Ultimate Guide to the Best Space Heater

Infrared heaters have become a popular alternative to the traditional and more conventional convection heater. They are no longer exposed elements that are burning hot; instead, they are often put into attractive wood cases, which look much like a side table or other small piece of furniture.

​The Dr Infrared Portable Heater is one such example. It boasts a stylish design to match its name. Unlike your standard white or grey fan-assisted heater, this retro, jukebox-like design adds an air of class to any room.

Moreover, it is a great heater. We have looked in detail at the best infrared heater on the market in and in our view, this Dr Infrared Heater tops the table.

It is a piece of the furniture as much as it is a heater – even when not switched on during the summer months, it will certainly catch the eye.

The unique application of this heater is that it uses an infrared heating system to heat the actual objects around you in a room, as opposed to simply heating the air. This is a far quicker and more effective solution for keeping you warm than you get with a conventional portable heater.

By not focusing on simply heating the air, it also means there is little lost heat (and money) which rises up to the ceiling and through the cracks when using fan powered mechanisms, and the air stays nice and moist.

It is fact a dual heating system incorporating a fan, which quietly and effectively distributes air around the room. The convection heating elements are PTC, which should last in excess of 20000 hours.

As well as nice aesthetics, this heater is compact. If necessary it is straightforward enough to transport, but it would certainly be easier if there were a handle. Moving it between rooms in the house, on the other hand, is simple thanks to the wheels underneath. If the kitchen or hallway needs some immediate heat rather than the front room, simply push it through like a wheelchair.

There are no exposed heating elements and thus no risk of harm for children or pets who will be wandering around at the same height. The Dr Infrared Heater is most suitable for an average sitting room, which is where children will be wandering around most often.

As expected, it also comes with an important tilt shut-off safety feature, just in case it falls the wrong way. The chances are it will not cause any damage if it were indeed, left on its front, but there is no point in taking the risk.

The simple digital display makes setting and maintaining the desired temperature more than easy, and, unlike the majority of fan-powered heaters, it is completely silent.

Overall, this Dr Infrared Heater is a quality piece of equipment that boasts many impressive features not common in other models on the market, if used sensibly to zone heat your home will save you some money on your heating bills.

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There are many different heater brands and models on the market. It is often difficult to choose. Here we have tried to focus down on the best model for a variety of different uses. The Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater is our choice of best portable heater.

If you are looking for a capable heater in a small package then this is the solution to your problem. Measuring 6 inches by 7 inches by 9 inches and just under 4lbs in weight, this heater will fit in any room! From the kitchen to the bedroom, you will find this heater handy for keeping you warm. It is very versatile.

This is a convection heater. It is a fan forced ceramic heating device, which uses a combination of ceramic heating elements to warm the air and a fan to distribute the warm air evenly around the room.

Despite its small dimensions, this heater really packs a punch easily able to heat upwards of 150 sq. ft. rooms.

For convenience, the heater comes with a carry handle so you can move it from one room to another. You could event use this in the car if you have trouble with the air conditioner.

You also have the options of three quiet settings including high heat 1500-watts, low heat 900-watts and fan only from which you can set your ideal temperature.

The fan is quiet, making only a low hum sound, which even means that the Lasko 754200 can be used in the bedroom where silent operation is essential.

Controls are manual and straightforward. There is no digital display or “to the degree” setting, but regular use will give you all the information you need to get that temperature right.

Safety is ensured with features such as self-regulation of temperature, which ensures the device does not overheat (automatically shuts down when it does). It does not have tip-over protection, but in such a small unit, this is not a big problem.

To guarantee you of your safety even further with this device, it has a three-year warranty and is ETL listed. This means that it has been tested independently and meets all the set standards for safe use in North America.Pets and children are not at risk of getting any burns with this heater in your house. This is because the surface does not get too hot when in use.

Wondering how long you can keep this running? Well, this will depend on the temperature settings. According to manufacturers, this equipment is designed to be used continuously since it has a thermostat setting that helps avoid overheating.

The 754200 is possibly the most popular space heater on the market now. It has a perfect combination of being a high quality 1500-watt space heater, capable of heating most rooms in a home, together with a very affordable price. This was a close contender for our best ceramic heater, but we believe its size makes this the ideal choice for best portable heater.

