Larry Campbell, a master electrician and member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board, explains that convection heaters “include a fan that blows the heat in a chamber to get hotter and hotter to warm the air.” A ceramic element heater is an example of a convection heater, while an infrared quartz heater is a type of radiant heater. “A hot wire passes an electrical current through the quartz element to the ’neutral’ side. That heat is radiant," Campbell explains. It’s good for warming people and objects in the path of the radiant heat, but not as effective at raising the air temperature in a room. We researched and tested some of the top radiant and convection space heaters on the market and evaluated them on heating performance, design, safety, and effectiveness. Our favorite is the Pelonis Ceramic Tower Space Heater for its even heat distribution, safety features, and compact design. Here are the best radiant and convection space heaters on the market. This heater’s digital display makes it simple to set a target temperature up to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. It operates on High, Low, or Eco mode and also includes an eight-hour timer. We found that like other tower-style heaters, this heater has a small footprint, which is helpful in compact spaces. We also appreciated the oscillating feature, although we wish it had a fan-only mode so we could use it year-round. It’s also worth noting that this heater does not come with a manual, and we had to resort to a bit of trial-and-error to figure out some of the features. However, this heater impressed us with its heating performance and safety features, like a tip-over switch and automatic overheating shut-off. Price at time of publish: $75
The DeLonghi TRD50615E has a sealed, oil-filled reservoir that never needs refilling. The heater warms the oil inside of the reservoir, and this heat is radiated into the room. Even after the unit turns off, the residual warmth continues to be released. You can modify the operation of this radiant heater by setting a target temperature and choosing from four power levels (Min, Med, Max, and Eco), or setting a 24-hour timer with up to two temperature settings. While the digital display is not self-explanatory, the user manual provides helpful information on what the icons represent and guides you through the various features and functions. Radiant oil-filled space heaters aren’t as compact or portable as some other options, but DeLonghi equips this model with four wheels so that it can be moved from room to room. It also checks several boxes for safety features: overheat protection, tip-over shut-off, and a child lock. Price at time of publish: $160 While this affordable choice offers no digital display or remote, the dial controls are clearly labeled and easy to turn. One of the dials offers a low, heat, and fan-only setting, while the other allows you to control the power level of each of those settings. This fan offers safety features including overheat production and tip-over shutoff. In fact, our tester noted that “the heater shuts off with the slightest nudge." They added, “There is a trigger on the bottom of the unit that shuts off when tipped in any direction!” However, if you are looking for a quiet heater, this is not the best option, as the fan noise was our biggest complaint during testing. Price at time of publish: $28 The infrared quartz heating element works in conjunction with an adjustable thermostat that can be set from 62 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. To understand how an infrared quartz element works, Larry Campbell, a master electrician and member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board explains that it’s “like a lightbulb that gets hot and that radiates the heat.” This heater also has a timer setting that can be adjusted from 30 minutes to 9 hours. We like that the realism of the fireplace space heater is enhanced by the fact that the heater’s controls are hidden behind the fireplace door. It comes with a remote control so you don’t need to leave the couch to change the settings, although we found the features to be a little confusing to use at first. The Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace is more expensive than many of the other heaters we tested, but we found that it’s worth the price since you can use it year-round for a cozy ambiance without the heat. “This would not only be useful as a heater but is decorative and would be nice on a porch or smaller room,” our tester noted. It’s equipped with a sensor to shut-off the unit if it overheats, but the front grill of the space heater can get very warm. However, the sides and body of the heater weren’t overly warm to the touch. Price at time of publish: $300 During testing, we noted that the vents can be directed straight ahead or upward, which is helpful for directing the airflow around a large room. However, we did wish they could be directed downward towards the floor to warm our feet. Our favorite feature of the Honeywell ThermaWave 6 is the digital controls, with options for pre-programmed temperature settings ranging from 65 to 80 degrees and a fan-only function. “The control panel is easy to use and intuitive with well-marked icons that are illuminated when in use,” our tester