Our editors selected these deals and items because we think you will enjoy them at these prices. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn a commission. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. As temperatures begin to dip across America, space heaters could be a helpful home appliance, a fast and economical way to warm things up.
These portable devices allow you to bring an effective boost of heat to any room in your house, or even outdoors. Plus, as the Delta variant continues to spread nationwide, people may want to spend more time indoors this cold season.
To help give you an idea of the space heater options out there, here are some across various price points held against expert advice on how to shop. Experts also shared their favorite space heaters from brands like Vornado, Lasko and more.
The Vornado VH is a relatively affordable space heater that delivers near-instant desired temperatures capable of evenly distributing warmth within a room. Noting its energy-saving option, dual heating system and built-in thermostat that ranges from 50 to 85 degrees, Wiseman recommended this portable model. Ideal for the bedroom or other small spaces, this space heater has three quiet options — high, low and fan mode.
You can switch between full room, long-range heating and direct, personal heating modes, and the fan oscillates up to 70 degrees. Included is a HEPA filter, which can capture Convenient for both outdoor and indoor use, this radiant option has an auto shut-off when tipped and can heat spaces as large as square feet. This oil-fueled convection model has four heating modes, a remote and modern safety features.
To help minimize your utility costs, it also has a smart eco mode that cycles between the highest and lowest setting to maintain your room temperature while lowering energy consumption. For large spaces, Van Tuijl recommends the Lifesmart infrared space heater with a maximum watts high setting.
It includes a remote, a hour timer, three different heat modes and even an 'eco setting' that maintains a constant degree temperature using less power for when you want to bring it into a smaller room.
Rather than a traditional fan design used in many of the options above, this Lasko space heater features a bladeless design like that of Dyson models. It's equipped with a slew of safety features, including a safe touch surface and an automatic shut-off switch. Cons: Bar heaters present a fire hazard and also hold a burn risk for young children. This sort of heater is quite heavy on electricity, especially if used for long periods of time, and is, therefore, costly to run. Underfloor Heating Pros: Of all the options, underfloor heating provides the most consistent temperature throughout a room, from floor to ceiling and from one side to the other.
Because this system is installed below tiles or carpets, it takes up no space, is inconspicuous and not at all unsightly. Cons: Underfloor heating is incredibly energy intensive as the whole floor must be warmed before the air in the room can even start heating up. Infrared Heaters Pros: Infrared heaters warm up objects directly via electromagnetic waves and hence waste no energy trying to heat large volumes of cold air.
This heater category works instantly and emits heat rapidly, so if you come in from outside ice-cold, this option is great for helping you defrost quickly. Certain makes give off very little visible light, so save even more energy and cash. You, therefore, have to be very close to the unit to feel the effects.
They can be dangerous as the elements inside do get very hot. Wall-mounted Heaters Pros: Wall panels provide a gentle heat and can be left on constantly. Because modern versions of this heater are generally slender and lie flush against the wall, they are unobtrusive and can even be painted so that they blend in. As the most heat comes from the back of the panel, they are relatively safe for kids and pets.
The fact that these panels are rather small reduces their efficiency. Wall-mounted heaters have to be left on for quite some time before they start to make a difference to the room temperature, and hence they waste electricity and funds in this process.
If the power cuts for whatever reason, you can still use one of these gems for warmth. Cons: Bottled gas is very expensive in South Africa, even pricier than electricity, so this option will actually likely cost you more than electric heating. Therefore, proper ventilation is essential, but then, of course, you run the risk of letting in the cold. Keep up to date with the latest in loadshedding in Cape Town. You might also want to check out these lesser-known and cosy restaurants with fireplaces in Cape Town.
And, winter doesn't mean you have to stay cooped up inside. We've put together some cool things to do in cold weather as well as our selection of value-for-money winter specials. Looking for other ways to stay snug while spending less cash? Consult our comprehensive overview of cost-effective ways to keep warm in winter. See More.
