Best Space Heaters in 2025 For Home to Buy (Maria Sew)
Our house always feels like an icebox this time of year. As long as you have direct supervision of where the heater operates, a heater is a decent way to stay warm without turning on the primary heating system if you do not have a chimney.
After researching various space heaters, I’ve found that there are a ton of options on Amazon, ranging from small ones that can sit on a desk to larger ones that will heat an entire room. I found some top sellers from brands such as Dyson, Dreo, and Lasko. It’s the perfect time to get you set up with a nice space heater to keep you warm during the season.
Key Takeaways
- Space heaters are ideal for warming specific rooms or spaces, which can save energy and costs compared to heating the whole house.
- Since most of these units produce roughly similar amounts of heat from a 120-volt outlet (1500 watts), the real difference lies in how well they disperse heat, safety features and ease of use.
- The best space heaters have safety features such as automatic overheat protection and tip-over switches; sound level; and ease of use (controls, remote control, etc.).
- Space heaters may be a godsend for cold areas in your house, but they don’t need to be your main supply of warmth—the main purpose of space heaters is to add supplemental heat.
- And with prices and availability of space heaters fluctuating heavily through the peak season, now is a great time to purchase one before the cold sets in.
What is a Space Heater
Then what is a space heater exactly? In short, it is a mobile device used to heat a single space/room. Consider it your own space heater for certain places in your home or office where the primary heating unit simply cannot provide warmth. I found they are great for adding some additional warmth, especially if you have a particularly chilly room in your home (like your home office, which feels like a freezer).
They’re perfect if you want a little more warmth without having to turn up your whole house thermostat and spend a ton of money on energy bills. Some are actually low profile heaters that are great for hiding on a desk or shelf, and others are more robust and can serve well as a space heater for a garage or a bigger workshop.
Most are built to be near-silent space heaters too, so you won’t notice that it’s running while you’re trying to concentrate or chill. They operate by turning electric currents into heat, and when it comes to modern heaters, an integrated safety element is a major positive. Sure, they are only supplementary heaters (meaning they shouldn’t be your main source of heat for your house), but for supplemental heat, they’re pretty damn great.
Types of Space Heaters
As soon as I began researching space heaters, I discovered that there’s a lot more to them than simply plugging them in and turning them on. They all essentially perform the same function, converting electricity to heat, but they achieve that in several different ways, and that can and will impact the way they heat you. So here I’ve covered the most common types of space heaters.
Ceramic Heaters
These are super common. Ceramic heaters employ a ceramic part of the heater as their heating element. The device passes electricity, which heats up and this hot ceramic is then blown with a fan to throw the warm air in the room.
They also heat up a space very fast, but due to being reliant on a fan, they can be a little noisy. The concept is similar to a blow dryer, except for warming up your space. The majority of these are also known as convection heaters, which means they work by directly heating the air.
Infrared Heaters
Infrared heaters are a little different. It heats objects, not air, so it doesn’t warm the air around it. It’s similar to feeling warmth in your skin when you are in a cool day, and the sun shines on you, even though the air around you is not warm.
Perfect if you only want to warm yourself up, not to heat the rest of the room. They are typically very quiet as they do not use a fan. It’s considered a form of radiant heat. These are useful for big areas, or wherever you are sitting in one area, you want to feel warm but not waste energy to heat an empty area.
Oil-Filled Radiators
It resembles an old-school radiator but is electric. It has an internal oil that gets heated by an electric element. The oil circulates, heating the automobile radiator’s metal fins, and the fins radiate heat into the room.
It takes longer for them to heat up than a ceramic heater, but you get a nice, solid, steady warmth. Also, it is very quiet because there is no fan. If you need heat around the clock and not instant heat, they are a good option. They function based on a convection mechanism, although the heat transfer is slower.
It is worth mentioning convection vs radiant heating. Convection heaters (most ceramic heaters) heat the air, which (as the air warms up). This means if you are using radiant heaters, such as infrared, they warm you directly.
Oil-filled radiators are a hybrid of sorts, making use of convection to disseminate warmth while (unlike most space heaters) radiating it out from their surface. Most of these electric types have a similar wattage limit (1500W) so size isn’t necessarily a good measurement of its power. How they actually spread that heat around is the bigger deal.
