Having a quality kitchen island vent or range hood not only can help make your kitchen look sleek, but it is also a crucial appliance to think about in order to properly vent smells, steam, heat, grease (and if you’re me…sometimes smoke) out of your home and kitchen.
At its core, a range hood ensures your kitchen has proper ventilation.
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Common Vent & Range Hood Terminology
Before we dive in, let’s breakdown some of the commonly used words and acronyms you’ll see listed in product descriptions or on manufacturer websites regarding range hoods or vent hoods (a term used interchangeably for the most part).
- CFM: CFM airflow is an abbreviation for cubic feet per minute (cu ft/min). This is the amount of air the hood can process.
- Wall-Mounted Range Hood: installed on the wall directly above the electric stove or gas stoves. (see example below)
- Under-Cabinet Mounted: a vent hood that is built into cabinetry or installed under cabinetry (see example below)
- Convertible Range Hood: Works with or without a duct system. This type will have the connections needed for a ventilation system, but will also have charcoal filters for ductless use.
- Ducted or Ventilated Range Hoods: uses a fan to pull the steam, smoke, heat, grease and cooking fumes from your kitchen. It then expels them outdoors via a duct or vent.
- Non-Ducted or Non-Ventilated Range Hoods: uses a fan but has no duct or vent to the outdoors. Rather, it uses filters to clean the air and recycle it back into your kitchen.
- Filters: these are the filters that “filter” out the grease, air, dust and other particles. They are usually dishwasher safe and made of aluminum, stainless or even charcoal types.
How We Chose Our Range Vent Hood
When we were building our current home back in 2017, I was a little apprehensive about the vent hood my husband was proposing because it was a little louder and more expensive than I wanted, BUT the reviews stated that it was very efficient at kitchen ventilation due to various fan speeds.
For us, having a ducted range hood that vents to an exterior wall was the best option to not have our cooking smells linger any longer than they have to in our open concept layout.
Even though I am a casual cook, I wanted our kitchen air to quickly vent out of the house while using our 30 inch gas stove or even while using our InstaPot. It is no fun to be smelling last night’s dinner while you’re trying to fall asleep. Ask me how I know this.
Choosing an Island Range or Vent Hood
Truly, it’s going to boil down to personal preference, your home’s construction and budget.
Are you willing to opt for a lower CFM because you live in a small home and want the noise level to be as quiet as possible? Is ducting to an exterior wall even feasible…it may not be in a condo or townhome type setting?
Or do you want powerful airflow (higher CFM) no matter the noise level? Or you may want average, proper ventilation and a mid-range price? Ductless or ducted design?
If you’re an interior design lover, you may opt for the look of the vent hood more than anything else and may not be too picky about the features
As you can see, there’s a lot to think about when considering an island mount range hood for your kitchen design, especially since it’ll have a more prominent look and stance than a traditional wall-mount range hood or an under-cabinet range hood (which are often sold as a microwave/range hood combo).
Measuring for Your Island Range Hood
When measuring for an island range hood be sure to measure:
First, the width of your range. Ideally, a range hood is as wide or wider than your range, or up to 3″ larger on either side.
Second, the distances from the top of the range the ceiling. You’ll want to select an overall height that places the bottom of the range hood within the recommended height above the cooktop.
For taller ceilings, you can purchase a compatible chimney extension, which is usually easy to find via the manufacturer or on Amazon.
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Top 10 Best Kitchen Island Hoods
When compiling this list of the 10 best kitchen island hoods I kept in mind several factors:
- Noise Level and Sound Level
- Easy Cleaning (ex: dishwasher-safe filters)
- LCD Display or Touch Controls
- LED Lights
- CFM Rating
- Elegant Design
There are a lot of kitchen ventilation options for islands on the market ranging from inexpensive (perfect for a tight budget) to top of the line, modern design range hoods with a remote control, Wifi and smartphone apps.
The list below of best range hoods for your kitchen island is designed to provide the best options out there at a variety of price points, styles, and features.
Each island range hood below will be formatted the same so you can easily glance at the features between each model to arrive at the one that is the best choice for you.
Please note that island range hoods typically come in 36-inch hood and 30-inch hood models which will correspond to the width of your cook top or stove.
Additionally, given they’re essentially “floating” above your gas range or electric range, these types of range hoods are traditionally installed on your ceiling. Depending how high your ceiling is, you may need to purchase an extender so your hood can function as designed.
Brand: Cosmo
- Duct Type: Convertible (ducted as is, but can be converted to a ductless range hood with purchase of a converter)
- Size: 30″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible (a bit quieter than the average vacuum cleaner)
- Airflow: 380 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Three
- Product Features: Soft touch controls, LED lights, auto shut off timer
- Style Notes: Tempered glass, stainless steel hood,
- Filter: Permanent filters that can easily be thrown in the dishwasher and reused
- Reviewers say: “The fit and finish is good. The touchscreen is responsive and works well enough. I’m actually surprised that the price is so low considering how much of the cost must be in the stainless steel and other materials alone. So I’m not picky about the screen, just happy that it responds well.”
Brand: AKDY
- Duct Type: Ducted
- Size: 30″ wide
- Noise: 60 decible
- Airflow: 343 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Three
- Product Features: LED lights, powerful motor, quiet
- Style Notes: BLACK stainless
- Filter: Permanent filters that can easily be thrown in the dishwasher
- Reviewers say: “Beautiful when it arrived, the black stainless matched our LG appliances great. I had help installing and recommend you do as well.”
Brand: IKTCH
- Duct Type: Convertible
- Size: Comes in 30″, 36″ and 42″ wide models
- Noise: 40-65 decible
- Airflow: 900 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Three
- Product Features: LED lights, remote control
- Style Notes: Great if you have a large cooking area
- Filter: Three permanent filters
- Reviewers say: “The fan is truly quiet and no issues with gesture controls or using remote. The lighting is more than adequate. My biggest challenge was having to mount closer to the roof than the included square duct covers would allow.”
