Best electric heaters – our top recommendations, tried and tested

The best electric heaters can help us beat the chill when temperatures drop, adding almost instant warmth to a room when we need it most. 

That means you won’t have to wait long for a cold room to thaw out, and, because they only heat specific areas of your home, energy-efficient electric heaters can also prove more economical than turning on the central heating. They're also a great backup to have in the cupboard should your boiler go on the blink.

As such, the Ideal Home team has tried and tested bestselling electric heaters from multiple leading brand names to help you find the right one for you. We've reviewed fan heaters, convection heaters, and bladeless heaters from Duux, Dreo, Russell Hobbs, Beldray, Dyson, and more, to find the best-in-class in terms of performance, energy efficiency, and price. You'll also find alternative oil-powered options in our guide to the best oil-filled radiators.

There's plenty of buying advice to help you choose the right portable heater for you at the end of this guide, as well as our top recommendations directly below.

The quick list

Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the very best electric heaters. You'll find more information on each indoor heater and why our testers recommend it if you keep on scrolling.

Best electric heaters 2024

Rachel Ogden

I'm Rachel, one of Ideal Home's product reviewers. I put all manner of products through their paces to find the top recommendations for our readers, from the best patio heaters to the best fans. I tested out each electric heater in this guide during a typical working day in my unheated garden office measuring just under 15sqm. As the only source of heat, I assessed how quickly each space heater warmed the room, its ease of use, noise levels, and energy efficiency.

Best fan heater

Design Looking more like a smart speaker, this sleek grey and black fan heater does away with the white chunky lines of the traditional space heater entirely. Touch controls on the top and an LED display add to its premium feel. It's portable thanks to an integral handle at the back and can be set to rotate through 70° to help spread the heat around your space. Plus, it's pretty compact, so shouldn’t take up too much space on a table or the floor.

Ease of use The Dreo space heater is ready to go as soon as it is unboxed, with fairly straightforward instructions explaining the different modes. The heating mode is split into three levels, which need to be toggled with the plus and minus buttons, and there's an Eco mode that uses sensors to select the ideal heating mode depending on the desired room temperature you’ve set. This heater also comes with a remote control, the only niggle being it needs to be pointed directly at the heater for it to work – even small objects seem to block the signal. Overall, the controls aren’t straightforward, but I got the hang of them eventually. However, other heaters, such as the Beldray, are easier to use straight off the bat.

Performance Fan heaters can often create hot spots in a room, but this is where the oscillation of the Dreo Space Heater comes into its own. I found it brilliant at heating my office room from cold, with the warmth spreading throughout quickly. Another plus was the range of heat on offer – its thermostat meant I could set a temperature between 5-35°C, so there was never any risk of getting too hot and then having to open a window to cool the room down again. In terms of heating flexibility at an affordable price, it felt superior to the other fan heaters I tested.

Noise levels The Dreo Space Heater has a noise level of just 37.5dB (the oscillation raises this to 40dB). I found it to be equivalent to the level of noise of the Beldray fan heater I tested – quiet enough to talk over but still noticeable. One other thoughtful feature is being able to switch off its electronic beeps.

Energy use Using its highest heat setting means the Dreo Space Heater uses 1500W of electricity. That means an hour’s constant use of the Dreo Space Heater, at a rate of 27p per kWh, would cost just over 40p. However, its lower settings are less costly, with medium heat (1000W) costing 27p an hour and low (900W) 24p an hour.

Best convector heater

Design Duux’s Edge 1000 Smart Convector Heater does a great job of overhauling the usual outdated convector heater design. It’s slim, glossy, beautifully designed and a world away from the basic looks of more affordable models, such as the Challenge convector heater further down this list. You can use it freestanding, but, ingeniously, you can also wall-mount this heater if you want to free up floor space. However it is worth noting that this heater isn't very portable – there’s no carry handle so it’s awkward to pick up, and it weighs in at a hefty 7.55kg.