Cape Town Events Calendar. November Events Today Most Read. Adventure alert: 4 awesome routes with On the other hand, unflued gas heaters definitely need ventilation, and even flued gas heaters should never be used in bedrooms, bathrooms or confined spaces due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Incidentally, it was the gas lamps and heating, and its subsequent carbon monoxide production that's responsible for most but not all Victorian era ghost stories — visual and auditory hallucinations are a common symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning from the gas lamps and coal fires they used for lighting and heating.
Gas heating also increases the moisture content in the air, so it can further contribute to mould problems. Convection heaters, such as oil column or panel heaters are your best choice for a heater you're going to leave on all night — their gentle convection heating is conducive to an easy night's sleep, and they don't get as hot as other types of heaters so they're safer to touch they compensate for this with the larger heating surface area.
Panel heaters can be a good option for children's' rooms, as they can be secured to a wall so they can't fall over, and usually have a lower temperature contact surface. You should avoid leaving radiant heaters on all night as their exposed heating elements pose a particular fire risk if anything falls on it, and avoid heaters which can easily tip over. A heater with a fan doesn't pose an elevated risk, but if the fan's noisy then it won't be conducive to getting a good nights' sleep.
These are personal heaters. As the name suggests, they radiate heat from a red-hot heating element — the family will have to take turns sitting in front of it. These don't actually burn oil — they use electricity to heat the oil that's sealed inside their columns or 'fins'.
The heat from the oil is then transferred to the casing and to the air circulating the fins. And some column heaters aren't even oil-filled but instead use other material or heating technology, but work the same way. The risk of fire with an oil column heater is low compared to other heater types, but never zero. Oil heaters don't have exposed elements like radiant heaters do, and their surface temperature is lower than many other heater types but their large surface area makes up for it , but they're still an electrical appliance filled with hot oil.
Oil column heaters won't explode, and while they don't burn their oil to generate heat, it's still flammable albeit, with a high flashpoint — hopefully , so there is a fire risk if the oil leaks, if the heater tips over and leaks, or if flammable objects or fabric are draped over or fall on the heater. You should exercise the same degree of caution with oil heaters as for other heater types, and never hang towels or clothes over one to dry them — use a drying rack instead, at least one metre away.
If your oil heater is leaking, or showing signs of serious corrosion or damage, then you should replace it. These heaters draw cold air over an electric heating element. The warmed air then leaves the heater and rises towards the ceiling, while cooler air moves in to replace it.
They usually have a fan which enhances the convection effect by forcing the warm air from the heater.
When you use the fan, the room will heat up more quickly and evenly. Without it, the air is more likely to form horizontal temperature layers which could leave you with cold feet — particularly, if there's not much movement in the room again, if you're snuggled up on the sofa with a good book or watching a movie — activities lots of people enjoy during winter.
The fan will break up these layers to a certain extent. However, it's also noisy — so make sure the fan can be switched off. You don't want the fan drowning out the TV! Panel heaters are a type of convection heater that are, as the name suggests, particularly thin and flat, though they can also be quite long. They often come with a wall-mounting kit for permanent attachment, much like an old-style radiator though some convection heaters are also wall-mountable.
Micathermic panel heaters usually have a similar shape as a column heater, but are often thinner. They have panels of the mineral mica around their heating element; the mica absorbs the heat and radiates it more evenly, or so the marketing material claims.
Supposedly this helps the heater warm the room faster and more efficiently than the element alone. We haven't seen it eventuate in our testing. You'll see the term 'ceramic' used in conjunction with some fan heaters. This is a safety advantage rather than performance advantage, as the ceramic cools faster than metallic heating elements, reducing a burn risk. The Dyson heaters fall into the fan category. A relatively recent entrant into the consumer market, far infrared heaters heat the room like the sun heats your face without the UV rays so no danger of skin cancer.
Whereas other heaters heat up the air in a space, infrared heaters will heat up objects. One of our sister organisations, Consumer NZ , carried out tests on two W infrared panel heaters last year. They found they were equivalent to most other forms of heating in both performance and costs to run.
Left to right: wall-mounted IR panels, radiant heater, oil column heater, fan heater. Courtesy: CNZ.
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