What to Buy Healthy Home & Appliances The 9 Best Space Heaters of 2023 Small but mighty, the Vornado VH200 Whole Room Heater lives up to its name and will have your space toasty in no time. By Lacey Muinos Lacey Muinos Lacey Muinos's Twitter Lacey Muinos's Website Lacey is a professional writer living in Southern California. She specializes in fitness, nutrition and various health topics. She not only has a passion for healthy living, but she also practices what she preaches with her longtime vegan diet. Her work has been featured in Health, Simply Recipes, VeryWell Fit, and more. Lacey graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is also host of Guide to Vegan, a blog focused on a plant-based lifestyle. health's editorial guidelines Updated on March 23, 2023 Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO Michael Menna, DO, is currently an attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, with nearly 10 years of experience. learn more Fact checked by Richard Scherr Fact checked by Richard Scherr Rich Scherr is an updates strategist and fact checker for Dotdash Meredith brands, including Health and Verywell. He is a seasoned financial and technology journalist who served as editor-in-chief of the Potomac Tech Wire for nearly two decades, and is a regular contributor to the sports pages of The Baltimore Sun. He has also been a news editor for America Online and has contributed to the Associated Press and The Washington Post. health's fact checking process Share this page on Facebook Share this page on Twitter Share this page on Pinterest Email this page In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews How We Selected What to Know About Space Heaters Your Questions, Answered Who We Are We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Health / Kristin Kempa We all get cold every now and then—it’s human nature. But when your body’s temperature gets too low, it can put you at risk for hypothermia. The normal human body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, but hypothermia can occur when that temperature drops below 95 F. An average of about 1,300 people die from it every year. This can happen in extreme weather conditions during outdoor activities, but it also occurs in the elderly, babies and young children, people with certain medical conditions, and others. One way to stay warm is to keep a space heater nearby—it’s like having your own personal sun enveloping you with heat. A space heater is a small device used to heat single rooms or small to medium-sized areas. It’s a more energy-efficient way to stay warm if you stay in one space most of the time, so you don’t have to rely exclusively on your electricity or gas to heat an entire house or apartment. In this way, using a space heater can save you money. It’s also a cozy way to stay warm, since you can stay closer to the heat source (but don’t get too close). People who feel cold all the time and those with certain medical conditions may benefit most from using a space heater to stay warm. “Anemia, hypothyroidism, poor blood circulation, low body fat, old age, and certain medications are all possible explanations for running cold,” explains Carmen Teague, MD, an internal medicine physician at Atrium Health. She says that feeling cold all the time likely isn’t dangerous as long as there’s no underlying issue, though it can be uncomfortable. Cold hands and feet are especially common among people with Raynaud’s disease, says Erin Nance, MD, an orthopedic hand surgeon with a practice in New York City. “As a hand specialist, I see a lot of people with Raynaud's syndrome, which is a problem with the blood flow to your fingertips when your hands are cold,” she says, noting that it can lead to frostbite in severe cases. “People with Raynaud's syndrome benefit from having space heaters, because it helps keep the overall temperature high and prevents these painful episodes that are triggered by the cold temperature.” To find the best space heater, we considered the top options on the market. We assessed dozens of models for safety features, wattage, portability, price, and user reviews and narrowed the selection to space heaters that are powerful, safe, and reliable. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Vornado Heat EH1-0092-69 VH200 Vortex Heater at Amazon Jump to Review Best Budget: BLACK+DECKER Portable Ceramic Indoor Space Heater at Amazon Jump to Review Best Infrared: Dr. Infrared Heater DR998 at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Portable: Dreo Atom One Space Heater at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Large Rooms: Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater 5586 at Amazon Jump to Review Best Safety Features: De'Longhi Radiant Heater at Amazon Jump to Review Best with Thermostat: Honeywell 360 Surround Digital Fan Forced Heater, HHF370 at Amazon Jump to Review Best Smart: Govee Smart Space Heater With Wi-Fi & Bluetooth at Amazon Jump to Review Best Design: De'Longhi Mica Thermal Panel Heater at Amazon Jump to Review Best Overall Vornado Heat EH1-0092-69 VH200 Vortex Heater Amazon View On Amazon Why We Like It: It uses a special type of airflow to heat the whole room. It’s Worth Noting: It’s easy to use but doesn’t have a digital thermostat or remote. Like the name suggests, the Vornado VH200 Whole Room Heater fills the entire space with warm air. Vortex Action airflow circulates warm air upward and outward, projecting warmth to every corner of your space. If you’re looking for a space heater that’s easy to use, it doesn’t get any simpler than this. Some are controlled by apps or have sophisticated digital thermostats, but this one uses a thermostatic knob to control the three heat settings. While some Vornado heaters have been