4 inch housing behind a 9.4 by 8.6 inch grille, a 4 inch duct, and a recommended cutout around 7.6 inches. Brackets let you mount between joists or screw straight to one, and it retrofits from below with no attic access.
Pros:
- The best-selling fan here
- UL listed for electrical safety
- Compact housing suits a smaller existing cutout
- Mounts between joists or directly to one
Cons:
- 1.0 sones, where its identically priced sibling manages 0.8
- 80 CFM only
- No warranty term stated
Best for: a straight swap into a small existing hole, with UL on the label.
Amico 110 CFM, 1.0 sones
The same 1.0 sone rating with nearly 40 percent more air, which is the trade most people should take. At 110 CFM it covers a bathroom of about 100 square feet, so a family bathroom with a real shower rather than a powder room. The housing is 9 by 9 by 5.7 inches behind an 11.8 inch grille, wanting a 9.4 by 9.4 cutout, which is a bigger hole than the 80 CFM model needs, so check your ceiling before assuming a swap. ETL and FCC certified, room-side install, 4 inch duct.
Pros:
- 110 CFM while holding 1.0 sones
- Covers a full family bathroom of about 100 square feet
- Still budget priced
- Room-side retrofit; ETL and FCC certified
Cons:
- Needs a 9.4 inch cutout, larger than most existing holes
- 110 CFM through a 4 inch duct wants a short, clean run
- Not under 1 sone, merely at it
Best for: a bigger bathroom, where 80 CFM would leave the mirror fogged.
Broan-NuTone 110 CFM
The grown-up option, from the brand most plumbers and electricians already know. It holds 1.0 sones at 110 CFM for rooms up to 105 square feet, and it is Energy Star certified. Two things lift it above the budget field. Its TrueSeal damper reduces air leakage by up to half against competing models, which matters every hour the fan is off and your heating is on. And it is UL listed for use over tubs and showers on a GFCI circuit, so you can put it where the steam actually is rather than across the room. Retrofits entirely from the room side.
Pros:
- 1.0 sones at 110 CFM, Energy Star certified
- TrueSeal damper cuts leakage by up to half when off
- UL listed for use directly over a tub or shower
- Room-side retrofit from an established brand
Cons:
- Costs roughly double the Amico equivalents
- At 1.0 sones, not under it
- Single speed only
Best for: mounting right over the shower, and not thinking about it again.
BREEZE EASY
The only fan here in a different class rather than a different price bracket. Under 0.3 sones is roughly a third the loudness of the 1.0 sone field and a fraction of the 2.0 units filling the shelves, and it manages that while still offering 110 CFM. The trick is a DC motor, which runs quieter and more efficiently than the AC motors everywhere else. A selector switch sets 50, 80 or 110 CFM, so one fan suits a powder room or a family bathroom and you can change your mind later. It fits a 9-1/4 by 8-1/2 inch cutout at 5-3/4 deep, installs from the room side with no screws, and carries Energy Star, HVI and UL certification with a five-year warranty.
Pros:
- Under 0.3 sones, far below anything else here
- DC motor: quieter and more efficient than AC
- Switchable 50, 80 or 110 CFM from one unit
- HVI certified sone rating, plus Energy Star and UL; five-year warranty
Cons:
- Most expensive fan here
- Sells modestly against the established names
- No light, if you wanted a combined unit
Best for: a bathroom next to a bedroom, where the fan must be genuinely inaudible.
The verdict
Best overall: Broan-NuTone 110 CFM. It holds 1.0 sones while moving enough air for a 105 square foot bathroom, it is Energy Star certified, and it is the one fan here rated to sit directly over a tub or shower on a GFCI circuit, which is where a fan belongs. The TrueSeal damper keeps your heating inside the house the rest of the time. It costs more than the budget picks and earns it.
Best value: Amico 80 CFM at 0.8 sones. It is one of only two fans on this page that genuinely goes below 1 sone, and it does so at a budget price with a three-year warranty. Worth knowing: Amico’s own 80 CFM sibling costs the same and runs at 1.0 sones, so the quieter one is free. Check your ceiling cutout, and take the 0.8.
Best premium: BREEZE EASY. Under 0.3 sones with up to 110 CFM is not an incremental improvement, it is a different experience, and the DC motor is why. Add a switch that lets you set 50, 80 or 110 CFM after installation, an HVI-certified noise figure rather than a claimed one, and a five-year warranty. If the bathroom shares a wall with a bedroom, this is the one.
FAQ
What is a sone, and why not decibels?
A sone measures perceived loudness on a straight scale, so 2 sones genuinely sounds twice as loud as 1, and 0.5 sounds half as loud. Decibels are logarithmic and nobody reads them intuitively. It is the rare number you can take at face value, which is why the difference between a 2.0-sone bargain fan and these is so large.
Is 1.5 sones quiet?
It is quieter than most fans and it is not what the marketing implies. One major brand calls 1.5 sones as quiet as a whisper. It is half again as loud as a 1.0-sone fan and five times the BREEZE EASY. If quiet is the reason you are replacing your fan, 1.5 is not the number to settle for.
How much CFM do I need?
Roughly 1 CFM per square foot of floor for a standard ceiling height. The makers’ own figures agree: 80 CFM for a 60 to 80 square foot room, 110 CFM for about 100. Measure the floor, and remember that a long or kinked duct will quietly cost you a chunk of whatever the box promises.
Can I replace my fan without going into the attic?
Almost certainly. Every fan here installs from the room side, which is the main reason this is a DIY job now. The catch is the hole: cutouts here range from about 7.6 inches to 9.4 square. Measure your existing opening and the joist spacing before you buy, or you are cutting drywall after all.
Can the fan go directly above the shower?
Only if the listing says so. Broan states its fan is UL listed for use over tubs and showers on a GFCI-protected circuit. That is a specific claim, and the fans that do not make it should not be installed there, however tempting the position is for catching steam.
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