Club Benefits
As energy costs continue to fluctuate, cranking up your central heating to keep the entire house toasty can feel like literally burning cash, especially when you’re only occupying one room at a time.
Fortunately, there’s a smarter way to fight the freeze without draining your bank account: zone heating. By turning down your home’s main thermostat and using one of the best space heaters in the room you’re actually using — whether that’s your home office, the living room, or a drafty bedroom — you can keep your immediate surroundings perfectly cozy while saving hundreds of dollars over the season.
When used strategically, a space heater is one of the most effective budgeting tools in a homeowner's or renter's arsenal. However, not all space heaters are created equal. That's why we put the best space heaters to the test, checking the effectiveness and efficiency of each model. Our top pick for most people is the Lasko FH500, which scored a five-star rating in our review. On a budget? The Morento Space Heater is just $30 and a top pick for small spaces.
The best space heaters you can buy right now
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
Best space heater overall
Although it’s over three feet tall, the Lasko FH500 is slim and has a clean, uncluttered design. In a 15 x 10 foot test room, at its highest setting, it surpassed every other heater we tested, and raised the temperature perfectly evenly.
It was also quick to heat up; within 12 seconds, we felt warmer. In spite of its great heat output, it drew an average amount of energy in relation to the other heaters. However, there is an eco mode if you want to save on your bills; after you set a precise temperature, the power cycles on and off to reduce energy consumption.
The fan can be set to oscillate for even distribution of heat. And you can also set a timer to shut the unit off automatically after up to 8 hours. None of the surfaces on the Lasko itself presents a burn hazard if you’ve got children running around, and it’s not too loud either.
Inside the Lasko there’s a permanent filter which needs to be popped in before first use and then vacuumed every two weeks to keep it in top condition. This heater can be controlled by its panel or by a remote control, which you can store in a pocket on the back of the tower.
The internal fan is useful for distributing the heat when it's cold, but this specific model also pulls double-duty as a regular cooling tower fan for the summer. It's an excellent space heater, but the added dual-function makes it easily the best space heater for most people.
- Read our full Lasko FH500 review
Best budget space heater
If you're on a budget and simply want a heater to quickly warm a small space, the Morento heater is ideal. With its miniature size and light weight of just four pounds, it's easily portable and won't look like an eyesore in the room. In fact, it's perfect for home offices if you want to keep the chill at bay.
It also comes with three modes: fan only, high power heat and Eco. Plus, a host of safety features, including 24-hour auto shut-off, tip-over protection, and overheat protection. This is a bonus if you have children or pets running around.
Despite its small stature, the Morento heater can kick up a surprising amount of heat. It was able to warm up our tester's 100-sq-ft office within 30 minutes. It also performed well in his 200-sq-ft bedroom, although we noted that it wouldn't be effective to heat larger spaces exceeding 400 sq ft.
Without a vertical tower design, it's not going to compete with the Lasko Ellipse for serious heating, but it's a winner for affordability and small spaces, which makes it our top pick for best value for money.
- Read our full Morento Space Heater review
Best for safety features
The latest addition to this guide, the Dreo Whole Room heater certainly packs in a punch. We enjoyed its smart tabletop design and huge variety of oscillations, which makes it ideal for use in a variety of rooms. And it can also be used as a fan, making it a versatile pick for year-round use.
It comes with three heat and fan levels, 3D oscillating heat, a 12-hour timer and a convenient carry handle for easy portability. We also rated it for safety features, which include an overheat shutoff, tip-over protection, and flame-retardant housing.
With its LCD panel and remote control, we rated the Dreo for its ease of use and smart display, although we did find the remote control sluggish at times when adjusting oscillation and fan settings. More importantly, when used on a tabletop, it was able to keep our hands toasty while working from home.
The Dreo Whole Room heater is an impressive performer overall, and especially excels in smaller spaces. It's also incredibly quiet, which is always a bonus. And because it doubles as a fan, it can also be used in the summer months. Win-win!
- Read our full Dreo Whole Room Heater review
Best for cooling and heating
Shark's new TurboBlade Cool + Heat is an upgrade to the original Shark TurboBlade fan, this time with a heater mounted in the center of its unique blade.