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The Unique Heat Next Generation Portable Heater is a relative newcomer to the market. It is an infrared heater, has a lovely design, and build quality.

Best of all however it is extremely efficient converting a high proportion of the electrical input into heat, mainly because it does not use a fan. It is an infrared only heater. For this reason, we regard the Unique Heat as the most energy efficient space heater on the market.

The heater has a wide heat coverage using the infrared heat technology to warm up to 1000 sq. ft. This is ideal for almost all rooms in the house. Interestingly the heating elements face upwards ensuring maximum warming is felt when you stand in front.

Do not be deceived by its compact size, it measures only 15 inches by 12 inches by 10 inches, but this has little impact on its heating ability. Most portable heaters have a tendency to dry the air. However, with infrared technology the heater warms the room and not the air. This is great for anyone suffering from sinus or skin problems.

The heater is easy to carry weighing only 15 lbs. in total, allowing you to use the heater in any area of your home to supplement or replace the central heating.

Control is via a digital dial and a handy remote making it easy and user friendly to operate.

As for safety and other energy saving features, this Unique Heat model has them all. It is cool to the touch meaning it is safe for use in areas where there are children or pets. It has overheat protection, tip-over protection and thermostatic control. It also has a timer shut-off to ensure that the heater does not heat for extended periods unless you want it to.

There are no moving parts so it is a silent operation, and if it had the ability to switch on at a pre-set time it would surely be a contender for our best heater for bedroom pick.

You can easily combine this space heater into a HEPA air purifier using an upgrade kit (sold separately) which we think combines well with a heater that does not remove any moisture from the air during operation. It provides a good healthy heat.

In addition, if you are not satisfied the company are offering a 30 day no questions asked refund.

The introduction of modern infrared heaters using quartz-heating elements has dramatically improved both the energy efficiency and the look of the heater. The Unique Heat heater combines a sleek modern design with an efficient and silent heater capable of comfortably heating any room in the home. We believe it is well deserved being our most energy efficient space heater pick and we recommend it to you.

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Many modern space heaters claim to be capable of heating large rooms easily. Traditionally this was the reserve of the oil-filled radiator which if left for long enough could heat a large room effectively. However, with the introduction of the modern infrared heaters combined with fan forcing you can have both instant heat and large room heating capability.

Lifesmart Large Room 6 Element Infrared Heater, in our opinion, is the best heater for a large room available today. It is safe, healthy and ultra-efficient for heating any large space that you have in your house.

The heater is housed in a metal cabinet with a front grill allowing heat output from the quartz tubes within. Because this is an infrared heater the casing stays cool to the touch at all times meaning there is no danger to passing traffic that comes into contact with the heater. This is especially useful if there are children or pets living in your home.

The heater also has the other safety features you would expect; tip-over cut-out and overheat protection.

Control of the heater is via three settings including an eco-setting that has the ability to heat smaller areas in your home to 68 degrees using intelligent switching between heating states to operate on average at only 500 watts. For heating a large room, this is commendable. That is more economical than most heaters in the market.

The heater is moderately heavy and would be a bit awkward to lift being 16.5 inches by 16 inches by 13 inches in size. However, Lifesmart have included casters to allow you to move the unit around with ease.

There is a control panel on the front, which allows you to change the heat output, and to set the temperature and timer controls. However, if you prefer, all this can be done from the remote control, which is provided too.

The timer allows you to set the heater to both switch off or switch on, a feature we particularly like. It also makes it good for use in bedrooms. Most people go to sleep better in slightly cooler rooms but want to get up into a nice warm room. A heater than can be set to come on an hour before you rise is great. However, the unit also includes a fan, which means that there are better heaters for the bedroom than this.

That is not a reflection of the quality of this heater. It is a powerful heater, packaged into a small unit. The six heating elements combined with the integrated fan means the Lifesmart Large Room 6 Element Infrared Heater is capable of heating the largest rooms in your home, rapidly and healthily. We have no doubt about making this heater our best space heater for a large room selection.

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Our preference is for electric space heaters, especially when used in the home. This has much to do with safety and the need for ventilation when using a propane heater properly. However, we also recognize there are times when a propane heater is necessary. For this reason, we have reviewed the options available and come up with our own best propane heater recommendation.

