Updated on Mar. 04, 2025
If you have a drafty home, are always cold or just want to add some supplemental heat, there's an energy-efficient space heater fit for the job.
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When the temperatures drop, sometimes your furnace just doesn’t cut it. No matter your room size, there’s a best space heater for every room. An energy-efficient space heater, in particular, is a smart way to warm up a cold space and help cut down on those high winter heating bills. Energy-efficient space heaters are designed to provide targeted warmth while consuming minimal energy, and today’s models are often much safer than those from decades ago.
“The primary advantage of owning an energy-efficient space heater is its ability to heat specific areas, allowing users to avoid heating the entire home and thereby reducing overall energy consumption,” explains Brad Roberson, the president of Aire Serv, a company specializing in HVAC services for residential and commercial clients. “These heaters often come with advanced features such as programmable thermostats, energy-saving modes and safety features, making them a cost-effective and convenient solution for supplemental heating.”
Below are some of the best energy-efficient space heaters, vetted and tested by our team of product testers and guaranteed to keep you comfortably warm.
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For best overall value and function, the Dreo Solaris ranks in our number one spot. Our product testing team was shocked to find that this 71-inch Dreo heater performed better than the Dyson one when it came to actually heating the space. In fact, our product testing team said that the fan on the Dreo Solaris is much more powerful, and they could feel the difference even in the far corners of the room being heated.
During the high-mode test, there was a 10-degree difference by the end (in the center of the room). “The Dreo Solaris has five heat settings and specific temperature control,” says product tester Dylan Fischer. “It’s very convenient for fine-tuning a specific heat level for your room.”
While our team noted that this space heater model doesn’t have as many advanced features as high-end models like Dyson, it’s straightforward to use, affordable and efficient. The remote control works better than competitor heaters; the receiver is at the top of the heater, making it easier for the remote to connect.
After heating, our team found that most of the Dreo tower was cool to the touch. The heating grates took a few minutes to completely cool off after operating in high-heat mode, but overall, our team didn’t find that this unit got alarmingly hot while operating.
Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 29.7″ | Weight: 8 pounds | Heat Settings: 9 comfort levels including H1, H2, H3, Eco and Fan | Heating Coverage: 300 square feet
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Another winning space heater from Dreo is this budget pick. It has all the key features of the best space heater. It heats up quickly and efficiently, has tip-over and overheat protection for safety, oscillates for wide-reaching, even heating and operates quietly at 37.5 dB. The Dreo Atom One heater is suitable for many different rooms and has five heat settings, like our top pick from the brand. Plus, it’s portable and easy to move around the house.
“This space heater is super easy and simple,” says product tester Sydney Manning. “The remote is nice to have as well. It’s well-made and durable. Despite its wallet-friendly price point, it does seem like it will last a while.”
“One thing to note: I knocked over the space heater by setting it on its side, and immediately it started beeping. It completely shut off after about 2-3 minutes,” Sydney adds. “Additionally, while testing the remote control, I noticed it didn’t work downstairs in my living room but worked down the hallway. However, I wouldn’t recommend leaving any space heater unattended in a separate room.”
Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.5 x 10.3″ | Weight: Not stated | Heat Settings: H1, H2, H3, ECO, Fan | Heating Coverage: 200 square feet
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If you need to eliminate the chill from a larger room, the Dr. Infrared space heater effectively heats spaces up to 1,000 square feet. This model uses infrared heat, which warms objects and bodies, instead of a standard space heater that warms the air in a room. It features an electronic thermostat range of 50 to 85 degrees and can be conveniently controlled with the included remote. A handy 12-hour timer is also available for the automatic shutdown of this energy-efficient space heater.
“If you’re looking for a space heater that will keep the room at a constant temperature, the Dr. Infrared Heater lets you set a target temperature, and the machine does the rest, monitoring the room every four minutes and kicking on if it needs to,” says product tester Sheri Kaz.
“I used this heater in my 1300 sq. ft. basement divided by a panel wall that doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling and has two open doorways,” Sheri adds. “The ambient temp was 65 degrees. I used the evo-mode with a target temp of 72 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for one hour. The space came up to 68 degrees. The temp on the other side of the wall was 66 degrees. Pretty impressive for a huge open space in one hour.”
