space heater

 

The Best Space Heaters

In our tests, the Vornado VH200 surpassed almost every other space heater in speed and total power, delivering an immediate temperature increase that built steadily and evenly across the room over the course of an hour. The VH200 is also quieter than most other ceramic heaters we’ve tried, emitting only a soft, fan-like whir, and it’s compact enough to tuck away in a corner. It’s also one of the safest heaters we tested, featuring overheating and tip-over protection, and a plastic exterior that stays relatively cool to the touch—so you can warm yourself without having to worry. The VH200 does get mixed reviews from some owners—those who find it slow to heat a particularly cold space or who have problems with the airflow from the fan—but Vornado tends to respond to critical reviews more reliably than other manufacturers do.The Dyson Hot+Cool Jet Focus AM09—one of the most efficient space heaters we tested—also doubles as a cooling fan, making it a great option for year-round climate control. The Dyson allows you to choose between a “focused” or “dispersed” airflow (along with oscillation), so you can use it as a personal heater or to warm an entire room. We were impressed by how consistently and steadily it dispersed heat throughout our test room, and we were even more impressed by how cool it remained to the touch after an hour of continuous heating. And it was one of the only space heater models we tested that significantly dehumidified the room. You do need to use the remote control to access all of the Dyson’s features, such as cooling and timer settings. But the remote conveniently attaches via magnet to the top of the unit for safe keeping, and you can still access the Dyson’s basic heating abilities with the single button on its base.

We’ve recommended the Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater since 2013, and it’s still one of the cheapest and most reliable space heaters you can find. It warms up faster than most fan heaters we tested, and it has a compact, lightweight body that’s about the size of a loaf of bread. The heat is a focused stream of hot air, which warms the area directly in front of the space heater. But it isn’t as comfortable as the broad, room-filling heat we preferred from the Vornado models. The Lasko struggles in larger spaces as a result, but it’s perfect for warming a home office or for quickly heating up a small bedroom. The 754200 has had consistently positive owner reviews for years, and many Wirecutter staff members have owned one for multiple winters with few complaints. It lacks an automatic tip-over kill switch, a safety feature included in our top pick, and it’s not the best-looking option, but it does feature overheat protection.

Most space heaters can deliver quick heat to a single person, but oil-filled radiators are better for heating a whole room for a longer duration, and the De’Longhi TRD40615T is the best of its kind. Like most oil-filled radiators, the TRD40615T warms up much more slowly than a ceramic heater, but it also retains its heat for longer, making it more energy-efficient. With a burly, all-metal construction that’s more durable than the builds of our other, plastic-clad picks, this De’Longhi model is sturdier and more attractive than any other oil-filled radiator we tested, and it’s also cooler to the touch.The 3½-foot-tall Lasko FH500 All Season Comfort Control Tower Fan & Heater in One is easily the tallest space heater we tested—but it doesn’t actually take up that much floor space for a room heater. In our tests, it warmed the room swiftly and consistently to the temperature we dialed in on its digital display, and then it steadily held that temperature until the end of the hour. The FH500 is full of thoughtful details, including an easy-to-navigate control panel and a matching remote control. It also has a medium heating option (in addition to the standard high and low settings found on most other space heaters), as well as a timer and an “auto eco” setting for better energy efficiency. This is a newer product, and though its test performance was impressive, we plan to watch it long-term to see if it develops the dust and cleaning issues that incapacitated other tower fans we’ve tested. Speaking of fans: The Lasko also has a built-in cooling feature, which is a nice bonus.