When wintry weather takes over the outside world, many of us will look to spend more time inside – where it’s warm. But, staying warm during the cold winter months is expensive and takes a toll on your thermostat. That’s where it pays to know what the best space heaters are for your home, garage, or office.

Understanding your options for the best space heaters has never been more important, either. A few years ago, scientists from Rutgers University concluded that we’re likely to see more brutal winters for the foreseeable future. That’s right, warming Arctic regions are fueling the winter weather here in North America, making winters that much colder. For those of you living in the coldest parts of the country, across the northeast and midwest, space heaters are an integral tool for getting you through the coldest winter months. 

True, space heaters receive their fair share of criticism. The wrong unit can have your power bills soaring out of control, and it’s not usually the wisest decision to leave space heaters unattended. Still though, having the best space heaters in favor of a smart thermostat can ultimately save you in the long run. 

According to researchers at Cornell University, smart thermostats might actually harm the power grid. By allowing a “smart device” to control the temperature in your home, too many cities are seeing their power grid under duress at key times of the day. This is mostly due to smart thermostats all turning on at the same time during the coldest parts of the day. Additionally, researchers say that users who don’t personalize their smart thermostat settings to match their preferences are furthering the issue, costing themselves and others looking for warmth in their area. 

But enough of the environmental small talk, you came here looking for the best space heaters and that’s just what we have for you. Study Finds did the research, consulting dozens of ‘expert’ websites and reviews to find the best space heaters for your home, office, or garage. Of course, if you have any recommendations of your own, please feel free to drop them in the comments section below!

The List: Best Space Heaters, According To Experts

1. Vornado MVH Vortex (~$70)

The top spot on our list of best space heaters goes to the Vornado MVH Vortex. This was the space heater that most frequently appeared on the websites we visited and for good reason. The Vornado MVH Vortex pumps out the warm air and keeps you cozy on those cold winter nights.

“This top-rated space heater may be small, but we found it can circulate warm air throughout a room in minutes. It’s made with three heat settings (750W, 1125W and 1500W) so you can control just how intense the heat output is when you flip it on,” says Good Housekeeping. 

The Vornado MVH Vortex is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a simple yet effective space heater. “The MVH is a simple space heater with a circular resistance coil and a three-blade fan that blows through a spiral grill. The result is surprisingly quiet and evenly distributed heat output adjustable to three settings,” writes Popular Mechanics. 

This quiet space heater is ideal for many people, especially if you’re using a space heater at night while you sleep. “This space heater is good for light sleepers because of its quiet fan, and if your room is small enough, you’ll be cozy all night long,” adds Gear Patrol. 

2. Honeywell UberHeat Ceramic Space Heater (~$40)

The space heater market is flooded with fancy and expensive units. Truth is, the best space heaters keep things simple and the Honeywell UberHeat Ceramic Space Heater does just that.  

“This little heater is perfect for personal use and small spaces. It features two fan speeds, a simple temperature-controlling knob, tip-over and overheat protection, and a cool-touch design,” says HGTV. 

These safety features are an important part of what makes the Honeywell UberHeat Ceramic Space Heater one of the best space heaters for small spaces. 

“Thanks to its small footprint, this heater can rest on side tables or desks as well as on the floor, so it’s easy to find a safe location for it. When testing, we noticed the tip-over protection worked really well — if you simply lift the heater a few degrees forward using the hidden handle at the top while the heater is powered on, it will shut off and won’t start back until you set it down to rest on the stand again,” adds HGTV. 

“While the manufacturer recommends it for personal use in small spaces, like your office or a dorm room, online reviewers were pleasantly surprised to find that it can keep an entire bedroom cozy,” explains Good Housekeeping.  

The ability to heat larger spaces makes the Honeywell UberHeat a versatile space heater. But, the UberHeat is also a stylish little space heater that blends well with a range of home decor styles. “Aesthetically, our tester found the UberHeat extremely easy to live with, admiring its speaker-like appearance and compact size that allowed it to blend in with her decor,” adds Gear Patrol.  

3. Vornado VHEAT Vintage Heater (~$170)

Vornado is one of the top names in the space heater industry. So, it’s no surprise to see another one of its products on several expert lists of the best space heaters. The Vornado VHEAT Vintage Heater is consistently talked about as one of the most stylish space heaters available on the market today. The design of the VHEAT Vintage Heater pays homage to the old metal-blade fans of the 40s and 50s. 

But, not only does this space heater look cool and stylish, but the VHEAT Vintage Heater is also extremely quiet. “The unit was especially quiet while operating on its lowest setting, during which we measured it to have a noise rating of just 54 decibels,” writes The Spruce. 

Finding a space heater that’s both stylish and quiet is a rare find. “If you like to be surrounded by beautiful things and you’re partial to the mid-twentieth century aesthetic, you’ll love the retro-designed Vornado VHEAT Vintage Whole Room Heater. Of course, it wouldn’t be one of our best space heaters unless it also lived up to its promise to heat a whole room,” adds Tom’s Guide. 

The metal design also makes this an incredibly durable space heater option. Just beware, this all-metal space heater is a little bulky. “It’s great for an office space, too. Because it is all-metal and a bit heavy, it’s not great for moving around, so you’re best off choosing a place of honor for it and leaving it there,” writes Good Housekeeping. 

“The VHEAT nixes the typical plastic construction of other Vornado space heaters for a substantial metal body. It’s heavy, but it also gives it some heft so it won’t easily topple over,” adds Gear Patrol. 

 4. Lasko Ceramic Space Heater (~$35)

The last unit we saw frequently coming up across expert lists of the best space heaters is the Lasko Ceramic Space Heater. There are a few different models of this small but mighty lineup of space heaters from Lasko, but all of them are well worth the investment and keep you warm on those cold winter mornings. 

“The Lasko Ceramic Portable Space Heater is a practical, no-frills miniature heater with enough juice to turn your chilly home office into a cozy, warm nook of productivity,” writes Insider. 

This space heater is truly designed for personal use, anywhere you need to stay warm. “At less than $40, Lasko’s little space heater—under 10 inches tall!—will keep a full room warm without costing a fortune. It comes with a low heat, high heat and fan setting and we found it to be lightweight enough that we could carry it from the bedroom to the bathroom to the kitchen and back with no hassle,” writes Good Housekeeping. 

The folks at Good Housekeeping weren’t the only ones amazed by the combination of affordability and efficiency you’ll get from this space heater. 

“If you just need something to heat up a small space and don’t care about award-winning aesthetics, the Lasko [754201] Ceramic Heater offers huge bang for your buck. Our tester was amazed at this affordable little heater’s ability to quickly and easily heat up a small space,” adds Gear Patrol. 

You might also be interested in:

• Best Air Purifiers
• Best Humidifiers
• Best Outdoor Fire Pits
• Best Home Security Systems
• Best Office Chairs

Sources: 

• Gear Patrol
• Bob Villa
• Tom’s Guide
• Good Housekeeping
• Insider
• The Spruce
• Popular Mechanics
• HGTV 
• Insider
• Electronics Hub

Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.