The Mr Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy Radiant Heater is robust and rugged portable propane heater. It has compact in size, measuring approximately 14 inches high and wide, with an upright standing depth of 9 inches. It has a convenient carry handle, and weighing in at under 10 lbs. makes it an exceptionally portable little space heater. When not in use the handle conveniently folds down.

The unit made really well and has a touch enamel finish. It gives the impression that the heater means business. It does not look as though it is meant to be used in a living room. It has an outdoor look and feel to it, which we like.

It is a perfect heater for use in garage, tents, workshops, cabins, porches, RV, patios, hunting blinds or sailing boats. You could even use it for staying warm on the side-lines while watching sporting events. Versatility is built in to this heater.

For such a small heater it is surprisingly powerful, able to heat up to 200 sq. ft. without problem.

It is simple and easy to set up and start using. The heater comes with a 1lb. propane cylinder. This needs filling as it comes empty. You simply screw in the cylinder and start using. You can connect the heater to a larger cylinder such as a 20lb. propane tank of the sort used in barbecues. However, you need to purchase a separate hose to connect to the tank.

As with all propane heaters, safety features are paramount. Fortunately, the Mr Heater F232000 heater has all the necessary features you would need. It has an auto shut off in the event the unit tips over. It also cuts-out when lifted meaning that it cannot be burning while being moved. We particularly like this feature.

With all propane heaters, proper ventilation is important when in use. The Mr Heater F232000 heater has a sensor, which cuts the pilot light if it detects low oxygen levels. An excellent safety feature.

The Mr Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy Radiant Heater is not a large propane heater. It is very much a personal space heater, but its versatility makes it ideal for any number of outdoor activities. It is extremely portable and very well made and we have no difficulty in recommending this to you as our pick for best propane heater.

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Lasko are experts at ceramic heaters. They make excellent quality, affordable heaters that just do the job. For this reason, they are extremely popular. Our pick for the best ceramic heater is a combination of looks and quality, the Lasko 755320 Ceramic Tower Heater.

Keeping the air in your house optimally heated is important for both your health and comfort. The Lasko 755320 is a compact ceramic tower heater with a small footprint. It is 8.5 inches by 7.25 inches by 23 inches high. It can easily slot into a rooms no matter how big or small.

In addition to its size it comes with a convenient carry handle and with a weight of only 9 lbs. it is an exceptionally portable heater.

Control of the Lasko 755320 is either via the control panel with digital display on top of the unit, or with the remote control. The display allows you to accurately set the temperature for the thermostat to maintain. It also allows you to set the timer to switch off after a pre-set time, a useful energy saving and safety feature.

However, to complete the safety aspect, the fact that the heater gets hot means that it really is not suitable for positioning where it might be touched by animals or kids. The heater is just the right height for young children to reach and take care when deciding where to place your heater.

The heater oscillates, meaning that it rotates almost 180 degrees from side to side. This is to ensure the air is warmed uniformly. Despite the fan and the oscillation, the heater is very quiet when in use. Many fan-forced heaters are actually quite noisy in operation so it is nice to come across one, which is quiet.

It is worth noting at this point that adequate space needs to be given to the heater. The 755320 is a convection heater meaning that it blows out warm air from the front grill. If you place the heater to close to another object there is a risk of overheating.

This is a problem with all ceramic fan-forced heaters, not just the 755320 and the heater has a safety cut-off switch in case it overheats, or the heater is knocked over. However, a little precaution when deciding where to place the heater is much the best idea.

The build quality of this space heater is very good and it is manufactured to the high North American standards as proven by its ETL listing.

Overall, we really like the 755320 Ceramic Tower Heater. It is an extremely popular device owing to a combination of quality, effectiveness and price. There is a lot of competition in the ceramic space heater market, but we have no problem giving the 755320 our best ceramic heater pick.

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Oil-filled radiators differ from ceramic and infrared heaters in that they incorporate a heat sink. This is a reservoir of oil that once heated continues to provide heat long after the heater is switched off. A ceramic or infrared heater in contrast simply stops heating as soon as the power is cut.

The DeLonghi EW7707CM Safeheat is an excellent example of an oil-filled radiator, robust and nicely designed. However, what makes this our choice for best oil filled radiator is the integration of some good features that set it apart from other radiators.

