The portable space heaters reviewed in this article are electric radiant or convection space heaters, cost less than $100, and offer a maximum heat output of 1500 watts.
All of the following space heater suggestions are rated an average minimum of 4 out of 5 stars by consumer reviewers.
Radiant heaters work like the sun by warming people and objects. Radiant heaters without fans are not designed to heat an entire room, but excel at providing instant heat for one or two people.
Two examples of radiant heaters without fans are radiant heat panels and parabolic heaters.
Radiant heat panels are constructed with the heating element embedded in the panel. By virtue of their simplicity, they are safe, reliable and maintenance free.
The Presto Parabolic Heat Dish is a cost effective choice for workshops or garages when you want to heat just you and not the entire building.
The Cozy Legs radiant heat panel, with only 100 watts of heat output is by no means a whole room heater, but performs admirably when installed under a desk or hung on the wall to warm a bird cage.
The next four categories of radiant heaters are equipped with fans to provide whole room heat.
Quartz Infrared Heaters Quartz infrared heaters can cost as little as $50, or as much as $450 for the SunTwin or EdenPure heaters. The SunTwin brand features copper heat exchangers for consistent, non drying heat; a child and pet friendly cool to the touch exterior, fan assisted heat for larger spaces, and a lifetime washable filter.
The less expensive Marvin 1500 watt quartz heater uses replaceable quartz tubes in front of a reflector and a fan to project whole room heat. Quartz heating elements reduce positive ions in the air and consume very little oxygen. Reviews say this heater works extremely well. The security locked grill swings out for easy quartz tube replacement. Replacement tubes are readily available for $9.99 each.
Ceramic Heaters Ceramic heaters come in a wide variety of models: fixed, tower, oscillating and pedestal. One of the most popular and inexpensive of these is the Honeywell HZ-315. Weighing in at only 3.3 pounds, it's the mighty mite of space heaters capable of quickly heating small to mid-sized rooms.
A specialized version of the ceramic heater is the remote controlled Soleus Air MS-20A. The cool to the touch exterior, even heat, and wall mounting feature make it a favorite for nurseries.
Electric Fireplaces What are they? Expensive space heaters or a piece of furniture that also keeps you warm? Definitely a piece of furniture. If you went crazy and spent $2200 on an electric fireplace (they're out there), it still won't heat your room any better than the $299 model.
Electric Stoves Similar to the electric fireplace, an electric stove is a radiant, fan assisted space heater installed in a decorative housing. The most popular model by far with consumers is the Dimplex CS3311 compact electric stove.
You can continue to read the reviews for convection heaters, micathermic heaters and oil filled radiators at Sam's Guide to Small Heaters.
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