Top 5 compared
The best space heaters
Warm the room you’re actually sitting in, without turning up the heat for the whole house.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
A space heater is a portable electric heater you can carry from room to room. Ceramic fan heaters are small enough for a desk or a bedroom floor and blow out warm air within minutes; some swing from side to side to spread it, and others tilt to aim it at you. A bigger cabinet heater on casters suits a larger room, such as a living room or a basement den.
Every heater here has a thermostat, a 12-hour timer and protection that cuts the power if it tips over or overheats, and some run as a plain fan too, for warmer days. Plug it directly into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or a power strip, and keep it clear of bedding and curtains.
What matters
- A noise figure in decibels, if it’s for a bedroom.
- A remote, for changing the heat without getting up.
#1DREO Atom 316 Ceramic Space Heater with Remote (1500W)
$30–$50
A 10-inch 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 beside.
What owners say: Fast to warm a room and steady once it’s there, owners say, and quiet, with a remote one calls a godsend; a few had theirs give out within the first year.
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 200 sq ft, so one room, not a whole floor.
- Set in 1°F steps
- ECO and fan-only modes
- Heats about 200 sq ft
- Overheat protection
- Remembers its last settings
Best for: A bedroom or a small room
- Type
- Ceramic fan
- Power
- 1500W
- Noise (maker)
- 34 dB
- Thermostat
- 41–95°F
- Timer
- 12 hours
- Tip-over cut-off
- Yes
- Extras
- Remote, child lock
#2DREO 319 Quiet Oscillating Space Heater (1500W)
$50–$75
A 15-inch heater that oscillates through 70°, so it can stand on a desk or the floor and spread warmth across a bedroom, at as little as 34 dB. Its digital thermostat holds the room to the degree, anywhere from 41 to 95°F.
What owners say: Owners say it barely makes a sound, warms a room quickly and keeps it cozy, and like having its three heat settings on the remote.
A closer look: It’s made to stand on a desk or on the floor; in a bedroom, the floor with the oscillation on spreads the warmth more evenly. Once the room is warm, drop to the lowest heat setting that keeps you comfortable and let the thermostat do the rest.
- Stands on desk or floor
- Set in 1°F steps
- Child lock
- Overheat protection
- Safety plug
Best for: Warming a whole bedroom evenly
- Type
- Ceramic fan, oscillating
- Power
- 1500W
- Noise (maker)
- 34 dB
- Thermostat
- 41–95°F
- Timer
- 12 hours
- Tip-over cut-off
- Yes
- Extras
- 70° oscillation, remote
#3DREO Space Heater with 60° Adjustable Tilt (1500W)
$30–$50
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: Warmth within moments is what owners notice first, along with the fan-only setting and a size that suits 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
- Three heat, three fan settings
- Fan-only mode for muggy days
- Touch controls on the unit
- Set in 1°F steps
Best for: Desks and home offices
- Type
- Ceramic fan, tilting
- Power
- 1500W
- Noise (maker)
- 34 dB
- Thermostat
- 41–95°F
- Timer
- 12 hours
- Tip-over cut-off
- Yes
- Extras
- 60° tilt, remote
#4WINHL Oscillating Ceramic Space Heater with Remote (1500W)
$20–$30
A compact heater that oscillates through 70°, with a thermostat, a 12-hour timer and a remote. It’s small enough to tuck under a desk for warm feet or to stand on a dresser.
What owners say: Owners like how fast it warms a bedroom, the ECO mode and being able to change it from bed, and some keep it under a desk for their feet; they’re split on how quiet it is.
Heads up: The remote takes two AAA batteries, which aren’t in the box.
A closer look: Five modes include ECO, and the remote changes the temperature, fan speed and timer from across the room. In a bedroom, switch on the oscillation so the warmth spreads rather than staying in one spot, and give it a few feet of clear space on every side.
- 5 modes including ECO
- Fits under a desk
- Overheat protection
- Remote batteries not included
Best for: Small spaces and cold feet
- Type
- Ceramic fan, oscillating
- Power
- 1500W
- Noise (maker)
- –
- Thermostat
- Up to 95°F
- Timer
- 12 hours
- Tip-over cut-off
- Yes
- Extras
- 70° oscillation, remote
#5Dr Infrared Heater DR-968 Portable Space Heater (1500W)
$100–$150
A heater for a bigger room: infrared quartz tubes and a PTC ceramic element work together, and a low-noise blower, 39 dB by Dr Infrared’s figure, carries the warmth across the room. It comes in a cherry-finish cabinet on casters, with a thermostat, a remote and a 12-hour timer.
What owners say: It warms anything from a small room to a big open space, owners say, holds the temperature well and runs quietly, and the wood finish looks more like furniture than a heater. A few had one fail after about three years.
A closer look: At 19 lb it’s no lightweight, but it rolls on its casters from the living room to a bedroom at night. Once the room is warm, the energy-saving mode switches between high and low heat by itself to hold the temperature you set.
- Auto energy-saving mode
- Cherry-finish cabinet
- Lifetime filter
- Weighs 19 lb
- 3-year warranty
Best for: Bigger rooms, quietly
- Type
- Infrared quartz plus PTC, fan
- Power
- 1500W
- Noise (maker)
- 39 dB
- Thermostat
- 50–85°F
- Timer
- 12 hours
- Tip-over cut-off
- Yes
- Extras
- Remote, casters
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1DREO Atom 316 | #2DREO 319 Quiet | #3DREO tilting heater | #4WINHL PTC-150A | #5Dr Infrared DR-968 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best oscillating | Best for desks | Best budget | Best infrared heater | |
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $50–$75 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $100–$150 |
| Type | Ceramic fan | Ceramic fan, oscillating | Ceramic fan, tilting | Ceramic fan, oscillating | Infrared quartz plus PTC, fan |
| Power | 1500W | 1500W | 1500W | 1500W | 1500W |
| Noise (maker) | 34 dB | 34 dB | 34 dB | – | 39 dB |
| Thermostat | 41–95°F | 41–95°F | 41–95°F | Up to 95°F | 50–85°F |
| Timer | 12 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours |
| Tip-over cut-off | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extras | Remote, child lock | 70° oscillation, remote | 60° tilt, remote | 70° oscillation, remote | Remote, casters |
| Best for | A bedroom or a small room | Warming a whole bedroom evenly | Desks and home offices | Small spaces and cold feet | Bigger rooms, quietly |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
