The 9 Best Ceramic Heaters of 2023

Best Overall

Dreo Solaris Slim H3 Space Heater

4.9

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With a noise rating of just 37.5 decibels on its lowest setting and an array of adjustable features, the Dreo Solaris Max Space Heater earns our top spot on this list. This ceramic heater has 5 different heat output modes: H1, H2, H3, eco, and fan only. The heat output ranges from 700W to 1500W. It has an adjustable digital thermostat, too, which allows you to adjust the temperature anywhere between 41 degrees to 95 degrees, so you can really fine-tune the temperature of your room. 

This heater also has a 70-degree oscillation feature and a timer function, which ranges from one to twelve hours. You can take advantage of all these features via the easy-to-read, user-friendly digital display or the remote, which also has a straightforward design. In terms of safety, the heater is ETL-certified and has both overheat and tip-over protection. The plug's blades are also specially designed to resist bending. 

As for its design, the heater has a rounded and compact shape, and an overall modern, clean-cut, and unobtrusive appearance. It stands just under 16 inches tall, and it is available with a gold or silver rim. There is a handle to make moving the heater easier, and though it’s a bit awkwardly designed compared to handles on other models, it's still better than having no handle at all. Its light 4.6-pound weight also helps make it easy to carry. The heater cost less than $80 (at time of publish), and keep in mind that while the heater can serve well in small or medium spaces, it’s not ideal for warming larger spaces.

Price at time of publish: $75

_{Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.9 x 15.8 inches | Weight: 4.6 pounds | Wattage: 700W-1500W | Oscillating: Yes}

Best Budget

Comfort Zone Energy Save Heater

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The Comfort Zone Energy Save Oscillating Ceramic Heater is an ETL-listed space heater with simple, useful features, at an affordable price. The heater offers low, high, and energy-saving settings, plus you can control the temperature of the heat on each mode via the thermostat dial. For those who are particularly concerned about their space heaters' energy usage, this model’s energy-saving mode is designed to use 30 percent less energy than the average heater. Note that while this heater does have some handy features, it, unfortunately, lacks a timer feature.

The heater has overheating and tip-over auto-shutoff safety features, and its exterior is designed to stay cool. Despite being compact and only measuring 6 x 5.25 x 9.5 inches, this heater’s design is a bit clunky and less attractive compared to other heaters in this roundup. However, it’s still easy to use: It has two large dials on the top for adjusting the temperature and heat output, and a switch on the front to turn on the oscillation feature. It also has handles for easy carrying which, when paired with its light 3.56-pound weight, make it a great portable option.

Price at time of publish: $45

_{Dimensions: 6 x 5.25 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 3.56 pounds | Wattage: 1500W | Oscillating: Yes}

Best Oscillating

Better Homes & Gardens 23-Inch Electric Ceramic Tower Heater

4.7

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The Better Homes & Gardens 23" Electric Ceramic Tower Heater is one of the models we tested in The Lab, and we appreciated its heating power, range of settings, and various features (Better Homes & Gardens is owned by The Spruce's parent company, Dotdash Meredith). You have the option of setting the digital thermostat between 41 to 95 degrees and choosing between a low, medium, high, or eco mode. The heater also has a smooth functioning oscillation feature, and it operates quietly even on its highest setting. Our tester’s favorite thing about this heater was that it was quick to get them “warm and toasty.” 

We wish the instructions were easier to follow and that the digital display was a bit more user-friendly. However, we did not find this to be a major downfall, especially considering all the other handy features this heater offers. It has an 8-hour timer and it comes with a remote. The unit has built-in magnetic storage for the remote as well, so you won’t have to leave the remote floating around your house. As for safety, this is an ETL-tested model with overheat protection and a tip-over auto-shutoff. When our tester gently knocked over the heater to test its tip-over safety feature, the heater turned off within about five seconds. Overall, the heater costs around $60, and our tester judged it to be “a good product for the price.”

Price at time of publish: $60

_{Dimensions:  7.67 x 6.89 x 23.20 inches | Weight: 9 pounds | Wattage: 1500W | Oscillating: Yes}

Best Tower

Pelonis Ceramic Tower Space Heater

4.7

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During testing, the PELONIS PTH15A4BGB Ceramic Tower Heater stood out for its design, features, and heating power. The unit offers a high, low, and eco mode, as well as a convenient 8-hour timer option, and it has a maximum temperature of 92 degrees. Its  70-degree oscillation feature functions smoothly, and it operates quietly. The heater also has important safety features—it’s ETL-tested, and features overheat protection and a tip-over auto-shutoff function. In terms of design, the tower stands 23 inches tall, and its compact profile means it won’t take up too much space wherever you place it. It’s lightweight, too, which makes moving it quite easy.

This heater does a nice job of evenly distributing the heat—warmth can be felt all around the unit, not just around its front grill. We also appreciated how its heating power remained consistent while operating, as well as how the unit's exterior didn’t get too hot and stayed cool-to-touch. The instructions could have been more clear, and our tester noted they wished the unit had a fan. On the plus side, the digital display was user-friendly and it comes with a handy remote, so you have multiple ways to control the unit. Overall, we think this heater is budget-friendly since it offers a good range of features for around $80 (at time of publish). Our tester also claims this “would be a perfect option for the camper” since they think that “it would heat the area nice and it really is cool to touch.”

