The 8 Best Radiant and Convection Space Heaters of 2023

Best Overall, Convection

Pelonis Ceramic Tower Space Heater

4.7

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Our Ratings

• Heating Performance
  5/5
• Design
  5/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  4/5

The Pelonis Ceramic Tower Space Heater is our top recommendation for a convection space heater. This type of space heater gradually warms the air in the room by sending hot air to the ceiling and warming the cooler air that the heater takes in near the floor. When testing this ceramic heater in our lab, we found that it did an excellent job of evenly distributing heat and felt the warmth on all sides, not only in front. At the same time, the heater's housing didn’t become hot to the touch, which is a common concern about using space heaters around children and pets. Plus, it includes a remote for easy control of the unit from anywhere in the room. 

This heater's digital display makes it simple to set a target temperature up to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. It operates on High, Low, or Eco mode and also includes an eight-hour timer. We found that, like other tower-style heaters, this heater has a small footprint, which is helpful in compact spaces. We also appreciated the oscillating feature, although we wish it had a fan-only mode so we could use it year-round.

It's worth noting that this heater does not come with a manual, and we had to resort to a bit of trial-and-error to figure out some of the features. However, this heater impressed us with its heating performance and safety features, like a tip-over switch and automatic overheating shut-off.

Price at time of publish: $75

_{Dimensions: 7.1 x 7.1 x 22.95 inches | Heating Element: Ceramic | Wattage: 1500W | Weight: 6.29 pounds | Safety Features: Overheat protection, tip-over shutoff}

Best Overall, Radiant

DeLonghi TRD50615E Oil-Filled Space Heater

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A radiant space heater delivers heat into the room, even after the heater is shut off. Oil-filled radiator-style space heaters, like the DeLonghi Oil Filled Space Heater, are a tried-and-true way of raising the temperature of a room in an economical way. We recommend this radiant space heater for its quiet operation, notable safety features, and sturdy, portable design. 

The DeLonghi TRD50615E has a sealed, oil-filled reservoir that never needs refilling. The heater warms the oil inside of the reservoir, and this heat is radiated into the room. Even after the unit turns off, the residual warmth continues to be released. You can modify the operation of this radiant heater by setting a target temperature and choosing from four power levels (Min, Med, Max, and Eco), or setting a 24-hour timer with up to two temperature settings. While the digital display is not self-explanatory, the user manual provides helpful information on what the icons represent and guides you through the various features and functions.

Radiant oil-filled space heaters aren’t as compact or portable as some other options, but DeLonghi equips this model with four wheels so that it can be moved from room to room. It also checks several boxes for safety features: overheat protection, tip-over shut-off, and a child lock. 

Price at time of publish: $160

_{Dimensions: 26.1 x 10.3 x 16.4 inches | Heating Element: Oil-Filled | Wattage: 1500W | Weight: 26.6 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over shutoff, child lock, overheat protection}

Best Budget

Kismile Portable Electric Space Heater

4.6

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Our Ratings

• Heating Performance
  4/5
• Design
  4/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Small but mighty is how we’d describe the Kismile Portable Electric Space Heater after testing it in our Lab. Despite its compact size, it heats up quickly and is ideal for use as a personal space heater or for a small, confined space—like under a desk or sewing table—since we noted that the heat is concentrated in the front of the heater.

While this affordable choice offers no digital display or remote, the dial controls are clearly labeled and easy to turn. One of the dials offers a low, heat, and fan-only setting, while the other allows you to control the power level of each of those settings. This fan offers safety features, including overheat production and tip-over shutoff. In fact, our tester noted that “the heater shuts off with the slightest nudge." They added, "There is a trigger on the bottom of the unit that shuts off when tipped in any direction!” However, if you are looking for a quiet heater, this is not the best option, as the fan noise was our biggest complaint during testing.

Price at time of publish: $28

_{Dimensions: 7.28 x 6.5 x 9.65 inches | Heating Element: Convection | Wattage: 1500W | Weight: 3.43 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over shutoff, Overheat protection}

Best Fireplace

Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove

4.6

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Our Ratings

• Heating Performance
  5/5
• Design
  5/5
• Safety
  4/5
• Value
  5/5

For a functional yet aesthetic space heater, we recommend the Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace. Available in a range of colors to match your decor, it features realistic-looking flames, logs, and embers with adjustable brightness settings. We tested the heater’s function on all settings and found the heat output to be worthy of 5 stars. 

The infrared quartz heating element works in conjunction with an adjustable thermostat that can be set from 62 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. To understand how an infrared quartz element works, Campbell, a master electrician and member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board explains that it’s “like a lightbulb that gets hot and that radiates the heat.” This heater also has a timer setting that can be adjusted from 30 minutes to nine hours. We like that the realism of the fireplace space heater is enhanced by the fact that the heater’s controls are hidden behind the fireplace door. It comes with a remote control so you don't need to leave the couch to change the settings, although we found the features to be a little confusing to use at first.

The Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace is more expensive than many of the other heaters we tested, but we found that it's worth the price, since you can use it year-round for a cozy ambiance without the heat. “This would not only be useful as a heater but is decorative and would be nice on a porch or smaller room,” our tester noted. It’s equipped with a sensor to shut-off the unit if it overheats, but the front grille of the space heater can get very warm. However, the sides and body of the heater weren’t overly warm to the touch.  

Price at time of publish: $300

_{Dimensions: 24 x 12.9 x 23.4 inches | Heating Element: Infrared quartz | Wattage: 1500W | Weight: 28 pounds | Safety Features: Overheating protection}

Best for Large Spaces

Honeywell ThermaWave 6 Ceramic Technology Space Heater

4.8

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Our Ratings

• Heating Performance
  5/5
• Design
  4.5/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

The Honeywell ThermaWave 6 is an outstanding option for heating large spaces, thanks to its directional heat output, user-friendly digital controls, and well-engineered safety features. When testing this space heater, it raised the temperature on the thermostat by 4 degrees in 30 minutes. We were also impressed by the discernible difference between the heat output on low and high settings, an area of performance where some other heaters fell short. However, note that its heating power will create a draw on your power supply, compared to other heaters we tested, as we noted that “the watts per hour of use was higher than the general 1.5 threshold.” 

During testing, we noted that the vents can be directed straight ahead or upward, which is helpful for directing the airflow around a large room. However, we did wish they could be directed downward towards the floor to warm our feet.

Our favorite feature of the Honeywell ThermaWave 6 is the digital controls, with options for pre-programmed temperature settings ranging from 65 to 80 degrees and a fan-only function. “The control panel is easy to use and intuitive with well-marked icons that are illuminated when in use,” our tester noted. There is a tip-over switch that disables the unit if it’s tipped in any direction, along with two overheating sensors, and cool-touch plastic housing. The built-in handle on the back of the heater stays cool and has a nice grip, which makes the unit easy to move. 

Price at time of publish: $91

_{Dimensions: 24 x 12.9 x 23.4 inches | Heating Element: Ceramic | Wattage: 1500W | Weight: 13.17 pounds | Safety Features: Automatic timer shut-off, overheat protection, tip-over shutoff, and cool-touch housing}

Best Wall Mounted

Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater

4.6

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Our Ratings

• Heating Performance
  4/5
• Design
  4.5/5
• Safety
  4.5/5
• Value
  4.5/5

Of all the radiant and convection space heaters we tested in the Lab, the Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater is our top pick for a wall-mounted option. We like that it has a thin profile, so it won't take up much space on a wall. Its versatile design allows you to use it on the floor as well by attaching the included feet. We found the feet to be a bit flimsy during testing, but they did keep the unit stable.

Heating performance was most impressive on high with this space heater. Our tester noted that there wasn’t much heat generated on the low setting, but it also may have been because the heater’s target temperature and air temperature were similar. With this in mind, the heater earns 4 stars for heating performance. It operates quietly and has a variety of settings, which you can control using the included remote. This is an important feature for a wall-mounted heater, which may make the controls difficult to reach. The remote is small, and it took multiple presses of a button to activate the features.

Price at time of publish: $120

_{Dimensions: 18 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches | Heating Element: Infrared quartz | Wattage: 1500W | Weight: 8 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over shutoff, overheating protection, child lock, cool-touch housing}

Best Portable

Dr. Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater

4.9

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Our Ratings

• Heating Performance
  5/5
• Design
  2/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Stay warm in any room with the help of a portable space heater, like this model from Dr. Infrared. It combines convection and infrared heating technology to heat spaces up to 1,000 square feet and is equipped with wheels for better mobility.

When testing the Dr. Infrared Portable Space Heater, we found that it emits a steady heat source. It was capable of raising the temperature in a large primary bedroom to 70 degrees in less than 30 minutes, despite nearly freezing outdoor temperatures. However, during our Lab testing, the low and high settings didn’t result in dramatically different heat output.

The safety features of this heater add to our confidence in recommending it as a portable space heater. The wheels, while handy for rolling it from one room to another, also mean that it’s harder to tip over when compared to tall, tower-like space heaters. But in case it were to tip over, it has an automatic shut-off.

Price at time of publish: $130

_{Dimensions: 12 1/2 x 17 x 13 inches | Heating Element: Infrared quartz and ceramic | Wattage: 1500W | Weight: 25 pounds | Safety Features: Tip-over shutoff, overheating protection, automatic timer shut-off}