Our list of the best space heaters is dominated by a few types of heaters that are meant to be used within the home: electric infrared, ceramic, or metal radiating heaters, as well as convection forced-air heaters that pair metal or ceramic systems with fans. However, how cozy a heater will get you isn’t the only thing to think about when you’re shopping for one. It’s also important to consider safety when you make your purchase, and follow the safety instructions, says Kenneth L. d’Entremont, professor in the University of Utah’s Mechanical Engineering department and author of the book “Engineering Ethics and Design for Product Safety.” “It is important that you read, understand, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions," he says, “and if you don’t understand something, reach out to them through their customer service hotline or website. More and more manufacturers have better content online for consumers.” To help you choose the best space heater for your home, our testing team in Des Moines, Iowa, tested 31 space heaters, evaluating them for a number of factors, including how well they heat your skin and the air around you, how much they lower the humidity in the space, and how their various safety features actually perform in a real-world setting. With safety in mind, all of the products we tested are UL or ETL certified, meaning they’ve been third-party tested to meet certain safety standards. Our pick for the best overall space heater is our very own Better Homes & Gardens 1500W Freestanding Fan Forced Electric Fireplace, which offers nearly instant heat that’s distributed to you from its wire heating element via a powerful fan. And as a bonus, it’s attractively designed for coziness, simulating the flicker of a real fire. Below are the best space heaters available now, according to testing. Keep in Mind: While it’s not overly loud, this heater does make noise when the fan is running. On the smaller side when compared to some of the other space heaters on this list, this electric heater still pumps out consistent heat that you can feel, using a fan and quick-starting electric wire element for heat projection that will remind you of toasting your hands over a winter hearth. The BHG portable fireplace’s design is well rounded. It features a faux walnut exterior in a light or dark grain, paired with a black front grill and lower panel and a faux leather handle on top that’s sturdy. The lower front panel houses the heater’s controls, with a knob that adjusts the temperature, an off/on light, and a knob that switches between heat settings. The latter knob controls the fan and illumination setting, which gives you control of the heater’s catchiest feature—a pleasantly glowing, faux fire. Our tester was impressed with how quickly the heater got hot and noted that it increased the overall temperature of the room by about 3ºF after 15 minutes, doing about the same for body heat. Even after the heater had raised the temperature of the room to 73ºF (from under 71ºF), neither its front grill or housing exceeded 72ºF, remaining comfortable to touch, even after 15 minutes of use. Using a thermostat, the heater also includes a manual shutoff that will stop the coils when the room reaches a certain temperature and then resume heating when the room’s temperature drops. Our tester found that the heater shut off immediately when slightly tilted, turning back on only when level. They also found that the heater refused to turn on when raised off the ground, preventing it from accidentally powering on while in transport. As a final note about safety, the heater’s booklet notes that the power cord has also been tested and certified. Price at time of publish: $59 Heating Element: Metal wire | Heat Settings: Range | Wattage: 750-1500 watts | Decibels: 62 decibels | Dimensions: 11.91 x 6.87 x 14.71 inches | Weight: 7.03 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over protection Keep in Mind: This heater is small in size and easy to miss, and the front grill does get hot during use. A ceramic convection heater that also includes a forced-air fan heats you while heating the air around you. Our tester found that while running the heater on high, her body temperature was raised by between 7ºF and 8ºF, while the room temperature rose by 4ºF. Notably, when she measured the heater’s energy usage after 30 minutes, it hit only .35 kilowatt-hours, which is significantly less than some others we tested. Our reviewer was most impressed by this little heater’s tip-over protection feature. With its small size, this heater is easy to overlook—set up on the floor, this can mean an accidental kick, while on a table it might mean getting knocked over. Thankfully, our testers found that the heater turns off immediately when it begins to tip. The one point of concern is the fact the heater’s grill isn’t temperature controlled, so while its sides and housing remain cool, the tester recorded front temperatures of 179ºF, which can make for an easy ouch, especially in homes with pets or kids. Price at time of publish: $27 Heating Element: Ceramic convection, forced air | Heat Settings: 4 | Wattage: 750-1500 watts | Decibels: 63-64 decibels | Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.74 x 8.3 inches | Weight: 2.42 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over protection Keep in Mind: The front gets very hot while in use. The front does get hot, hitting a whopping 528ºF behind the grill after use. However, the rest of the housing stays only moderately hot: With 104ºF and 118ºF temps measured on the back and top, respectively. It also features a useful thermostat that ranges from 60ºF to 82ºF as well as a continuous-on mode. Our tester’s favorite part of this heater was its faux-fireplace aesthetic that can be turned