A ducted range hood pushes cooking air outside through a duct. A ductless hood cleans that air through filters and blows it back into your kitchen. Everything else in this guide follows from that one difference.
If you can run a duct to the outside, do. If you can’t, a ductless hood with a fresh charcoal filter is still far better than cooking with nothing overhead, as long as you know what it will and won’t remove.
- Go ducted if you fry or sear often, cook on gas, have an open-plan kitchen, or already have a duct in place.
- Go ductless if you rent, live in an apartment, can’t reach an outside wall or roof, or mostly boil, steam and reheat.
- Go convertible if you’re not sure, or might move. It can be installed either way.
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What we’d buy
A ductless hood if you’ll never have a duct, a convertible one if you might, and the filter that fits both.
Ducted vs ductless range hood at a glance
A ducted hood sends air out of the house. A ductless hood filters it and sends it back into the room.
| Ducted | Ductless | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the air goes | Outside, through a duct in the wall or roof | Back into the kitchen, through grease and charcoal filters |
| Smoke and gas-burner fumes | Removed from the house | Partly filtered, mostly returned to the room |
| Grease | Caught by the grease filter | Caught by the grease filter |
| Odors | Removed | Reduced while the charcoal filter is fresh |
| Heat and steam | Removed | Stay in the kitchen |
| Installation | Needs a duct route outside; often a job for an installer | Mount it and wire it; no outside work |
| Running cost | Wash the grease filter | Wash the grease filter and replace the charcoal filter every few months |
| Budget example we’d look at | Broan F403004 (installs ducted) | Broan-NuTone 413 |
What is a ductless range hood, and how does it work?
Ductless, ventless, non-ducted and recirculating are four names for the same thing: a hood that cleans the air it catches and returns it to the room. Every one of them does the same four things, in this order:
- The fan pulls air up. Smoke, steam and vapor rise off the pan and the fan draws them into the underside of the hood.
- A metal grease filter catches grease. The mesh or baffle traps grease droplets before they reach the fan and the charcoal.
- A charcoal filter soaks up odors. Activated carbon holds odor molecules on its surface. Once that surface is full it stops working, which is why the filter gets replaced rather than washed.
- The air comes back out. It leaves through vents on the front or top of the hood, still carrying the heat and moisture it went in with.
Step four is the whole trade-off. A ductless hood cleans what it catches, but it can’t take anything out of the house.
Do ductless range hoods actually work?
For grease and moderate cooking smells, yes. For smoke, steam, heat and the gases from a gas burner, not nearly as well as a duct.
The public health guidance is consistent on this. The Washington State Department of Health says recirculating hoods are “generally much less effective than ducted hoods in removing pollution from cooking.” Brett Singer, an indoor air researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, advises that if your hood only recirculates, you should also run another exhaust fan or open a window while you cook.
That doesn’t make ductless pointless. In a rental where a duct isn’t allowed, a ductless hood still keeps grease off your cabinets and ceiling and takes the edge off cooking smells. How well it does that depends on three things:
- The charcoal filter. An old one does almost nothing for odors. If a ductless hood seems to do nothing for smells, an old filter is the first suspect.
- What you cook. Pasta and steamed vegetables are easy. Searing steak or deep-frying is more than a recirculating hood can keep up with.
- Coverage. The hood should be at least as wide as your cooktop and mounted at the height the manual gives.
If ductless is your only option
Buy a hood that was designed to be ductless, rather than a ducted hood converted with a kit. There are fewer parts to get wrong, and the charcoal filter comes in the box.
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Our ductless pick
Broan-NuTone 413 Series 30-Inch Ductless Under-Cabinet Range Hood
Designed as a non-ducted hood, so there is no conversion kit to buy: Broan lists the charcoal filter as included, and it recirculates from day one. It fits a standard 30-inch under-cabinet space, runs a 2-speed fan, and Broan rates it at 3.5 sones, which is quiet for a hood. The listing link opens on black; stainless steel and other finishes are on the same page.