Price at time of publish: $80

_{Dimensions: 7.1 x 7.1 x 22.95 inches | Weight: 6.29 pounds | Wattage: 1500W | Oscillating: Yes}

Best Safety Features

Honeywell ThermaWave 6 Ceramic Technology Space Heater

4.8

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We tested the Honeywell ThermaWave 6 Ceramic Technology Space Heater in The Lab, and were impressed by the range and effectiveness of its safety features. This UL-tested unit has a tip-over auto-shutoff, and once you sit the heater back up after it's been knocked over, you will have to manually turn the heater back on again. It has built-in heater sensors as well, so it will turn off if it starts to get too hot. If it ever does shut down due to overheating, it will only start running again after it's spent 20 minutes cooling down. And regardless if it's knocked over or starts to overheat, the heater has an auto-timer and will automatically turn off after 8 hours. Plus, the exterior stays cool-to-touch and after the unit is turned off a fan will run for one minute for a smooth cooling process. 

This heater lets you choose from a low, high, or auto heat output, and it has an adjustable thermostat and multiple timer options. The heater offers great options for controlling the heat output and temperature, but since it lacks an oscillation feature and since the grill is located at the top of the heater, the heat flows upward and there are no options for adjusting the heat’s direction. Our tester also noted that “the watts per hour of use was higher than the general 1.5 threshold,” which means this heater could perform better in terms of energy efficiency. However, we were overall pleased with the amount of heat this model produced. The heater has an attractive, sleek appearance, and it also has a built-in handle that makes carrying it easy. Our tester notes the handle is in a “good location to avoid potential burns from heat on the front of the unit.”

Price at time of publish: $91

_{Dimensions: 18.11 x 18.54 x 7.75 inches | Weight: 13.17 pounds | Wattage: 1500W | Oscillating: No}

Best Smart

Atomi Smart Wi-Fi Electric Personal Portable Tabletop Space Heater

4.6

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The Atomi Smart Table Top Space Heater stands out for all of its user-friendly features. It’s Alexa- and Google Assistant-compatible, so you can use voice commands if you have the proper voice assistant-enable devices. It also works with app controls, allowing you to conveniently operate it from your smartphone. However, we did have some difficulties connecting the heater to the app. If you prefer not to use the smart features, you can use the easy-to-read, highly-responsive digital display.  Our tester noted that their favorite thing about the heater is “you can see the temperature digitally on the heater and can change the temp to what you specifically want.”

We were pleased with the warmth this heater provided and how quickly it heated up the space. The exterior did start to feel warm while it was operating, but not excessively hot. On the highest setting, we did notice the heater produced a slight smell, which was unfortunate, but it wasn’t an overbearing scent. This ETL-tested heater compensates for this minor con with other handy features, such as an eco-mode for saving energy, various timer settings, and an oscillation setting with a 70-degree coverage. It also operates quietly and has a sleek, futuristic appearance, so it won’t be obtrusive wherever you place it in your home.

_{Dimensions: 8.27 x 9.06 x 18.11 inches | Weight: 6 pounds | Wattage: 1000W, 1500W | Oscillating: Yes}

Best Compact

De'Longhi DCH5915ER Ceramic Compact Heater

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The De'Longhi DCH5915ER Ceramic Compact Heater has a small footprint but still offers effective heating power. The unit measures just 10 x 8 x 14 inches, so you can trust it to be unobtrusive wherever you place it, and it lets you choose from low, high, or eco settings. The eco mode will automatically adjust the heater’s settings to help save energy, which is a handy feature for anyone whose top concern is energy efficiency. This model also has an oscillation function, which helps with ensuring even heating distribution, and a 24-hour timer. And when it comes to safety features, this model has a thermal shutoff and thermal fuse for two ways to protect against overheating, as well as a tip-over auto-shutoff feature. 

The controls on the unit are user-friendly, and the digital display is clear and easy to read. The remote, however, is a bit awkwardly designed with small buttons, but it's still convenient for when you want to control the heater from a distance. This heater also has a removable filter for collecting dust particles in the air. While it's handy that this model can simultaneously heat and clean the air, it does mean it requires extra maintenance since you will have to remember to clean the dust filter. The unit also has a cool-touch handle for easy carrying and special technology that allows for quiet operation. In terms of price, this heater is a bit more expensive than other models in the roundup, costing a little under $100 at time of publish.

_{Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 14 inches | Weight: 5 pounds | Wattage: 900W, 1500W | Oscillating: Yes}

Best Design

Honeywell HCE200W UberHeat Ceramic Heater

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With its compact design and effective heat settings, the Honeywell HCE200W UberHeat is our favorite ceramic space heater for small spaces, since chances are it will be in your line of sight. The heater is space-conscious enough to sit on a desk, and it has a unique look compared to other heaters on this list. The heater is shaped similarly to an alarm clock, and its round shape and sleek frame give it a modern, attractive appearance. But the exterior does more than just look good — it also stays cool during use, which is a nice safety feature. 

You will be able to choose from a low or high heat setting, and the heater has a thermostat dial for calibrating the temperature of those settings. Note that while the unit isn’t super loud, it produces more noise than you'd expect from a heater of its size. It also lacks an oscillation feature, which means the heat tends to be focused and lacks a ton of reach. However, the heater does have overheat and tip-over protection, so it will automatically turn off if it starts to get too hot or is tipped over. It also has non-slip rubber feet, which can help keep it from accidentally moving, and a UL-rated power cord.

_{Dimensions: 6.8 x 8 x 9 inches | Weight: 3 pounds | Wattage: 1500W | Oscillating: No}