9 Best Space Heaters of 2022: Stay Toasty No Matter How Cold It Gets
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The chilly season means it’s about time to shop for the best space heaters around. With cold weather comes the need for comfy (and tolerable) indoor temperatures, and a space heater makes a toasty room more feasible. Maybe you’re working against poor insulation, high electricity bills, or large rooms with poor airflow. A space heater can bring heat to an area without breaking the bank, and they’re especially helpful for situations like hosting family in rarely used guest rooms. External spaces like sunrooms, porches, greenhouses, and garages are also prime spaces to set up a space heater since there’s probably no heat source in there—yet, at least. For every one of your heating needs, these are the best space heaters to enjoy all chilly-season long.
What to Look for in a Space Heater
There are many space heater designs and each serves a different purpose: towers, small and compact heaters, oscillating heaters, and heavy-duty models. Before you select a heater, consider the room you’re putting it in and anything that may come into contact with it, especially children or pets. While space heaters are generally safe—more on that below—they can pose some danger due to how hot they operate. You also may be looking for a space heater that is good for either everyday use or seasonal use, and that should impact your decision as well. If you rely on a space heater in certain rooms year-round you’ll want to shop for a more durable and long-lasting model than the occasional user.
Are Space Heaters Safe?
It’s true: space heaters can cause danger in your home. They produce heat, meaning they can lead to minor burns and in the worst cases: fires. However, modern models have many preventative features like sturdy designs, tip-over security, and auto-shut-off timers to help prevent fires. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that space heaters are involved in about 1,700 fires a year, leading to an estimated 80 deaths and 160 injuries. But if you’re smart and attentive while using a space heater, you won’t have to worry.
How Much Energy Does a Space Heater Use?
Most space heaters run at 1,500 watts. If you were to leave a heater plugged in for 24 hours, it’d cost around $5 depending on your location and energy provider. However, that $5 can add up to a larger electric bill over the course of a month if you run your heater every day or have more than one space heater in your home. Read our tips for safe space heater operation to learn how to minimize cost.
Tips for Safe Space Heater Operation
- Only place your heater on the floor—not on chairs, tables, or countertops
- Do not put the heater near water
- Use the auto-off timer!
- Always turn the heater off if you’re leaving the house (if you want to be super safe, turn it off when you leave the room). This will also help keep your electric bill from blowing your budget.
- Don’t place the heater within a few feet of flammable fabrics including couches, curtains, or beds
- Plug the space heater directly into an outlet and do not use an extension cord
How We Tested
We tested each heater in several rooms over the course of a few days to see how well the heaters worked at different times of day and with different outdoor weather conditions. All the space heaters were placed on the floor near the center of the room to see how they distributed warmth at several heats and with different fan levels.
Best Overall Space Heater: Honeywell ComfortTemp 4 Deluxe Ceramic Tower Heater
This tower space heater from Honeywell has a long list of features, from auto-dimming lights to tip-over protection and a SafeGuard shut off. The 1500-watt heater oscillates and has a cool outer plastic shell that won’t burn to the touch. The ComfortTemp 4 Deluxe has four heating modes that the brand calls “intuitive”—gentle warmth, cozy, toasty, and heat blast. While you may know which category you want to select, you can’t set the temperature to a specific degree, so it may take some adjusting to find the right setting you’re looking for to warm your space.
We ranked this as our best overall space heater because of its features and performance. The heater is quiet, but it also has an eight-hour auto shut off selection so you don’t need to worry about forgetting that it’s on because it’s so quiet.
Best Space Heater for Large Rooms: Lasko CT22360 Full-Circle Ceramic Heater
The Lasko Full-Circle Warmth space heater has three heat levels that fill a room with heat depending on the sweep, aka oscillation, settings: 90 degrees, 170 degrees, and 360 degrees. These different ranges make this heater great for when you only want to heat a portion of a room, like the desk side of an office or crib side of a nursery. And, the 360 degree heat setting is great for warming up a larger space. The Full-Circle heater also has high and low heat settings to select from and a remote control for quick and easy adjustments.
We love the two heating options this space heater has, and though there are only high and low settings, being able to select the temperature you desire makes a big difference. It’s also ideal for those who want a stable heater—because the top portion rotates the bottom of the heater is solid and unmoving. Personally, this heater was great because my cats didn’t notice it and tried to paw it over. The digital thermostat is also a huge plus, especially if you plan to use the remote from across the room to make adjustments.
