When purchasing a space heater, you may be overwhelmed by the varieties, types, designs, and manufacturing space heaters. Honestly, there are a lot of space heaters available in the market by different companies and different specifications, and everyone claims to be their product as best. Every space heater has its pros and cons, and the final score is based on many factors. So, the question arises: what is the best type of space heater and why?
There is no definitive answer to that question, and the space heater your friend says is the best may not suit you because of different working conditions. The conditions can vary based on room size, insulation quality, heating duration, budget, and many other minor parameters that all impact working quality. In this article, we will learn the best type of space heater available in the market and the one that will suit you best.
Best Types Of Space Heaters
As mentioned earlier, there is no exact answer to this question. Still, we will discuss in detail all the space heaters types, their advantages and limitations, and which would be best for you according to your environment.
Convection Heaters
When looking for space heaters, the most positive reviews you shall see would be about convection heaters. They are designed to heat large areas at the cost of time. These heaters are filled with oil that gets hot and releases heat to spread it into the room. These heaters are budget-friendly and require little to no maintenance cost. Moreover, the oil does not need to be replaced because it does not burn. It is just used to transfer heat. The fan can also be assembled to spread warm air better, and the thermostat regulates the temperature.
Ideal For
- Slow and long-term heating in the living room, basement, or well-insulated area.
- Silent working condition like office or bedroom
Not Suitable For
- An environment with pets or children
- Areas with poor insulations
Ceramic Fan-Forced Heaters
Ceramic Fan-Forced Heaters are similar to convection heaters. The only difference is that there is no oil used in the heater. Instead, a ceramic plate is used, which works similarly to oil. It heats when current passes through it and then spreads it into the environment. They are much easier to maintain and come with a fan that can also be used in summer. Temperature control is much easier in these heaters; they provide relatively fast heating than convection heaters and can be used around pets and kids. Their main disadvantage is the constant noise that they make during their work.
Ideal For
- Relatively fast heating large rooms
- Temperature-sensitive environment for better temperature control.
- Homes with pets and kids.
Not Suitable For
- Bedrooms or offices due to the noise.
- Poor insulation areas.
Radiant & Infrared Heaters
Radiant & Infrared Heaters are for you when you need instant heating without compromising safety, then Radiant & Infrared Heaters are for you. Unlike many other heaters, which work by heating the air, they directly heat the object. These heaters are ideal for budget heating because they are generally 30% more efficient than convection heaters. These heaters provide instant heating and can be used to heat a spot or one portion inside the large room. Therefore they are perfect for personalized heaters in an office environment. However, they are not the first choice for bedrooms because they emit orange light, annoying and disturbing while sleeping.
Ideal For
- Instant heating of large room environment
- Poor insulation areas
- Personalized heating of the office cabin or any other place.
Not Suitable For
- Bedrooms, especially while sleeping
- Room with a lot of furniture because they can absorb heat.
Micathermic Panel Heaters
This unique heater is a hybrid of convection heaters and radiation heaters. They use 80% convection heating and 20% direct heating to warm the environment. Micathermic Panel Heaters are generally light and wall-mounted, but some portable models are also. They are designed to have the qualities of both and the limitations of none. Like convection heaters, they are discrete and release no lights and instantaneous heaters thanks to their radiation heating technology. They use airflow to spread the heat, which means there is no dust recirculating with the air, which is better for the environment with patients and dust allergies. However, these space heaters lack safety features like cool-to-touch surfaces and are not suitable for portable uses.
Ideal For
- Fast and reliable heating
- Accurate temperature control
- Bedrooms, bathrooms, and other small areas
Not Suitable For
- Portable environment or personal use.
- Rooms with pets and kids.
- Large spaces
What Would Be Best For You?
These are generally ideal conditions and limitations of working these space heaters types, but when purchasing one for yourself. The preferences will permanently be changed. Here are the list of environments and the suitable space heaters for them
Area | Suitable Space heater |
Bedroom | Convection heater |
Bathroom | Micathermic Panel Heater |
Living room | Ceramic Fan-Forced Heaters |
Garage | Radiant & Infrared Heater |
Office Cabin | Radiant & Infrared Heater |
Basement | Ceramic Fan-Forced Heater |
Children’s room | Ceramic Fan-Forced Heaters |
Office room | Micathermic Panel Heater |
Space heaters are classified based on five different specifications. These are heating speed, efficiency, safety, control, and portability. Here is the compact chart of these qualities of space heaters:
Space Heater | Heating Speed | Efficiency | Safety | Control | Portability | Comfort |
Convection Heaters | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Ceramic Fan-Forced Heaters | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Radiant & Infrared Heaters | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Micathermic Panel Heaters | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Conclusion
There is no definitive one-word answer for the question “what is the best type of space heater?” but we have covered some important facts, ideal, and suitable working conditions in this article. The environments in which a specific space heater would not be so effective. The limitations. Based on the different parameters, we also compared the working of these space heaters. So it can be said that radiant heaters are the jack of all trades, ceramic heaters offer the best safety, convection heaters are made for comfortable heating, and micathermic panel heaters are the best in control features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which type of room heater is best?
If you are looking for comfort, you must go for convection, but infrared space heaters are safe if you do not know your preferences.
What type of space heater is most efficient?
Infrared heaters are considered the most efficient space heaters because they directly heat the objects inside the room and can be used in poor insulation areas. Generally, infrared space heaters are 30% more efficient in producing heat.
Which type of space heater is safest?
Ceramic fan-forced space heaters are considered the safest option if your house has pets or children in it. These space heaters feature tip-over protection, overheat protection, and a cool-to-touch surface, which is not common in space heaters.
Which is the better, ceramic or oil-filled heater?
Both the heaters have their specifications and qualities. Ceramic space heaters are considered safe but noisy and do not provide much comfort. On the other hand, oil-filled heaters are combined with long-term heating for discrete operation.
Leave a Reply