My open-plan kitchen diner always feels chilly, but this powerful and affordable Vonhaus oil-filled radiator might have just solved my winter dread
Powerful heat output at an affordable price point
When you consider its affordable price tag and the heat output, this Vonhaus oil-filled radiator provides great value for money. It effectively warms even open plan spaces with ease, and is utterly silent about it. It's painless to manoeuvre over carpet and hard floors, although carrying it up and downstairs is a bit more challenging. The main controls are easy enough to get to grips with, but I did find the timer very fiddly to use. It's also not the most modern to look at, but I can forgive that thanks to it's impressive heating performance.
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Heats medium to large rooms with ease
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Moves easily on carpets and hard floors
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Affordable
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Available in three different colourways
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Design feels dated
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Timer is overly complex to use
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No remote control
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It's getting to that time of year when if you spend a lot of time at home, but don't want your heating on constantly, it's worth investing in a heater to provide a boost in the room you're in, when you need it.
If, like me, you have a larger, open plan space, you'll need one of the best oil-filled radiators powerful enough to warm it up.
I've been putting the Vonhaus 2500W 11 Fin Oil Filled Radiator with Timer through it's paces in my home for the last couple of weeks, to see if it was up to the challenge of heating up my kitchen diner. This is what I thought of its set up and performance, and whether I think it could work in your home too.
In a nutshell
The Vonhaus 2500W 11 Fin Oil Filled Radiator with Timer is suitable for medium to large rooms, warming them evenly and with ease. With three different heat settings, 1000W, 1500W, and 2500W, as well as a thermostat dial, you can customise the heat output to your preferences. There is also a timer that you can use to turn it on or off at certain times.
It comes with wheels so you can easily move it around without needing to lift it's 10kg weight, and it has a built in cable tidy so you can keep it neat when it's not in use.
Available in black, grey and white, there is an option to best suit any interior scheme, and it has an RRP of £79.99.
Available in black, white and grey, and capable of warming up medium to large sized rooms with ease, Vonhaus' 11 fin oil-filled radiator is an affordable and powerful option, providing great value for money.
How I tested
As well as being Ideal Home's Renovation Editor, I also look after all of the websites Home Energy content, which means I'm well versed in what it takes to keep your home warm in winter and how you can do that in the most energy efficient way possible. I tested the Vonhaus 2500W 11 Fin Oil Filled Radiator with Timer in the kitchen diner and living room of my 1970s three-bed home for two weeks. Find out more about how we test electric heaters.
Specification
- Type of heater: Oil-filled radiator
- RRP: £79.99
- Weight: 10kg
- Dimensions: (W x H x D): 44.2 x 61.8 x 28cm
- Wattage: 2500W
- Running costs per hour: 26-66p/kWh
- Room size suitability: Up to 30m2
- Smart features? None
- Dual functionality? None
- Timer? Yes
- Remote control? No
Unboxing, setting up and first impressions
The Vonhaus 11 fin oil-filled radiator with timer was delivered in a large yet narrow cardboard box. While the box was quite heavy, I did manage to move it single handedly into my living room from the doorway to unbox it.
While the outer box is all recyclable cardboard, there is polystyrene internal packaging inside that I wish had been recyclable cardboard instead, as well as a plastic bag.
In the box, you get the radiator itself, an instruction manual, two wheels, two wheel bases and two u-shaped bolts, which you will need to attach. I followed the instructions for fitting the wheels, but did find it a little more fiddly than I thought I would.
It was easy enough to attach the wheels to the wheel bases, but you will need to upturn the radiator, which is quite heavy, and it's not all that stable whichever way up you have it until you pop the wheels on. And so it was propped on my knee while I tried to fit the wheel bases to the radiator with the u-shaped bots, and that's where things got a bit tricky, especially when my curious puppy decided she wanted to help. While I managed it with two hands, I do think it would be better to have a second pair of hands to support the radiator at a suitable angle while the wheels are attached.
Once the wheels were fixed in place and I'd turned it right side up, about 20 minutes had passed. But with two pairs of human hands, I'd say this could be done in a couple of minutes tops.
Then it's just a matter of plugging it in and turning it on.
When it comes to looks, the radiator is largely plain and minimalist, but it does look a bit dated compared to other oil-filled radiators I've seen. But as this isn't an appliance I am likely to leave out year round in my home, I tend to view as more functional than aesthetic.
What’s it like to use?
