There is only so much wool socks, slippers, and fluffy fleeces can do as fall temperatures drop and winter draws near, especially if the heating in your building hasn’t been turned on yet. We’ve compiled a list of the top space heaters to keep your garage, home office, or even your boyfriend’s bedroom warm to help you deal. Make sure to carefully read the safety handbook after making your choice. According to Alexander Hoehn-Saric, chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, you should keep it “at least three feet away from anything that can catch fire — clothing, documents, bedding — and make sure you’re plugging it directly into the wall, never a power strip or extension cord.” Commission for Consumer Product Safety. Finding a “steady, flat, nonflammable surface” is also essential because you don’t want it to be accidentally pushed over.
Heating method: A ceramic space heater generates heat on a ceramic plate, which is then dispersed by a convection fan. This type of heater, as opposed to an oil-based one that burns more slowly, will have a more immediate effect if you are seated close to it. The compromise? increased energy usage and a noisy fan. Eventually, greater spaces may be heated for longer times with oil-based heaters.
Efficiency: To help you choose the ideal heater for your specific location, we’ve highlighted the output and thermostat settings of our heaters. Many of our top options offer power-saving thermostat adjustments or fan-only modes. Just keep in mind that while space heaters can keep you warm when your central heating system breaks down, they probably won’t help you save money unless you use them sparingly. According to Michael Thomas, the creator of Carbon Switch, there is no such thing as an energy-efficient space heater. “Using a space heater to lower the amount of energy a central heating system requires is the only situation where it is environmentally good or energy efficient. For instance, you might only wish to heat a single room or a small area of a property. It might save electricity if doing so requires shutting off the central heating system.
Safety features: While the CPSC provides information on how to use space heaters safely (as well as a list of items that have been recalled due to safety concerns), it does not impose any mandatory safety features. Instead, “there are voluntary industry norms,” according to Hoehn-Saric, “that some manufacturers will opt to meet.” Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and Intertek (ETL), two independent U.S.-based laboratories, evaluate heater safety, and goods that have received their approval will be marked as such on advertising. Hoehn-Saric adds, “You know that that product has been created to those criteria when you see the insignia of a recognized laboratory.” Susan McKelvey, communications manager for the National Fire Protection Association, said the same thing: “Our only general guideline for buying a space heater is to check that it bears the mark of an independent testing laboratory, which ensures that the product meets established safety standards. So if you’re buying a new space heater, look for those markings.”
Portable Ceramic Heater by Lasko
This https://heatyourhomeforless.co.uk/ is cheap, portable, and provides plenty of warmth, making it perfect for tiny spaces and single-person use. Its highly adjustable thermostat has 11 temperature settings, and it also has a fan strength option that lets you manage the volume. Although it features a tip switch and overheat protection, this heater is less likely to topple than larger ones because of its small size. This space heater is safe and effective if you need something to ease the discomfort for a few hours when your radiator isn’t cutting it.
Ceramic Electric Tower Fan-Forced Heater by Comfort Zone CZ499R
This oscillating heater, which performs well in medium-sized rooms, is ETL listed and has an extraordinarily high safety rating from Consumer Reports. It provides conveniences including a timer, a remote control, and a digital display that is simple to read. Rotating fans (with two adjustable settings) swiftly and efficiently disperse heat throughout your space. In contrast to Lasko’s very similar tower heater, it has a tip switch and will automatically shut off in the event of overheating.
Space heater Vornado Velocity 3R for the entire room
This small Vornado provides powerful yet silent convection heating with a minimalist design for a bit more money than our top overall recommendation. Bethany Lyons, the owner of Lyons Den Power Yoga, who uses it for her hot yoga courses, recommends it to us. She claims that Vornados are more aesthetically pleasing, quieter, and more durable than those made by other brands she has tried. And while some people who practice hot yoga at home use multiple little heaters at once, this one has the power to heat the entire space.
Lasko Compact Space Heater with Heating
This tiny space heater makes a sweet under-the-desk companion and is essentially a more compact and vibrant version of our top selection. The room won’t become any warmer, but it’s fantastic for keeping your hands or feet warm.