Brand: Broan
- Duct Type: Convertible
- Size: 36″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible
- Airflow: 550 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Three
- Product Features: FOUR led lights, slide controls
- Style Notes: Beautiful curves for a high-end kitchen look, made for 9-10′ ceilings
- Filter: Dishwasher safe permanent filters
- Reviewers say: “This is a very sturdy hood with powerful ventilation, much air and good lighting. The screens come out easily for cleaning. It’s quiet on low settings and beautifully made – a showpiece item in our kitchen.”
Brand: Winflo
- Duct Type: Convertible (has ductless option)
- Size: 30″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible
- Airflow: 267 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Two
- Product Features: LED lights
- Style Notes: Classic choice for most homes
- Filter: Aluminum mesh filters
- Reviewers say: “Made such a difference in brightening up my kitchen! This one does not hang as low as most which I needed for my low ceiling! So much happier in my kitchen and with air quality!”
Brand: Empava
- Duct Type: Convertible (has ductless option)
- Size: 36″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible
- Airflow: 400 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Three speeds
- Product Features: digital touch controls integrated into tempered glass
- Style Notes: Modern design without the high price tag
- Filter: Dishwasher-safe baffle filters
- Reviewers say: “This hood looks like a professional installed it. I am very pleased with the amount of air that it moves. Plenty of light. I would buy this again!”
Brand: AKDY
- Duct Type: Convertible (Can be used with a ducted system or ductless)
- Size: 36″ wide
- Noise: 60 decible
- Airflow: 350 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Three speeds
- Product Features: unique finish, remote control
- Style Notes: Embossed copper finish would be gorgeous in a farmhouse style kitchen or in an old world, traditional kitchen vibe
- Filter: Mesh filters (dishwasher safe)
- Reviewers say: “I installed the island range hood for my sister. It looks great and is very good quality with enough power. It has controls on both sides and also has a remote control. My sister loves it. We mounted this about 23″ from her island top.”
Brand: Elica
- Duct Type: Ducted hood option ONLY
- Size: 36″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible
- Airflow: 1200 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Four speeds
- Product Features: INSANELY powerful for clean air
- Style Notes: if you love to cook on high heat, you need this range hood
- Filter: Stainless steel baffle filters
- Reviewers say: “Features patented Hush System, which is an exclusive sound deadening technology that effectively reduces sound levels by over 35%, compared to typical range hoods on the market.”
Brand: Faber
- Duct Type: Convertible (great option for a high-end ductless island range hood)
- Size: 15″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible
- Airflow: 600 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Four speeds
- Product Features: delay shut-off
- Style Notes: Cylindrical design would be right at home in modern or luxury Italian style kitchens
- Filter: Stainless steel baffle filters
- Reviewers say: “Looks absolutely amazing! Love it!”
Brand: ZLINE
- Duct Type: Ducted ONLY
- Size: 30″ wide
- Noise: 52 decible
- Airflow: 400 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Four speeds
- Product Features: Available in a hand-hammered copper or oil rubbed bronze
- Style Notes: The crown molding at the top makes for a custom look without the custom look price tag
- Filter: dishwasher-safe stainless steel baffle filters
- Reviewers say: “I’ve now had this unit for over two years. I’m so happy with this range hood. It still looks beautiful, and works like a dream. Very quiet yet efficient at getting the vapors out of my kitchen. And ZLine’s service has been excellent, as well. My unit came with the halogen bulbs. After a year I called to inquire about buying the LED replacement kit and the friendly person simply mailed them to me no charge! Now that’s service! They installed easily.”
Brand: ZLINE
- Duct Type: Convertible
- Size: 36″ wide
- Noise: 60 decible
- Airflow: 400 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Four speeds
- Product Features: OUTDOOR rated as well as indoor rated
- Style Notes: The finish on this island range hood is beautiful if you have a traditional style kitchen
- Filter: dishwasher-safe stainless steel baffle filters
- Reviewers say: “I just purchased this hood and it looks amazing. It installed within an hour complete with electrical and venting. It was the perfect addition to our summer kitchen. Not only does it look great, it is quiet and the lights are perfect for added light over the grill. I am looking forward to using it this summer.”
Brand: ZLINE
- Duct Type: Convertible
- Size: 30″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible
- Airflow: 400 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Four speeds
- Product Features: OUTDOOR rated as well as indoor rated
- Style Notes: Crown molding included and under $500? Sign us all up!
- Filter: dishwasher-safe stainless steel baffle filters
- Reviewers say: “I was forced to put an island hood in when I replaced my electric downdraft range. I was extremely hesitant to add something that would break up the room…I took a chance with this hood. It looks fantastic! My contractor and decorator were shocked at the quality and price point. Arrived in a timely fashion. Install was quick and easy. Very quiet and efficient. Adds a beautiful focal point to my kitchen!”
Brand: Coppersmith
- Duct Type: Ducted only
- Size: 36″ wide
- Noise: 65 decible
- Airflow: 610 CFM
- Number of fan speeds: Three speeds
- Product Features: OUTDOOR rated as well as indoor rated
- Style Notes: Hand-crafted! Also, it’s 100% made in the United States
- Filter: dishwasher-safe stainless steel baffle filters
- Reviewers say: “The CopperSmith MX3 features linear curves, 3 sides, a chimney, and a box apron. Loud Design, Quiet Technology. Our custom range hoods are crafted to the highest standards in the industry and paired with our professional-grade insert fans.”
I hope this list of the top 13 island range hoods for your kitchen and home helps you in your search to circulate air, remove fumes and enjoy cooking for your friends, family and loved ones.