You might also consider noise, because a loud machine can be annoying if you’re trying to work or watch TV while you warm up your room. Fortunately, many of the space heaters in CR’s ratings earned a very good or excellent score in our noise test, and those that did worse typically had other shortcomings.
Below, we’ve grouped top-performing space heaters by task, starting with those that excel at both heating a room and directly heating a person, followed by models that aced one or the other of those tests. We excluded models that got a failing score in our hot-surface test, meaning their heat exhaust outlet can become hot enough to cause a burn when the heater is operating on its highest setting. Still, several of our top-rated heaters garnered only a middling rating on that test; you may want to use some caution when using those around children and pets.
Before you shop, consult our space heater buying guide for expert tips and some basic considerations. (A space heater won’t necessarily save you money on your heating bill, for example. But it can come in handy on those off-season chilly nights when turning up the thermostat seems excessive.) Be sure to review our space heater safety tips for more information about operating one in your home (including in the bathroom). And for additional space heater choices, see our comprehensive ratings of more than 85 models.
