I would also ask on the appliance forum. They might have some more suggestions.

Thank you frieda - that's really good advice. I actually love the look of the one you linked to - however it seems to be only available in 36inches. I thought the look I'm after was common too but I'm trying to stay under $500 and I can't find much :/

We have an open concept - so noise and good function are really important.

I bought the Costco one linked, because it seemed the most powerful for the bucks. It's loud to me, but I'm not used to using a range hood, so my comparison is against using nothing :) As mentioned above, maybe the 30" one will come back. I had designed my kitchen for the 36" one and panicked when it went away...but it came back. I found a 900 cfm one on Amazon, though make sure no concern for you with make up air.

https://smile.amazon.com/Ancona-Advanta-Under-Cabinet-30-Inch/dp/B017YQPZF2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1497926280&sr=8-7&keywords=ancona+range+hood+30

My Mom has a similar one from XO (more $) mounted at 30" and my 6' brothers and BIL all hit their heads when we were home at Christmas. Though I wonder if someone using it regularly would get used to it.

Thanks caligirl - i think the same one is on amazon in a 30in. I need to stop reading reviews - there's always at least one horrible review and then I end up still looking!

If you can wait a bit to see if it comes back on Costco, at least you have their return policy.

I'd also say if you have some time keep your eyes out on EBay. We scored a major deal on a ventahood through eBay.

Hoods mounted lower work better, because vapours etc. from cooking spread out as they rise. The lower the hood is mounted, the better it can capture. Hoods mounted lower also sound quieter. You can check the latter by standing beside an operating hood fan and moving your head position.

I was designing for a 6'2" cook (my husband) so I mounted my hood much higher than recommended, but it's important to understand the trade-offs involved. I opted for a 36" hood over my 30" range partly to increase the hood's capture area, as well as high CFM.

edited to clarify:

I am not recommending that the hood be mounted low. I just meant to outline some reasons why the manufacturer may be recommending that.

Feisty68 - if the hood is too low it is cramped to cook under. If you have a tall stock pot, how are you going to peer into it or stir it? It also looks odd and out of proportion if it is mounted too low.

Hoods mounted lower do not sound quieter. They will be louder, because you are placing the motor even closer to head height than it would be normally. If you want a truly quiet hood, you can mount the motor remotely for $$$. Also, often noise in a hood is due to ductwork where the duct is sized too small, or there are a lot of turns in the duct before it exits outside. That is why you can have two people with the identical hood who report very different noise levels. Hood specs will state the required duct diameter, but sometimes people cannot enlarge their ductwork, and just live with the greater noise.

Another vote for shopping on ebay

I edited my post above to clarify.

We have a Zephyr Tempest II hood mounted 34" above the range that I'm very happy with. (I'm 6'4" and wouldn't want it mounted any lower ... might mount it an inch or two higher, but it's generally fine at 34" above)

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/AK7536BS.html

My hood is mounted 30" from the cooking surface (it's also 6" wider than my cooktop and 24" deep) and it hasn't been a problem for anyone in my family to use at that height -- we range in height from 5'10" (me) to 6'7" (my DS). No one has hit their head (at least that I know of) and no one has complained about it.

Janelle Van...if you have an open concept, I strongly recommend a hood at least 6" wider than your cooktop/rangetop/range and 24" deep. If your cooktop/rangetop/range is on an island or peninsula (I certainly hope it isn't), then increase the depth to 27" deep and consider going 9" to 12" wider or getting a high-cfm hood (but be aware of the need for makeup air if it's too strong and/or your house is too well-sealed).

Our Zephyr Monsoon is mounted 35" above our range due to my husband's height. It depends partly on the depth of the hood - a deeper hood will be more of a head bumping issue.

I did a bunch of diagrams like the one below to figure out the geometry (our installation ended up being different):