Sones at 0.1 inch, and none at 0.25
Every Air King rating uses 0.1 inch of static pressure, the light load HVI treats as its standard test point. Each product page has a row labelled "Sones @ .1 SP", and each sheet opens with a line such as "80 CFM/0.7 Sones @ 0.10" SP." The second line on most sheets gives airflow at 0.25 inch, the AK80LS's "61 CFM @ 0.25 SP.", with nothing beside it for sound. HVI's directory, downloaded November 7, 2026, has the same shape: Air King fans carry sones at 0.1 inch and airflow alone at 0.25.
One basis for the whole range makes Air King simpler to compare than brands that publish two. It also means the ranking says nothing about how a fan sounds at the end of a long duct with elbows.
The product pages add a word for the sound, from "Very Quiet" through "Quiet" and "Moderate" to "High". Those words track the figures only loosely. The LEDAK80 at 1.2 sones and the SF5810 at up to 1.1 are both "Very Quiet", while the "High" fans are rated 5.0 and 5.5.
A sone scale is linear with perceived loudness: two sones sound roughly double one. You will find no decibel conversions here; sones vs decibels explains why the two do not convert cleanly.
Which Air King bath fan is the quietest?
The ECO E series and the variable speed EVD family, all 6-inch fans rated under 0.3 sone on their normal settings at 0.1 inch. "Under 0.3" is the lowest value HVI lists. It is a ceiling rather than a number, so only their boost figures can be ranked.
| Models | Normal speeds, all under 0.3 sone | Boost at 0.1 inch |
|---|
| EVD, EVDH (humidity), EVDGH (motion and humidity) | Low 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 90, 100 and 120 CFM; high 80, 110 and 130 CFM | 150 CFM, 0.6 sone |
| EVLD, EVLDH, EVLDGH (the same fans with an 8.5 W LED) | The same table | 150 CFM, 0.6 sone |
| E80S, E80SH | 80 CFM | 110 CFM, 0.7 sone |
| E110S | 110 CFM | 150 CFM, 0.6 sone on its sheet |
| E130S, E130SH | 130 CFM | 150 CFM, 0.7 sone |
At 0.25 inch the EVD boost slides to 113 CFM and the lighted EVLD's to 112.
Air King's own phrase for the ECO fans is "at barely audible sound levels". The variable speed models suit continuous ventilation best, since a low setting can run all day at under 0.3 sone and the boost clears steam after a shower.
Shallow joists have their own answer. The SF5810 Slim Mount is a DC-motor fan with a housing "only 3-3/8 inches tall" on a 4-inch oval duct, and its 50, 80 and 100 CFM speeds are rated 0.3, 0.7 and 1.1 sones at 0.1 inch.
LS and LS6 mark the quiet AK fans
The AK quiet fans span 0.4 to 3.0 sones. An LS6 fan takes a 6-inch duct, and each one is rated below the 4-inch AK at the same airflow.
| Model | Airflow | Sones at 0.1 inch | Duct |
|---|
| AK80LS6 | 80 CFM | 0.5 | 6 inch |
| AK90LS6 | 90 CFM | 0.8 | 6 inch |
| AK100LS6 | 100 CFM | 1.0 | 6 inch |
| AK110LS6 | 110 CFM | 1.4 | 6 inch |
| AK150LS | 150 CFM | 0.9 | 6 inch |
| AK280LS, sized for "light commercial applications" | 280 CFM | 3.0 | 6 inch |
| AK80LS | 80 CFM | 0.7 | 4 inch |
| AK110LS | 110 CFM | 1.5 | 4 inch |
Below those sits the plain AK series, in the same steel housing with a 4-inch collar.
