The highest speed ceiling fans are 1600 RPM. Most of the fastest ceiling fans are small fans with powerful motors that move a lot of air.
Generally speaking, as fans get larger, RPMs get lower. There are exceptions.
But keep in mind that large fans can produce high CFM airflow because of the length of their blades without being high RPM fans. In other words, there is more to airflow than motor speed. This is fully explained below to allow you to choose the right high speed ceiling fan for your purpose.
What is on this page? There is a lot of ceiling fan information here about fan speeds for each fan size from 18” to 84”, highest speed fans for major brands like Hunter and Home Decorators Collection and a chart with fans with the most number of fan speeds for each top brand.
Highest Ceiling Fan Speed for Different Fan Sizes
| Fan Size (Inches) | Highest Speed (RPM) |
| 18 | 1610 |
| 20 | 850 |
| 22 | 1460 |
| 36 | 311 |
| 42 | 1506 |
| 44 | 260 |
| 48 | 226 |
| 52 | 269 |
| 54 | 218 |
| 56 | 205 |
| 60 | 194 |
| 62 | 177 |
| 72 | 110 |
| 84 | 101 |
Note: This data is based on approximately 500 popular ceiling fans sold by the Home Depot and widely available from other big box stores (Lowes/Menards), lighting stores and online sellers.
When you analyze the ceiling fan speed information, here are conclusions which can be drawn.
1). High speed ceiling fans are rare. There are very few options for ceiling fans with RPMs over 800.
2). The highest speed ceiling fans – over 800 RPMs – are mostly caged fans.
This means that the fan blades are housed inside a cage, and for an obvious reason. A fan blade coming off at those speeds would be a serious danger. The cage protects users from that risk.
3). Stylistically, ceiling fans with high RPMs have a modern look, almost industrial. If fan speed and a gusty breeze is what you want, and you don’t care about looks, then you’ll be well served by one. But if aesthetic quality is more important, then these high speed ceiling fans might not interest you.
4). When you eliminate the ceiling fans in cages, then it is mostly consistent that the larger the fan, the lower the maximum ceiling fan speed. This is especially true in fans over 48”.
Highest Fan Speed for Different Ceiling Fan Brands
| Brand | Model | Highest Speed (RPM) |
| Altitude | ERTE1708065BN | 1250 |
| Big Ass Fans | FR127C-U1H00-3L02 | 182 |
| CARRO | HS443J3-L11-BS-1-FM | 220 |
| Hampton Bay | 7982HDCVB | 414 |
| Home Decorators Collection | AL14-TB | 1610 |
| Hugger | AL383CPQ-MBK | 176 |
| Hunter | 50386 | 269 |
| KICHLER | 300032MWH | 226 |
| MINKA-AIRE | F402L-ORB | 1350 |
| Parrot Uncle | F6335WH110V | 180 |
| Progress Lighting | P250031-031-WB | 401 |
Note: This data is based on 500+ popular ceiling fans sold by the Home Depot and most other ceiling fan retailers.
What is the highest Hunter ceiling fan speed? Or the fastest fan from CARRO, Minka-Aire or Hugger?
If you have a favorite ceiling fan brand – or simply want to know which brands offer high-speed ceiling fans, then this chart gives you answers.
It is based on 500+ fans from all top brands that are sold at Home Depot, other home improvement stores, lighting stores and many online sellers. In other words, no major brand is overlooked – and most minor brands are covered too.
Ceiling Fan Speed and Airflow
This is a huge question when discussing the highest speed ceiling fans.
If you want the highest amount of airflow, then highest RPM fans might or might not deliver it.
So, the question is, do high speed ceiling fans create more airflow? Yes, generally speaking.
A 42” ceiling fan rotating at 250 RPM will move more air than a 42” fan rotating at 175 RPM. If blade pitch is the same, the fan rotating faster will definitely have a higher CFM rating.
Do faster fans create more airflow? Yes, but only if the blade length and pitch are the same in the fans you are considering. A slower fan with a steeper blade pitch might push more air than a larger fan with a more level blade pitch.
But when all ceiling fans are considered, it is clear that there is not a direct relationship between high RPM and high CFM airflow.
For example, the 36” fan that rotates at 311 RPM produces 2840 CFM. That is 9.13 CFM per RPM. And the 44” ceiling fan in the chart produces 16.6 CFM per RPM.
