Panasonic makes the quietest exhaust vents. They are a variety of sizes and models. You can get ones with an integrated light and a heater. You can install an electronic count down timers in place of the wall switch.

Amazon is a good place to see several models. Make sure you connect the exhaust to the outside and not into an attic. If the exhaust vent runs through an unconditioned attic then it needs to be insulated. If you don't condensate water will drip into the fan an ruin it over time.

@mike_home I keep seeing about Panasonic. I love the idea of it being quiet, but do they have the humidity sensors? That is really important to me as both my husband and I are prone to forgetting to turn on the fan.

Also, we're planning on having all vents vent out of the attic, and we're springing for spray foam in the attic so it becomes conditioned space. No need to insulate the vents going out.

@mike_home OoOooOooo motion sensing. I didn't even think about that.

I wish I was good with little habits like that. I would ideally like one with sensor and timer settings. On the Panasonic website, it looks like there is a part you can add to buy to make a fan motion sensing.

You mentioned positioning the fan directly above the shower. Is that an ideal configuration? I want to eventually turn my master shower into a steam shower, but it is currently out of my budget,

I believe timer can be part of the on/off switch at the wall and is unrelated to device.

Ideally right over the shower to catch the rising moisture. But if that is not practical then the closer to the shower the better.

Panasonic with a humidistat and timer. We have several and they work great, specially in bathrooms used by teenagers who would never remember to use the vent.

I love my Panasonic moisture and motion sensing vent fan. We have to keep the door to our small bathroom shut so that it does not turn on every time we walk past. It may run too much (this is adjustable) but I can’t hear it over the hum of the Toto bidet seat! Check and see if the HD version and the one you buy through the bath showrooms are the same. If you can’t get all the functions you want in the ones you find, you can order them through the bath showrooms.

You are talking about converting to a steam shower. Look into that some more. A steam shower needs to be built like one from the first. You can’t turn a normally built shower into one.