5 Best Space Heaters For Apartments
Filed under: hvac
Introduction
Living in colder climates requires some heating solutions, especially during winter. However, it's also reasonable to consider efficiency as it will make a big difference in the long run. Luckily, some of the best space heaters for apartments are there for you on the market and there is a ton of them to help you heat up your rooms.
When it comes to heating a small apartment or small house rooms, space heaters are the best you can have. In fact, you don't need to do it just for the sake of heating an apartment room. Space heaters are real energy-consumption reducers. For this reason, they can also be used when you dwell in only one room and you don't want to turn on the central heating system or use bigger heaters.
Buyer's guide
In order to help you choose the best product for your room, we have compiled a short list of the best space heaters for apartments. Furthermore, there are also some useful tips to take into consideration when going for space heaters.
1. Types of Space Heaters
First of all, there are tons of different technologies that manufacturers use. It's up to the customers to choose what type of space heater they'd like to purchase for their home. Whether it's oil-filled, radiant, convection, micathermic or another type, all portable space heaters are usually 1,500 watts and are powered by electricity. Here is information about some of the most common types of space heaters.
2. Radiant Space Heaters
Radiant space heaters are the ideal heaters for those who are in need of instant heating in a very short period of time. They can quickly heat a room but as soon as you turn the device off, it's cold yet again. For this reason, it's better to stay right near the heating unit. Unlike convection heaters, radiant heaters do not dry out the air but they tend to be more expensive.
3. Convection Space Heaters
Simply put, convection space heaters deliver convection currents across, usually a heating coil or a ceramic plate. They work by heating the air. For this reason, some convectors have a fan to facilitate the circulation of hot air in the room. The downside is that fans tend to make things pretty noisy in some cases. In addition, drying out the air in a room can lead to some skin issues.
4. Oil-filled Space Heaters
Also known as radiators, oil-filled space heaters are not so mobile, but they provide long-lasting and effective heating, especially for smaller rooms. The oil in the heater maintains its temperature for quite a long time as the electric current heats it up when necessary.
5. General words of advice
Regardless of your choice, most space heaters perform well and can heat a room in a matter of minutes. However, you should be aware that those types of units are designed to serve only for a short time and only in small spaces. Other than that, you should take into consideration other factors, like insulation, outside temperature and etc. Ultimately, space heaters can raise the temperature by a few degrees and are not suitable for a permanent substitute for central heating systems.
6. How to Choose the Best Space Heater for Your Apartment
As previously mentioned, space heaters come in a variety of shapes and designs. Most of them are compact, lightweight and pretty similar in features to each other. However, they still have quite a few differences which have to be considered carefully before buying.
7. Safety features
Obviously, there is virtually no space heater without any safety features. What's more, most of them have at least 2 safety-proof extras. Actually, this is probably the most important concern when looking for a good space heater. This is because a lot of fire outbreaks in apartments are caused by space heaters and even more by neglected use. Therefore, tip-over sensors and overheat cut-off features are a good starting point.
8. Type of heater
First and foremost, the type of heater would have to fit your personal needs. Basically, if you need the space heater to heat up the whole room, then you would want convection or oil-filled type heater. If you are looking for a more personal heating device, then you can pick a radiant one.
9. Size
Of course, the size of the room may be crucial to your space heater's performance. Usually, the room size corresponds to the size of the space heater. With this in mind, you can easily scale your options. One thing is sure – the larger the heater, the bigger the electricity bill.
10. Portability
One of the best things about space heaters is that they are designed to be moved around easily. It is a well-known fact that lightweight and compact appliances are much more preferred. What's more, if the manufacturers have thought about the shape or a handle that can make the heater easily movable, this would increase the mobility of the device even more.
11. Energy efficiency
When speaking of energy efficiency, it's good to know that no electric space heater is really that much energy-saving as some may advertise them to be. The electricity bill is reciprocal to the wattage used. However, many modern space heaters employ a self-controlled automatic thermostat that shuts off the device when the room reaches the desired temperature which is kind of a solution to saving energy.
12. Noise
Frankly, this feature can probably break or make a space heater. The main reason is that space heaters are used everywhere and at any time. To some, it'd be quite annoying to have to bear with the noisy fan of their space heater while they're trying to sleep. If you hate noise, radiant space heaters may do the job for you as they are completely silent-working.
13. Other features
Last but not least, there are also other features that are less important or are individual for each heating device. The most common features are a thermostat, timer function and adjustable heating level or fan speeds. If you are looking for convenience, some models offer remote control and even LED and LCD displays to ease you further.