Top Space Heaters Of 2025 To Buy
Okay, so that brings us to finding the perfect 2025 space heater for you. I have been doing a bit of research into a lot of these things, and honestly, it can get overwhelming with options. I aim to help you cut through the nonsense to choose something that functions for, like, more than a week but is not as much of a hazard as setting your house on fire.
My priorities when I’m buying a space heater are a bit more basic. For starters, you cannot beat safety. I need it to have functionalities such as overheat protection and a tip-over switch. Have it also tested by a recognized safety lab like UL if you can.
Here is a brief overview of the models that impressed me, remembering that prices can vary:
| Model | Key Highlights | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreo Smart Wall Heater WH719S | 1500W • Alexa • 120° vertical oscillation • Remote • 24H timer | $129.99 | Buy Now |
| Vornado VH200 Vortex Heater | Vortex airflow • Even heating • Quiet operation | $75.95 | Buy Now |
| Dreo Space Heater (70° Oscillation) | 1500W • 5 modes • 8 safety protections • Remote | $74.99 | Buy Now |
| GiveBest Portable Space Heater | 750W/1500W • Thermostat • Quiet • 200 sq ft | $25.00 | Buy Now |
| Amazon Basics Ceramic Heater | Tip-over protection • Compact • 1500W | $19.00 | Buy Now |
| Lasko Digital Ceramic Tower Heater | 23″ tower • Oscillation • Timer • Remote | $56.99 | Buy Now |
| Dr Infrared Heater (Original) | 1500W • Infrared heat • Energy efficient | $109.00 | Buy Now |
| Dyson Hot + Cool™ AM09 | Jet Focus • Air Multiplier • Heater + Fan | $349.00 | Buy Now |
Dreo Smart Wall Heater, Electric Space Heater for Bedroom 1500W with 120° Vertical Oscillation, Adjustable Thermostat, Remote Control, 24H Timer, Easy-Mount Indoor Heater, Works with Alexa, WH719S
I found this Dreo Smart Wall Heater when I was searching for something to quickly heat my home office without raising the temperature on the main thermostat. I thought it was quite cool that it was wall-mounted to save on floor space. 1500 Watts is typical of most space heaters, and it’s supposed to heat a room quickly.
What actually stood out for me was the 120-degree vertical oscillation. I thought this would help circulate the heat throughout the room instead of blowing it in one direction. One of the best features, of course, is the remote, because who really wants to get up to manually change settings? And it has a 24-hour timer I can set to turn on before I make it to my desk in the morning.
Dreo Space Heater, 1500W Electric Heaters For Indoor Use With Thermostat, 70°Oscillating Heaters For The Whole Room With 8 Safety Protections, 5 Modes, Remote, 12H Timer, Quiet Portable Heater For Office, Bedroom, Large Room
I need a space heater that gets the job done, sure, but not a loud one. And this Dreo model lives up to most of them. Adequate 1500 watts — the threshold power for warming up a relatively large room, with five options!
Glad it has an ECO mode part, which I believe cuts the power usage. It also gets 70-degree oscillation, so it can mix that warmth around the room, instead of just hot-air-blasting one direction.
Some heaters I had previously used can be quite loud, but this is advertised as quiet and I found this to be true, which is important to me when working or relaxing. It even comes with a remote (also nice), and has a 12-hour timer so I can set it and forget it. They have also added what they refer to as 8 different safety protections, which I appreciate, considering I may be using this in a bedroom.
This is no oil-filled radiator heater, but it should provide steady heating. Made for indoor use, so it would be great in my office or bedroom. I am always somewhat skeptical about heaters that become hot to the touch, so I will be monitoring this unit in that aspect.
GiveBest Portable Electric Space Heater with Thermostat, 1500W/750W Safe and Quiet Ceramic Heater Fan, Heat Up 200 Square Feet for Office Room Desk Indoor Use
The first time I laid eyes upon this GiveBest portable electric space heater, I was simply searching for something small to move around my apartment. So I found one that ticked all the boxes – this one. It’s a smaller unit, so you don’t have to find a great deal of space for it to live, which is perfect because my other rooms are small. For my part, I have discovered that it has been able to heat my working area of about 200 sq feet, in fairly quick order.