recalled, this one has extra safety features. It has an automatic shut-off system and a tip-over switch that turns off the heat and power if it’s accidentally knocked over. The outside of space heaters can get hot to the touch, which can be a safety hazard for children and pets, but this one has a cool-touch case. Ultimately, it’s portable, powerful, and safe—everything you could ask for in a good space heater. Price at time of publication: $93 Product Details: Heating Method: ConvectionWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 10.43 x 12.56 x 12.59 inchesWeight: 4.06 pounds Best Budget BLACK+DECKER Portable Ceramic Indoor Space Heater Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Home Depot Why We Like It: It’s the lightest on our list and has a handle for easy carrying, making it uber-portable. It’s Worth Noting: The little machine is quite loud. Depending on the model, a space heater can easily run you over $100. This one is a quarter of the price, with the standard 1,500 wattage, so it’s a powerful option on a budget. Still, it doesn’t skimp in terms of features. This space heater is one of the most compact and lightweight options on our list. It weighs less than three pounds and can be easily transported from room to room with one hand. It was designed for portability, so you can keep it on your desk or table or anywhere you need extra warmth. It only has two heat settings for warmth—low and high—but it also has a fan setting. While the fan can get noisy, it’s good to have for the versatility. For peace of mind, the unit shuts off when overheated or tipped over. Price at time of publication: $25 Product Details: Heating Method: Forced air, convectionWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 6.3 x 7.3 x 9.2 inchesWeight: 2.8 pounds Best Infrared Dr. Infrared Heater DR998 Amazon View On Amazon View On Home Depot Why We Like It: It’s a more energy-efficient option that has a built-in humidifier to prevent dry air. It’s Worth Noting: It’s durable, but it’s a heavier option, so it’s not as portable as others. Indoor space heaters can create a cozy atmosphere, but it’s not the same as feeling the sunshine on your skin. Well, you can recreate that feeling at home with an infrared space heater, also known as a "heat lamp," which converts electrical energy into radiant heat. Infrared space heaters like this one are often likened to the warmth of the sun, since they heat objects, such as your body, instead of the air. This Dr. Infrared Heater DR998 offers a lot of features that other options are lacking. It has a remote to control it from a distance, a programmable timer to shut off after the desired amount of time, a fan to keep cool in the summer, and a high-pressure blower that operates quietly. One common complaint about other space heaters is the distracting noise, so if you’re looking for a quiet model, consider this one. Where safety is concerned, this one is equipped with the must-have safety features for homes with children and pets. It’s cool to the touch, and it shuts off automatically when tipped over. To prevent dry hair, it also has a built-in humidifier. This is a nice touch for those who experience dry eyes, skin, and nasal passageways, and sinuses issues from central heating. Price at time of publication: $150 Product Details: Heating Method: Radiant, forced airWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 16 x 11 x 16 inchesWeight: 26 pounds Best for Portable Dreo Atom One Space Heater Amazon View On Amazon Why We Like It: It’s small enough to sit on your desk or tabletop, and it weighs less than four pounds for easy portability. It’s Worth Noting: According to some user reviews, it may not have a long lifespan. One of the main perks of having a space heater is containing warmth to one room at a time. This can save you money and can even work more efficiently at keeping you warm. When you move to another room, the Dreo Atom One Space Heater is easy to take with you—and it heats the room quickly. To fill the room with warm air, it uses an oscillating fan, so it can move air around in more than one direction. The Dreo space heater is an affordable option with more safety features than other models. It is flame retardant and has overheat and tip-over protection. Visually, the Dreo has a more modern design than some space heaters that have been around for a while. It has an LED control panel, which displays the desired temperature. Manually toggle between temperature settings, or use the remote from a distance. Price at time of publication: $50 Product Details: Heating Method: Forced airWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 5.51 x 6.69 x 10.31 inchesWeight: 3.8 pounds Best for Large Rooms Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater 5586 Amazon View On Amazon Why We Like It: It’s a 29-inch tower heater, so has a smaller footprint but heats up large spaces quickly and efficiently. It’s Worth Noting: It might not be compact enough for those who are looking for a tabletop heater. Lasko has been around for 100 years, and its space heaters are still used and loved today. This tower has the reliability of a basic model with some modern touches. It has a digital display, remote control, and automatic timer. The remote stores easily in a storage compartment on the unit. Since it’s a tower, it takes up less floor space than other designs. At 29 inches, it’s one of the taller tower heaters, yet it weighs less than eight pounds, so you can still transport it between spaces. The elongated heating element is ideal for medium- and large-sized rooms, and it heats them up quickly and efficiently with oscillation. This Lasko heater also has a few added safety features. It shuts off when overheated and has a cool-touch exterior to reduce the risk