Growing cannabis hydroponically comes with a lot more equipment and costs than growing outdoors. Indoor growers must purchase just about everything they need, including trays, reservoirs, lighting, pots, growing medium, nutrients, and more. The benefit of purchasing all of this equipment, however, is a more predictable outcome, greater yields and more growing seasons per year. It’s easy to see why so many people choose hydroponics.
One thing that sometimes gets overlooked when new growers plan their operation is ventilation. It is incredibly important to keep a stable environment inside of your grow area, whether you are using a grow tent, a grow cabinet or an entire room or warehouse. Hydroponic lights, even LEDs, create a certain amount of heat that must be dissipated or else you risk burning your plants. You don’t want to room to be too cool, though – you must find the right balance, and for every grow room the exact needs are different.
Inline fans provide a perfect solution, especially if you use a grow tent. They can be attached right into the existing ducting, or installed as an after market piece of equipment. They provide the most efficient and cost effective way to cool down your grow room, and can be controlled with variable speed controllers for different levels of cooling.
Larger fans with greater CFMs should be used in larger grow rooms, especially those with HID lighting. HID lights put out much more heat than LED lighting, so they require more ventilation to avoid burning the plants. For that reason, a large grow room with LED lights may actually need less ventilation than a small room with HID lights. Keep this in mind while shopping for inline fans.
This page is all about the top brands for grow room ventilation. The inline fans listed here come in a wide range of sizes, so whether you are just starting out with a small grow or you are a professional grower looking to take your operation to an even higher level, you will find a fan that works for you in the list below. If you do not see a fan that you love, click here to browse more options.
1. Apollo Horticulture Inline Fans
Apollo Horticulture is one of the top brands for grow room ventilation. Apollo does not only only make fans, they make a whole range of hydroponic equipment including LED grow lights, HID lights and bulbs, grow tents, fluorescent grow lights and hydroponic accessories. As you can see, they are a well established brand in the hydroponic world and the positive reviews on Amazon.com show that they have a high level of customer satisfaction.
Apollo Horticulture inline fans come in a wide range of sizes, from 4″ to 8″ to suit grow ops of all sizes. All of their fans come with a built in variable speed controller, but they do not come with ducting or charcoal filters. There is one exception – you can find their four inch fan as a kit with the charcoal filter included, for an extra cost. Or, you can purchase the fan and filter separately.
Price: $60 to $90 with free shipping, depending on size
Buy the Apollo Horticulture 4″, 190 CFM Fan here, the 6” 440 CFM Fan here or the 8” 720 CFM Fan here.
Watch an instructional video about inline fans here.
Pros:
- All Apollo products come with a 3 year warranty
- A well known, well loved brand in the Hydroponics world
- Fans come in multiple sizes for all different grow rooms
Cons:
- More expensive than some other options
- Your fan will not grow with your operation, if you increase or decrease in size, you will have to buy a new one
- Does not come with carbon filter
Find more Apollo Horticulture information and reviews here.
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2. Active Air Inline Fans
Active Air is another well loved brand for inline fans in hydroponics. They offer both 6″ and 8″ models, and they are known for their durability, simplicity and excellent design. The fans run quietly, are coated with a ceramic coating to prevent rust and degradation of the metal components, and include all necessary mounting brackets and hardware. If you are growing a large amount of cannabis and you want a professional-grade grow op, you need to get professional-quality equipment. Active Air inline fans definitely meet that requirement. Active Air’s fans do not come with a built-in speed adjuster, so you will need to purchase that separately. They sell one for $17 and if you order it at the same time as your fan, you will get free shipping.
Price: $82 to $110 with free shipping, depending on size
Buy the Active Air 6” 400 CFM Fan or the 8” 720 CFM Fan here.
Watch an installation video here.
Pros:
- Ceramic coated for durability
- Very highly reviewed on Amazon.com
- Runs extremely quietly
Cons:
- On the expensive side
- Does not come with ducting
- Does not include speed controller
Find more Active Air information and reviews here.
