The 7 Best Space Heaters of 2024

Table of Contents

Toggle

Top pick

The Vornado VH200 offers the best combination of power, comfort, and quietness. It heats a room faster and more evenly than other models we tested.

The Vornado VH200 has been our top pick since 2018. That’s because in speed and overall effectiveness, it has consistently surpassed nearly every other space heater we’ve tested, delivering an immediate temperature increase that builds steadily and evenly across the room over time. The VH200 is incredibly simple to use, with just three buttons (including the power switch). It’s also quieter than most other ceramic heaters we’ve tried, emitting only a soft, fanlike whir, and it’s compact enough to tuck away in a corner. Plus, it has all of the safety features we look for, along with a generous five-year warranty, just in case anything goes wrong.

Runner-up

The Vornado AVH10 was the most powerful space heater we tested, and it has a few thoughtful details that set it apart from others. But it tends to cost more.

The Vornado AVH10 is a lot like the VH200, with a few added features, such as a digital display, a convenient cord-wrapping post (for easy storage), and a countdown clock when you turn it off (for added safety). This model made the room hotter and warmed it faster than our top pick, but it also didn’t distribute that warm air quite as evenly. And it usually costs around $30 to $50 more. But the AVH10 is a great alternative if you find it for a good price, or if you really want those extra features.

Budget pick

This effective portable heater works quickly and lasts for years. But its narrow stream of hot air doesn’t feel as comfortable as the heat from models that warm a whole room, and it lacks some safety features.

We’ve been recommending the Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater since 2013, and it remains one of the cheapest and most reliable space heaters you can find. It warms up faster than most fan heaters we tested, and it has a compact, lightweight body (about the size of a loaf of bread) and can fit right under your desk. This heater’s focused stream of hot air is great for warming the area directly in front of it, but it’s not as good at spreading the heat around. So the Lasko 754200 is a better choice for a small bedroom or an office than for a large room. But overall, this is a consistent, reliable, and affordable powerhouse.

Best for

Oil-filled radiators are silent but slow. The De’Longhi TRD40615T is the best of its type because it’s sturdier than competitors, with an exterior that stays cooler to the touch.

Most space heaters can deliver quick heat to a single person, but oil-filled radiators are better at heating a whole room for a longer duration, and the De’Longhi TRD40615T is the best of its kind. Like most oil-filled radiators, this heater warms up much more slowly than a ceramic model. But it also retains that heat longer, providing a cozier, more-ambient warmth throughout the room. The TRD40615T’s burly, all-metal construction is more durable than that of our plastic picks, but it does take up more space.

Best for

This attractive space heater is able to oscillate, which helps to spread the heat quickly and evenly around the room.

The Dreo Solaris Slim H3 (DR-HSH003) stands out not only for its stylish appearance but also because it’s the rare oscillating heater that actually succeeds at spreading the warm air evenly around the room. It can’t warm you up quite as quickly as some of our other picks, but its steady arc of motion creates comfortable and uniform heating throughout your space. It also just looks great, with a sleek design and simple controls that let you choose between basic heat settings and a specific, dialed-in temperature. Plus, it has all of the usual safety features that we look for. It is still technically a tower fan, though, so it’s not fun to clean.

Best for

This wide, tall, flat heater takes up surprisingly little space in the room—especially if you choose to mount it on the wall.

If you’re strapped for space, or you just don’t like having large, hot objects sitting on your floor, the De’longhi HMP1500 Mica Panel Heater is a great choice. It offers a wider, taller heating area—enough to warm several people sitting in a medium- to large-size room—but the heater itself is hardly more than 2 inches wide. Think of it as a big, hot picture frame. You can roll it from room to room on the included coaster feet, or save even more space by using the handle on the back to mount this heater up on a wall. Just be warned: The front panel gets really hot to touch—all the more reason to get it up off the floor.

Best for

If you need an electric heater for the bathroom, the Dreo DR-HSH004A will do the job safely.

The Dreo DR-HSH004A are the most effective and—more important—safe way to bring some infrared warmth to your bathroom. Although you should still try to keep your space heater far away from water, this model comes with an ALCI safety plug as well as overheat protection, for added safety in the case of stray splashes. In our tests, it did a great job of warming up the cold bathroom tile, too, and it even comes with a remote control so you can heat things up before you get out of bed.

Whichever space heater you choose, there are some common safety concerns that many people overlook: You can’t use any space heater with an extension cord, and you shouldn’t leave any heater unattended. And most heaters can’t be used in a bathroom, unless they’re specifically designed for it. We go over these and other considerations in detail in our section on space-heater care, maintenance, and safety.