When we reviewed the Dreo CLF521S ($189.99) ceiling fan last year, it earned an Editor’s Choice award for its affordable price, powerful airflow, and generous feature set, which includes voice control, adjustable LED lighting, and built-in Wi-Fi. The company’s latest connected ceiling fan, the $219.99 CLF712S, may cost a bit more than its predecessor, but it offers several upgrades, including a slightly wider LED lamp, the option to set the lighting to colors in addition to white, and more powerful airflow. It significantly improves on the CLF521S, while costing only $30 more, and it's just as easy to install. That's why it's our new Editors’ Choice winner for smart ceiling fans.

Design and Features: Clean Lines and Powerful Airflow

The CLF712S is a five-blade ceiling fan available in black or white. The curvy 52-inch blades feature a faux wood grain finish and require no tools for installation—they simply snap into the slots on the motor and are secured in place by tightening a thumbscrew.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

The fan is powered by a reversible 12-speed DC motor, which provides a maximum airflow of 6,040 CFM (cubic feet per minute). That is significantly more powerful than the CLF521S's 5,600 CFM airflow. The included remote only provides six fan speed settings, and an additional six are available in the mobile app.

Although the CLF712S is only $30 more expensive than the CLF521S, its improved power makes it the better choice for most people. It's also significantly cheaper than some other connected fans we've tested, like the indoor/outdoor-friendly Modern Forms Renegade Smart Ceiling Fan ($499.95).

The CLF712S has a 13-inch round LED lamp that emits the same amount of light (2,400 lumens) as the CLF512S’s 12-inch lamp. It’s dimmable and features an adjustable white color temperature range, offering warm yellows, cool blues, and everything in between. New to this model is the addition of a 16-million-color RGB light ring that surrounds the white LED, allowing for mood lighting.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

In addition to the six speed buttons, the 5.5-inch remote features buttons to control the fan (on/off), airflow direction, LED (on/off), LED brightness, and set a timer (1, 4, or 8 hours). Additional buttons allow you to cycle through white temperature and RGB color presets, with several options available for both.

The CLF712S is equipped with Bluetooth and (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi radios that connect to your phone and to your home network. It uses the same Dreo App (available for Android and iOS) as the CLF521S and the CF714S Air Circulator Fan ($99.99), and it features its own dashboard in the home section of the app. The fan supports Alexa and Google voice commands, works with both apps, and supports Siri shortcuts. However, it doesn’t support Apple HomeKit or IFTTT for additional smart home device integrations.

(Credit: Dreo/PCMag)

The dashboard shows the fan's name and picture, an on/off button, and controls for setting a timer (to have it turn on/off after a set period of time) or schedule (to have it turn on/off on specific days and times). There's also a bedtime light button that allows you to set a fade-out time for the white lamp, and a settings button for additional controls.

Tap the picture of the fan on the dashboard to open a screen with tabs for the fan, the main (white) light, and the RGB ring. When you tap the fan tab, you’ll see a control panel with a 12-speed slider, a fan on/off button, and four mode selections (Normal, Natural, Sleep, and Auto). Normal mode runs at a fixed speed while Natural mixes speeds to simulate a breeze. Sleep mode gradually slows down over time, and Auto mode utilizes a built-in sensor to adjust fan speeds according to room temperature.

When you tap the light button, you’ll see a slider for adjusting the brightness and another for adjusting the color temperature. Tap the RGB tab to open a screen where you can use a color dial to select a hue for the light ring, adjust the brightness, and choose from one of three light modes. Constant mode keeps the light static, Breath makes the light pulse, and Circle has the light cycle through each color. Both the Breath and Circle effects offer low, medium, and high-speed settings.

The settings button takes you to a screen where you can rename the fan, assign it to a different room, share access to the fan, check Wi-Fi signal strength, check the firmware version, and view the user manual.

Installation and Performance: Straightforward Setup and Dependable Operation

Installing the CLF712S is fairly easy, but it involves working with electrical wiring, so if you’re not comfortable with this, consider hiring a professional to do it for you. I started by turning off the power to my existing fan at the breaker box before removing it. I attached the new ceiling bracket to the junction box, then attached the downrod, yoke cover, and canopy to the motor housing. Next, I ran the wires up into the downrod. I then hung the fan by placing the downrod ball into the ceiling bracket slot, connected the wires (white to white, black to black, ground to ground), and snapped the blades into place, securing them with the included thumbscrews. I attached the lamp wires, screwed the lamp onto the fan assembly, and restored power to the circuit.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

I already had the Dreo app installed on my phone, but if this is your first device from the brand, you’ll have to download it and create an account. When I opened the app, the CLF712S was immediately recognized via Bluetooth. I then tapped it, selected my Wi-Fi SSID, entered my password, and assigned a name to the fan to complete the installation. Once connected, the fan, white lamp, and RGB light were automatically added to my Alexa device list, as I had already enabled the Dreo skill.

The CLF712S worked well in testing. The fan and LED lights responded instantly to remote control and app commands, and the fan was relatively quiet, producing 38dB at its highest speed setting, as recorded with the NIOSH Sound Level Meter mobile app.

The adjustable white lamp produced soft, yellow lighting when set to the warmest temperature and a cool, blue light at its highest temperature. Alexa voice commands to turn the fan and lamps on and off, as well as change the brightness level of the white lamp, worked as intended. An Alexa routine to turn the lamp on when a Ring Outdoor Cam Plus ($99.99) detected motion worked perfectly.