Ease of use On delivery you need to attach the feet to this heater with a screwdriver, which – a little annoyingly – isn't included. Once that's done you'll also need to connect the Duux Edge 1000 to your WiFi and download the Duux App to a smart device to access the full range of functionality. Whilst you can use the manual controls placed discretely on the side of the heater, they’re not the most intuitive, especially for setting a schedule, so you’ll need the instruction manual. Setting schedules and using the other functionality (such as preset modes) is a lot easier using the Duux App. Set aside a good half an hour to get this heater unpacked and set up.

Performance Besides good looks, the biggest plus point of this convector heater is the size of space it can comfortably heat – up to 20sq m – and that it has an IP24 rating meaning that you can use it in damp spaces. The fact you can also choose to wall-mount it via the included wall kit is another bonus. It also comes with 'open window detection' functionality (meaning it turns off if a sudden drop of 5°C in temperature within 10 minutes is detected, to save on wasted energy), a timer, and night mode, meaning you can leave it on a low heat to keep a bedroom toasty whilst the display dims so it doesn't keep you awake.

I found the heat the Duux Edge provided was instant but gentle and can be felt about a metre above from being turned on. As it's a convector heater, it did take a while for the heat to diffuse throughout the space as there's no fan to push the warmth instantly into the room, but the upside is that this heater throws out warmth for a good length of time even after it's turned off. I also liked the fact that the Edge enabled me to set my desired temperature down to the exact degree.

Noise levels As this is a convector heater rather than a fan heater, operation is far quieter in comparison. The Duux Edge didn’t make any noise other than an occasional click when turning the thermostat on and off.

Energy use While the costs may vary depending on which mode you’re using it in (for example, there’s an eco mode only accessible through the App) the Duux Edge 1000 is fairly thrifty at its highest wattage use of 1000W, which, at a rate of 27p per kWh, will be 27p an hour. That means that whilst it's more of an investment upfront than the Challenge convector heater, the Duux Edge convector heater is more energy efficient and costs less to run.

Best for small spaces

Design One of the most appealing aspects of the Russell Hobbs Plug-In Heater is that it’s super compact. This design simply plugs directly into an electrical socket which means it requires no floor or table space, making it perfect for a small room, plus there are no unsightly cables to navigate. It feels robust, and whilst it's not quite as sleek in design as the Dreo and Duux fan heaters I tested, I loved that it’s so compact, which also made storage a dream.

Ease of use There’s no assembly required with the Russell Hobbs 700W Ceramic Plug-In Heater – just plug it in. However, getting the ideal positioning can prove tricky. The heater needs enough clearance space to operate, which means positioning it 30cm above floor level and leaving 50cm between the heater and any side walls. In practice, I found this difficult as many UK sockets tend to be in corners. My test room has five sockets, and none met the placement criteria. In case you don't have enough clearance below a wall socket, you can rotate the heater section through 90°, however, this does locate the controls on the righthand side making them a little more difficult to access.

The controls themselves consist of an on-off switch and three buttons; a plus and minus button for raising and lowering the desired temperature (within a 15-30°C range), and a Mode button for changing the fan speed, alongside an LED display. I found the controls a little difficult to navigate as they aren't marked very clearly, and the operating instructions left a lot to be desired, with the instructional manual not always describing the functionality accurately. You’ll definitely need the instruction manual to hand for setting the heater's timer, as it’s not obvious how to do this without it. In short, ease of use is where this electric heater falls down compared to some of the others I’ve reviewed, in particular the super simple Beldray Flatbed fan heater which was refreshingly hassle-free.

Performance At first, I found the reach of the Russell Hobbs 700W Ceramic Plug-In Heater to be limited – I found I got about a three-metre range of direct heat after the heater had been running 10 minutes or so. However, when left running for about half an hour, the heat diffused around a metre further, warming the whole 15 sqm room after about 45 minutes. This is no mean feat considering I was pushing the heater a bit beyond its capacity; it's designed to be used in a 10sqm area. Considering this compact heater is far smaller and less powerful than all the other heaters I tested, I was impressed by its performance.

Noise levels There’s no stated dB for this heater but it’s not noisy when running. The high fan speed has more of a whine, so if you find it obtrusive, the lower speed may be more suitable.