The catch: It can never be ducted, so if a duct is a possibility later, the convertible hood below is the better buy. It is hardwired unless you add Broan’s separate power cord kit (HCK44), which matters if you rent. The bulb is not included, and some buyers find the build thin.
Check it on AmazonWhat is a ducted range hood, and what does the duct buy you?
A ducted hood, also called a vented hood, is the only type that actually removes smoke, steam, heat and combustion gases from your home. That’s why it’s the default recommendation for anyone who cooks hard or cooks on gas.
The cost is the duct. It has to reach an exterior wall or the roof, and the route decides how well the hood performs:
- Short and straight wins. Every foot of duct and every elbow cuts airflow and adds noise.
- Use the duct size the manual specifies. A duct that is too small throttles even a powerful fan.
- It must end outdoors. Venting into an attic, crawlspace, wall cavity or cabinet just moves grease and moisture somewhere you can’t see it. Washington’s health department calls this out specifically.
If walls or cabinets are already coming out for a remodel, that’s the cheapest moment you’ll ever have to add a duct.
Ducted or ductless for a gas stove?
Ducted, if you can install one. A gas burner produces combustion gases on top of the smoke and grease from the food, and a charcoal filter isn’t designed to remove those. Recirculating them back into the room is exactly what the health guidance above warns about.
If you cook on gas and a duct truly isn’t possible, run the ductless hood every time, use the back burners, open a window, and keep the fan on after you finish. For background on the burner types themselves, see our guide to 7 types of stoves.
Convertible range hoods: ducted now, ductless later
A convertible hood can be installed either way. Connect it to a duct and it vents outside; add a charcoal filter and mount it without a duct and it recirculates. It behaves like whichever type you install it as.
| Ducted-only | Ductless-only | Convertible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can vent outside | Yes | No | Yes |
| Can recirculate | No | Yes | Yes, with a charcoal filter |
| Charcoal filter | Not used | In the box | Often sold separately |
| Right for | Kitchens with a duct already in place | Kitchens that will never have a duct | Renters who may move, or homes planning a duct later |
Convertible vs ducted: which should you buy?
If you already have a duct, a convertible hood installed ducted works the same way as a ducted-only hood, so choose on the model rather than the label. The convertible’s advantage is that it keeps working if you move it to a kitchen without a duct.
Check two things before you buy one. First, whether the charcoal filter for ductless mode is included, and its part number if not. Second, which mode the airflow figure refers to: the same fan moves less air once it has to push through charcoal.
The convertible hood we’d look at
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Our convertible pick
Broan F403004 30-Inch Convertible Under-Cabinet Range Hood
Installs four ways: horizontal or vertical rectangular duct, round vertical duct, or non-ducted. That suits a renter who may have a duct at the next place, or a homeowner planning one later. The aluminum grease filter is dishwasher-safe, and Broan’s parts page names the 41F below as its non-ducted filter.
The catch: It is a modest hood. Broan lists 230 CFM maximum, the Amazon title says 160 CFM, and the listing gives 6.5 sones, which is loud for that airflow. Some buyers call it flimsy. Fine for everyday cooking, not for regular frying. For ductless mode, buy the charcoal filter separately.
Check it on AmazonHow to tell if your range hood is ducted or ductless
If you already have a hood and aren’t sure which type it is, these checks settle it in a few minutes. Switch off the power to the hood before you remove a filter.
One case catches people out: a convertible hood installed ductless looks like a ducted hood from the outside. Checks 1 and 3 together tell you how yours was actually installed.
How much CFM do you need?
CFM is one part of the picture. Hood width, duct route and a clean filter matter as much.
CFM (cubic feet per minute) is how much air the fan can move. More is not automatically better: a big fan over a narrow hood, a long duct or a clogged filter still performs badly, and it’s louder while doing it. For a closer look at cooktop types, see our gas, electric and induction guide.
| How you cook | What to aim for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Boiling, steaming, reheating | A modest fan is enough | Noise matters more than power here |
| Everyday family cooking | Mid-range airflow | Balance airflow against noise |
| Frequent frying or searing | Higher airflow, ducted | Hood width and duct route matter as much as the fan |
| Gas cooktop or open-plan kitchen | Higher airflow, ducted | Smoke and odors spread quickly into living areas |
| Ductless hood | Whatever the hood offers | Airflow drops as the charcoal filter loads up |
Is 400 CFM enough for a range hood?
