On the chilliest days, sometimes it makes more sense to use one of the best space heaters to warm up the room rather than run your central heating system. If you’re looking to save some money on your energy bill, then an infrared heater is one of the best choices, as they are more energy-efficient than regular electric space heaters.
Small infrared heaters for heating a bedroom or home office may be as cheap as $50, while larger heaters with more features can cost up to a few hundred dollars. Check your square footage and the suggested room size for the heater, and keep an eye on smart features. These can make your heater more convenient but will add to the cost.
We analyzed major manufacturers of infrared heaters of different sizes and styles to help you find the best one to keep you and your family cozy when the temperature drops. Here are our top picks.
Top 7 Infrared Heaters
- Best Overall: Dr Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater
- Most Adjustable: LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Home Tower Space Heater
- Best Smart Features: Heat Storm Electric Space Heater
- Best Design: Sunkos Portable Electric Space Heater
- Best for Outdoors: Dr Infrared Carbon Infrared Outdoor Heater
- Best for Large Rooms: LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Space Heater
- Best Portable: BLACK+DECKER Infrared Heater
Compare the Best Infrared Heaters
| Product | Heat Output (BTUs) | Heating Area (Sq. Ft.) | Weight (Pounds) | Auto Shutoff | Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5,200 |
Not listed |
24 |
Yes |
Cabinet |
|
|
5,120 |
1,500 |
20.9 |
Yes |
Tower |
|
|
5,200 |
400 |
9 |
No |
Wall-Mounted |
|
|
Not listed |
300 |
7 |
Yes |
Flat Panel |
|
|
5,200 |
Not listed |
8 |
Yes |
Wall-Mounted (Outdoor) |
|
|
5,100 |
1,500 |
20.6 |
No |
Cabinet |
|
|
Not listed |
Not listed |
5 |
Yes |
Tower |
Best Overall
Dr Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater
Good for: People who want a portable heater that’s easy to bring from room to room in a single-story home.
This ultra-portable unit with wheels is rated at 5,200 BTUs. While corded, it is configured with caster wheels and protective casing that make transporting it a breeze. For larger spaces, a dual-heating system featuring both infrared quartz and ceramic positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating elements allows for whisper-quiet heating at 39 dB. Safety features include tip-over protection, overheating protection, and a 12-hour automatic shutoff timer.
Pros and Cons of Dr Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater
- Has attractive, furniture-grade cherry wood casing
- Features highly visible face and controls
- Includes floor-safe caster wheels
- Some people find the fan turning on every few minutes to sample air temperature annoying
- There are reports of the remote control being finicky
Key Features
Most Adjustable
LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Home Tower Space Heater
Good for: Someone seeking a three-season heater that can adjust along with the outdoor temperatures.
With its three easy-to-adjust heat settings that can be activated with smart technology, the LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Home Tower Space Heater is perfect for anyone who wants to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures year-round. The unit’s sleek tower design with furniture-grade wood, a cool-to-the-touch exterior, an auto-shutoff feature for overheating makes it attractive and safe enough to keep in a busy living area.
Pros and Cons of LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Home Tower Space Heater
- Features a cool-touch exterior for safety
- Has a sleek, attractive design fits in anywhere
- Includes a user-friendly remote control with smart programming
- Control buttons blend in with panel
- Some of the interior components are easily jostled
Key Features
Best Smart Features
Heat Storm Electric Space Heater
Good for: Someone who is concerned about a space heater tipping over or wants to free up space on the floor.
This wall-mounted heater frees up floor space while being safe to the touch. While users can select between two modes that allow for doubling of the heat zone, this design isn’t intended for large rooms. This is a great pick for a household with pets or young children because you don’t need to worry about them jumping on the unit to knock it over.
Pros and Cons of Heat Storm Electric Space Heater
- Takes up virtually no space
- Can be easily controlled via the smartphone app
- Is easy to install on a wall without hardwiring
- Can be highly visible on a wall
- Heating zone is just 400 square feet
Key Features
Best Design
Sunkos Portable Electric Space Heater
Good for: Someone looking for a fast-working space heater for a desk or sleeping area.