It stands 25 inches tall by 14 inches deep by 11 inches wide. This is large for a space heater, but oil-filled radiators are larger than their infrared or ceramic heater cousins due to the fact that they require a large surface area to heat the air.

At 23 lbs. in weight and an awkward shape, it will be difficult to move up and down stairs. However, movement on the same floor is made easier by caster wheels, which are built-in to the unit stand.

Traditionally, one of the major attractions of radiators over other types of heater is the silent operation. There are no moving parts and therefore nothing to make a noise. Recently, infrared heaters have become very popular however and they too can be completely silent.

That said, the DeLonghi EW7707CM is completely silent. A significant feature for many purchasers.

There are three settings on the radiator. A high and low setting, or the setting, which DeLonghi call ComforTemp. This automatic thermostatic control intelligently switches between the various settings in order to maintain a room temperature between 68F and 70F. By not always being on, this setting is very energy efficient, resulting in savings of 27 percent compared with full-time use.

When in use the radiator is not scalding hot, but is hot enough for you to need to be wary when young kids are around. The sensible option is to place the radiator behind something the kids cannot get round. Otherwise, the heating is quite gentle in character.

The radiator fins have a rounded corner design ensuring that any bumps and bangs against the radiator will not hurt.

Another handy feature is the inclusion of an ultra-low setting, called the anti-freeze setting. This feature switches the radiator on if the temperature in the room falls below 44F. This is useful if you have very small children and want to make sure they do not get too cold at night. Similarly useful for pets. While monitoring the temperature the radiator only draws 5% of the operating power, so is very low cost to run.

Oil filled radiators continue to be very good space heaters. They are able to operate inexpensively while at the same time providing heat for large spaces. Perhaps the only real drawback to them is that they take time to warm up.

However, we continue to like oil filled radiators and especially the DeLonghi EW7707CM Oil Filled Radiator and have selected it for our choice of best oil filled radiator.^

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Many space heaters claim to be perfect for the bedroom. However, we believe that fewer are as suitable as their manufacturers claim. We think the best heater for a bedroom need three essential characteristics.

• Silent operation
• Timed switch on
• Low case heat

The Ryzen H-5000 Pro Portable Infrared Quartz Heater has all these features and more.

Infrared heaters are increasingly popular. They do not rely on warming the air, instead they warm objects surrounding the heater, a little like standing in sunlight warms you. In fact the heat created by an infrared heater does not dry out the air.

The Ryzen H-5000 is an infrared heater that incorporates a washable air filter meaning that it cleans the air, great for anyone suffering from sinus problems or certain skin complaints.

The heater does incorporate a heat exchanger and a quiet scroll fan, but the notable feature of this heater is that it is almost impossible to hear when in operation.

People tend to fall sleep best in a room that is slightly colder than normal room temperature . However, when they wake, they want a room that is warm.

This is why we believe the timed switch-on is an important feature for the best bedroom heater. The Ryzen H-5000 has such a timer and is one of the reasons why we particularly like this heater for bedrooms.

In order to sleep soundly while using a heater means that you need a high level of confidence in that heater. It should be cool to the touch reducing the risk of damage to the surrounds. It should have a fail-safe overheat protection and tip-over security. It also needs to be built to a high standard in order that these feature work every time.

The Ryzen heater has all of these characteristics. The features are all integrated and the heater is safety tested and approved by both CSA and ETL Intertek.

Other features included with the Ryzen H-5000 are high 1500-watt and low 750-watt settings together with an eco-setting that uses the thermostat to maintain a preset ambient temperature. This reduces the power consumption of the heater by 1/3 while keeping the room temperature at a comfortable level.

The control pad is lockable to prevent children from misusing the heater and a remote is also provided.

The heater is also very portable, weighing in at only 13lbs. with dimensions of 8 inches wide by 13 inches high and deep. Moving the heater to different bedrooms as needed is simple and easy.

In summary, the Ryzen H-5000 Pro Portable Infrared Quartz Heater is a compact, well made heater combining all the essential features we believe make an ideal bedroom heater. For this reason we have no problem putting forward the Ryzen heater as the best heater for a bedroom.

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