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3. VenTech Inline Fans
VenTech is another top of the line brand for hydroponic inline fans. They do not have an 8″ size but they do manufacture fans in 6″ and 4″ for medium and small sized grow rooms. Reviewers have noted that the fans run quietly while still being extremely effective, and that their carbon filters are also very effective in filtering out odors. All of their fans come with a variable speed controller and most come with a carbon filter included. This makes them a bit more expensive upfront, but could actually save you a lot of money and hassle in the future. If you have a small or medium sized grow op that you want to keep on the quiet side in terms of noise and odors, VenTech fans are an excellent choice.
If you purchase a VenTech fan without the carbon filter, you can still purchase one separately for $40.36 if/when you need it. Filters from VenTech cost $40.36. If you need to buy a separate variable speed controller, VenTech sells one for $17.99.
Price: $24 to $68 with free shipping, depending on size
Buy the VenTech 4″, 190 CFM Fan here, or the 6” 440 CFM Fan With Carbon Filter here.
Watch a video on installing inline fans with charcoal filters here
Pros:
- Runs quietly
- Their carbon filters are very effective
- Comes in frustration-free packaging
Cons:
- Does not come with ducting
- No warranty
- Some models do not include carbon filter
Find more VenTech information and reviews here.
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4. Vortex Atmosphere
The Vortex Atmosphere is an excellent ventilation solution for small to mid sized grow rooms. It is a six inch fan with a sleek and stylish design. The design is not just for looks, though. This fan is designed with maximum quietness in mind. While other fans make about as much noise as an air conditioner, the Atmosphere is rated “ultra quiet” and can be used in even the most stealthy grow rooms. Vortex also offers a 10 year warranty, which is unparalleled in hydroponics gear. Vortex fans do not come with ducting or a charcoal filter, however. You can purchase a 6″ filter from iPower for $64.70 that will work with this fan.
For larger grow rooms, Vortex also has an eight inch model at 728 CFM. This model is priced at $140 with free shipping, and is just as quiet as the smaller version.
Price: $142 with free shipping
Buy the Vortex Atmosphere here.
Watch a review video here.
Pros:
- 10 year warranty
- Great style and design
- Runs extremely quietly
Cons:
- Does not come in four inch size
- More expensive than other options
- Does not come with a filter
Find more Vortex Atmosphere information and reviews here.
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5. iPower Inline Fans
iPower is another well known brand that offers a wide range of size options for hydroponic ventilation systems. Their fan do not come with a variable speed controller, but any controller that can be purchased separately will work with iPower fans. iPower is one of the only manufacturers that offers an all-in-one package for its fans that includes the ducting, so that you have everything you need to set up your fan inside of your grow tent, grow cabinet or grow room right away. These all inclusive packs are available for the four inch and six inch fan sizes and come with a carbon charcoal air filter and eight feet of ducting.
Price: $57 to $167 with free shipping, depending on size and add ons
Buy the iPower 4″, 190 CFM Fan here, the 6” 442 CFM Fan here or the 8” 745 CFM Fan here.
Watch a video on choosing the right fan for your grow op here.
Pros:
- Lots of different options
- Very highly reviewed on Amazon.com
- Made of high quality steel
Cons:
- No warranty
- On the more expensive side
- Does not come with a speed controller
Find more iPower Fans information and reviews here.
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6. Hurricane Inline Fans
Hurricane Inline Fans are unique because they come in not just three sizes, but five. Hurricane fans range from four inch or twelve inch sizes, so if you have an extra large or professional grade grow op and need a lot of ventilation, this is definitely the brand for you. Hurricane fans all come included with mounting brackets and very easy to follow installation instructions, and the steel housings of all their fans are powder coated with an attractive matte black finish so that they will resist rust in humid grow room environments. Keep in mind that these are sold as fans only – if you need a variable speed controller or a charcoal carbon filter you will need to purchase those separately.
Price: $76 to $172 with free shipping, depending on size
Buy the Hurricane 4″, 171 CFM Fan here, the 8” 745 CFM Fan here or the 12” 1060 CFM Fan here.
Watch an unboxing video here.