You should note that this is the largest model featured in our guide, but that also makes it best suited to larger rooms such as living rooms and bedrooms. During testing, we enjoyed its 'Thermo IQ' setting which automatically adjusts the fan to maintain your desired temperature. It also oscillates 180-degrees, meaning it can keep a crowd toasty when placed in the corner of a room.
We found the remote control is easy to use, and some users might prefer this simple control to downloading an app. It's also magnetic, so you won't lose it down the back of a sofa.
One drawback, however, is that the heat setting only comes out of the central vent, which defeats the point of the blade design. Another drawback is that for the price, you might be expecting app or smart functionality. Unfortunately, this is fairly old school and uses a simple remote with a digital display.
- Read our full Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat review
Best wall-mounted space heater
If you want a space-saving yet powerful heater, the Dreo Smart Wall Heater is a great option. Firstly, it's easy to mount on the wall and has a stylish, discreet design that won't look out of place.
It comes with adjustable louvers for directing the air to where it’s needed and it’s simple to adjust the heater with its panel, remote control, Dreo app or with voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant. With more than enough warming potential for the average, mid-sized room.
We tested all four heating modes (including Eco) and were impressed at how rapidly the Dreo circulated heat around the room. It particularly worked well in our tester's 150 square foot hallway where the temperature can drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit during winter.
Another great feature was the Dreo app, which has a simple interface and is straightforward to use. We were able to check the heater’s status and temperature from upstairs, across town and even several states away.
At 44.9 decibels, this isn't the quietest space heater we tested, however, it isn't loud enough to disturb the peace. And the fact that it's on the wall means that you can pretty much set and forget that it's even there. On that note, this is wall-mountable only, so you can't move it from room to room, without installing again.
- Read our full Dreo WH517S Smart Wall Heater review
Best air purifying space heater
Dyson's latest Hot+Cool appliance, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 is a space heater, fan and air purifier all in one. The downside? It costs the same as buying all three separately.
The star of the show is the heater. In our tests, it brought a room up to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The oscillation and bladeless fan make a huge difference, too; rather than the roaring heat of a budget space heater toasting your feet and nothing else, this spreads heat around the room like a tropical breeze. Admittedly, it was tested in a small living room, but it warmed the entire room in just five minutes.
The app for this heater is genuinely useful, unlike most smart home apps. It lets you control the heater remotely so you can set the fan speed, heat level, oscillation and more. You can set up a timer, a schedule, and an auto-target for air quality, so the purifier will kick in if there are elevated levels of unwanted particles.
The obvious drawback with this appliance, however, is the high price point. It's five times more expensive than our number one pick. Sure, it's really three appliances in one, but the Lasko FH500 in first place is also a tower fan, so it's not a huge jump in functionality. That's worsened by the fact that the air filter needs to be replaced, so you need to spend an extra $79.99 every year or so just to keep this running.
- Read our full Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 review
Also tested
We test many more space heaters than we recommend in our main roundup and only suggest the models we genuinely think are the best space heaters. But that doesn't mean the others we try are bad. So, if you're after more options here are the space heaters that didn't quite make the cut.
How we test the best space heaters
To test heating performance, we time how quickly each space heater can heat up the air directly in front of it. We also measure the temperatures either side within a 15 x 10 foot room after each heater has operated for 20 minutes on its highest heat setting — this is to check for evenness and consistency.
For accuracy, we time how long each space heater takes to significantly boost the room’s temperature, and we do this from two distances. While doing this, we take the floor’s temperature to check how much heat is wasted.
Using an energy meter, we track the energy used on the minimum and maximum heat levels to determine the energy efficiency. We then measure five different surface temperatures on each heater as well as the floor in front of it to see if there was a burning hazard, or if the appliance wastes energy heating the floor.
In addition, we run the appliance on its highest setting to test the noise output, and measure the space heater’s external temperature to ensure against burning hazards. We also take into account added safety features, including tip-over protection and automatic shut-off.
How to choose the best space heater for you
Space heaters vary in size, heating ability, features, and price. The most expensive ones look better and can do more than just heat — they can also cool off a room and may even be able to humidify or purify the air. However, they’re also larger and less portable.
Safety Features: When you buy a space heater, start by checking that it bears the UL, ETL, or CSA International insignia which tells you that it has been tested and certified by a third party organization.
