Best Infrared Heaters: Reviews & Editorial Ratings
For homeowners, office employees, and other professionals looking for a safe, efficient, reliable, and cost-effective way of keeping themselves warm, an infrared heater would be an ideal choice. The vast majority of high-end models are renowned for their smooth, effortless operation and even distribution of comfortable, toasty warmth. Compared to other conventional systems, their heat has a more natural feeling to it and because they’re energy-efficient, they’re considerably cheap to run. Plus, they feature a small footprint and are lighter than other heating systems. As a result, they take up minimal space on the floor or wall and install in a snap.
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Because you’re reading this, we can tell you’re experiencing difficulties choosing your next infrared heater. That’s understandable considering the sheer number of models of different shapes, styles, and sizes available to choose from. Here, we review 10 of the best infrared heaters the market has to offer to give you useful insight and help you make an independent, informed decision.
10 Best Infrared Heaters
1. Dr Infrared Heater
Among its laundry list of features are exceptional energy efficiency, superior heating capabilities, safety, and whisper quiet operation. By bringing together a high-end PTC and Quartz Infrared Element, the machine will keep your entire family warm and cosy without increasing your electric bill. It works fast, smoothly distributing and transferring heat to every corner of the house without leaving cold spots. It’s also an energy-efficient option that only heats up the objects in the house, eliminating uncomfortable drafts while retaining moisture.
If you are looking for a reason to purchase it, you now have several. The automatic shut-off timer, IR remote control, quiet operation, electronic thermostat, and heavy-duty caster wheels are all reasons to give it some serious consideration.
Durable construction
Cost-effective
Portable
Safe and a cinch to use
A little rough on the eyes
2. LifeSmart LS-1000X-6W-IN
Boasting up to 5100 British Thermal Units, the LifeSmart LS-1000X-6W-IN is an ideal choice for users with rooms up to 1400 cubic feet in size. It features 6 superior wrapped infrared heating elements that quickly, smoothly, and efficiently provide soft, comfortable infrared heat. The heat is then evenly distributed to all corners of the room or house so that the entire family doesn’t have to crouch in front of the infrared heater as the winter cold reaches a crescendo. The 3 heat settings including the ECO mode provide you with lots of control and enhance customizability. You can choose an ideal heat setting in accordance with the prevailing weather conditions.
Consequently, it takes up minimal space in the living room or beside your bed and because it has high-quality caster wheels, portability is never an issue.
Its construction with premium quality oak enables it to last for years on end even with every day, continuous use. The infrared heater is also energy-efficient and comes with a washable air filter and works quietly even at high heat settings.
Besides being a powerful, efficient, and reliable alternative, the LifeSmart heater also features a sleek, modern design that'll easily complement the décor of your room or house. And of course, it works like a charm.
Quick, efficient performance
Energy-efficient with excellent performance
Affordable
Portable
Lacks safety features
Fussy thermostat
4. Duraflame Electric Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove
With a wattage of 1500 and up to 5200 British Thermal Units, this is a perfect choice for keeping rooms up to 1000 square feet warm, cosy, and comfortable for you, your children, and furry friends. It works more than the sun, warming you up comfortably and almost instantly while still evenly distributing infrared heat to all corners of the room. Its gentle heat doesn't interfere with the natural humidity in the air thereby eliminating the possibility of drying out the skins and airways of your loved ones.
To top it all off, the ingenious design allows the users to turn on the patented 3D flame effect technology that allows for 270 degrees of viewing. The all-metal construction allows it to stand the test of time while the provided remote control and the accompanying thermometer range of 68 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit make it one of the most versatile heating solutions out there.
Offers the best bang for the buck
Safe to use
Offers effortless controllability
Generous warranty
Not very effective
5. EdenPURE A5095
As indicated above, EdenPURE A5095 has several instrumental features. The small and lightweight design makes it highly portable, so you easily carry it from one room to another without straining your hands or risking throwing your back out. It takes up minimal space. Consequently, you won’t have to move things around or upset the arrangement of your room to fit it somewhere. It’s aesthetically pleasing and will blend in perfectly with the décor and design of your room.