Pros:
- Powder coated for durability
- Comes with a 5 year warranty
- More high powered options for larger grow rooms
Cons:
- Higher CFM fans are louder
- Does not include ducting
- Does not include speed controller or charcoal filter
Find more Hurricane Inline Fans information and reviews here.
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7. Tjerlund M-6 Six Inch Fan
Tjernlund is not as well known of a name in the hydroponics world, but their six inch inline fan still offers top of the line quality for mid sized grow operations. They have been around since the 1930s, but mostly focus on manufacturing roof top heating and cooling equipment. The six inch size is the only size they offer for hydroponics, but with a variable speed controller this fan could be used for smaller or medium to large sized grow rooms, depending on what kind of lighting you use. The thing that sets Tjernlund apart is that their fan is especially powerful for a six-incher, at 460 CFM. This means it can be used not only for medium grow ops, but for larger sized grows as well.
Price: $105 with free shipping
Buy the Tjerlund M-6 Six Inch Fan here.
Pros:
- More powerful than other 6″ fans at 460 CFM
- Constructed of durable steel
- Comes from a well established manufacturer
Cons:
- No warranty
- Does not include speed controller
- Does not come with charcoal filter or ducting
Find more Tjerlund M-6 Six Inch Fan information and reviews here.
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8. Yescom Inline Fans
Yescom provides a great set of products for hydroponic growers who have smaller budgets, or who are just starting out in growing cannabis. Their smaller sized and lower CFM booster fans are not quite as rugged as some of the others listed here, but they work great and provide the same cooling as a more expensive fan. Yescom also manufactures more high quality fans for a higher price, but it is worth mentioning their lower cost alternatives for beginners. Also, if you use LED lights you may want to consider one of the less expensive fans since your cooling needs will not be as great as a grow op using HID bulbs.
Price: $22 to $72 depending on size and number of fans
Buy the Yescom 4″, 120 CFM Fan here, the 6” 260 CFM Fan here or the 8” 720 CFM Fan here.
Pros:
- Less expensive than other options
- Has multiple choices for size and CFM
- Great for smaller grow ops
Cons:
- Does not come with ducting or filters
- No warranty
- Lower CFM than higher priced fans
Find more Yescom Inline Fans information and reviews here.
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9. Can Fan Inline Fans
Can Fan is the top of the line when it comes to inline fans. Their fans are for committed growers with serious ventilation needs. They are constructed of the most durable and well designed materials, making them easy to install and extremely reliable. Can Fan sells inline fans ranging from the standard six inches all the way up to a massive sixteen inches, with two different series offering more or less CFMs in each size. The larger sizes are seriously heavy duty and would be a perfect fit for commercial sized grow ops.
Price: $146 to $698 with free shipping, depending on size
Buy the Can Fan 6″, 334 CFM Fan here, the 12” 1,709 CFM Fan here or the 16” 2,343 CFM Fan here.
Watch a review video here.
Pros:
- Higher CFMs than any other manufacturer
- The best choice for larger grow ops
- 5 year warranty
Cons:
- The most expensive option
- Does not include ducting
- Does not come with charcoal filter
Find more Can Fan information and reviews here.
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10. Hydrofarm Eight Inch Booster Inline Fan
Last but not least, we have the Hydrofarm Eight Inch Booster Inline Fan. Hydrofarm has come out with a great midline fan for people who do not necessarily need to get the cheapest option out there, but they are not at a pro-grow level yet so they do not need a super high powered fan. This inline fan is constricted of aluminum so it is very lightweight, and it comes in a standard eight inch size that will work with most grow tents. The reviews on this fan are very positive, and it comes with a year long warranty as well.
Price: $55 with free shipping
Buy the Hydrofarm Eight Inch Booster Inline Fan here.
Watch a review video here.
Pros:
- One year warranty
- Less expensive than most other options
- Tons of good reviews on Amazon.com
Cons:
- Warranty is less than most other manufacturers
- Does not include filters, ducting or speed controller
- Made of less-durable aluminium
Find more Hydrofarm Eight Inch Booster Inline Fan information and reviews here.
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