Dimensions: 13 x 12.5 x 17″ | Weight: 24 pounds | Heat Settings: Eco, high, low | Heating Coverage: 576 square feet
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The Vornado heater has three heat settings, an adjustable thermostat and an auto safety shutoff function. This portable heater won’t make you feel like there’s a furnace pointed right at you. This model uses vortex air circulation—similar to a forced-air furnace—to warm up rooms on a smaller scale. It works best to heat bedrooms, home offices and living rooms.
The Vornado is an easy-to-use, high-quality unit. While it didn’t generate enough heat to reach 80 degrees, it did heat the space evenly. Our team didn’t find the lack of high heat output off-putting, as they unanimously said they wouldn’t want a room to be hotter than 80 degrees for an extended period. Additionally, the team noted that the corners and center of the room were all the same temperatures at every checkpoint, ensuring even heating, and the grates weren’t hot-to-the-touch, thanks to the air circulation heating method.
This compact unit also has a built-in cord management system. “Although a space heater is an appliance often used continually for months, the cord management is still great for off-season storage and easy transport. The testing team will always thumbs-up this feature,” says product testing manager Annamarie Higley.
Dimensions: 9.2 x 10.4 x 10.6″ | Weight: 3.76 pounds | Heat Settings: Low, medium, high | Heating Coverage: 256 square feet
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“Within seconds of switching this machine into fan mode after hours of heating, the grates and exterior plastic were completely cool to the touch. Paired with the sensitive auto-shutoff feature, this Black+Decker unit feels super safe,” says product testing manager Annamarie Higley. “This unit is explicitly stated as safe for countertop or tabletop use, which makes it a nice selection for a workspace.”
In addition to being one of the safest space heaters, this portable space heater is easy and light to move. On high mode, our team found it produced a sound of about 55 decibels from a foot away, comparatively quieter than most of the other space heaters they tested. From the next room, no one could hear this compact unit operate.
Furthermore, the auto-shutoff feature is super reliable. The unit will stop operating if its base tips a few millimeters off the surface. Once it’s upright and stable again, it’ll resume operation. “Both the grates and exterior were cool to the touch,” Annamarie adds. “I tried touching them after the standard fan setting had been running for 30 to 60 seconds.”
Dimensions: 7.3 x 6.3 x 9.2″ | Weight: 2.8 pounds | Heat Settings: Fan, low heat, high heat | Heating Coverage: 150 to 200 square feet
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Micathermic heaters convert 100% of electricity into heat when switched on, so there’s no wasted electricity. The 1500-watt De’Longhi heater has this plus easy-to-use controls, an adjustable thermostat, multiple heat settings and a slim design.
“The heat that radiates out of the mica panel is soft, gentle and cozy. Rather than hot air blowing on you, it warms surfaces for a deep, soothing warmth,” says product tester Sheri Kaz. “I love that this machine doesn’t use a fan to dry out the space; rather, it’s unobtrusive and silent. The face stays dark while it is on, so there are no distracting hot red coils, plus it’s relatively cool to the touch.”
Our team loved that this heater’s four wheels rotate 360 degrees for ease of movement. They found it can even roll over a thick shag rug. Plus, its convenient two-prong plug and added safety features make it a top choice. Our testers love its thermal shut-off, an internal tip-over switch and standby setting that helps to prevent frozen pipes.
“I was surprised by how quickly it heated the bedroom. It can be mounted to a wheelbase or hung on the wall, making this a versatile, energy-efficient heater. I highly recommend it,” Sheri says.
Dimensions: 27 x 10 x 22″ | Weight: 10.1 pounds | Heat Settings: Adjustable thermostat and two heat settings| Heating Coverage: Not stated, but best for medium to large spaces
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This two-in-one air purifier and space heater from Dyson warms your space while also removing pollutants. It’s fully sealed to HEPA H13 standard, so the pollutants it captures are trapped inside and not released back into the air. Plus, this unit can cool you, too.
“The addition of an air purifier with this model is pretty great,” says product tester Dylan Fischer. “The LED screen displays the current air quality, and you can even set it to function solely in purifier mode. If you plan on using this unit in a smaller setting for more direct heat, you will find a lot to like with this model.”