Best Quiet Space Heater: Lasko Motion Heat Whole Room Ceramic Heater
The Lasko Whole Room Heater is perfect for effectively warming large spaces. The heater oscillates and has a range of heat settings at specific temperatures (65, 60, 75, 80, 85, and “max”). The space heater has high and low heat settings and an auto feature, as well as a timer so you can turn the heater on and direct your attention elsewhere. Compared to the other heaters we tested at 12 pounds, this one is the heaviest but is one of the quietest.
One of the best features of this model is the remote control, which makes it easy to adjust from the bed or couch without having to get up. It’s also nice for turning the heater on in the middle of the night or setting the timer before bed. The heater turns widely, which means it’ll heat a room evenly and regularly while turned on.
Best Portable Space Heater: Honeywell Uberheat Space Heater
The Uberheat Ceramic Technology Heater from Honeywell is the smallest we tested but also the most modern looking without sacrificing any power. The heater has an adjustable thermostat at the top, two heat settings, and a Cool Touch plastic exterior. The small size makes this heater great for tucking under a table or desk or placing on a shelf. However, the small size also makes it closer to the ground which may lead to situations where pets or children get too close.
Though the knob at the top of the heater serves as an adjustable thermostat, there are no degrees listed, so you may need to tinker around to find the right heat level. This model also has overheat protection settings and tip-over protection, which is handy if you accidentally kick or knock it over under a table. We liked this heater’s portability, but it doesn’t heat a full room as well as the larger options.
Best Designed Space Heater: Boldr Fara Space Heater
The Fara space heater has a sleek, modern design. But its best quality is that it integrates with technology via an app, meaning you can control it from your phone or voice assistant. For $36 more, you can add smart capabilities, which includes features like real-time cost monitoring, and remote access. The Fara heater is compact and portable with a small handle and an oval design. The heater’s modern look makes it more visually pleasing rather than the more common black and gray box shape of many other heaters. Though it’s pretty, it’s also quite functional. The heater distributes heat at two levels and has a stainless steel grill. The heater is one of the smallest on our list, but it’s powerful and its tech compatibility is hard to beat.
4 More Space Heaters We Like
The GiveBest Portable Space Heater has over 66,000 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.4 stars. The heater has a handful of features the occasional user is looking for: thermostat control, flame retardant material, tip-over protection, and an easy-to-use handle at the top of the design. The heater has two knobs so you can adjust the temperature and the heat flow, including a fan option. The heater is also reported to be quiet, under—45 decibels—so it won’t distract you during work or rest, though it’s not exactly the most attractive device around.
Vornado AVH10 Vortex Space Heater
The Vortex Heater from Vornado uses intense air circulation rather than direct, intense heat to warm a room. The heater has two settings—low and high—but it automatically senses which setting is needed to heat a room and keep it warm. The heater has several safety features like automatic shut-offs if it gets too hot or is knocked over. This model also has practical design features like a built-in ledge handle and cord storage to make transport and storage easier. The “vortex” technology is meant to help disperse hot air throughout a room, but we much prefer an oscillating space heater to more throughly warm up a space.
Dyson Pure Hot+Cool HP01
Dyson is well known for high quality and high powdered tech for your home, ranging from vacuums to hair dryers, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the brand also makes a space heater worth adding to your home. It just so happens to also be a fan and air purifier, which may make the $500 price tag a bit easier to justify.
The heater can heat/cool/purify a whole room, comes with a handy remote control, and has a simple airy design that is large without being bulky. The HP01 model can oscillate and tilt and has a 360-degree filtration system. The heater comes with an air filter but you’ll have to replace it once in a while, so there is a continued cost, and we don’t know if anyone necessarily needs to spend this much money if all you really need is a space heater.
DeLonghi Comfort Temp Space Heater
The DeLonghi Comfort Temp heater looks like an old radiator, but it’s an effective room heater. It produces even heat using its thermal slot design and both radiant and infrared heat to quickly warm an area without getting too hot to the touch. It has three heater settings, an anti-freeze setting where the heater will automatically turn on and begin heating if its external area is less than 44 degrees, and overheat protection. Though this heater is said to be great for homes with pets and children, the heater isn’t have the sturdiest shape and lacks tip-over protection, so consider its safety before purchasing.
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