Top 5 compared
The best space heaters
Heat just the room you’re in on a January night, while the rest of the house stays cooler.
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The top 5 at a glance
A space heater is a portable electric heater that warms the room you’re in, or the corner you’re sitting in. Ceramic fan heaters are the usual kind: a heated ceramic element with a fan behind it, warm within seconds and light enough to carry from room to room, and some swing from side to side or tilt. Infrared heaters in wooden cabinets are heavier and suit bigger rooms.
Health Canada’s advice for any portable heater: keep it at least a metre from furniture, bedding and curtains, plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power bar, and unplug it at bedtime or when you go out. It also says to buy plug-in appliances only with a certification mark such as CSA, cUL or cETL, found on the heater’s label.
What matters
- Tip-over and overheat cut-offs that switch it off by themselves.
- A thermostat that holds a set temperature, not just high and low.
- A noise figure in decibels, if it’s for a bedroom or office.
#1DREO Atom 316 Ceramic Space Heater with Remote (1500W)
$50–$75
A small, 24.5 cm (9.6 in) ceramic heater with a real digital thermostat, so it holds a room at the temperature you pick instead of blasting away until you switch it off. At 34 dB on DREO’s figure, it’s quiet enough to sleep or work next to, and the remote, timer and child lock cover the rest.
What owners say: Plenty of heat from a small box, owners say, and quiet enough that the mute button for its beeps gets a mention; the remote and the compact size go down well too.
A closer look: Set it a degree or two below where you’d like the room and let the thermostat keep it there, rather than running it flat out. The tilt sensor cuts the power if it’s knocked over, but it still needs clear space around it and a hard, level surface. DREO rates it for about 20 m² (215 sq ft), so one room, not a whole floor.
- Power, ECO and fan-only modes
- 4 fan speeds
- Mute and memory settings
- Flame-retardant materials
Best for: A bedroom or a small room
- Type, height and weight
- Ceramic fan; 24.5 cm (9.6 in), 1.4 kg (3 lb)
- Power
- 1500W
- Thermostat
- 5–35°C (41–95°F)
- Safety cut-offs
- Tip-over and overheat
- Noise (maker’s figure)
- 34 dB
- Room size (maker’s figure)
- Up to 20 m² (215 sq ft)
- Timer and extras
- 12-hour timer, remote, child lock
#2DREO 16 in Ceramic Space Heater (1500W)
$75–$100
Taller than the Atom 316 at 40 cm (16 in), this DREO ceramic heater puts out 1500W and has a thermostat that holds the temperature you set rather than running flat out. It sweeps its warmth across 70° of the room, and at 34 dB on DREO’s figure it suits a bedroom.
What owners say: Owners say it takes the chill out of a room, floors included, and runs so quietly it’s easy to forget it’s on. Its thermostat keeps the room where they set it.
A closer look: Stand it on a hard, level surface rather than a thick rug, with clear space all around. Once the room has warmed up, set the thermostat where you’re comfortable and let it cycle on and off, instead of leaving it on full.
- Three speeds
- Flame-retardant materials
Best for: Heat that sweeps side to side
- Type, height and weight
- Ceramic fan tower; 40 cm (16 in), 2.3 kg (5.1 lb)
- Power
- 1500W
- Thermostat
- 5–35°C (41–95°F)
- Safety cut-offs
- Tip-over, overheat, 24-hour auto-off
- Noise (maker’s figure)
- 34 dB
- Room size (maker’s figure)
- Up to 20 m² (215 sq ft)
- Timer and extras
- 70° oscillation, remote, child lock; timer not listed
#3DREO Space Heater with 60° Adjustable Tilt (1500W)
$50–$75
The head tilts back in steps from upright to 60°, so the warm air reaches your hands and face at a desk, or your legs from the floor beneath it. It has three heat settings and three fan speeds, and the fan runs on its own on muggy days.
What owners say: Owners notice how quickly it warms a small room and how little they hear it, some saying they never do. Setting the temperature and the angle is easy, and the remote and its compact size suit a crowded office.
A closer look: Tilt it upward when it sits on the floor under a desk and keep it level on a table, so the warmth lands on you rather than the wall. On a cold morning, start on the highest heat and drop a setting once you’ve warmed up.