This Dyson Purifier detects the room temperature and adjusts the heat to a few degrees higher. At the highest setting (99 degrees Fahrenheit), the heat really didn’t feel that hot to our product testers. “It’s hotter up close but drops significantly as you take a step or two away from the heater. However, I found the entire room warming up more with this one than the other Dyson model I tested,” says Dylan.
This Dyson unit also has smart features and reports real-time pollution on its LCD screen. Functions and controls can be adjusted conveniently with the MyDyson app.
Dimensions: 5.12 x 5.12 x 30″ | Weight: 12 pounds | Heat Settings: 10 speeds | Heating Coverage: 73 square feet
When looking for an energy-efficient space heater, consider the size of the space you’ll be heating. Some portable heaters work best in small rooms, while others are better suited to warm large areas. Look for additional features, such as whether it’s programmable or controlled remotely. Also, check for safety functions, such as automatic shutoff and tip-over protection, how hot it gets during use or if there’s a cool-touch exterior.
Consider the space heater’s BTU, which tells you how much energy it uses to warm a room. The higher the BTUs, the better equipped the heater will be to bring the heat to larger spaces.
Also, look at watt ratings, which measure the rate of energy transfer. In simpler terms, how much you run the space heater determines how much electricity it uses over time. When deciding what space heater to choose for your space, you’ll need about 10 watts for every square foot of floor space. So, a 1,200-watt space heater covers about 120 square feet.
Our team of expert product testers tested each of the space heaters above, performing 12 tests on each and collecting approximately 450 data points. Our four expert testers spent an estimated 100 hours on this batch-testing process to find the best space heaters. That process included researching, sourcing, intaking and testing the products. Each machine ran for between 4 and 6 hours and was tested in rooms between 169 and 196 square feet. They used Taylor wall thermometers to measure room temperature and track individual space heater performance.
For this article, we also sought advice from Brad Roberson, the president of Aire Serv, a company that provides HVAC services to residential and commercial clients. Aire Serv is a trusted name in heating and air conditioning installation, maintenance and repair, and Robertson has almost 20 years of experience.
To find the best space heaters, our product testing team performed extensive research to find models that have been vetted for their efficiency. After narrowing their list of the top energy-efficient space heaters to the 12 they wanted to test, our team sourced and tested each space heater for several hours. They tested each product for many features, such as functionality, ease of use, distance capabilities, remote control, BTU output, safety, quality and noise level, among others.
Testers allowed each space heater to run on low (or the lowest setting) in a corner of similarly sized rooms for three hours. During that time, testers monitored temperature changes by tracking the temperature at the start, halfway through the test and at the end. They captured the temperature in the middle of the room and at the far corners. Then, they allowed each space heater to run on high (or the highest setting) in a corner of similarly sized rooms for three hours. During this time, testers monitor temperature changes using the same method as before to ensure each space heater works properly and efficiently under real-life conditions.
Infrared space heaters are generally considered the most energy-efficient. They don’t lose heat to air movement and heat a space extremely quickly.
Experts give different answers to this question because there’s such a slim margin between efficiency based on heater type, but many suggest infrared heaters are the most efficient type of space heater. They use little electricity and provide a lot of heat for their compact, portable size.
It depends. If you want to warm up your entire home, turning up the thermostat and using your central heating source is the most efficient. However, if you’re just looking to warm up a smaller space, such as a bedroom, playroom or home office, a space heater is the way to go since it only heats the room in use.
According to Roberson, energy-efficient space heaters are a cost-effective and convenient solution for supplemental heating. “The primary advantage of owning an energy-efficient space heater is its ability to heat specific areas, allowing users to avoid heating the entire home, which reduces overall energy consumption,” he says.
Roberson says that energy-efficient space heaters can be budget-friendly for targeted heating needs in specific areas of a home. However, he adds, it’s important to note that an HVAC system is generally more efficient in maintaining consistent indoor temperatures throughout the entire house.
“Space heaters are best used as supplemental sources of warmth in areas where centralized heating may not be necessary, providing flexibility and cost savings in specific situations,” he explains. “However, for overall heating needs, a well-maintained and efficient HVAC system remains the primary and more comprehensive solution.”
