If you want to find the best bathroom fan with heater and light, you are in the right place!
In this guide, you will learn:
- Our overall #1 top pick for the best bath fan heater/light combo
- Pros and cons of the different types
- Frequently asked questions
- And more!
After performing hundreds of home inspections, I tested many different types of bathroom exhaust fans with heaters and lights.
Bathroom fans with heaters and lights are perfect if you want a toasty bathroom on those cold and frigid mornings!
In this guide, I decided to provide a list of the best bathroom fan heater and light combos on the market.
Below is a table of my top picks but keep reading to learn how to pick the best bathroom exhaust fan with heater and light. Let's go!
Image | Product | |||
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Best Overall Bath Fan, Heater, & Light | Best Overall Bath Fan, Heater, & Light | Panasonic WhisperWarm
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| View on Amazon |
Best Round Fan/Heater/Light | Best Round Fan/Heater/Light | Broan-NuTone 9093WH
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| View on Amazon |
Best Low Noise Exhaust Fan & Heater Light Combo | Best Low Noise Exhaust Fan & Heater Light Combo | Delta RAD80L
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| View on Amazon |
Best Bath Fan With Heat Lamp & Light | Best Bath Fan With Heat Lamp & Light | Aero Pure A716B
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| View on Amazon |
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
Our overall top pick for the best bathroom exhaust fan with heater and light goes to the Panasonic WhisperWarm because it includes a 1600-watt heater and a bright LED light.
The powerful 1600-watt heater will instantly heat up your cold bathroom floors and toilet seat so you can have a toasty bathroom experience!
This bath fan comes with a bright dimmable 10-watt LED light and a 1-watt LED night light so your bathroom will always be perfectly lit.
It is the hands-down the best bathroom exhaust fan with heater and light on the market! Panasonic WhisperWarm's frequently go out of stock, so order it right now on Amazon with fast shipping.
What Are The Best Bathroom Fans With Heaters And Lights?
Short on time? Check out our top bathroom exhaust fans with lights and heaters! Keep reading for more details of each pick.
Top 4 Best Bathroom Exhaust Fans With Heaters And Lights
Pick #1: Panasonic WhisperWarm
(Best Overall Bath Fan, Heater, & Light)
If you want a bathroom exhaust fan with a heater and light, nothing is better than the Panasonic WhisperWarm!
Not only does this bath fan come with a 10-watt dimmable LED light, but it includes a 1-watt night light which won't disrupt your sleep.
And the powerful 1600-watt heater will instantly banish those icy cold tile floors!
One cool feature of the WhisperWarm is that you can pick between three fan speeds (CFM) with the flick of a switch. Homeowners can choose between 110-cfm, 80-cfm, or 50-cfm just by changing a setting on the housing.
And since it has a high quality ECM motor, the motor will adjust it's speed on the fly so your bathroom moisture will always be kept in check.
I invite you to check out the Panasonic WhisperWarm! After inspecting hundreds of bathroom fans, I am confident that the Panasonic WhisperWarm is the best bathroom exhaust fan with heater and light.
Pros
- 1600-watt PTC heater for instant warmth
- 10-watt LED light and night light included
- Pick your CFM between 110, 80, or 50
Cons
- Requires a lot of wiring (night light is separate wiring from main light)
- Will need a new switch to operate night light separately
Pick #2: Broan-NuTone 9093WH
(Best Round Fan/Heater/Light)
Our top pick for the best round bathroom fan with heater and light goes to the 9093WH by Broan-Nutone.
It comes with a powerful 1500-watt heater to quickly heat up your bathroom to a virtual sauna!
The light can fit up to a 100-watt bulb, and it also comes with a 7-watt night light so you can use the bathroom without fully waking up (bulbs are not included).
A four-function wall switch comes with the bathroom fan so you can control the light, fan, heater, and night light on their own!
The 9093WH has literally been around for decades, and if you already have an old version of this fan, you can just swap out the 'guts' without removing the housing. One downside of this bathroom fan is that it is kind of loud at 3.5 sones so it isn't 'whisper quiet' but not too bad.
Pros
- Great round look
- Night light helps ease your nighttime trips
- 4 function wall switch is included
Cons
- Not the quietest unit on the market at 3.5 sones
- Easy to install for new homes but trickier for retrofits
Pick #3: Delta RAD80L Radiance
(Best Low Noise Exhaust Fan Heater & Light Combo)
The Delta RAD80L is our favorite pick for a low noise bathroom fan that includes a heater and light.
The 1300-watt heater comes with a built-in thermostat and will heat your bathroom on those chilly mornings!
The RAD80L comes with a light and the CFL bulb is included. There is also another Delta model RAD110LED that comes with an LED light but it is pricier and frequently out of stock.
A big advantage of the RAD80L is that it has a sound (sone) rating of only 1.5 sones which is pretty quiet!
You will definitely hear this 80-cfm rated bathroom fan, but the noise is low compared to other fans.
Pros
- 1300-watt heater and built-in thermostat
- Low noise level at only 1.5 sones
- Brushless DC motor is quiet and long lasting
Cons
- Multi-function wall switch is not included
Pick #4: Aero Pure A716B
(Best Bath Fan With Heat Lamp & Light)
Our top rated 'heat lamp' pick for the best bathroom exhaust fan with heater and light goes to the Aero Pure A716B.
The heat lamp uses infrared light to instantly heat up your bathroom and without noise!
Unlike regular fan-based heaters, the infrared energy instantly heats up objects in the bathroom rather than the 'air' like a conventional heater.