It features two heat settings (1500W and 750W) so I can select the amount of heating I want based on how cold it is. I like the adjustable so I just set it to a temp like 73° and it just keeps it there, so much better than just blasting heat. To its credit, it is supposed to be quiet, and to be honest, it is quieter than most. Yes, it makes a little noise, but nothing that drowns out my music or a conversation.
Amazon Basics Ceramic Space Heater – Portable Indoor Heating Solution - With Overheat Protection & Tip-Over Protection, Thermostat, Non-Oscillating, 1500W, 7.52 x 6.34 x 9.45In, Silver
I came across this Amazon Basics ceramic heater when I was in need of a simple, barebones heater for my home office. It is very simple, just as I wanted. This is not one of those fancy oscillating types that attempt to heat the entire room; it directs its heat pretty directly.
This is perfect for personal space, such as have you can warm up my feet under my desk on a cold morning with this ceramic heater. It has a thermostat built in so I set it to a degree and it just holds it there, which is nice. I just never have to fiddle with it anymore
The safety features were also one of the things that caught my eye. The heater has an overheat protection system and a tip-over switch, so at least I can sleep a bit more soundly at night since I can forget my heater is on if I get too engrossed in my work. It’s also quite a meaty unit, so it doesn’t require a summit to rule a whole lot of space.
Home Lasko Oscillating Digital Ceramic Tower Heater with Adjustable Thermostat, Timer and Remote Control, 23 inch, 1500W, Silver, 755320
I discovered the Lasko Oscillating Digital Ceramic Tower Heater while searching for a heater that would effectively heat my living room. This model delivers warmth and, at the same time can be a space-saver. This thing is pretty neat.
Being a tower design, it stands up tall and skinny, which is nice because my floor space is perhaps already a little stretched. It promises to envelop your space in consistent heat, and frankly, it delivers on that promise.
With two settings, low and high, plus a thermostat so you can set it to your perfect temperature. The oscillation function works well too; it swings gently back and forth and helps to distribute the heat more uniformly throughout the room.
In fact, the remote control felt like a little bit more of a crutch with the Trek, as I found myself reaching for it more often when I was already on the couch, and didn’t want to get off the couch. Especially on those cooler nights when you simply want to chill.
Dr Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater, (Original) 1500 Watt, Cherry, 1 Count
I was a little dubious when I first viewed the Dr. Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater. It has this “original” tag, which, for some weird reason, was like having a model yesteryear, not the most innovative or the most frugal. However, in all honesty, this took me by surprise: a 1500-watt unit at less than $750! It’s an infrared heater, which is a little different from the fan-forced heaters I’m used to.
Well, rather than simply blowing hot air about, it warms up the surrounding objects and people, as you will with the sun. That translates to a more tangible, less dehydrating heat.
The peace and quiet you get is something I appreciate a lot. The absence of a noisy, ever-constantly whirring fan is a major improvement that I appreciate very much, particularly when working or simply unwinding. It’s quiet, so quiet, in fact, that I sometimes forget that it’s operating.
Meaning portability, and this model is portable. It’s not too heavy and the cherry color is actually sort of nice, a real break from all the white or black appliances. I was easily able to transition from my living room to my home office when I needed to.
Dyson Hot+Cool™ AM09 Jet Focus air heater and fan
The Dyson Hot+Cool™ AM09 Jet Focus™ features. When I first saw it, I was a little bit skeptical. Appearance-wise, it is a heater that looks more like futuristic home decor than something that could keep my freezing cold apartment warm (I’d be lying if I said I was completely convinced).
However, having used it for some time, I must admit, I am quite impressed with it. This is a fan heater, meaning that it has the ability to heat a room and function like a fan as well, so it has a great dual purpose throughout the year.
The part called “Jet Focus” is probably the most interesting; it allows you to deliver a concentrated power stream of air exactly where you need it, whether that’s a precise heating or a broader, more diffused warmer-type area. This model is very much a cool-touch heater, so while it gives off heat, it doesn’t get hot outside (great if you have a nosy cat, as I do).
How to Choose the Best Space Heater
Does the whole process of choosing a space heater seem a bit daunting to you? I know what it’s like to be faced with a wall of options and feel entirely confused about what really makes one better than another. As much as we throw a lot of wattage into the equation, then it’s not only that. You really have to consider where you will be putting it and what you need it for.