In addition, make sure it will shut off automatically if it tilts, tips, or overheats. One heater we tested — the Lasko 754200 — lacks this feature, which is why it didn’t make the list of the best space heaters. Any heater that you consider purchasing should have a sturdy cord that is at least six feet long.
Heating Capacity: The wattage of a space heater is an important factor in determining how large an area it will warm up. Generally, a heater needs 10 watts of power to heat each square foot of space.
That means to heat up an average-sized room, you’ll want at least a 1,500-watt heater. But take into the account the height of your ceilings and the level of insulation in the room, as this will have a reflection on the area that will need heating and how much energy will escape.
Fan: To distribute heat quickly, look for a model with a fan. An oscillating fan helps disperse heat more evenly.
Thermostat: A space heater that has a thermostat allows you to fine tune the temperature and keep it at a level you find comfortable. An electronic thermostat with precise temperature settings will give you the best control.
Often manufacturers refer to the thermostat as an eco setting as it saves energy by only using as much power as needed to keep a steady temperature.
Other features to consider: A timer that will automatically shut the heater off is handy as you won’t have to worry about whether or not you remembered to do it. Remote controls are also useful.
With a remote controlled model, you can turn the heater on and off without putting your book down or tearing yourself away from the TV. If you plan to use the heater in various rooms, you’ll find a handle makes it easy to carry.
Still unsure if a space heater is right for you? Check out should you buy a space heater? Here are the pros and cons.
Tips for using a space heater safely
- Place your space heater on a flat stable surface like a hardwood floor. Do not use it on carpet.
- Never use an extension cord or power strip with a space heater. They’re not designed to accommodate the power needs of a space heater and can overheat, leading to a fire.
- Inspect the cord regularly to make sure it isn’t damaged or frayed in any way. If it is, stop using it immediately.
- When you’re not using a space heater, unplug it.
- Don’t go to sleep with a space heater switched on.
- Never leave a space heater unattended while it’s operating. If you leave the room, turn the heater off.
- Don’t cover a space heater with clothing or a blanket and keep it away from curtains, beddings, and papers.
- Be vigilant about keeping children and pets away from the unit and its power cord at all times.
FAQs
How much should you spend on a space heater?
Depending on the size and functionality, space heaters can cost anywhere from $20 up to $700, so you really should have a budget in mind before you start browsing. Generally speaking, the more versatile the machine is, the more it will cost.
So any additional functions, such as humidifiers or air purifiers, will only add to the price tag, although you do technically get two appliances in one here. With that in mind, only invest in multifunctional devices if you intend to use the extra features.
Some models can function as fans as well as space heaters, which makes them useful throughout the year, for example. Make sure you check the energy consumption as well — otherwise your space heater can cost you an arm and a leg to run over time.
We recommend considering your budget before shopping as well as what you need from your space heater in terms of size and functionality. That way, you can prevent overspending.
Do space heaters dry out the air?
No, although it may seem as though the air is dryer. Space heaters increase the air temperature which increases the amount of water air can absorb, making the atmosphere appear drier.
This is because warm air can hold more moisture than cold air, which makes the room feel drier, however, moisture isn’t being removed as it would be when using a dehumidifier.
How long should you run a space heater?
Ideally, it's advised to only run space heaters for a few hours, and should never be left running overnight. This is mainly due to fire risk safety, and to avoid the risk of it toppling over or overheating.
However, you should opt for space heaters with a thermostat, or safety features such as automatic shut-off if they get too hot. These will all minimize the risk of a potential fire.
When should you replace your space heater?
While there are estimates that a space heater can last anywhere from 16 to 20 years, how long one actually stays in good working order depends on how much it’s used. If you see the cord is damaged or fraying or notice sparks or odd smells from the heater or the outlet, stop using it immediately and replace it with a new one.
Other signs that it’s time to buy a new model include ceramic panels that are cracked, broken or have eroding finishes. When you shop for a new space heater, you’ll find the latest models are more attractive so they will look less obtrusive sitting in your family or guest room.
Many space heaters now have electronic controls and some even come with a remote so that you can turn them on and off without leaving your desk or the sofa. You can now also find space heaters that double up as fans, humidifiers, or air purifiers so that you get more for your money.