The 62” fan produces an impressive 32.6 CFM airflow per RPM. That means that every time the fan rotates, it pushes more than 32 cubic feet of air up or down depending on the way the fan is rotating.
The powerful 60” fan pushes 51.5 CFM per RPM. Frankly, there is reason for skepticism. Maybe like you, seeing raw testing data would make this more believable.
Ceiling fan blade pitch is the most important factor in CFM per RPM. Think about waving your hand through the air. If your palm is horizontal to the ground, you won’t feel much drag and won’t push much air.
If you tilt your hand to nearly vertical, you’ll create more airflow and feel more drag.
Ceiling Fan Speed Data Analysis
The data from analyzing more than 500 ceiling fans from all major brands shows this breakdown. The data is further analyzed below.
- Highest Ceiling Fan Speed Number: 16
- Average Ceiling Fan Speed Number: 5
- Highest Ceiling Fan Speed: 1610 RPM
- Common Ceiling Fan Speed: 160 – 180 RPM
*Number of fans speeds does not necessarily correlate to higher maximum ceiling fan speed.
Many readers search for highest speed ceiling fans because they want a nice breeze. Fan speed is a major factor in the amount of breeze a fan produces. Others are concerned about total airflow, and ceiling fan size must also be considered in that discussion.
RPM Fan Speed vs Air Flow
| Fan Size (Inches) | Highest Speed (RPM) | CFM – Airflow |
| 18 | 1610 | 1684 |
| 20 | 850 | 1513 |
| 22 | 1460 | 1407 |
| 36 | 311 | 2840 |
| 42 | 1506 | 1495 |
| 44 | 260 | 4326 |
| 48 | 226 | 3941 |
| 52 | 269 | 2984 |
| 54 | 218 | 4692 |
| 56 | 205 | 4700 |
| 60 | 194 | 9999 |
| 62 | 177 | 5774 |
| 72 | 110 | 5707 |
| 84 | 101 | 5460 |
All CFM ratings are verified including the impressive 9999 airflow from the 60” Hampton Bay ceiling fan.
This chart shows the fans with the fastest speeds in their size and the CFM for each. The purpose is to show that fan RPM doesn’t clearly translate into cubic feet per minute of air moved, or CFM.
Number of Speeds for Different Ceiling Fan Brands
| Brand | Model | Number of Speeds |
| Altitude | 108L56BNDDW | 6 |
| Big Ass Fans | F-ES2-1001S34 | 10 |
| CARRO | HS443J3-L11-BS-1-FM | 10 |
| FANIMATION | FP6729BMWW | 16 |
| Generation Lighting | 3MAVR60BK | 6 |
| Hampton Bay | 26829 | 4 |
| Home Decorators Collection | YG658-EB | 9 |
| Hugger | AL383CPQ-MBK | 3 |
| Hunter | 50717 | 3 |
| KICHLER | 310115DBK | 6 |
| MINKA-AIRE | F786-WHF | 6 |
| Parrot Uncle | F6335WH110V | 6 |
| Progress Lighting | P250030-031 | 6 |
Data based on 500+ best-selling ceiling fans sold by Home Depot and most other ceiling fan retailers.
Are ceiling fans with more speeds faster?
No, not necessarily.
Here are takeaways from the data analysis:
6 speed ceiling fans: This is the most common fan speed number in the chart. The RPM of ceiling fans with 6 speeds ranges from 81 RPM to 304 RPM. Number of fan speeds is not an indication of RPM.
Ceiling fan with most speeds: The Fanimation fan with 16 speeds has a maximum RPM of 190, about in the middle of total RPM. Again, the number of speeds does not correspond to maximum fan speed.
What is a Variable Speed Ceiling Fan?
A variable speed ceiling fan is one that operates on a dial, like a light rheostat / dimmer, rather than at fixed and set speeds.
For example, consider a ceiling fan with a capacity of 150 RPM. A 3 speed ceiling fan might have settings at 50, 100 and 150 RPM – low, medium and high speed.
A variable speed fan might operate from 25 to 150 RPM based on where you set the dial. Move the dial up or down, and the fan speed changes in very small increments. This allows you to choose the “perfect” speed for the moment.
Conclusion
When you are interested in the highest speed ceiling fans, consider what you really want. If it is the strongest breeze, then the highest ratio of CFM per RPM is important.
When you want maximum total airflow, then CFM is more important than RPM.
