Wall Mount Range Hoods

A wall mount range hood is a kitchen ventilation system designed to be mounted directly to the wall above your cooktop or range, taking the place of upper cabinets. It typically features a chimney that extends upward to the ceiling, concealing the ductwork. Wall mount hoods are popular for their striking, modern appearance and are often used as a focal point in kitchen design while effectively removing smoke, grease, and odors.

Wall mount range hoods use an internal blower motor to pull airborne grease, steam, heat, and cooking odors upward and away from the cooking surface. Depending on the installation, the air is either vented outside through ductwork hidden in the chimney or filtered through charcoal filters and recirculated back into the kitchen in ductless range hood models.

Ducted wall mount hoods vent the extracted air and contaminants completely outside your home, making them highly effective at removing heat and moisture, especially for high-heat cooking or gas ranges. Ductless wall mount range hood models use charcoal filters to trap grease and odors before recirculating the clean air back into the room. While ductless hoods offer flexible installation without exterior venting, they do not remove heat or humidity as efficiently as ducted systems.

For optimal performance, your wall mount range hood should be at least as wide as your cooktop. However, because wall mount hoods usually do not have cabinets on their side to help funnel smoke toward the motor (unlike under cabinet hoods), our experts often recommend sizing up by 6 inches (3 inches on each side) to better capture expanding smoke and steam, but this is not a necessity. Common wall mount range hood sizes include 24-inch, 30-inch, 36-inch, 42-inch, 48-inch, and 60-inch models.

Choosing the right CFM is fairly simple, but it is based on the cooktop type.

• For Gas Cooktops: Calculate how many BTUs (British Thermal Units) the burners produce. You need 1 CFM for every 100 BTUs of your gas cooktop’s total output.
• For Electric or Induction Cooktops: You’ll need about 100 CFM for every linear foot of cooktop width.

For more information on CFM, read our guide to determining how much CFM you need.

While wall mount range hoods can be installed in smaller kitchens, they require giving up the cabinet space directly above the range. If cabinet storage is a premium in your kitchen, an under cabinet range hood or over-the-range microwave might be a more practical choice. However, if you are looking to create an open, airy feel or a strong visual statement, a wall mount hood is an excellent option regardless of kitchen size.

For indoor installations, most manufacturers recommend mounting a range hood 24 to 30 inches above an electric cooktop and 24 to 36 inches above a gas cooktop. This range balances effective ventilation with heat safety and long-term hood performance. Read our guide to Range Hood Height and Installation for more information.

Only range hood models explicitly rated for use above grills, such as outdoor grill hoods, should be installed above grill setups and barbecues. Some range hood models are outdoor-approved, but may not be able to handle extremely high heat from outdoor grilling. Read our guide to Outdoor Grill Hoods for more information.