Choosing a ceiling fan is kind of a big deal. A ceiling fan will be a semi-permanent fixture in your home, and it’s one that you’ll use every day. Picking out the right fan can make a huge difference to how comfortable you’ll feel at home in the years to come, because ceiling fans can make such a huge difference to how cool you feel in the summer and even to how warm you feel in the winter. And an unsightly ceiling fan can just ruin the look of your whole home.

The good news is that picking out a ceiling fan isn’t that hard if you know what you’re looking for. The most important thing to remember when you’re shopping for ceiling fans is that size matters. You’ll want a fan that’s appropriately sized for your space so you can get the most benefit out of it, and won’t feel like you’re about to blow away every time you turn the fan on. You’ll also want to make sure you get a fan with the features and control options you need, and one that fits in with your home’s architecture and with your furniture and decor.

Measure Your Room to Get the Right Size Fan

If you want to be disappointed, go out and buy a ceiling fan without measuring the room first. Of course, you might get lucky and get one that’s perfectly sized anyway, but chances are good you’ll wind up with something too small to feel or something so huge and powerful it feels like you’re in a windtunnel while you’re trying to watch television.

Measure the square footage of the room where you want to hang the fan. This will help you decide what size fan is appropriate for the space. If the room is smaller than 75 square feet, you’ll want to stick with one of the smallest fans, something 29 to 36 inches wide (measured across the circumference of the blade span). If the room is 75 to 145 square feet, choose a fan 36 to 42 inches wide. If the room is 145 to 225 square feet, you should buy a fan that is 44 to 50 inches wide. If you’re buying a fan for a room that is 225 to 400 square feet, you need to get a fan that is 50 to 54 inches wide. Larger rooms than that can accommodate larger fans, or multiple large fans.

Most people will want to install a ceiling fan as a replacement for a light fixture. A ceiling fan should be able to be installed 18 inches from the nearest wall and seven to nine feet above the floor. If you need to install a ceiling fan in a room with low ceilings, you should look at flush-mount models that maximize clearance by hugging the ceiling. If you want to install a fan in a room with high or vaulted ceilings, you will need to look at models with long downrods or those that are compatible with downrod extenders. If you want to hang a fan in a vaulted ceiling area or in a small space, you may want to consider a vertical ceiling fan.

Consider How You Want to Control the Fan

You have so many options for how to control your new ceiling fan – you don’t have to be limited to the pull chain like in the bad old days. Do you want to control your new ceiling fan through a wall switch? You can buy a ceiling fan model with a wireless wall control so you can install a wall switch without running additional wiring or changing the wiring of your light switch. You can also get ceiling fans with remotes, or even smart fans that you can control via your smart home device or phone.

Select a Design that Speaks to You

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of choosing a ceiling fan is finding a design you like. There are so many options available – you could go with something clean and modern, or something ornate and traditional. You can get ultramodern ceiling fans with just one blade, contemporary fans with two or three, traditional and coastal fans with four or five, and industrial fans with eight blades or more. You can get caged ceiling fans, vertical ceiling fans, even ceiling fans in nontraditional colors. As long as you’re willing to shop long enough, you can find a fan that will meet your needs and look good doing it.

Choosing a ceiling fan can be a process, especially if you’re looking for just the right one. Make sure you know what you need in a fan, so you can make the right decision.