on even without heat, to provide a cozy visual fire experience that even seems to billow in 3D without having to fill your home with blazing heat in warmer months. The heater also sports a remote, though it lacks some features you might expect, like the ability to change the heater’s temperature. A modern infrared heater that gives your home the feeling of a real wood-burning fire, the Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove is a premium pick for those who want to invest in a space heater that makes for an attractive permanent furniture piece. This is a space heater that’s more of a permanent faux fireplace than it is a Band-Aid for a heating outage, but those who invest won’t regret it. Price at time of publish: $300 Heating Element: Infrared | Heat Settings: Continuous | Wattage: 1500 watts | Decibels: 56 decibels | Dimensions: 24 x 12.9 x 23.4 inches | Weight: 28 pounds | Safety Features: Timer Keep in Mind: While it warms the space directly around you well, it won’t heat up a room as effectively. Using ceramic heating tech, the GiveBest pumps out forced air and features two settings—750 watts and 1500 watts—which are adjusted with a dial that also includes a fan-only setting. A separate dial controls the device’s thermostat. Our tester found that on high the heater had raised their body temperature by about 14ºF, while it raised the overall room temperature by about 2ºF. Still, they rated the heater’s overall heat performance 4 out of 5. This heater’s design is what makes it really stand out. Our tester found it to be lightweight and well-built with a useful handle. The heater’s safety features also do an impressive job, shutting off promptly when tipped even just a little and automatically shutting down in case of overheating. The heater also maintains touch-safe temperatures across its housing, getting hot on the grill but not so hot as to prove dangerous to pets or children—a feature that’s quite handy in a portable space heater that might get moved around frequently. Price at time of publish: $50 Heating Element: Ceramic, forced air | Heat Settings: 2 | Wattage: 750-1500 watts | Decibels: 69 decibels | Dimensions: 6.2 x 7 x 9.2 inches | Weight: 3.20 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over and overheat protection Keep in Mind: The settings can be hard to navigate, and the manual isn’t as detailed as some of our testers would like. This tower heater uses a ceramic heating element and does a demonstrably good job heating—our reviewer gave it a 5 out of 5. Specifically, it was able to raise their body temperature by about 10ºF. With oscillation switched on, it’s capable of warming a group of people, making it a companion to a dinner table on blustery nights. It also runs quiet, with a lower than average decibel level. With so much height, it was important that this heater have a tip-over shut-off function, and it did a good job with this, shutting off within five seconds of tipping over during our test. The timer and nighttime settings will also appeal to some, allowing you to set this heater’s temperature before bed and to go to sleep without worrying about it running all night. The tower also comes with a safety feature that will shut it off if it overheats. With three heat settings and an eco mode, this tower is versatile. Even with a maximum wattage of 1500, our tester recorded a moderate .6 kilowatt-hours while they used the heater, meaning that this heater won’t rack up crazy energy bills. Price at time of publish: $67 Heating Element: Ceramic | Heat Settings: 4 | Wattage: 1500 watts | Decibels: 58 decibels | Dimensions: 6.89 x 7.67 x 23.20 inches | Weight: 9 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over and overheat protection, night mode, timer Keep in Mind: Infrared heat doesn’t do as well at raising the overall ambient temperature of the room as it does heating objects. Because the heating element is infrared, the heater did little to affect the overall humidity of the room. If you fear the drying heat of traditional hot water radiators and convection heaters, then you’ll appreciate how this heater warms your flesh without turning your living space into a desert. When you’re looking for a heater to install permanently, the Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater is one of the best around. This infrared style makes it easy to change setting from a distance. Though this heater works installed on a wall, don’t assume this is the only way to use it; this versatile heater also comes with feet and is lightweight and portable enough to carry around with you. Thankfully, this heater does a good job with the standard safety features. Tipped over, our tester found that the heater shut off its heating function quickly, displaying an error message, even while it continued to run its fan to cool the heating element. The heater’s front grill also stays remarkably cool—our tester measured it heating to just 90ºF during use. With a timer function built in, you can also program it to stop heating. Overheat protection is included as well for added safety. Our tester appreciated the heater’s remote control options, but did find that some of the remote’s buttons were not as responsive as they would have liked, requiring a small bout of button mashing to adjust its controls, which include temperature adjustments, fan speed, and brightness. We also appreciated the versatility it provided with the installable feet, though our tester found them to be somewhat flimsy. Feet aside, it’s a great infrared heater for installation in your home. Price at time of publish: From $120 Heating Element: Infrared | Heat Settings: Continuous range | Wattage: 750-1500 watts | Decibel: 55-65 decibels | Dimensions: 6.89 x 7.67 x 23.20 inches | Weight: 9 