The 11 Best Space Heaters of 2024, Tested by People
Whether You Want to Bring a Little Extra Coziness to Your Feet or Are Decking out a Man Cave or She Shed, Space Heaters Are a Great Way to Stay Warm as the...
Whether you want to bring a little extra coziness to your feet or are decking out a man cave or she shed, space heaters are a great way to stay warm as the weather cools without heating an entire room.
“When you’re choosing a space heater, you’re trying to heat a volume of air, so you’ll typically want 10 watts for every square foot of space,” says Darren Hudema, Director of Training and Technical Services at PuroClean. He adds that you should plug a space heater directly into an outlet (never an extension cord). On top of the correct wattage and safety features, you want style along with function, right? The best space heaters look great in your space while also keeping it warm.
After putting more than 30 space heaters through one of the coziest tests we’ve ever done, we found the best space heaters for every home, including options that heat large spaces, electric fireplaces, and more. Our winners earned the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval, so get ready to heat up small to large spaces with these cozy picks.
Check out the best space heaters PEOPLE Tested.
Best Budget
Amazon Basics Small Space Personal Mini Heater
Amazon
Compact and lightweight design is easy to carry from room to room
Entire front is heated grill that emits a cozy warmth
Automatically shuts off when tipped over
If you want a small space heater that can provide directed heat for personal use, this affordable option from Amazon Basics is a good choice. It has a cube design and comes in four different colors. It’s compact enough to sit on top of a standing desk and ideal in a small office setting where it will heat the surrounding few feet but not measurably change the overall temperature of the room.
The Amazon Basics heater only has one setting but is very intuitive to use. Just press the on button and it starts to heat immediately. If the unit tips over, it shuts off and cools, avoiding fire hazards. Because the heating element takes up the entire front face (delivering a surprising amount of heat for such a small unit), it is crucial that these safety measures are included. While it is budget-friendly, this is a bare bones space heater that doesn’t have a lot of extra features.
Heating Element: Ceramic | Wattage: 750 watts | Power Source: Electric | Dimensions: 5.87 x 3.2 x 6 inches | Weight: 1.43 pounds
Best Portable
Aikoper Space Heater
Amazon
One of the most portable space heaters we tested, thanks to a small handle on the back of the device
Heats up instantly and made us feel warmer within seconds of turning it on
This little space heater instantly brought the heat — and we mean that literally. As soon as we turned it on, the Aikoper electric heater made us feel warmer. It has three different heat settings to choose from and an automatic shut-off feature that instantly switches the heater off if it tips over.
Our favorite thing about this space heater is its portability. A small handle on the back makes the lightweight device easy to carry with you from room to room, so you can bring the warmth with you wherever you go. We think this heater would be a great device to keep at your desk or by your bedside. Although it was very effective at warming our body temperature, similar to an electric blanket, it didn’t warm our test room up by much, so we wouldn’t recommend this as a full-room heating device. But, for the price and size, this small heater packs a warm punch (and makes for a great holiday gift for your chilliest coworker).
Heating Element: Ceramic | Wattage: 1500 | Power Source: Electric | Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.8 x 9 inches | Weight: 2.7 pounds