Pros and Cons of Sunkos Portable Electric Space Heater
- Weighs just 7 pounds
- Light-free design helps maintain darkness while sleeping
- Syncs with Alexa
- Only heats up to 300 square feet of space
- Feels less sturdy than tower-style units
Key Features
Best for Outdoors
Dr Infrared Carbon Infrared Outdoor Heater
Good for: Someone looking for an infrared patio heater to make spending time on a deck or porch on chilly evenings more comfortable.
At just 8 pounds, this indoor/outdoor mountable electric fireplace puts out 5,200 BTUs to warm a space with instant, odorless heat via three temperature settings. It features a high-level mirror aluminum reflector to boost efficiency. The waterproof design uses weatherproof aluminum that keeps the unit free of damage from moisture, condensation, and rain exposure, and it comes with a 3-year warranty against material or workmanship defects.
Pros and Cons of Dr Infrared Carbon Infrared Outdoor Heater
- Features an easy-to-use timer function
- Includes a user-friendly remote control
- Offers quiet performance
- Mounting hardware could be heftier
- No portability
Key Features
Best for Large Rooms
LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Space Heater
Good for: Someone who needs a reliable supplemental heat source for a living room, den, or basement.
Designed to heat up to 1,500 square feet, the LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Space Heater has an attractive design that features six infrared tube heating elements, a wood-panel encasement, and metal casters for smooth rolling. Users can choose from three adjustable power settings with a maximum output of 5,100 BTUs.
Pros and Cons of LifeSmart LifePro Indoor Space Heater
- Is easy to program
- Features a clear LED display
- Has enough power to heat large open areas in your home
- Bulky design
- Slightly loud performance
Key Features
Best Portable
BLACK+DECKER Infrared Heater
Good for: Someone who needs a small, affordable space heater for a dorm, apartment, or loft.
Weighing just 5 pounds, this tower-style infrared heater is our pick for the best space heater for a portable unit with a small footprint for a tight bedroom, dorm, loft space or RV. It features dual quartz heater tubes for warming small spaces quickly. The integrated fan does a good job of moving heat around a room. Users can rest easy with help from overheat protection and tip-over auto shutoff.
Pros and Cons of BLACK+DECKER Infrared Heater
- Is lightweight and easy to place anywhere
- Is powerful for its size
- Has an easy-carry handle
- Can be noisy
- Lack of LED lighting on controls makes the knobs hard to read from a distance
Key Features
What To Know Before Buying an Infrared Heater
How do you narrow down the best infrared heater to supplement your home’s furnace or HVAC system when there are so many different brands and models out there? A well-made space heater should ideally provide the output needed to create a comfortable ambient temperature without creating an eyesore or tripping hazard. Here’s a rundown of the core details to put on your checklist when shopping for a new space or wall heater.
Heat Output
The heat output for portable space heaters is measured by British Thermal Units (BTUs). While you don’t need a full science lesson to understand how BTUs relate to space heaters, it does help to know that one BTU represents the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a single pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit (F) at approximately 39 degrees Fahrenheit. All shoppers need to know is that a higher BTU number equals a more powerful space heater. Most electric heaters sold in the United States are 1,500-watt units. That means that they generate roughly 5,100 BTUs per hour.
When shopping for a space heater, pay attention to what the manufacturer shares regarding the heating capacity of the unit in terms of square footage. Infrared space heaters that can heat up to 1,500 square feet of space can be ideal if you’re looking for supplemental heat for a large basement, garage, or workshop. In general, it’s wise to look for higher output when shopping for a garage heater that will be used to heat up a poorly insulated space. However, you may only need a unit that can heat 400–500 square feet if you’re simply trying to make a bedroom or dorm room toastier.
Size
Size is not necessarily an indicator of heat output, but it is helpful in determining if a product will be a good fit for a space. Pay attention to both weight and dimensions. With some infrared heaters weighing over 25 pounds, you might be disappointed to learn that a design that looks compact may actually be very difficult to move from room to room. Some designs weigh just 4–7 pounds.