For most home kitchens with moderate cooking and a hood installed at the right height, yes. It can feel thin for regular high-heat cooking, a large gas range, or an open-plan space.
400 is also a threshold worth knowing about. The International Residential Code, which many US jurisdictions adopt, requires makeup air, a planned way for outside air to replace what the hood removes, for kitchen exhaust hoods capable of exhausting more than 400 CFM. Check your local code before buying a bigger hood.
Grease filters vs charcoal filters
The metal grease filter is washable. The charcoal filter is not.
| Filter | Found in | Job | Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal grease filter (mesh or baffle) | Every hood | Traps grease | Wash it, many are dishwasher-safe; check the manual |
| Charcoal filter | Ductless and convertible hoods running ductless | Absorbs odors | Replace it; washing does not restore it |
If smells linger after cooking with a ductless hood, the charcoal filter is the first thing to replace. Manufacturers give their own intervals; for regular home cooking it usually lands at every few months. For washing the metal filter and the rest of the hood, see how to clean kitchen appliances properly.
Buying the right replacement filter
Buy by part number, from your manual or the label behind the grease filter. Charcoal filters are sized to a hood series, and one that is slightly too small lets air slip around the charcoal instead of through it. Cheaper “compatible” filters exist for most popular hoods; the genuine part is the safer choice when fit matters.
For the two Broan hoods on this page, it’s the same part:
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Replacement charcoal filter
Broan-NuTone 41F Replacement Charcoal Filter
The genuine Broan-NuTone charcoal filter, 8.75 x 10.5 inches. Broan lists it for the 41000 series, which includes the 413 hood above, and the F40000 series, which includes the F403004, along with several other Broan-NuTone ranges.
The catch: It fits only the series Broan lists, so check your model number first. Some buyers find it thinner than they expected.
Check it on AmazonCost and installation
The hood itself is often the smaller part of the bill. What decides the total is the work around it:
| Ducted | Ductless | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Higher: duct route, wall or roof cap, sometimes electrical work | Lower: mount and wire |
| Running cost | Washing the grease filter | Washing the grease filter plus replacement charcoal filters |
| Cheapest moment to choose it | During a remodel, or where a duct already exists | Any time |
Before you buy, measure two things: your cooktop width, since the hood should be at least as wide, and the height from the cooktop to the underside of the cabinet, which has to match the mounting height in the hood’s manual. If you’re fitting a hood under a cabinet, our under-cabinet range hood guide covers sizing and venting for that layout.
Noise: the spec people skip
A hood that is too loud doesn’t get switched on, and a hood that isn’t switched on removes nothing. Noise is usually listed in sones: lower is quieter, and the scale is linear, so 6 sones sounds about twice as loud as 3.
- Compare noise at the speed you’ll actually use, not only at maximum.
- Don’t buy far more CFM than you need; bigger fans are louder.
- On ducted hoods, the right duct size and fewer bends cut noise as much as a quieter motor.
- Keep the filters clean so the fan isn’t straining.
Which one for your kitchen?
| Your kitchen | Choose | Why | Budget example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment or rental, no duct allowed | Ductless | No outside work, no landlord problem | Broan-NuTone 413 |
| Light cooking in a small kitchen | Ductless | Handles grease and mild odors | Broan-NuTone 413 |
| Not sure yet, or may move | Convertible | Install ducted now or ductless later | Broan F403004 |
| Gas stove | Ducted | Removes combustion gases, not only food smells | A ducted hood sized to your cooktop |
| Heavy frying or searing | Ducted | Smoke and heat need to leave the house | A higher-airflow ducted hood; size it with an installer |
| Open-plan kitchen | Ducted | Stops smells spreading into living areas | A ducted hood; size it with an installer |
| Remodel under way | Ducted | The cheapest moment to add a duct | Plan the duct route first, then the hood |
Common mistakes
Maintenance checklist
If your hood is stainless steel, our stainless steel cleaning guide covers the exterior.
