You Should Replace Your Dumb Ceiling Fan With This Smart Fan
It’s only in the last few years that we’ve seen the emergence of truly smart ceiling fans that allow you to do more than just turn the unit on and off, but affect every aspect of the fan and lighting operation. While these smart ceiling fans have been pricey so far, I was excited to try the Dreo 44-inch Smart Ceiling Fan (originally priced at $149.99, but at the time of writing it was on sale on Amazon), which was reasonably priced and from a company that I think is doing interesting things with cooling and fans .
Simple design with easy installation
The Dreo comes in two sizes: a 44-inch four-blade version that I tested, and a larger 52-inch five-blade version ($159.99, sold out ). Since my office ceiling fan was in desperate need of an upgrade, it was the perfect time to test out the Dreo. The design is simple, the fan has clean lines and smooth surfaces, and the lighting is a single large low-profile LED. This fan will fit into almost any interior, from modern to classic, without standing out. The only assembly required is to choose which side of the blade you prefer to face the room: one side will have the wood grain and the other a different color, depending on what size you buy.
Once connected, it’s time for installation. If you’re replacing a fan, you’ll just need someone to help hold the fan while you connect it to the junction box that’s already in the ceiling; then you screw the fan housing on and begin attaching the pieces in layers, starting with the junction box cover, the light base, and finally the light cover. From there, you install the Dreo app and connect the fan. You can also install an additional light switch and remote control.
Unique Smart Features
I’m already a fan of the Dreo app: it’s well designed, has plenty of functionality, and a clean, clear design. In the app, you can use a slider to select the fan speed; There are six speeds (the larger model has twelve), but the slider makes it feel like it has infinite speeds because you can fine-tune what feels right. To my delight, the ceiling fan has the same function as its standing fans: you can choose either “normal” or “natural” mode. Just like standing fans on the ground, the “natural” setting creates the feeling of more breeze, not by simply slowing the fan down, but by pulsing different speeds to simulate wind. It’s a fascinating feature that I use all the time. The trick is that you can change the direction of the ceiling fan with the touch of a button in the app, so the fan can also be used in the winter (when you want to distribute warm air more evenly around the room rather than directing it). cool air down). Most fans have this option, but it’s usually a manual switch on the fan itself, and people often don’t take the extra steps to reverse the fan and miss out on a good way to move warm air around the room during the colder months.
Despite the simple design, the lamp illuminates the room well. I immediately saw a difference in how bright the room became from the old ceiling fan with four independent bulbs. The 2,400-lumen LED’s temperature can be adjusted from warm to cool (2,700-6,500K), and the brightness can be dimmed using a slider. Once you adjust it, the light doesn’t transition to your chosen color or temperature, but rather smoothly transforms into it. While Dreo has seamlessly integrated with Google Home and Alexa, including its associated assistants, it doesn’t currently work with Apple HomeKit or IFTTT, and there’s no integration with Matter or Threads.
You can also set schedules for the fan and lights, independently or together, or put the fan into a “sleep” mode, which will gradually slow down the fan at night, or even turn it off if you use a timer.
Incredibly quiet
The most notable aspect of the Dreo ceiling fan is the volume: it’s so quiet that you’ll forget it’s on. It was so quiet that I asked Dreo how they silenced the blades, and their support channel attributed it to a brushless DC motor and proper installation (when a fan is unbalanced, the swinging can make noise). Despite the lack of sound, the fan works as you’d expect, moving air around the room. The smaller version promises 3,170 cubic feet per minute (CFM) versus 5,673 CFM for the larger model. This is average for a fan of this size, but using the ‘natural’ setting and not having the typical white noise of a fan in the background makes it feel like you’ve left a window open on a windy day.
It’s hard to passionately support a ceiling fan—from an appliance perspective, they’re unattractive. However, Dreo is a really good combination of technology and usability. For about $150, you get an easy-to-install fan (less than half the price of competitors) that’s easy to use yet different from other ceiling fans. It’s quieter, brighter, and cooler without making you feel like you’re in a wind tunnel. While I may like a more high-end design, the functionality of the Dreo Smart ceiling fan can’t be beat.