How much space do you want to heat? First off, think about the space you wish to heat. If you only need to heat a small bedroom, then having a massive unit might be too much, and vice versa, with a large living room needing a lot of heat, using a tiny desk heater. Then, of course, there’s the heater itself.
It’s also worth mentioning that ceramic heaters tend to be quicker when it comes to warming a room, whereas infrared generally heats objects, which can be pleasant if you’re directly in front of it. Though slower to warm up, oil-filled radiators usually offer more even, gentler heat and tend to be quieter. What I have discovered is that, normally, for typical room heating, I typically have the greatest luck with ceramic or oil-filled.
Safety is a big one, too. I tend to seek out conveniences like an automatic shut-off if the heater gets toppled over or overheats. This is just a simple thing, but for me, it offers so much peace of mind, especially if I have kids/pets around. And most even have cool-touch exteriors, which is a plus.
You also want to make sure that it comes with a thermostat so that you can set a certain temperature instead of guessing. It keeps the room at a comfortable temperature without having to run the heater all the time, and this means that it can help you save a portion of your electricity bill. For a solid jumping-off point, researching heaters can certainly reduce your options.
Think about noise, too. There are heaters that sound like a jet engine getting ready for take-off and others where you really need to listen carefully to hear them. You will certainly want a quieter model if you have plans to use it in a bedroom or an office. And don’t forget about portability.
Do you require it to be moved from room to room? Get one with a handle or wheels. They can be pretty darn light, especially some of the smaller ones, so you can go about your business around the house. This should make choosing the best heater for you much more manageable, but ultimately, you should always consider your own individual requirements.
Space Heaters to Avoid
If safety is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of space heaters. It’s tempting to go in on a heater and focus on the amount of heat it puts out or how quiet it is, but some leaks just aren’t worth the risk of getting caught, biting the big one. However, I have learned that even with all of the built-in safety features of today’s units, there are a handful of pitfalls to avoid.
I’ve seen some of the older models with exposed heating elements, and those are a hard pass, for sure. What I’m getting at is they feel to me like an accident waiting to happen, and I have pets, kids, do I really want to risk it?
I also avoid anything that seems rickety or at the point of collapse. If a heater lacks something as absolute as ETL or UL listed, it likely isn’t even on my radar. And that isn’t even just about fire hazards.
Which sounds somewhere between good and bad, since some heaters are really hot to the touch, and if I don’t notice the heater, and accidentally hit it, in my half-asleep state, I will get a horrible burn. I’ve also read anecdotes about some heaters (particularly among the older, less-regulated tower heater models) getting a bit unstable. Having a tip-over switch is cool, but if the whole device seems top-heavy and wobbly, I’m done.
And granted, I do enjoy a desk personal heater, and I’m always extra careful about those. Although they tend to be smaller and may not appear as dangerous, they can also ignite pieces of paper or other combustible objects if placed too closely.
And as I learned, some of the cheaper ones just have pretty bad thermostats, so they may even end up overheating without me knowing it. I’d rather spend a little more on something I can trust has been made with space heater safety in mind.
Best Budget Space Heaters
Don’t sweat it, it is definitely possible to get a good space heater that won’t put a hole in your wallet. I’ve searched a lot, and aside from purpose-built models, you really don’t need to spend a lot to get something that is capable of working well for small room heating solutions. I was specifically looking for energy-efficient electric heaters that do a good job of heating up a cold space.
For those times when you just need to take the edge off a cold room, I found some really neat, quiet personal heaters. They’re perfect for an office or a bedroom where you don’t want a lot of noise.
Despite their small size, these are surprisingly powerful, which is why they’re some of the best space heaters for cold rooms. They also do not suck up power, which is a nice benefit for my pocket.
Another trend I saw is that even the inexpensive models tend to have reasonable safety features these days , tip-over protection , and cool-touch exteriors, for example. Which is always nice when you are exploring the cheaper end of the tree. Looks like a manufacturer knows that all one wants for a wide range of prices is trust and safety in heating.
There are actually a few decent choices if your goal is a low-cost, functional, and energy-efficient heater. I believe the GiveBest Portable Electric Space Heater is one of those types of units that provide better value than the price suggests, which is why I consider it one of the best indoor heaters on a budget!