| Model | Airflow | Sones at 0.1 inch |
|---|
| AK50S | 50 CFM | 0.5 |
| AK80LS-1 | 80 CFM | 1.0 |
| AK80 and AK90 | 80 and 90 CFM | 1.5 |
| AK110PN | 100 CFM, despite the 110 in its name | 2.0 |
| AK100D, two speeds | 50 and 100 CFM | 0.4 and 2.0 |
Snap-in BFQ fans climb fast past 50 CFM
Only the 50 CFM model gets under 1.0 sone. The BFQ snap-in fans run from 0.6 to 3.5 sones at 0.1 inch, in plastic housings with Air King's SNAP-IN mounting, all on a 4-inch duct.
| Model | Airflow | Sones at 0.1 inch |
|---|
| BFQ50 | 50 CFM | 0.6 |
| BFQ75 | 70 CFM | 2.0 |
| BFQ80 | 80 CFM | 2.0 |
| BFQ90 | 90 CFM | 3.0 |
| BFQ110 | 100 CFM | 3.5 |
The BFC fans are the quieter middle step. They hang on brackets with a "4 inch round metal duct connector with damper", the BFC90 and BFC100 are both 1.0 sone at 90 and 100 CFM, and the humidity sensing BFC90H and BFC100H match them. The BFC page says these fans "are HVI Certified" and "UL listed for installation over a tub or shower on a GFCI circuit".
For the smallest rooms, other makers' 50 to 80 CFM fans are compared in our small-bathroom fan guide.
Lighted models span 0.3 to 5.5 sones
The variable speed EVLD family leads, under 0.3 sone up to 130 CFM and 0.6 on boost, with the LEDAK50 next at 0.3 sone and 50 CFM. After that the lighted fans spread out widely.
| Model | Airflow | Sones at 0.1 inch | Lamp |
|---|
| LEDAK50 | 50 CFM | 0.3 | 8.5 W LED, 800 lumens |
| LEDAK80 | 80 CFM | 1.2 | 8.5 W LED, 800 lumens |
| LEDAK100 | 100 CFM | 2.0 | 8.5 W LED, 800 lumens |
| LEDAK100D, two speeds | 50 and 100 CFM | 0.4 and 2.0 | 8.5 W LED, 800 lumens |
| BFQL50, snap-in | 50 CFM | 0.8 | 6 W LED, 450 lumens |
| BFQL70, snap-in | 70 CFM | 2.0 | 6 W LED, 450 lumens |
| AK100L, with a night light | 100 CFM | 3.5 | Screw-in A19 bulb |
| AK863L, round, with a night light | 100 CFM | 3.5 | Screw-in A19 bulb |
| DRLC701, DRLC702 and DRLC703 (bronze, nickel and white) | 70 CFM | 4.0 | Screw-in A19 bulb |
| ASLC50 | 50 CFM | 3.0 | Screw-in A19 bulb |
| ASLC70 | 70 CFM | 5.5 | Screw-in A19 bulb |
Lighted fans from all makers are ranked in our guide to quiet bath fans with lights.
A humidity sensor adds no sones
Air King sells humidity sensing versions of most of its quiet lines, and each one carries the same figure as the fan it is based on. The 6-inch ECO and LS6 models are the lowest rated.
| Models | Rating at 0.1 inch | Duct |
|---|
| EVDH, EVDGH, EVLDH and EVLDGH | Under 0.3 sone from 30 to 130 CFM; 0.6 sone at 150 CFM on boost | 6 inch |
| E80SH | 80 CFM below 0.3 sone; boost of 110 CFM at 0.7 | 6 inch |
| E130SH | 130 CFM below 0.3 sone; boost of 150 CFM at 0.7 | 6 inch |
| AK80LS6H | 0.5 sone at 80 CFM | 6 inch |
| AK100LS6H | 1.0 sone at 100 CFM | 6 inch |
| AK80H | 1.0 sone at 80 CFM | 4 inch |
| BFC90H and BFC100H | 1.0 sone at 90 and 100 CFM | 4 inch |
| AK100H and LEDAK100H (with LED) | 2.0 sones at 100 CFM | 4 inch |
The pairs make the point: the AK80LS6H and AK80LS6 are both 0.5 sone at 80 CFM, the AK100LS6H and AK100LS6 both 1.0 at 100, and the EVDH and EVD share one table. Set points go up to 80 percent on the sheets and pages. Sensor fans from other brands are compared in our humidity-sensing fan guide.
