The Best Electric Space Heaters

Buying Guide for Electric Space Heaters

Why buy an electric space heater?

Electric space heaters can give your HVAC units a little support in the cold months! They can reduce how much you spend on heating your whole home by letting you target the areas you want to heat up. Plus, they’re great to cozy up next to if you’re looking for a blast of heat when it’s cold outside.

What should you consider when buying an electric space heater?

• Temperature Settings: Many electric space heaters come with internal thermostats that let you control how hot you want the air to be. These controls also allow you to choose how much heat you want the units to give off. Finding the right level for both is essential to being comfy, so ensure that the electric space heater you purchase gives you plenty of options.
• Safety Features: Electric space heaters can get very hot, and if you leave them on for hours, that can pose a potential fire hazard. To prevent this, high-quality electric space heaters have safety features like automatic shutoff, tip-over protection, and programmable timers. Make sure you’re getting a model that will keep you and your home safe.
• Room Size/Location: Different electric space heaters are designed for different rooms. No one space heater is going to be perfect for every room size. Note that electric space heaters typically don’t heat up spacious areas on their own. You might need to buy a few heaters or something larger like an electric fireplace if you want to keep a large space thoroughly warmed.

Which special features are most important in an electric space heater?

One of the most important safety features, which also helps plenty with comfort, is a programmable timer. A timer will give you the freedom to decide how long you want your heater to run for, even if you’re out of the house or asleep. Rather than having it go all night, overheating your space, or burning itself out quickly, you can set it to turn off right when you want, putting you at ease and giving you control of your comfort. Another thing to look for is positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heaters, also known as self-regulating heaters. They respond to the ambient temperature and heat and cool the room as needed.

Our Picks for the Best Electric Space Heaters

Pros: Many of us appreciate products that save space. This compact electric space heater measures just 4.33 x 3.63 x 6.39 inches, small enough to set on a desk, counter, or nightstand. For such a compact heater, it’s pretty powerful. The 500-watt ceramic heating element and the fan quickly create a cozy atmosphere. It’s simple to operate as well: just press the power button. If it begins to overheat, the unit will shut down. There’s also a tip-over switch that, when triggered, will shut the heater off.

Cons: You may want to look at other models if you’re looking for a space heater with setting options. It’s also too small to use to heat an entire room.

Bottom Line: This portable, personal electric heater efficiently offers a quick solution to a chilly room. It comes in white, blue, and black and is ETL certified.

 

Pros: This space heater is all about lowering energy costs and providing you with as many settings as possible. At only 8.9 x 6.8 x 13.3 inches, the ASTERION is portable as well. The heater features a 72-degree oscillation ceramic heater that you can get going with the included remote control. You can also choose from five temperature settings: low (900 watts), high (1,500 watts), ECO (60-90 degrees Fahrenheit), and freeze (45 degrees Fahrenheit). On ECO mode, the heater shuts off when the ambient temperature surpasses the set temperature; conversely, the heater will restart when the ambient temperature is lower than the set temperature. The easy-to-use digital panel features a 30-minute to 24-hour timer setting for your convenience. The bright, backlit LED display also shows the running temperature clearly.

Cons: Some users say that the thermostat is unstable and somewhat difficult to adjust.

Bottom Line: This ASTERION electric heater is made of safe PTC material and features impressive temperature settings and design attributes. This ETL-certified product should work well for many.

 

Pros: The height of tower space heaters allows the heat to cover further distance than other, shorter designs. The Aikoper heater can also oscillate 70 degrees, a setting you control on the user-friendly control panel or the remote control. Other settings include a timer, thermostat, and two heat settings: Instant Heat and Low-High ECO. The heater adjusts according to ambient versus set temperature in ECO mode, so no energy is wasted, and the temperature remains consistent. And the ceramic heating element combined with the 1,500-watt heating power makes the Aikoper impressively quick to heat up. Finally, the auto-shutoff feature protects your home if the unit is tipped over or begins to overheat.

Cons: You may find that the Aikoper runs louder than you like.

Bottom Line: With so many great qualities, this tower space heater is hard to pass up. Try this quality space heater if you want to save space but still have heat reach your favorite reading nook.

 

Pros: The GiveBest Portable Electric Space Heater is small but mighty. It has two heating options (750 and 1,500 watts) and one cooling option, so it can be used year-round. It’s quiet, it heats up quickly, and at 6.2 x 7 x 9.2 inches and only 3.2 pounds, it’s easy to move around the house. Plus, it comes with a lengthy 6-foot electric cord. This space heater produces heat to reach up 200 square feet in seconds, thanks to its PTC ceramic heating element and high-speed fan. This unit is ideal for putting beside you whenever things get a little too chilly.

Cons: There are occasional longevity issues with this unit. The built-in safety feature that ensures it will turn off if knocked over can malfunction and turn the heater off even when it’s upright. Another drawback is the limited accuracy of the thermostat: don’t expect it to be spot on.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a smaller unit that keeps you warm, this is a solid option. While it won’t win awards for its bells and whistles, it’s a reliable heater that gets the job done. It has some of the safety features that comparably priced models don’t have and is designed to be moved around the house with you.

 

Pros: The Heat Storm Phoenix space heater may be just the thing if you want the flexibility to have it on the wall or the floor. With removable feet and wall mounting points on the back, this space-saving unit is easy to maneuver. It heats up quickly, with its 1,500-watt infrared heater and 5,200-BTU heat output. Choose between two power modes: 1,500 watts or 750 watts. Additionally, the unit has a patented heat exchanger and HMS Technology, which uses the room’s humidity to make gentle and safe heat yet doesn’t reduce oxygen or humidity levels. The built-in thermostat regulates the ambient temperature and heat output, and the LED display indicates the temperature, something you can control with the remote.

Cons: You might not want to use this heater in the bedroom because some found it louder than they liked. You might also find that it isn’t as effective as you need it to be in a cold and spacious garage.

Bottom Line: This well-designed infrared space heater has lots of great features to offer, such as an auto dimmer, washable filter, tip-over shutoff, and overheat protection, just to name a few.

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of reasons to get an electric space heater! They can help lower energy bills by reducing the need to run your furnace, they can provide a comfy spot to warm up quickly, and you can often move them around wherever you need them. It’s important to have a good idea of where you’re going to use it; then, you should be able to find one that’s right for you among our top picks.