Fan Light or Ceiling Fan? Choosing for a Kenyan Bedroom or Sitting Room
If you want the most air for the least money, buy a bladed ceiling fan (as general guidance, an exposed sweep of blades moves more air): the MODI 56-inch MD-HWF2004 is KSh 3,500, about a third of the price of a 96W crystal fan light at KSh 10,500. Choose a fan light when the room already has a light point, you do not want a second circuit or chased walls, and you want light and fan in one decorative fitting. Neither is wrong; they suit different rooms.
The short comparison
| Bladed ceiling fan | Fan light | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | MD-HWF2004, 56 inch, 90W | MD-FLD4772RF-Y 72W or the 96W crystal range |
| Price | KSh 3,500 a piece, KSh 9,450 a carton of three | KSh 5,600 (72W) or KSh 10,500 (96W crystal) |
| Light | None; you still need a separate light | Built in, three-colour switchable |
| Speed control | 5 speeds, set from a wall speed controller | Bluetooth from a phone on the crystal models |
| Body size | 56-inch sweep (about 1,420 mm) | 500 mm across (72W); 480 mm across and 750 mm deep (96W crystal) |
| Airflow figures on our pages | Not stated | Not stated |
We do not publish airflow or blade-size figures for the fan lights, so we will not guess at them. What we can say plainly is that a fan light hides its fan inside a light body, while the MD-HWF2004 swings a full 56-inch sweep of blades. As general guidance, a larger exposed sweep moves more air across a room, which is why a bladed fan remains the choice when cooling is the priority.
What a fan light actually gives you
The ceiling fan lights range is built around one idea: one ceiling point, two functions. The 72W white model is described as aimed at bedrooms and sitting rooms where the ceiling is already wired for a light and running a separate fan circuit would mean chasing walls. It is 500 mm across in iron and PVC, spreads light over 120 degrees at CRI 80 or better, and switches between three colour temperatures, so it can run warm at night and daylight during the day.
The three 96W crystal models share one platform in different bodies:
- MD-FLD3096RF-Y, black and gold, KSh 10,500
- MD-FLD3296RF-Y, white and gold, KSh 10,500
- MD-FLD3396RF-Y, white and gold, third body style, KSh 10,500
Each is iron and crystal, 480 mm in diameter and 750 mm deep, with efficacy above 80 lumens per watt, a 120 degree beam, 2KV surge protection and Bluetooth control, so light and fan can be run from a phone rather than the wall. They read as a chandelier rather than an appliance. If the look matters more than the airflow, see also our guide to pendant lights and chandeliers in Nairobi.
What a bladed fan gives you
The MD-HWF2004 is sized for a living room or a large bedroom. It has a 90W motor wound in full copper on double ball bearings, five speeds, copper, iron and plastic construction, and a shipped weight of 2.2 kg, in gold or silver. It gives no light, so the room keeps its existing light point or gets a separate one. For more on fan pricing, read ceiling fan prices in Kenya, or browse all fans.
Room size, ceiling height and headroom
This is where the 96W crystal models need care. Their body is 750 mm deep, so it hangs a long way below the ceiling. As general guidance only: subtract 750 mm from your ceiling height and check what is left. On a 2,600 mm ceiling, the bottom of the fitting would sit at roughly 1,850 mm, which is low enough for a tall person to reach or knock. That works over a bed or a dining table, where nobody walks underneath, but less well in the middle of a busy sitting room with a low ceiling.
- Low ceilings: the 72W model's page gives a 500 mm diameter and no drop depth, so measure the unit when you collect it, or ask us before buying.
- High ceilings: the crystal bodies have room to hang and work as a focal fitting.
- Large or hot rooms: as a rule of thumb, a 56-inch sweep suits a living room or large bedroom, and two fans may suit a long open-plan room better than one.
Concrete or timber ceiling
The 72W fan light page states it mounts on a concrete slab with expansion screws (see fixing into concrete) or on a timber ceiling with self-tapping screws. The MD-HWF2004 page lists ceiling, standard and wooden-ceiling installation, and cement ceilings with the appropriate fixing. As general guidance, any fitting that spins should be fixed into the slab or a joist, not into gypsum or plasterboard alone. A licensed electrician should do the fixing and the wiring.
Switches: speed controller, not dimmer
A bladed fan's speed is set from a fan speed controller such as the MODI M2-033 fan speed controller, KSh 280 in white or KSh 310 in gold or grey (KSh 15,120 and KSh 16,740 a carton of 60). It fits a standard back box and matches the other M2 plates. As general guidance, do not put a fan on a lamp dimmer: a dimmer is made for lighting loads, not motors.
A fan light that is controlled from a phone or its own controller is best fed from a plain on/off switch, not a dimmer or fan regulator, which can interfere with the electronics inside the fitting. Again, this is general guidance; confirm with your electrician. For matching plates, see switches and our guide to choosing sockets and switches in Kenya.
Who each suits
| Situation | Better choice |
|---|---|
| Hot Mombasa sitting room, cooling is the priority | Bladed 56-inch fan with an M2 speed controller |
| Nairobi bedroom with one light point, no wish to chase walls | 72W fan light |
| Dining room or master bedroom with a high ceiling, look matters | 96W crystal fan light |
| Tight budget, several rooms to fit out | Bladed fan, bought by the carton of three |
| Rental flat where the landlord will not allow new wiring | Fan light on the existing light point |
Where to buy
Visit our Nairobi trade counter at Royal Business Park, opposite Complast, Old Mombasa Road, Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 17:30. Pickup at the counter is free. We deliver countrywide at a flat KSh 350, free on orders over KSh 15,000. Ask about stock or sizes on WhatsApp. Contractors and electricians fitting out several rooms can request a trade quote on our trade page.
Common questions
Does a fan light cool as well as a ceiling fan?
Our product pages give no airflow figures for the fan lights, so we cannot compare them on numbers. As general guidance, the exposed 56-inch sweep of a bladed fan moves more air, and a fan light is the choice when light, looks and a single ceiling point matter more.
Can I fit a fan light where my current light is?
Yes, that is what they are designed for. The 72W model is aimed at rooms already wired for a light where a separate fan circuit would mean chasing walls. Have a licensed electrician check the fixing and wiring.
Can I use a dimmer as a fan regulator?
As general guidance, no. Use a fan speed controller such as the MODI M2-033 for a bladed fan, and a plain on/off switch for a fan light with its own control. Lamp dimmers are made for lighting loads; confirm with your electrician.
How much do they cost?
The 56-inch ceiling fan is KSh 3,500, the 72W fan light KSh 5,600 and each 96W crystal fan light KSh 10,500. The M2 speed controller is from KSh 280.