Design
While most people think of a standard boxy design when picturing infrared space heaters, modern options often don’t even look like heaters at all. The “wheels” question is the first to check off your list. Some infrared space heaters are made with casters that allow them to be rolled easily from place to place. These casters also keep the heater slightly elevated off the floor. If you’re planning to use a single heater in various parts of the home throughout the day and night, these wheels can help you avoid scuffing your floors by dragging the unit. If you’re concerned about having a standalone infrared heater placed on the floor of your home due to pets, children, or a general lack of space, consider a wall-mounted version that resembles a mini-split HVAC system.
Safety Features
People are sometimes reluctant to purchase space heaters because they have recollections of old, clunky space heaters from yesteryear that were hot to the touch, prone to overheating, and easy to tip over. The good news is that any new model of infrared space heater you’re purchasing today has tons of built-in safety features. Just be sure to confirm that a model has tip-over prevention, overheating prevention, and a frame that remains cool to the touch. It’s also helpful to select a model with a thermostat that shuts off automatically after a time to ensure that a forgotten space heater won’t be left on indefinitely.
How Infrared Heaters Work
An infrared space heater turns electricity into radiant heat. What makes infrared heat especially delightful is that its place on the electromagnetic spectrum causes it to produce a heat that’s similar to the heat you feel when you step into the warm sunshine. That’s why even people who have well-heated homes often prefer to introduce radiant heat for the purpose of creating a toasty, cozy feeling when relaxing or falling asleep.
Along with using the tower heater for warmth, you may want to consider using a humidifier to maintain comfortable moisture levels in your room.
What’s the Difference Between Infrared Heaters and Space Heaters?
Infrared heaters are different from normal space heaters because they use radiant heat to warm objects instead of heating the air using convection. This makes them more efficient while also creating the “toasty” effect that makes people feel like they are bathing in warm sunshine when a heater is running. Meanwhile, traditional space heaters simply heat the surrounding air.
Do Infrared Heaters Heat the Air?
No, infrared heaters don’t actually warm up the air. They warm up objects in a space. In general, infrared heaters are considered safer and more energy-efficient compared to traditional ceramic heating units. For this reason, infrared deserves a look when you are narrowing down the best space heaters for your needs.
FAQs About Infrared Heaters
How long can you leave infrared heaters on?
Infrared heaters should never be left unattended for any reason. However, an infrared heater can essentially be left on indefinitely as long as it is being carefully monitored. The slow and steady buildup of heat generated by infrared heaters creates a very comfortable environment compared to the “stuffy” atmosphere that is often created by traditional air-warming space heaters.
Are infrared heaters good for electricity usage?
“Radiant heaters emit infrared radiation that directly heats objects and people within their line of sight, and are a more efficient choice when you will be in a room for only a few hours and can stay within the line of sight of the heater,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy. By converting nearly 100% of the electricity that they use to heat, infrared heaters offer an efficient way to heat a space.
What are some safety tips for using an infrared heater?
The top tip for safety when using infrared space heaters is to never leave a heater unattended while it is running. It’s also wise to place a heater a safe distance from furniture, walls, and other objects. Finally, be sure to test your household’s smoke and fire alarms regularly. If you’re purchasing an infrared heater that’s designed for outdoor use, be sure to utilize a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet that provides extra protection against electrical shock in environments where moisture might be present.
Our Methodology
This Old House has empowered homeowners and DIY-ers for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement advice in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content. Our team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content. To date, we’ve published over 1,600 reviews on products in the home space, including power tools, outdoor equipment, major appliances, kitchen gadgets, electronics, and more that focus on product quality and helpfulness to our readers.
To provide our readers with the best recommendations possible, we rely on several key sources of information to help guide our selection process.
Initial Research: Our research process began by generating a list of infrared heaters with a significant number of verified buyer reviews and an average customer review rating of 4–5 stars. We looked at positive and negative reviews alike, focusing on information from both satisfied and critical buyers.
Expert Insights: To complement our in-house expertise, our team looked at reviews and videos from trusted publications and independent testers, spoke with subject matter experts, and drew insights from reader contributions.
Final Product Selection: We then began fine-tuning our list by replacing older models with the latest versions and eliminating any discontinued models. From there, we compared each model’s feature set to create a final short list, selecting the best-in-class options for various buyers, budgets, and scenarios.
Once we conclude our research, we craft a comprehensive, user-friendly article of recommended products and additional information to help our readers make the right purchase.