Energy use The compact Russell Hobbs 700W Ceramic Plug-In Heater is fairly inexpensive to run compared to larger heaters. Its highest setting uses 700W, which means it costs 19p an hour to run at a rate of 27p per kWh. That makes it one of the cheapest electric heaters to run out of all that we've tested.

Best for large spaces

Design Compared to the other electric heaters in our round-up, this 'oil-free' electric radiator is big and heavy, measuring H65 x W55 x D25.5cm and weighing in at a whopping 11.8kg. It comes with castor feet so wheeling it around a one-level home is easy, getting it up stairs single handedly is more of a mission. And sleek and modern as its black casing is, it's not the most unobtrusive design. That said, it does look smart, with a stylish matt black finish and a digital control panel. It also comes with a handy built-in holder that houses the remote control on top of the unit.

Ease of use Assembly involves turning the unit upside down to attach the castors. Due to its weight, this requires some strength, also a screwdriver and navigating some very small and fiddly screws and holes. I’ve got pretty nimble fingers and still found this challenging. However, once assembled, it's very easy to use. You can either operate it using the digital display panel on one end of the unit or by using the remote control (that unlike the remote on the Dreo Fan Heater works reliably). There are three heat settings – 666W, 1333W and 2000W – as well as an 'eco' mode that means the heater’s output will automatically adjust to keep the room at the temperature that has been set on the thermostat (between 10-30°C).

Performance Designed to emulate a traditional oil-filled radiator, just without the oil, (which means that it heats up faster than a classic oil-filled radiator) this 2000W electric radiator is the most powerful in our round-up. It offers three heat settings – 666W, 1333W and 2000W – as well as an 'eco' mode that means the heater’s output will automatically adjust to keep the room at the temperature that has been set on the thermostat (between 10-30°C). In practice, I found this heater was quick to heat up my small office and did a great job when I moved it into a larger room too.

Noise levels As this is a convector heater rather than a fan heater, the operation is virtually silent. The Pro Breeze 2000W Digital Oil-Free Radiator didn’t make any noise whilst operating, other than an occasional click when the thermostat switches the heater on and off and some beeps when you adjust the settings.

Energy use As this is the most powerful electric heater in our round-up, it naturally uses the most energy to run. Used on its highest 2000W setting, it will cost roughly 58p per hour to run at current average energy prices. However, there are lower temperature settings available, and that built-in thermostat means you don't ever need to use more energy than is required to maintain your desired temperature.

Best multifunctional

Design As you would expect from its high-end price tag, this bladeless design looks good and its premium build quality is immediately apparent on unboxing. The Hot+Cool's 3-in-1 heater, fan, and air purifier functionality mean it offers year-round climate control, so it's designed to be on display as a permanent fixture, and its statement good-looks mean I'd happily have it out on display permanently in my home.

Ease of use Thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity, you can operate this heater either via the remote control (that's magnetised to sit safely on top of the appliance when not in use), or via the Dyson Smart App. You can also connect the heater to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-activated control. Operation of the heater is really simple, you just toggle up and down to set your desired room temperature and the Dyson's intelligent sensors will automatically turn the heater on if temperatures dip under your target setting, and off when the target temperature is reached to save on energy. I found the hassle-free automatic sensors and remote operation a real plus point in practice.

Performance The Hot+Cool has the widest temperature range of any electric heater I've tested, allowing you to set a target temperature of between 1-37°C. That bladeless design is also very powerful. In my tests, warm air quickly reached even the furthest edges of the room. Plus, 350 ̊ oscillation ensures no corner is missed and the intelligent sensor is a great feature that means the room never gets warmer (or cooler) than you want. Overall, performance was very impressive, delivering fast and effective heating that was very easy to manage.

Noise levels The official noise rating of this fan heater is 62dB, which seems loud compared to most of the electric heaters in this round-up. However, how intrusive noise levels are depends as much on the type of noise as the volume, and this bladeless design has none of the usual whirring fan noise that tends to go hand-in-hand with fan heaters. There's only the white noise of gushing of air, which I found easy to ignore. I'm a light sleeper and I was even able to run the Dyson Hot+Cool in my bedroom overnight without being disturbed.