How loud are Air King's AS economy fans?
Very. The AS and ASLC economy fans are Air King's loudest, 3.0 to 5.5 sones at 0.1 inch.
| Model | Airflow | Sones at 0.1 inch | Duct |
|---|
| AS50 | 50 CFM | 4.0 | 3 inch |
| AS70 | 70 CFM | 5.5 | 3 inch |
| AS54 | 50 CFM | 3.0 | 4 inch |
Air King's own label for the AS70 and ASLC70 is "High". At 50 CFM the AS50 is more than six times the BFQ50, and at 70 CFM the AS70 is close to three times the BFQ75. Even here the bigger collar helps: the AS54, on 4 inches, is a full sone below the 3-inch AS50 at the same airflow.
Heater fans sit at 3.5 to 5.0 sones
All three move 70 CFM at 0.1 inch, and none appears in HVI's directory.
| Model | Heat | Sones at 0.1 inch |
|---|
| AK-917, bulb heater | One 250 W infrared lamp | 3.5 |
| AK965L, heater with light and night light | 1500 W | 3.5 |
| AK55L, ceramic heater with light | 1,350 W | 5.0 |
The AK-917 and AK965L pages label the sound "Moderate", the AK55L page "High". All three pages say the units "Can not be used inside of showers or over tubs." Heater fans from other makers are compared in the quietest bathroom fans with heaters.
Fire-rated trim kits need their own housing
These are trim kits for Air King's AKFH fire-rated housings, meant for ceilings that call for a fire-rated fan, and they are rated 0.6 to 4.0 sones at 0.1 inch.
| Model | Airflow | Sones at 0.1 inch |
|---|
| FAK50TR | 50 CFM | 0.6 |
| FAK80TR and FAK80TRH (humidity) | 80 CFM | 1.0 |
| FAK90TR | 90 CFM | 1.5 |
| FAK100TR | 100 CFM | 2.0 |
| FA50TR | 50 CFM | 3.0 |
| FA70TR | 70 CFM | 4.0 |
The paperwork uses other names. Specification sheets linked from the ENERGY STAR fire-rated page are filed as FR50 to FR100, and HVI's directory lists those names with the same 0.1-inch figures as the FAK trim kits; the FA kits' sheets are filed as FS50 and FS70, which HVI does not list at all. None of these is ranked above, because each needs a matching housing before it does anything.
Two places where page and sheet disagree
Both are small. The E110S page gives its boost as "150 / 0.7", while the E110S sheet says "150 CFM/0.6 Sones @ 0.10" SP. (Boost)" and HVI's directory also lists 0.6. This page follows the sheet.
The other is about light, not sound. The EVLDH page describes its lamp as "8.5 watt 4000K LED, 725 Lumens", and the EVLDH sheet says "800 Lumens 94 Lumens/Watt, 3000K"; the sone figures on the two agree.
Model numbers are a weaker guide than either. The AK110PN and BFQ110 both move 100 CFM, not 110, and the BFQ75 moves 70, so check the CFM on the sheet before comparing two Air King fans by name.
Are Air King bathroom exhaust fans quiet?
About half are, by HVI's measure. Of the 63 current Air King exhaust fans, 31 are rated 1.0 sone or less at full speed at 0.1 inch, most of them in the ECO, EVD, LS, LS6 and BFC lines.
The other 32 run from 1.1 to 5.5 sones, and the AS, ASLC, DRLC and older lighted fixtures make up most of the loud end. For a bathroom next to a bedroom, set those figures against how quiet is quiet enough before choosing a model by price.