| Task | How often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wipe the outside | Weekly | Grease film builds up fast around controls |
| Wash the metal grease filter | Monthly, more often if you fry a lot | A clogged filter cuts airflow and adds noise |
| Replace the charcoal filter | Every few months, or as the manual says | The only thing handling odors in a ductless hood. Broan 41000 and F40000 series: 41F filter |
| Check the airflow | Every few months | Weak suction usually means a dirty filter or a blocked duct |
| Inspect the duct and outside cap | Yearly, on ducted hoods | Grease buildup and stuck flaps choke the airflow |
The verdict
If you can vent outside, buy a ducted hood. It’s the only kind that takes smoke, steam, heat and gas-burner fumes out of your home, and that matters most for people who cook hard or cook on gas.
If you can’t, buy a ductless hood, replace its charcoal filter on schedule, and use it with a window open when you can. And if you’re not sure which situation you’ll be in next year, a convertible hood keeps both options open.
How we chose these products
We picked from Amazon best-sellers, looking at rating volume, availability and fit for the situation each card sits under, and checked the specs against Broan-NuTone’s own product and parts pages. We have not tested them side by side. Each card names the main complaint that comes up in buyer reviews.
FAQ
Is a ducted or ductless range hood better?
Ducted, if you can install one. It is the only type that removes smoke, steam, heat and gas-burner fumes from the house. Ductless is the right choice when a duct isn’t possible, such as in most rentals and many apartments.
How does a ductless range hood work?
A fan pulls cooking air into the hood, a metal grease filter traps grease, a charcoal filter absorbs odors, and the air is blown back into the kitchen through vents on the hood. The heat and moisture come back into the room with it.
How do I know if my range hood is ducted or ductless?
Look for a duct running from the top or back of the hood into the cabinet, wall or ceiling, and for a vent cap outside. Then check behind the grease filter for a charcoal filter, and feel whether air blows back into the room from the hood. A charcoal filter and air coming back out mean it is running ductless.
What is a convertible range hood?
A hood that can be installed either ducted, venting outside, or ductless, recirculating through a charcoal filter. The charcoal filter for ductless mode is often sold separately, so check the part number in the manual.
What are the disadvantages of a ductless range hood?
It can’t remove heat, steam, smoke or gas-burner fumes from the house, it needs a new charcoal filter every few months, and it struggles with frying and high-heat cooking.
What is the point of a non-vented range hood?
It catches grease before it coats your cabinets and ceiling, and it reduces cooking smells, in kitchens where a duct to the outside isn’t possible.
Can I replace a ducted range hood with a ductless one?
Yes, but you lose performance. If you already have a working duct to the outside, keep using it.
Do ductless range hoods really work?
For grease and moderate cooking smells, yes, as long as the charcoal filter is fresh. For smoke, steam, heat and heavy cooking, they are much less effective than a ducted hood.
Is 400 CFM enough for a range hood?
For most home kitchens with moderate cooking, yes. It can feel thin for regular high-heat cooking, a large gas range or an open-plan kitchen. Hoods able to exhaust more than 400 CFM often need makeup air under the International Residential Code, so check your local code.
Do I need a range hood for a gas stove?
It is strongly recommended. A gas burner adds combustion gases to the smoke and grease from cooking, and a ducted hood is the only type that removes them from the house.
How often should I replace a charcoal filter?
Follow the interval in your hood’s manual. For regular home cooking it usually works out to every few months. If smells start lingering after cooking, replace it sooner.
Sources: EPA, strategies for improving indoor air quality while cooking; Washington State Department of Health, ventilation while cooking; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, range hood advice; Broan-NuTone product and parts pages for the 413004, F403004 and 41F.