- Tilts in four steps
- 3 heat, 3 fan settings
- Fan-only for muggy days
Best for: Desks and home offices
- Type, height and weight
- Ceramic fan, tilting; 25.7 cm (10 in), 1.6 kg (3.5 lb)
- Power
- 1500W
- Thermostat
- 5–35°C (41–95°F)
- Safety cut-offs
- Tip-over and overheat
- Noise (maker’s figure)
- 34 dB
- Room size (maker’s figure)
- Up to 20 m² (215 sq ft)
- Timer and extras
- 12-hour timer, 60° tilt, remote
#4Amazon Basics Ceramic Space Heater (1500W, black)
$30–$50
A simple heater for one room: a small ceramic one with a 1500W high setting, a 900W low and a fan-only mode, an adjustable thermostat, and tip-over and overheat cut-offs. At about 24 cm (9.5 in) tall and 1.3 kg (2.8 lb), it moves easily between a home office and a bedroom.
What owners say: It throws out more heat than its size suggests, owners say, and the small footprint and the price both go down well. Noise, reliability and the thermostat’s grip on a set temperature all divide opinion.
Heads up: The maker says to keep it out of bathrooms, laundry rooms and other damp spaces.
A closer look: With no timer or remote, it suits a room you’re in and can switch off by hand on the way out. Turn the thermostat dial down once the room is warm and it cycles on and off to hold the heat, rather than running on high all evening.
- Power indicator light
- Independently safety-certified
- Keep away from damp rooms
Best for: Warmth where you’re sitting
- Type, height and weight
- Ceramic fan; 24 cm (9.5 in), 1.3 kg (2.8 lb)
- Power
- 1500W
- Thermostat
- Yes
- Safety cut-offs
- Tip-over and overheat
- Noise (maker’s figure)
- 43 dB
- Room size (maker’s figure)
- –
- Timer and extras
- Fan-only mode; no timer or remote
#5Brightown Ceramic Space Heater (1500W/750W, PTC-1901)
$30–$50
Light enough to carry from room to room: a ceramic heater under 1 kg (2.2 lb) with a handle on top, with 1500W and 750W heat settings, a fan-only mode, a thermostat dial and tip-over and overheat cut-offs. Brightown rates it for about 19 m² (200 sq ft), a bedroom or a home office.
What owners say: Owners find it warms a room fast and puts out a good deal of heat for its small size; some find it noisy, and its reliability gets mixed reviews.
A closer look: The handle on top makes it easy to carry from the home office to the bedroom at the end of the day, and the 1.8 m (6 ft) cord gives it some reach. Come summer, the fan-only setting turns it into a small desk fan.
- 1.8 m (6 ft) cord
- Cool-touch exterior
- Flame-retardant shell
Best for: Office by day, bedroom at night
- Type, height and weight
- Ceramic fan; 21 cm (8.3 in), 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- Power
- 1500W (750W low)
- Thermostat
- Yes
- Safety cut-offs
- Tip-over and overheat
- Noise (maker’s figure)
- Under 50 dB
- Room size (maker’s figure)
- Up to 19 m² (200 sq ft)
- Timer and extras
- Fan-only mode, carry handle; no timer or remote
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1DREO Atom 316 | #2DREO 16 in | #3DREO tilting heater | #4Amazon Basics | #5Brightown ceramic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best for desks | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $75–$100 | $50–$75 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 |
| Type, height and weight | Ceramic fan; 24.5 cm (9.6 in), 1.4 kg (3 lb) | Ceramic fan tower; 40 cm (16 in), 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) | Ceramic fan, tilting; 25.7 cm (10 in), 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) | Ceramic fan; 24 cm (9.5 in), 1.3 kg (2.8 lb) | Ceramic fan; 21 cm (8.3 in), 1 kg (2.2 lb) |
| Power | 1500W | 1500W | 1500W | 1500W | 1500W (750W low) |
| Thermostat | 5–35°C (41–95°F) | 5–35°C (41–95°F) | 5–35°C (41–95°F) | Yes | Yes |
| Safety cut-offs | Tip-over and overheat | Tip-over, overheat, 24-hour auto-off | Tip-over and overheat | Tip-over and overheat | Tip-over and overheat |
| Noise (maker’s figure) | 34 dB | 34 dB | 34 dB | 43 dB | Under 50 dB |
| Room size (maker’s figure) | Up to 20 m² (215 sq ft) | Up to 20 m² (215 sq ft) | Up to 20 m² (215 sq ft) | – | Up to 19 m² (200 sq ft) |
| Timer and extras | 12-hour timer, remote, child lock | 70° oscillation, remote, child lock; timer not listed | 12-hour timer, 60° tilt, remote | Fan-only mode; no timer or remote | Fan-only mode, carry handle; no timer or remote |
| Best for | A bedroom or a small room | Heat that sweeps side to side | Desks and home offices | Warmth where you’re sitting | Office by day, bedroom at night |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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