This 90-CFM bathroom fan also comes with a 100-watt light (the one in the middle of the unit) and we recommend installing an LED light bulb
The main downside of the A716B is that it isn't an easy install, and the wiring is somewhat complicated. You will also need a dedicated 10-amp circuit.
Pros
- 4 heat lamps that instantly heat up objects
- 100-watt light in the middle of unit
- Heater can operate silently
Cons
- Cannot install directly over shower or tub
- Requires dedicated 10-amp circuit for installation
What Are The Different Types of Bathroom Fans With Lights And Heaters?
Below are a few of the main types of heaters and lights that come with bathroom exhaust fans.
Bathroom Fan With Convection Heater And Light
Convection heaters are standard for bathroom fans, and the majority of bath fans with heater-light combos have this type of heater.
A convection heater is simply a heating element and a fan that blows over it.
For these combo bath fans, there is the main exhaust fan, but this fan sucks air from the bathroom and blows it to the outside.
A convection heater bath fan will have a secondary fan near the cover that will blow air over the heating element and towards the interior of the bathroom. This secondary fan is usually very small compared to the main exhaust fan.
Bath fans with convection heaters take 5-10 minutes to truly heat up the bathroom, it isn't an instant process. And there will always be a slight noise since it requires a secondary fan to blow over the heating element.
Pros
- Wide variety of bathroom fans to choose from
- The heat tends to be more evenly spread throughout bathroom
- A built-in thermostat usually comes with these bath fans to automatically turn on and off the unit to maintain a set temperature
Cons
- Dust can become an issue since air is blowing towards you especially if you have allergies. Cleaning the bath fan regularly (and take off cover) with a vacuum attachment is recommended.
- It takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes to heat up the bathroom
Read Also >> What Is The Best Bathroom Exhaust Fan With Heater?
Bath Fan With Heat Lamps And Light
Bathroom exhaust fans with heat lamps and lights are the second most common type of bathroom heater-fan-light combos.
Heat lamps are very common in older homes and many of them emit a red glow when turned on. But instead of using a heating element, it uses a filament designed to emit high amounts of infrared radiation.
And unlike regular incandescent bulbs that we use for light, heat lamp bulbs usually use 2-3 times the amount of electrical energy such as 250-watts or more per bulb.
Probably the biggest difference between heat lamps and convection heaters is that heat lamps work instantly to heat up the bathroom. However, heat lamps heat up objects in the bathroom such as the floor, walls, toilet, and people. Heat lamps don't heat up the air like a convection heater does.
The light can be either incandescent or LED, and it is commonly in the center of the bathroom fan such as in the Aero Pure bath fan.
Read Also >> What Is The Venting Code For Bathroom Fans?
Pros
- The heat is virtually instant the minute you turn it on. It doesn't heat the air but rather the objects in the bathroom.
- The heater itself is silent since there isn't a fan required for the heat to be disbursed.
- Less allergens in the bathroom since no air is blowing towards the interior. The humidity also is less likely to change.
Cons
- Heat lamps usually emit a red glow which some users may find annoying. Red glow heat lamps can sometimes be swapped out for white heat lamps.
- When turned off, the bathroom will lose heat quickly unlike with convection heaters.
- You also need to be in the 'line of sight' of the heat lamp in order to feel the heat.
Read Also >> What Are The Top Bathroom Fans With Lights?
How Do Bathroom Fan Heater And Light Combos Work?
Bathroom exhaust fans with heaters and lights work similar to a regular exhaust fan, except that there is a built-in light and heater — three functions in one.
Having these three devices in one saves money, energy, and there is less installation work.
One downside of bathroom fan heater and light combos is that you may need to do some extra wiring and install a multi-function wall switch.
If you want to independently control the exhaust fan, light, and heater — you will need to at least install a 3-function wall switch.
And if there is a night light included, you would need to install a 4-function wall switch to control each one.
Read Also >> What Are The Main Bathroom Fan Venting Options?
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Cost?
The cost of a bath fan with heater and light ranges from as low as $150 and as high as $450. The factors that can influence price include the size of the bathroom fan (rated in CFM), the number of heat lamps, the wattage of the heating element, and the quality of the light.
Should I Get One?
A bathroom fan that includes a heater is great for bathrooms and can quickly heat it up on a cold winter day. If you are tired of your feet touching cold floors, then these bath fans may be a good choice.
What Are The Downsides?
The downsides of these exhaust fans is that more wiring will be needed than for an average bath fan and the cost will be more. Homeowners also may need to install a new switch and run new wiring to the fan.
Read Also >> See Our Complete Archive Of Bathroom Fan Guides & Reviews Here!
How Are They Wired?
Wiring a bathroom exhaust fan with heater and light should usually be done by a licensed electrician and is much more complex than your average bath fan. There will usually be different wires for the heater, light, night light, and bath fan.
The hot wire for the light is usually blue, the hot wire for the exhaust fan is typically black, and the hot wire for the heater is commonly red. Carefully read the wiring instructions from the manufacturer.
What Is The Purpose Of Bath Fans With Heaters And Lights?
The point of a bathroom fan with heater and light is to combine three different appliances into one bath fan. So instead of having a separate light fixture, a separate heater, and a separate bath fan—you can combine all of these devices into a single installation on the bathroom ceiling.
Final Thoughts
Bathroom fan heaters and lights are perfect if you want your bathroom to be toasty and well-light.
These combo units usually have convection heaters which blows air towards the bathroom and over a heating element.
Heat lamps are also a great option for instant heat and these typically emit a red glow.
The lighting is commonly an incandescent bulb or LED light chip. Night lights are also common and these give a low light glow so you aren't disturbed in the evening.
I hope you enjoyed this article. Please leave a comment and share any questions or experiences with these bath fan heater light combos!