Energy use As well as its high price tag, the Dyson Hot+Cool also has high energy usage compared to most of the other electric heaters in our round-up. It uses 2250W if you run it at full power. However, the intelligent sensor does mean you'll never use more energy than is needed to keep your home at your preferred temperature, as it will automatically switch to standby once your target temperature is reached, which can make it more economical in practice than super cheap models like the Beldray Flatbed Portable Fan Heater which are either on or off.

Most stylish

Design Whilst cheaper fan heaters focus purely on function, the Duux Threesixty 2 Smart Fan Heater adds style to the mix. It’s by far the most stylish electric heater I've come across, with a minimalist cylindrical design and modern matt finish in white or grey. Compared to most of its competitors at this price point, this indoor heater is definitely the most design-led.

Ease of use Just like its overall design, the Threesixty's controls are also minimal. On the heater itself, there's simply a single rocker-style button that turns it on and off, as well as raises the fan speed. On either side of the rocker button, LED lights indicate whether you have the heater running in boost mode (speeds medium and high) or eco mode (low speed), as well as if it’s connected to the WiFi. And you do need WiFi connection to make the most of this heater.

In order to access the heater's full functionality, you need to download the Duux App onto a smart device – like a phone or tablet – so you can control the heater remotely. Via the App you can set timer schedules, turn the heater on and off, raise the power and set the ideal temperature using the thermostat. Without the App, you lose some of this functionality, which is a bit of a shame; you’ll only be able to change the heat/speed and turn it on and off manually.

Performance Named for its 360-degree heat distribution, the Threesixty 2 Smart Fan Heater definitely lives up to its moniker. Duux says that 'In boost mode, the Threesixty can heat up a room of 30m2 twice as fast as conventional heaters, thanks to its efficient PTC heating element. The air outlet makes sure the heat is evenly distributed in 360 degrees'. Thanks to the App, I was able to monitor how quickly the room heated up as it showed the current room temperature as well as what I had set it to reach. On most days, the heat made it to the other side of the unheated room in about 10 minutes. While it was always much toastier close to the Threesixty 2, it was never an uncomfortable blast of warmth around my legs like older fan heater models can produce. The other plus was that it directed the heat upwards and outwards rather than just in one direction.

Noise levels The Threesixty 2 Smart Fan Heater can be quite noisy on the high setting, but is far less obtrusive on low, which is more like a background murmur. Its stated noise level is 56dB which is pretty high compared to many heaters I've tested. I found it to be noisier than the Russell Hobbs Plug-In Heater and Dreo Fan Space Heater, but not excessively so.

Energy use Run on its lowest setting (800W), the Threesixty 2 Smart Fan Heater shouldn’t use too much power, costing 22p an hour. However, prices creep up on the medium (1200W) and high settings (1800W), costing 32p and 49p an hour respectively at a rate of 27p per kWh. Depending on how you use it, it could be one of the cheapest or priciest electric heaters to power in our round-up.

Best budget fan heater

Design The Beldray Flatbed Portable Fan Heater is functional rather than stylish. When compared to the other heaters I tested, it stands out as the most basic looking, but given its price point – at normal retail price it just pips the Russell Hobbs 700W Ceramic Plug-In Heater to being the cheapest heater in our round-up – its ease of use, and performance, this is easily overlooked.

One stand-out design feature is the fact it can be used in two positions, either sat vertically or laid horizontally. The controls – consisting of two dials with an indicator light between – are well placed on one side, so they can be accessed from both standing positions. The dual positioning means you have a little more control over the flow of hot air, although there's no oscillation with this basic fan heater.

The main downside I found to its design is the one-metre long power cable. I found it wasn’t nearly as long as the cables on the other heaters I tested, potentially limiting where it’s plugged in and where it can be used.

Ease of use There's no assembly required with the Beldray fan heater, and no fancy Apps to download or any WiFi connectivity. Its controls are basic but that does mean that they're simple to use. One dial toggles between low and high heat or cool air, and the other is a basic thermostat. Although I missed the functionality of more expensive heaters – particularly the ability to see and set an exact room temperature or use a timer – the basic functionality does make this heater super simple to use. Most people wouldn’t need the instructions to hand to figure out how this little heater works, making it one of the easiest to use that I've tested.