Additional features include the touch-safe exterior, tip-over sensor, and pet-friendly design. You have the option of purchasing an installing an additional air purification kit to cleanse the air in your room.
In all, EdenPURE A5095 has several endearing features. The space-saving bookshelf design, ease of use, convenient remote control, and cost-effectiveness are all reasons to consider investing in it.
Attractive bookshelf design
Comes with remote control an timer
Safe to use
Very portable
Expensive
No caster wheels
6. Homegear 1500W with Remote Control
Capable of a heart-stopping performance, the Homegear 1500W features an innovative dual heating system that brings together Mica and Quartz infrared heating tubes. The result is up to 5100 British Thermal Units of raw heating power, making it an ideal choice for homeowners looking to keep up to 1500 square feet of space warm, cosy and comfortable when the temperatures suddenly and unexpectedly dip. The infrared heater ups the ante by featuring a powerful, heavy-duty yet remarkably quiet fan that efficiently and evenly distributes heat throughout the entire room. The easy-to-set digital thermostat guarantees that the heat will never exceed or fall short of the set level, allowing you to enjoy a nice, maintained heat level.
For the homeowners who prioritize safety, reliability, and exceptionality in an infrared heater, this high-end yet cost-effective device may just be the right product for you.
Budget-friendly
Sleek and stylish
Comes with remove and large LCD for convenience
Safe and energy efficient
Lacks caster wheels
7. Comfort Zone Ceiling Mount Quartz Heater
The heater is a cinch to use. It features a single pull string which easily toggles between various settings. In addition to heating up your place, it also comes with a sufficiently bright halogen light which you can decide to switch off whenever you're using it. The little known Comfort Zone brand pulls all the stops to provide its users with a safe heating solution. Their product comes with an overheat protection sensor and a safety metal grille all working towards minimizing or entirely eliminating fire hazards. A three-prong grounded plug further helps eliminate electrical dangers.
A unique selling point of the Comfort Zone Ceiling Mount Quartz Heater is its ability to efficiently spread warmth infrared heat over a 90-degree range. It doesn't confine you to one spot as other cheap, run-of-the-mill options do. The halogen light is also adjustable and in light of its durable construction, it’s bound to provide you with several years of service.
The heater brings you the best of all worlds. It boasts a powerful heating experience, has an abundance of safety features, and mounts quickly and easily on the ceiling. Plus, it’s very versatile.
Versatile and easy to use
Easy and quick installation
Cost-effective
Effective heating performance
Lacks thermostat and timer
8. Dr. Infrared Heater DR998
It’s not every day that you come across a cost-effective option that doubles up as a humidifier and air purifier, so let's start with that. The two features work independently of the heater. Keep them running for a few minutes and your living space will soon be free of dust, pollen, and other allergy-triggering micro-particles. With additional moisture in the air, sinuses, sore throats, and cracking skin will be a thing of the past.
Overall, the DR998 is an all-around infrared heater which, in addition to heating up your room to toasty, comfortable temperatures, also gets rid of micro-particles while increasing moisture. You’ll never be more at home and comfortable.
Distributes heat evenly and quickly
Comes with a humidifier
Provides sufficient heat
Versatile performance
Safe to use
Noticeable noise
9. iLIVING Space Heater
Like other industry greats, iLiving pulls all the stops to provide its customers with nothing short of exceptional performance. Its dual heating system brings harnesses the heating power of an infrared quartz tube and PTC technologies to efficiently and quickly raise the temperatures of indoor spaces up to 1000 square feet to comfortable and conducive levels. The dual heating system gives you a choice between a Low and High setting. Also, there is an Auto Energy Saving Mode that’ll save you lots of money over the long run. Further, note that the infrared heater incorporates an electronic thermostat with a temperature range of between 50 and 86 degrees, giving you plenty of room for customizability.
Considering its plethora of impressive performance and convenience features and its budget-friendly price tag, you’ll need a concrete reason to pass up on it. Good luck coming up with just one.