of burns. It’s also ETL listed, so it was tested by Intertek Testing Services and found to be compliant with safety standards. Price at time of publication: $75 Product Details: Heating Method: ConvectionWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 29.5 inchesWeight: 7 pounds Best Safety Features De'Longhi Full Room Radiant Heater Amazon View On Amazon Why We Like It: It doesn’t use a fan, so it won’t kick up indoor allergens; and it’s on wheels for portability. It’s Worth Noting: It’s the priciest option on our list. If a radiant (or infrared) heater is for you, here’s another to consider. This De’Longhi model is on wheels for easy transport and is likely more energy-efficient than its convection competitors. Like other infrared heaters, it heats objects and bodies instead of air, so it’s also more eco-friendly, since all of the heat emitted is used. This one offers a few more special features than other infrared heaters we considered. It uses a digital control panel to toggle between settings and has a 24-hour timer to program it to turn on ahead of time. It’s also made of durable stainless steel and uses an oil radiator to minimize dry air. Plus, the oil-filled radiator never needs to be refilled. If you’ve had a space heater before, this one might take some getting used to. It doesn’t use a fan or convection heat like most space heaters, making it much quieter and less prone to stirring up indoor allergens. Instead, it’s uniquely designed with more surface area to transfer heat where you need it. Price at time of publication: $160 Product Details: Heating Method: RadiantWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 16.4 x 10.3 x 26.1 inchesWeight: 26.6 The 7 Best Air Purifiers for Mold of 2023, Tested and Reviewed Best with Thermostat Honeywell 360 Surround Digital Fan Forced Heater, HHF370 Amazon View On Amazon Why We Like It: The digital display makes it easy to select heat settings, change the temperature, and set the timer. It’s Worth Noting: The timer can only be set for up to eight hours in advance. The Honeywell space heater checks a lot of boxes. It’s compact, energy-efficient, and easy to use. It’s also reasonably priced, and it has the standard safety features to boot. It has a spherical design, but no matter which way it’s tipped over, it’s designed to shut off. It also shuts off when overheated and has a cool-touch exterior. It has two heat settings, but you can also use the thermostat to set your desired temperature. The digital display makes it easy to choose between two heat settings or utilize the timer for up to eight hours. User reviews praise this little unit for its surprising output. It’s designed for smaller bedrooms, but users have had success warming up larger spaces. For the price, it’s a solid choice for staying warm. Price at time of publication: $54 Product Details: Heating Method: Forced airWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 11.5 inchesWeight: 3 pounds Best Smart Govee Smart Space Heater With Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Amazon View On Amazon Why We Like It: It connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to access smart features. It’s Worth Noting: It’s tempting to preheat this unit before you come home, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends against this. In this day and age, everything has a smart counterpart, and space heaters are no exception. While many come with a remote control, there’s nothing more convenient than changing heat settings from your smartphone. With Govee smart space heaters, now you can. The unit, itself, uses convection like other space heaters, but this one heats in seconds and has a wider oscillation to envelope the entire room. For safety, it has a lock, timer, tip-over protection, overheat protection, and automatic shut off after 24 hours. It’s also UL tested for safety and fire hazards. One of the perks of a smart space heater is the ability to turn it on when you’re not in the room. Coming home to a cozy space sounds nice, but proper safety handling says not to use a space heater when you’re not in the room. Still, it has a nifty app that lets you set precise temperatures, check humidity levels, and more. Price at time of publication: $100 Product Details: Heating Method: ConvectionWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 18.9 x 18.9 x 16.4 inchesWeight: 7.6 pounds Best Design De'Longhi HMP1500 Mica Thermal Panel Heater 4.4 Amazon View On Amazon Why We Like It: It has a slim, sleek design that blends in. It’s Worth Noting: The design allows you to push it up against a wall, but space heaters should be 3 feet away from other objects for safety. Ceramic and radiant heaters are among the most common, but this De’Longhi might leave you gravitating to a micathermic option. It’s most similar to a radiant heater, since they heat objects instead of air, but micathermic space heaters may do so more efficiently and with less electricity. It also combines radiant energy with convection heat, giving even more bonus points for efficiency. The element is covered in mica—which helps to convert energy into heat—hence the name. Some users, who say they’ve tried all types of space heaters, found the most success with this model. It also has other perks. Since there’s no fan, it doesn’t circulate allergens. Other pros include its slim design, quiet operation, and safety features like tip-over protection and auto shut-off. The downside, however, is that you might not want to take full advantage of the slim design. This De’Longhi space heater can be mounted on the wall, but doing so may make it less effective and is generally not recommended for safety reasons. Price at time of publication: $100 Product Details: Heating Method: MicathermicWatts: 1,500Dimensions: 27 x 10 x 22 inchesWeight: 15.4 pounds The 7 Best Rechargeable Hand Warmers of 2023, Tested & Reviewed How We Selected To find the best space heaters, we researched dozens of models on the market. We considered the following criteria to narrow down the selection: WattageHeating methodSafety featuresPortabilityPrice We also spoke to two medical experts to discuss what to consider when selecting a space heater. The experts we spoke to included: Carmen Teague, MD, an internal medicine physician at Atrium Health Erin Nance, MD, an orthopedic hand surgeon with a practice in New York City With these criteria in mind, we were able to select the best space heaters. What to Know About Space Heaters How Long You Should Run Your Space Heater Space heaters are a cost-effective and cozy alternative to central heating, but they should be used in tandem. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, space heaters are best used for a few hours at a time and only when you’re within eyesight of a unit. You should turn your space heater off before going to bed, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. What You Can Expect to Pay for a Quality Space Heater The space heaters on this list range from $25 to $160, with an average price of $90. You can spend less than $30 or more than $400 on a space heater, depending on materials and features. Our top pick, the Vornado VH200 Whole Room Heater, is priced at $93. Features to Look for When Shopping for a Space Heater When selecting the best space heaters, we considered factors like price, reviews, portability, heating method, and safety features. Among them, the heating method and safety features are among the most important. Most space heaters use convection heat to warm a room, but that isn’t your only option. There are also forced air, radiant (or infrared), and micathermic heaters. Some combine multiple heating methods in a single unit. Here’s how to choose what’s best for you: Convection space heaters are affordable and distribute heat evenly throughout the space, though they can kick up dust and be a problem for those with indoor allergies.Fan-forced air heaters can be noisy and kick up dust, but they heat up quickly.Radiant, or infrared, heaters feel most like the warmth of the sun and offer added energy efficiency, but they’re usually pricier.Micathermic heaters aren’t as common, but they combine the benefits of convection and radiant heating for quick, energy-efficient warmth. Since space heaters have been known to cause residential fires and even burns, safety features are crucial. Look for the following, especially if you have young children or pets in the household: Automatic shut-off after a certain period of time. Space heaters aren’t designed to be on 24/7, so this is an added precaution if you ever forget to turn it off.Tip-over protection to ensure that the unit powers down if it’s knocked over on accident.Overheat protection, which shuts off the machine if temperatures get dangerously high. Cool-touch exteriors to prevent burns.ETL or UL tested. Portability is also an important deciding factor for many. Those who have stairs in their home or the elderly may require something lightweight that’s easy to carry upstairs or around the house. Some models have wheels to easily move around, but they’re most practical for single-story homes. Other models have a handle for easy transport. If portability is important to you, look for options that weight five pounds or less. Then there are other features that are just nice to have, such as the following: Digital or LED displayAdjustable thermostatProgrammable timerMultiple heat settingsFanRemote controlSmartphone appSmall footprintExtra-long power cord Your Questions, Answered Are space heaters safe? Space heaters are safe when used carefully and as intended. They’re designed to get hot, so there are some risks relating to fire hazards and burns. Heating equipment is a leading cause of residential fires in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Portable space heaters are associated with an estimated 1,700 residential fires and 70 deaths each year, according to the CPSC. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers recommends the following safety tips for space heaters: Never leave a space heater unattendedDo not use a powerstrip or extension cordAvoid placing anything on the cordDo not use if the cord is damagedKeep the unit at least 3 feet away from combustible materials, like clothes and curtainsDo not plug anything else into the same outletKeep children awayDo not place near flammable materials, like paintPlace on a flat, even surface What is the most efficient type of space heater? Radiant space heaters are the most energy-efficient. They heat objects instead of air, so none of the energy goes unused. Since convection heaters warm the air, they typically are the most efficient at heating a room quickly and filling it with warm air. Who We Are Lacey Muinos is a health and wellness writer who masters a variety of topics, from acne treatments to gut health and more. She has personally tested and reported on a variety of products, such as air fryers and moisturizers. Between in-depth research and expert interviews, she’s adept at finding information and getting it in front of the people who need it most. As someone who gets cold easily, she’s a big proponent of the space heater. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit 2 Sources Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevent hypothermia & frostbite. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. QuickStats: Number of hypothermia-related deaths, by sex — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 1999–2011. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;61(51);1050.