Performance For its size, the EH0569SSTK fan is a hard worker. Even on its lowest setting, it supplies a good boost of heat instantly. However, that heat has a limited reach and took a while to diffuse around the whole room when tested. The Dreo and Duux Threesixty were both far better at distributing heat evenly around the room. Close up, the Beldray is cosy, but it would probably be a costly way to heat a medium-to-large room from cold. 

As well as two heat settings, the Beldray also offers a cool air setting, meaning it could be a versatile year-round appliance. In practice, I didn't find the cool fan setting that effective as the breeze it delivers is quite gentle. It certainly can't compete with the best fans on the market, but I suppose it could be a useful additional feature.

Noise levels There’s no stated noise level in dB for the Beldray EH0569SSTK Flatbed Portable Fan Heater but in general its noise level is tolerable, not varying between the settings (ie high is no noisier than low or cool). In this aspect, it produces a similar amount of noise to the Dreo. What might be more noticeable is the click of the thermostat when it turns on and off.

Energy use Whilst the Beldray's highest heat setting (2000W) could be costly to run for long periods, its lowest setting (1000W) uses half as much power. An hour’s constant use at a rate of 27p per kWh would cost 54p and 27p respectively.

Best budget convector heater

Design Whilst it’s not a looker – its plain white gloss exterior feels basic and practical rather than stylish – the Challenge 2kW Convector Heater is functional. Its relatively compact size and light weight mean it's easy to place in a smaller room, and a pair of carry handles on the top means it's easy to move around the house.

You do need to attach the feet to this heater – and you’ll need a screwdriver which isn't included. This was easily enough done, however the feet do feel a bit flimsy when in place. On the model I tested they gave the heater a bit of a wobble when it's placed on the floor.

Ease of use The Challenge 2kW Convector Heater has easily accessible controls on the side of the heater, and a thermostatic control, so you can vary the heat within each of its speed settings. The controls are also well-labelled, with two switches showing the power in wattage – one for 750W and one for 1250W. You can also turn on both at once to use the heater at its maximum power of 2000W. The thermostatic knob rotates from min to max to allow you to alter the temperature, although that means it's hard to tell exactly what temperature the room is at. All in all, it took me minutes to unpack, set the heater up and plug it in, and operating it is easy, especially when compared with the Duux models that required downloading Apps before use.

Performance Turning the heater on produces instant heat, however, it took a while for the heat to diffuse out and reach the other side of the room from where the heater was placed. After about 15 minutes of running it, there was still only a warm ‘bubble’ around where it was sitting. After half an hour, the heat had reached the middle of the room from the edge. It was much slower to heat the space than the other convector heater I tested, the Duux Edge 1000 Smart Convector Heater, however, it is a far cheaper investment. All in all, it took around an hour to heat the 15sqm space from the cold where it was placed when on high, so this is a better option for a room where you're happy to leave a heater on all day long, rather than a good option for a quick blast of heat. Unfortunately, the Challenge 2kW Convector Heater doesn't have a timer either, so you can't set it to turn on before you want to use a room.

Noise levels As it's a convector heater, there is no fan noise with this model. Just like the Duux Edge 1000 Smart Convector Heater, there's only a small click when the thermostat turns on and off.

Energy use As one of the highest wattage products I tested, the Challenge 2kW Convector Heater could be pricier than others when running on high over long periods – although the thermostat does switch on and off once it’s reached the ideal heat. It would cost 54p an hour to run on full power (2000W) for an hour, 34p an hour on medium (1250W) and 20p an hour on low (750W) at a rate of 27p per kWh.

How to choose

To find the best electric heater for your needs, it's important to consider how you will be using it. 

There are three main types of indoor space heaters, and all offer slightly different pros and cons. We've broken down the main differences below. 