noted. There is a tip-over switch that disables the unit if it’s tipped in any direction, along with two overheating sensors, and cool-touch plastic housing. Plus, the built-in handle on the back of the heater stays cool and has a nice grip, which makes the unit easy to move. Price at time of publish: $91 Heating performance was most impressive on high with this space heater. Our tester noted that there wasn’t much heat generated on the low setting, but it also may have been because the heater’s target temperature and air temperature were similar. With this in mind, the heater earns 4 stars for heating performance. It operates quietly and has a variety of settings, which you can control using the included remote. This is an important feature for a wall-mounted heater, which may make the controls difficult to reach. The remote is small and it took multiple presses of a button to activate the features, so that is something to keep in mind. Price at time of publish: $120 When testing the Dr. Infrared Portable Space Heater, we found it emits a steady heat source. It was capable of raising the temperature in a large primary bedroom to 70 degrees in less than 30 minutes, despite nearly freezing outdoor temperatures. However, during our Lab testing, it was noted that the Low and High settings didn’t result in dramatically different heat output. The safety features of this heater add to our confidence in recommending it as a portable space heater. The wheels, while handy for rolling it from one room to another, also mean that it’s harder to tip over when compared to tall, tower-like space heaters. But if it were to tip over, it has an automatic shut-off. Price at time of publish: $130 Of course, the smart features are handy to have, but only if the space heater actually works. The good news is that our tester found it to function efficiently and effectively. After 5 minutes, our tester described the unit as quick to heat up and reported a noticeable increase in body temperature. It offers other useful features, like an option to oscillate and an eco-mode for energy savings. It has a tip-over shutoff that functioned well when tested, along with an overheating sensor and a red light to indicate when the heater is active (or still warm from use). Note that the housing of the heater was warm to the touch during testing (although not too hot) and we detected a smell when the heater was operating on high. We also had a hard time locating the unit on the app, but once we did get it set up, it was easy to control using our phone. Price at time of publish: $86
Size
Most space heaters are relatively compact in size, although personal space heaters will be the smallest option and fit well under a desk or table, like the Kismile Portable Electric Space Heater, our best budget option. Space heaters for medium- to large-size rooms will have larger heating elements and naturally be bigger in size. Our best pick for a larger space is the Honeywell ThermaWave 6, which warmed our testing space by 4 degrees in only 30 minutes. You should match the size of a space heater to the room it will be used in, keeping in mind that a compact, personal-size space heater won’t do much to warm a large, open space, while a bigger space heater may quickly overpower a small room with too much heat. Consider not just the dimensions of a space heater but also its weight, especially if you’re looking for a space heater that is portable enough to move around. Some larger space heaters are equipped with wheels to make moving them easier, like our pick for the best portable space heater, the Dr. Infrared.
Safety Features
Don’t overlook the importance of safety features when choosing a space heater for your home. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that a heater should have a thermostat and an automatic shutoff if the unit overheats. In addition, many heaters also feature a shutoff mechanism if the heater tips over, which is also recommended by the NFPA. These features are important if you have children or pets in the home, since they could accidentally knock the space heater over. In addition, cool-touch housing is something to consider, since it reduces the possibility of being burned by a space heater that has become hot to the touch from use.
Heat Output
The heat output of a space heater is measured in watts. Most residential space heaters have a maximum heat output of 1,500 watts, including all of the heaters on this list. Some of these heaters offer a high and low setting, with the low setting usually outputting 750 watts of power, according to Larry Campbell, a master electrician and member of The Spruce Review Board.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Erica Puisis, who has covered heating and cooling products on The Spruce since 2019. She compiled picks for this article using testing insights from the Lab and at-home product testers who put some of the most popular radiant and convection space heaters through their paces. Products were compared based on their design, safety features, heating performance, and other factors that affect usability. Larry Campbell, a master electrician and member of The Spruce Review Board, also shared information on the various types of space heaters, along with information about the heating mechanisms and wattages of space heaters.