Efficient performance
Very safe to use
Quiet
Highly portable
Energy-efficient
Costly
10. Mr. Heater F232025 MH9BX
Unlike the vast majority of options on this list, the Mr. Heater F232025 is propane-powered, which, depending on your perspective can either be advantageous or disadvantageous. Beginning with the positives, a propane-powered machine doesn't rely on electricity which means it'll continue heating up your space even during a power outage. Neither do you have to contend with long power cords. On the flipside, though, dealing with propane can be a little messy and cumbersome as you have to hook up the infrared heater with a one-pound propane tank. Enough with the nit-picking.
Further, it’s built with first-grade materials to last more than a lifetime. The handles are not only ergonomic but also easy to fold thereby considerably saving on storage space and to facilitate easy transportation.
Overall, Mr. Heater F232025 heralds a new era in indoor space heating. Only a handful of infrared heaters can successfully imitate its portability, ease of use, and dependable performance. Unfortunately, they’re all expensive.
Portable
Evenly distributes heat
Durable construction
Easy to install and safe to use
Propane tank and hose sold separately
3. LifeSmart Medium Room Heater with Remote
In spite of its lightweight and small footprint profile, its performance easily overshadows that of high-end, costlier models on the market. It brings together a digital thermometer with a grave quiet scroll fan, a 12-hour start and a stop timer, and 3 heat settings. The result is infrared warmth to all corners of a medium sized room. Coupled with the fact that it has a quietly working scroll fan for circulating heat, you won’t have to lift a finger to keep your room comfortable, welcoming, and conducive all through the winter.
Overall, it is a perfect choice for homeowners who want a comfortable heating option that’s also energy efficient. It’s cost-effective and very easy to use.
Lightweight and portable
Compact
Versatile settings for powerful performance
Budget-friendly and energy efficient
A little noisy
Selection Criteria
Power Source
This type of heaters operate on either electricity or gas, and the difference between the two in terms of performance is negligible. However, electric infrared heaters cost less than their gas-powered counterparts and because a typical house is dotted with several power outlets in virtually every room, you can use an electric infrared heater in a room of your choice.
The same can’t be said for gas-based infrared heaters that have a fixed hose for connection. They are both quiet and easy to use but the fact that you need propane to operate a gas-powered infrared heater raises safety concerns for most homeowners.
Energy Efficiency
Compared to conventional central heating systems, infrared heaters are considerably cheaper and easy to run. Energy consumption for the vast majority of them lies between 1000 and 1500 watts, and this figure, of course, varies depending on your usage patterns and type. It also goes without saying that the more powerful the infrared heater, the higher will be your electricity bill. It’d be prudent to first consider the electricity consumption of the model you intend to purchase and weigh this against the benefit of owning one.
Safety Features
The only feature that can supersede safety is maybe performance. The Internet is awash with stories of infrared heaters overheating and bursting into flames. If you’re keen to not join the statistics, ensure your infrared heater comes with as many safety features as possible. A tip-over safety switch, for instance, instantly switches off the machine the second it tips over.
A cool-touch exterior means none of your loved ones, including your furry friends won’t get a singed surprise. Also, with an adjustable thermostat, the infrared heater will automatically switch off when a pre-set heat level is reached. This prevents overheating and helps you save on electricity.
Additional Features
Your chosen infrared heater should be easy to install, even without the assistance of a professional or a second pair of hands. To achieve that, the process should be streamlined and it should be both lightweight and compact, which in turn facilitates portability.
Additionally, a warranty gives you a quality assurance and peace of mind by protecting you from deficiencies in material and craftsmanship. And of course, it should be affordable, so that you don’t pay for premium features you don’t necessarily need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the weight and size of an infrared heater have any significance?
A: The physical dimensions determine, to a great extent, the portability of the heater. If it’s lightweight and compact, it’ll take up minimal space and easy to move from one room to another.
Q: Are they expensive to run?
A: Most options are energy-efficient and therefore cheap to run. Because they directly heat up the objects near them, and not the air, the results are almost instant and efficient.
Conclusion
The fact that infrared heaters are safe, efficient, and cost-effective is undisputable. They are a perfect choice for the homeowner or office employee in need of natural feeling, comfortable, and toasty heat. And because of their litany of safety features, you can confidently leave them running the entire night.
Our list features the pro-grade options. As long you match its performance to the size of your room, you’ll never have to contend with the frigid winter ever again.