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over and overheat protection, night mode, timer Keep in Mind: Lower wattage limits how much heat this can provide. It’s compact, since it’s designed to live at your feet under your desk or on your desktop. Our tester felt that the heater felt overall built to last, with a plastic housing that provides decent armor, a trait that’s in keeping with the heater’s three-year guarantee. They didn’t love how the fan runs continuously, which can be grating on cool days. As far as safety goes, the Vornado passed our tip test swimmingly, shutting off immediately when knocked over. While the Vornado is slightly higher priced than some competition in its size and wattage class, our tester felt that it justifies this price with good construction, a longevity guarantee of three years, and standout delivery at its job of heating your personal space in a way that’s comfy and appealing. If you’re looking for a cute personal heater for your desk, then the Vornado is it. Price at time of publish: $40 Heating Element: Fan | Heat Settings: 3 | Wattage: 375-750 watts | Decibel: 62-66.3 decibels | Dimensions: 7.85 x 7.82 x 7.05 inches | Weight: 2.12 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over and overheat protection Keep in Mind: The front panel gets dangerously hot and could burn skin. This model comes with the added benefit of a freeze-prevention system that will monitor your room’s temperature and turn on when the room is approaching freezing lows. This feature makes the De’Longhi panel a great pick for keeping exposed rooms like garages and workshops at a stable temperature. Our tester noted that the panel did take a little time to heat up, but once it did, the max heat setting did a solid job with heating the whole room. They also found the lower heat setting to give the room a “pleasant” heat While the micathermic system does a great overall job at heating your space without a noisy fan, the front panel does get extremely hot. Our tester measured the top heat of the front panel at a whopping 456ºF, which is enough to cause severe burns on skin and start fires. This makes the panel a bit of a hazard for children and pets. Thankfully, this panel is easy to mount on walls, where it will be safely tucked away from possible collisions. It also features standard safety features. Our tester found that it shut off automatically when tipped. Still, it is more hazardous than most other heaters on this list, so be careful with its installation. Price at time of publish: $100 Heating Element: Micathermic | Heat Settings: 2 | Wattage: 750-1500 watts | Decibel: 49.2-49.9 decibels | Dimensions: 27 x 10 x 22 inches | Weight: 15.43 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over and overheat protection Keep in Mind: The distinctive design is fun, but it won’t be to everyone’s taste. Providing between 750 and 1500 watts, this heater delivers power commensurate with the other heavy hitters on this list and flips between low and high mode with a simple metal switch. Our tester found that the heater delivered a heat that was markedly “soft” compared with some others. Set up about 3 feet away, they appreciated how the heater was easy to tilt into position, aiming the air stream away when they got too hot and directing it back onto them when they were ready for more. This premium Vornado did a stellar job with our tip test, shutting off right away when tipped over. Our only safety concern with this device is its front grill, which our reviewer measured at 186ºF. However, this is far less than some other heaters on this list and should be a concern only for those with young children or particularly inquisitive pets. They also noted that the metal housing didn’t become too hot, even when the heater was running at high. Price at time of publish: $170 Heating Element: Forced-air | Heat Settings: 2 | Wattage: 750-1500 watts | Decibels: 54-70 decibels | Dimensions: 13.7 x 11 x 8.7 inches | Weight: 8.8 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over and overheat protection
Our Testing Process
In the course of our testing process, we put 31 space heaters to the test, following a rigorous protocol. Each tester measured a number of factors, noting the temperatures of their body and room before and after engaging the heater as well as measuring the sound decibels made by the device during operation, the kilowatt-hours used, how quickly the machine shut off when tipped, and more. Finally, we rated each heater for its performance at each metric and compared them all, looking for the best space heater in each category.
What to Know About Space Heaters
Heating Element
Space heaters use a few different heating elements to create and distribute heat. There’s no consensus as to which of these designs makes for the best space heater, but there are ways to choose which one is best for you. Ceramic heaters electrically warm a ceramic surface that radiates heat. Similarly, electric wire heaters (like the one used in our best overall pick, the Better Homes & Gardens 1500W Freestanding Fan Forced Electric Fireplace) heat a wire, which radiates heat. Both ceramic and metal elements are frequently used in convection heaters, which use fans to push warm air out and pull unheated air across the heated surface. Infrared heaters, on the other hand, use wire paired with ceramic or quartz and radiate infrared energy outward; they provide the benefit of converting more energy directly into heat. These heaters transfer less heat to the air without stripping humidity from it as many convection heaters do. Our best splurge pick, the Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove, is a great example of an infrared heater. Still other types use mica paired with the heating element to distribute both infrared and convection heat.