Product reviews
DeLonghi TRD40615T
Features
Pros
- Energy efficient
- 24-hour on/off timer
- Adjustable thermostat and 3 heat settings
- Simple to use
- Quiet
Cons
- Customers experiencing issues with leakage and bad smell
- Somehow not so quiet as advertised
- Heats up slowly
Review
Firstly, the DeLonghi TRD40615T is really simple to use. With its analog control system, you can easily adjust the knobs manually. You don't have a remote control to go with the unit but you have a 24-hour on/off timer which definitely adds a bit convenience to the table. The model doesn't warm up so quickly, thus making the feature really useful and you can pre-heat your room. The 3 output levels further help to adjust the room temperature exactly to your needs.
As for the technical specs, the space heater provides a steady, long-lasting heat. However, due to the fact that the model is oil-filled, it heats up slowly and it takes a little time before it reaches its peak temperature. Simply said, the DeLonghi TRD40615T is an exceptional heater but starts slowly.
Finally, the manufacturers have also thought about the safety of the model. The heater has an anti-freezing safety feature as well as a “cool touch” feature which directs the heat upwards, leaving the sides cool and safe for children and pets. On top of that, there's an overheat sensor. What's more, the TRD40615T is really silent – a big advantage when it comes to space heaters.
Vornado VMH600
Features
Pros
- Durable construction
- Compact and lightweight
- Portable
- Has a timer function
- Easy to operate
Cons
- Complaints about issues with the heating coil
- Somehow short life
- Weak fan power
- Somewhat pricy
Review
To begin with, this is probably one of the best portable heaters that Vornado can offer their customers. The stainless steel construction of the VMH600 is durable and lightweight at the same time. What's more, the sleek and modern design really catches the eye – you can easily set your desired temperature on the LED screen or you can just use the remote control.
Furthermore, there's an innovative Energy Sync technology which allows you to know how much energy is used, thus adjusting the wattage to your liking. The vortex technology that the manufacturer has used for this product is also new. Actually, this may be one of the main reasons Vornado has earned its reputation as making some of the best whole-room heater products.
To finish it off, the space heater uses a unique climate control feature which automatically regulates the thermostat. For more energy efficiency, it uses the exact amount needed to maintain consistent room temperature.
Honeywell HCE200W
Features
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- Portable design
- Surprisingly powerful for its size
- Easy to use
- Temperature control feature with a thermostat
Cons
- Not so quiet
- Complains about defective units
- Fan speed and thermostat are not adjustable
Review
If you are looking for a straight-to-the-point space heater for your room, the Honeywell HCE200W UberHeat will deliver the simplicity you need. Although it is plain and simple enough not to be on this list, this product definitely delivers everything that's expected.
With its compact and lightweight construction, the HCE200W is very portable and comfortable to use. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a remote control, nor has it a touch screen. However, it has 3 safety features, a thermostat adjuster and a surprisingly powerful 1,500 Watt heater for its small size.
All in all, the heater is not a good substitute for bigger space heaters or for central heating systems but it will certainly serve you well if you decide to warm up only one room at a time.
Lasko 5309
Features
Pros
- Easy to use
- Portable and lightweight
- Widespread oscillation
- Adjustable thermostat
- Overheat protection
Cons
- Complaints about units catching fire
- Complaints about defective units
- Reports of bad plastic smell
Review
When it comes to shape and style of performance, the Lasko 5309 really distinguishes itself from the other heaters. The model is advertised as “Electronic Oscillating Tower Heater”, which is pretty self-explanatory. The widespread oscillation feature is good enough to provide even warmth to the whole room. What's more, the Lasko 5309 is really small and compact in size and you can easily fit it on the table or on the floor.
Additionally, the manufacturer delivers simple and easy-to-use controls. There are 2 quiet settings as well as 1 automatic one so you can set the electronic thermostat to your desired temperature. As expected, there are built-in safety features – cool-to-touch and auto shut-off.
Vornado TAVH10
Features
Pros
- Quiet
- Compact and lightweight
- Advanced safety features
- Energy efficient
- Integrated LCD screen with touch-sensitive control
- Has a remote control
Cons
- Somehow low heat output
- The remote has a very short range
- Some complaints about defective units
Review
Just like the VMH600, the Vornado TAVH10 shows off sleek and futuristic-looking design. This model integrates a few essential features for a small room heater – quietness, compact and lightweight construction, energy efficiency and remote control. On top of that, the LCD screen is also user-friendly and you can adjust the temperature as well as the power consumption level.
Speaking of features, the TAVH10 has 3 safety features which include cool-touch case, tip-over protection and automatic shut-off system. Other than that, Vornado doesn't disappoint with its “Vortex Action” technology to circulate the air around the room.
Conclusions
To conclude, almost all space heaters that were reviewed for you differ from each other either by the type of heating technology or some other features. Nevertheless, they are certainly top tier in their category. Since space heaters are so common and used in every home, choosing the one that's the most reliable and long-lasting is as logical as it gets. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can easily pick from the list the one you like best without any effort. Lastly, you don't have to have a central heating system to indulge yourself in warmth as a space heater will definitely do the job for you.