I first tried the Vonhaus 2500W 11 fin oil-filled radiator in my medium sized living room, that is around the 18m2 mark. I was prepared to wait a little while for the oil-filled radiator to start producing heat (after all that's one of the main differences between electric heaters and oil-filled radiators), but I was pleased to notice that I could feel the room warming up after just 10 minutes.
Measuring the ambient temperature in the room, it rose from 16.8 to 17.8°C in those first ten minutes in the highest power mode, up to 20.2°C after 30 minutes and a very cosy 22.2°C after an hour. The heat seemed to be evenly distributed around the room, too.
When I turned it off, it continued to radiate heat for the best part of an hour too. Free heat!
I also used it in my open plan kitchen diner, which is around 22m2, to see how it would perform in a larger space. It took a bit longer to feel the effects, but I clocked the ambient room temperature had risen by a degree in about 20 minutes, and I was able to feel the warmth from the radiator while I was about 5m away on the other side of the room. After an hour, the ambient temperature had risen by 2.5°C.
Moving the radiator from room to room was really easy. I found the wheels moved well on both hard floors and carpet, although I did find it easier to pull it over the rug in my living room, using the recessed handle above the controls, rather that pushing it.
While moving it around the same level in my home was a doddle, moving it up and downstairs is a bit more of a task. Weighing 10 kilos, and being quite sizable in dimension, it's doable, but it's not easy. If you have any mobility or dexterity concerns, I would suggest waiting for assistance before attempting to manoeuvre this up the stairs.
I did find that the handle and controls were warm to the touch once the radiator had been on for a while, but it was still possible to move it around. But to be on the safe side, I'd wait until it was fully cooled before trying to move it around.
In terms of controls, they are pretty basic. You have one dial that goes from 0 to 3. This is to select your heat output, from 1000W in position one, to 2500W in position 3, and position 0 turns it off.
A second dial, which sadly does not show any numerical measurement, is the adjustable thermostat. Turn it clockwise to raise the temperature and anti-clockwise to reduce it. While that's simple enough, I do wish there was a little more specificity so I could select an actual target temperature. However, adjusting the heat output and thermostat based on your comfort levels, it's easy enough to ensure a comfortable level of heat. There's no remote control included so you will need to do this via the onboard control panel.
While the general operation of the oil-filled radiator is straightforward, the same can't be said for the timer, which to me seems overly complex and old fashioned. It's comprised of two dials which represents a 24 hour clock, with 96 tiny plastic segments which each represents a 15 minute time window. These segments are so tiny, it's very difficult to set with any accuracy. Those with vision or dexterity issues may experience an added layer of difficulty with the timer. But if you're happy with being able to programme the radiator to turn on or off at more of a rough time, then the timer is worth using. If you are looking for a more rigid timescale, I'd be tempted to turn it on and off manually instead.
When it's off and cooled down, it's easy to push closer to the wall so it's out of the way. I like that there is an onboard cable tidy to protect the cable and avoid a trip hazard when it's not in use.
How much does it cost to run?
The running costs of this oil-filled radiator will depend on which setting you use and how long you use it for, but based on the October 2026 energy price cap figure of 2.32p/kWh of electricity, you can expect this heater to cost between 26 and 66p per hour to run.
Using the timer can help ensure it's not used longer than necessary
Cleaning and maintenance
One thing I love about oil-filled radiators is that they need very little maintenance, and this Vonhaus model is no exception.
To ensure your oil-filled radiator lasts, and works most efficiently, you'll need to give it a regular dust and try to avoid any dings or dents. The oil inside doesn't get used up, so it won't need refilling, but when it's not in use, it's wise to store it upright so the oil remains settled.
As with any appliance, you should check the cable is always in good condition too.
Who should buy this electric heater?
The Vonhaus 2500W 11 fin oil-filled radiator with timer will be ideal if you are looking for an affordable, high-powered radiator to complement your existing heating system.
However, if the timer is an important feature for you, then a digital oil-filled radiator like the Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kW Digital Oil Filled Radiator with Remote Control or the app controlled Duux Edge will be easier to use. They both have Eco mode too, which sadly the Vonhaus doesn't. But as a consequence, both have higher price points than the more affordable Vonhaus model.
Want to heat a smaller space? The 2500W of the Vonhaus oil-filled radiator will be too powerful, and you'll be spending more to run in that you need to. Instead Vonhaus' 800W oil-filled radiator may be much more suitable. On the other hand, if you want to heat a large open plan space, the De'Longhi Dragon 4 can tackle spaces up to 50m2.