Fan heaters: As the name might suggest, a fan heater uses a fan to push warm air out into the room. Although performance depends on the power of the heater (its wattage will give you an idea of how much heat it can emit) a fan heater can usually heat up an area very quickly. A fan heater that oscillates or offers 360-degree fan action will do a better job of spreading the heat around the room quickly and evenly, whereas a one-directional fan heater may mean you get hot and cold spots in the room. Fan heaters are also usually light and portable, so you can move them around your home easily. 

However, a fan heater can be noisy, especially when running at higher speeds, so check the noise level in dB if you think this will bother you. They can also use a fair amount of energy if you’re running them for several hours, and, once turned off, the heat they create fades fast. 

In general, a fan heater is a good option for quick bursts of heat rather than steady prolonged use.

You can get 'normal' fan heaters, and ceramic fan heaters. A ceramic fan heater uses a ceramic heating element rather than a metal coil. In general, a ceramic element should heat up quicker and require less energy to get hot.

Convector heaters: A convector heater looks more like a traditional radiator. They can still be moved around your home but are bulkier, and, in many cases, heavier than most fan heaters. 

Rather than relying on a fan to distribute their heat, they use the principle of convection, warming up the air surrounding them, which rises, drawing cold air towards the heater. This means they’re slower to warm a room up than a fan heater, but are much quieter and the heating will usually be more even. A convector heater tends to be better for all-day or longer use rather than as a way to create a quick blast of heat.

As convector heaters are slower to heat up from cold, it can be worthwhile to look for one with a timer so you can set it to come on before you want to use a room. Their added bonus is that whilst the warmth tends to disappear the minute you turn a fan or halogen heater off, with a convector heater the warmth lingers for much longer.

Halogen heaters: Halogen heaters use an incandescent light bulb that creates infrared heat i.e. it heats objects rather than the air, meaning that you’ll feel the warmth almost instantly. This type of heat is known as radiant. Because of how they work, they’re ideal for warming people sitting close to the heater, but less effective in larger rooms, or if you're at a distance from the heater. 

Halogen electric heaters can also be costly to run over long periods, and, once they’re turned off, the heat fades rapidly. However, most are pretty portable and a quiet alternative to a fan heater.

FAQs

What is the most efficient electric heater?

If you’re looking for fast distribution of warmth, a fan heater can’t be beaten. They’re ideal for chasing the cold away instantly, and, if you choose one with a ceramic element rather than metal, it’ll heat up faster, requiring less energy initially to get hot.

However, if it’s energy efficiency over long periods that you're looking for, a convector heater is probably the better choice, consuming less energy over an average day than most fan heaters.

What is the best electric heater for winter?

After testing all the electric heaters in this roundup, the Dreo Space Heater came out as my overall favourite. Whilst it’s a fan heater, so possibly costly to run for long periods, it had a good balance of versatility, heat distribution, style and affordability. Overall, I think that makes it the best electric heater for winter when measured against the competition. 

However, if you have a larger space to heat, or are planning on running the heater for long periods, the Duux Edge 1000 Smart Convector Heater was a close runner-up. It's slower to warm a room, but once warmed the heat stays around for longer, potentially making it more energy efficient over the long term, and it can slowly but surely heat a large space of up to 20sqm.

Which type of heater is cheapest to run?

If you're looking for the cheapest electric heater to run, then you should consider convector heaters which are the most economical. Some only use 1kW of power on maximum – compared to 1.5-1.8kW of some fan heaters – and even the ones that use 2-3kW have the advantage that they’ll carry on warming your space even after they’re turned off.

However, if all you need is a quick burst of heat, then you’ll use more energy waiting for a convector heater to warm up, potentially using an hour of power of a 1kW model, when all you might need is a 20-minute blast from a 1.8kW fan heater.

How we test

I tested a host of the bestselling electric heaters to compile this guide. You'll find full details of the Ideal Home review process on our how we test page. However, in order to compile this specific guide to the best electric heaters on the market, I assessed how each one performed in my unheated garden office.

My garden office measures just under 15sqm and is where I work day-to-day, so it was the perfect place to test out how toasty each space heater could make an otherwise unheated room.

I tested each heater over a few days, rating its overall performance, including how quickly each heater could warm the space, the heat distribution, warmth levels, ease of set-up and use, noise, and any added functionality.