Safety
Safety is highly important in space heaters. It’s always important to keep space heaters well away from showers and baths. Outside of their potential for spillage-induced shock, good space heaters keep you pretty safe—still, there are a few things to keep in mind. When you’re looking for the best space heater for your needs, look for a tip-over shut-off function that will cut out the power if the heater falls over. This can be invaluable for keeping your heater from starting fires. When asked about resources for researching the safety of products, Kenneth L d’Entremont, professor in the University of Utah’s Mechanical Engineering department, says, “One thing that I would ask people to look at is the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, or the CPSC, and SaferProducts.gov. They list recalls for consumer products. I would encourage everyone to take a look at that—to look at the product as well as the manufacturer—does that manufacturer have lots and lots of recalls?” Some space heaters warn you not to connect their power source to an extension cord, about which d’Entremont says, “Space heaters are unlike your phone charger. Your phone charger won’t draw much current, but a space heater will. And sometimes if you use a very inexpensive, thin extension cord, you could run the risk of heating that up.” D’Entremont also noted that extension cords can create a trip hazard, which can be dangerous if the space heater has been running and the exterior is hot.
Power
Most of the heaters we featured use between 750 and 1500 watts. This is a good range for standard room sizes that will heat your space but won’t blow your fuse box. Lower-wattage heaters that are designed for up-close use can also be worth it, but consider that they likely won’t heat a room as well as higher-wattage options. You might think that every 1500-watt heater would consume power the same way, but this isn’t the case. Not only will some high-quality heaters (like infrared heaters) do a better job than others with converting power to heat, but they’ll also use less energy to do it. How much energy a heater uses is measured in kilowatt-hours, which measures the energy draw per hour of your device. This information can be helpful in assessing the overall cost of your heater to run.
Budget
We all want to save a penny where we can, but when you’re buying a space heater, it’s important to make sure you’re spending enough to get a heater from a reputable brand. It’s also important to remember that sometimes higher-ticket items might cost you more up front but save you money over the long term, as their premium builds stand the test of time and their longer warranties ensure they continue to work. As of September 2022, the median price of space heaters we looked at was $99.81. Almost all of the heaters we featured, including our best overall pick, were below the median, but we do think spending more is worth it for more design-friendly exteriors or nice-to-have features like timers or remotes.
Other Space Heaters We Tested
Dr Infrared Portable Space Heater
While our tester found that the Dr Infrared Portable Space Heater didn’t deliver quite enough heat output to make an impact on the whole room, it did a good job when positioned close by. In the end we think that’s what the Dr Infrared excels at: It’s a wheeled space heater that does a good job with portability. Its retro design is either a perk or liability, depending on your preference.
Lasko My Heat Space Heater
This mini-heater puts all its eggs in the portability basket, and in fact, it’s sized just right to be an incubator. The Lasko My Heat Space Heater doesn’t have enough heating power to compete with most of our heater selections, but it does do a good job as a personal desk heater. Keep it close and it will keep you warm, just be mindful of the fact that this mini-heater does not have a tip-over shutoff feature, so be careful with how you position it.
De’Longhi Ceramic Tower Heater
This ceramic tower heater by De’Longhi has two fan settings with a range of temperature settings, and while it includes a remote control and lots of tweaks and options, the usefulness of this feature set is limited by its heat output, which our testers found a little lacking, after it warmed their body by only about 2 degrees in 30 minutes. Still, testers said that this tower heater could be a good pick for use close up under a desk—if the higher than average price tag doesn’t bother you.
Your Questions, Answered
What style of space heater is the most energy efficient?
For the most part, radiant infrared heaters are the most energy-efficient heaters and the best space heaters for saving money on electricity. These heaters convert electricity directly into infrared heat, which directly heats bodies and objects, thereby losing less heat to the atmosphere of your room. If you’ve already decided on a convection heater and you want to get as much efficiency as possible out of it, consider using it in rooms that are well insulated; space heaters that heat the air around them do a much more efficient job at heating a room when that room retains heat well. Check out our guide on how to keep your home warm in the winter.
Can I keep my space heater on all night?
The short answer is no, you cannot. Even when used properly, space heaters can get extremely hot and shouldn’t be left on unattended—and that includes when you’re asleep. It’s better to heat up the space for an hour or two while you’re winding down for sleep, then turning off the heater and using down comforters, cozy PJs, or wool blankets to keep you warm throughout the night.
Who We Are
Gabriel Morgan is a freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. This article is deeply informed by research from the Better Homes & Gardens testing team, which Gabriel consulted throughout. He also consulted Kenneth L. d’Entremont, a professor in the University of Utah’s Mechanical Engineering department and author of “Engineering Ethics and Design for Product Safety,” for background on the safety of space heaters for this piece.
What Is BHG Recommends?
BHG recommends comes from the belief that reliable recommendations stem from hands-on testing. You’ll notice the BHG Recommends badge next to every product on this list. We place our seal there with pride, knowing that each of our recommendations has been tested with a rigorous methodology. Most of these products we buy ourselves; however, occasionally we receive these products as samples. In such cases we let you know that we got it for free, to remain as transparent as we can. Interested in more tested, reliable BHG Recommends products? Follow the link to find articles on everything from coolers to office chairs.
