2. Honeywell Energy Smart Cool Touch Heater

$45 at Amazon.com

No matter how hard we try to keep our home at an even temperature, there is inevitably a room that can’t seem to keep up with the rest. With children in the home, it was important that any portable space heater be somewhat cool to the touch, and with all the recent changes to my electrical system, I wanted to maintain a lower electric bill, as well. The Honeywell Energy Smart Cool Touch Heater was an affordable solution that seemed to address all these issues. But, would it make much of a difference in the temperature of my large living room?

As soon as I took the Cool Touch Heater from the box, it was apparent that there was essentially no setup involved. Everything that needed to be learned from the one-foot tall oscillating heater was communicated through its simple controls. Here’s how we put it to work:

1. We plugged the heater into our draftiest room, the living room. Noting that the cord was extra short (to prevent any possible trip hazards and a potential fire situation), we looked around to the most convenient outlet that would allow the heater to sit flat on the floor, but not too close to drapes or furniture. This proved to be difficult, but we did find one such outlet.

2. Decision time: Did we want the temperature to be set at a specific level? The heater allowed for a thermostat to be set, with a range or 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It also included a "high" setting for constant heat and a "frost-watch" setting that would only kick the heater on when there was a danger of the temps nearing a pipe-bursting chill. There was also a one-touch button to have the fan oscillate or stand still.

3. It took no time at all to feel the heat from this tiny unit. While the air coming from it was definitely hot, the front of the heater remained true to its word, and there was no way a person could get burned by a casual encounter. However, it is not recommended that you place anything, including yourself, against the surface of the heating unit for any extended period of time. It does kick out enough heat to melt crayons.

This heater was perfect for our living room and dining room (measured at around 400 total square feet), and it worked as a supplemental heater to our wood heating system. At any given time, I could view the temperature of the area by looking at the green thermostat lighting display on the heater. The unit was super quiet, almost unnoticeable unless you were trying to hear it, and with an automatic tip-over switch and overheating switch included in the design, I felt it was safe to use on a regular basis. 

I also figured that I could keep my house at an overall temperature of around five degrees Fahrenheit lower than usual, if I used the heater in my living room. The total cost to run the heater was approximately $0.50 a day on the medium setting, which used 900 watts per hour. In a natural gas-heated home in my area, this could equal a savings of about $175 annually and significantly lower heating-fuel usage.