Green Vornado VHEAT Old-Fashioned Metal Heater
We have to confess that most space heaters are quite unsightly. This retro-styled Vornado, which resembles a mid-century desk fan, is an exception. It is also very good at warming up medium-sized interiors. The heater has an overheat protection system and a tip switch, and it quietly circulates warm air around the room. Set it up next to your Eames sofa so you can curl up and read.
Ceramic Space Heater from Lasko Designer Series
Or, if you’re tired of mid-century modern design, this heater has a pleasantly attractive appearance that is influenced by the Mediterranean. Brenley Goertzen, a young writer for us, uses hers to warm a sizable (and somewhat drafty) sunroom in frigid Minnesota. It takes around ten minutes for our space to become warm, she claims. She likes that this heater, with its distinctive coiled stand, “blends with the surrounding décor,” seeming well at home next to a floor lamp and plant stand. “In winter, we use it virtually every morning.” The heater has a built-in remote control, changeable temperature settings, and two “quiet comfort” settings that prioritize warmth while reducing fan noise.
Advanced Dual Heating System with Humidifier and Oscillation Fan from Dr. Infrared
Nicole Katz, a hot yoga instructor, believes that infrared heaters are superior to ceramic ones for warming up entire spaces. A built-in humidifier on this under-$200 model, according to the expert, can prevent your skin from drying out and give an added layer of comfortable comfort even if you aren’t setting up a hot yoga studio at home.
Safe Heat ComforTemp Portable Oil-Filled Radiator from DeLonghi
Oil heaters generate heat by gradually warming the oil and then radiating it outside. They don’t offer spot heating or rapid gratification, but they will gradually warm up a big room and keep it warm all night, even after you flip the “Off” switch. This model has a “comfort temp” button that enables you to maintain temperatures within your favorite range for extended periods of time. It is also sealed, so you won’t ever need to replenish the oil, unlike some previous models.
Oil-Filled Radiant Electric Space Heater 1,500-Watt Pelonis
This inexpensive oil heater, which is lighter and smaller than the DeLonghi above, brings up “really toasty, fuzzy memories” for our writer Jeremy Rellosa. He remembers how his apartment’s heating system failed for a few days in January and how he was unable to concentrate while working from home despite wearing several sweaters and blankets. In just 20 minutes, this Pelonis warmed the bedroom of his Brooklyn apartment. It’s quite silent, Rellosa continues. Actually pretty relaxing, the quiet ticking of the oil heater.
Pure Hot+Cool Air Purifier by Dyson
The Strategist staff members adore Dyson’s products. Despite being expensive, the brand is renowned for high-quality and cutting-edge heating and cooling technology, including heaters like this one that also purifies the air and uses that recognizable oscillating fan to cool things off in the summer. Other products from the brand include vacuum cleaners, TikTok-hyped hair styling tools, and vacuum cleaners. This heater can easily and quietly warm up a medium-sized room by dispersing warm, HEPA-purified air. It may be controlled using a remote or smartphone app, and it has a stellar safety reputation because it is ETL and UL recognized. Simone Kitchens and Jen Trolio, two of our senior editors, just purchased a Hot + Cool and are pleased with their decision. She uses hers to heat a small home office, and Trolio says, “It heats pretty nicely.” She also points out the remote, which is “nicely designed to magnetically attach to the top of the unit,” as another underrated feature. “There are better air purifiers out there for the cost, but for the design and the all-in-one product in a reasonably compact footprint, I like it a lot,” she says.
Portable Buddy Heater MH9BX by Mr. Heater
You can’t beat a Mr. Heater for chilly nights in the RV or for pleasant evenings on the porch or stoop. Outdoor professionals adore this propane-powered heater for its low cost, simplicity of use, and warm, radiant heating potential. A one-pound propane canister can operate the Buddy for up to three hours on high, according to the maker; on low, you’ll get more like five. Maxine Builder, an editor at Strategist, likes Mr. Heater because it “puts out serious heat” and is simple to use: “All you have to do is screw on the propane canister, click the pilot light on, and once it catches, set it to either high or low.” Michael Dean, the founder of Pool Research and an outdoor-living consultant, says it has “a nice carrying handle a nice carrying handle.”
