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10 best space heaters in 2026

Most people should get the Vornado VH200 Whole Room Vortex Heater. On a budget, get the Lasko 754200 Ceramic Space Heater. For bedrooms, get the De'Longhi Oil-Filled Radiator Heater.

Updated November 202610 models comparedHow we picked

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Our pick

Vornado VH200 Whole Room Vortex Heater

Budget

Even, quiet, whole-room heat with good safety features, from Wirecutter's longtime top pick.

Check price on Amazon Read the review
Best budget

Lasko 754200 Ceramic Space Heater

BudgetCheck price on Amazon
Best for bedrooms

De'Longhi Oil-Filled Radiator Heater

Mid-rangeCheck price on Amazon

The shortlist

All 10 picks at a glance. Tap a name to jump to its review.

  1. 1Vornado VH200 Whole Room Vortex HeaterBest overallFan-forced, Most roomsBudgetCheck price
  2. 2Lasko FH500 All Season Tower Heater and FanBest heater and fanCeramic + fan, Year-round useMid-rangeCheck price
  3. 3Lasko 754200 Ceramic Space HeaterBest budgetCeramic, Small rooms, budgetBudgetCheck price
  4. 4De'Longhi Oil-Filled Radiator HeaterBest for bedroomsOil-filled, Bedrooms, quietMid-rangeCheck price
  5. 5Dreo Solaris H3 Slim Space HeaterBest slim heaterCeramic, Tight spacesMid-rangeCheck price
  6. 6Dreo Atom 316 Space HeaterBest personal heaterCeramic, Desks, personal heatBudgetCheck price
  7. 7Vornado AVH10 Vortex Heater with Auto Climate ControlBest with thermostatFan-forced, Set-and-forgetMid-rangeCheck price
  8. 8Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968Best for large roomsInfrared + fan, Large rooms, basementsMid-rangeCheck price
  9. 9Lasko CD08200 Bathroom Space HeaterBest for bathroomsCeramic, BathroomsBudgetCheck price
  10. 10Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1Best splurgeFan-forced, Heat, cool and purifyPremiumCheck price

How to choose

The questions that narrow it down fastest.

Fan, oil-filled or infrared?

Fan-forced and ceramic heaters warm a room quickly but make some noise. Oil-filled radiators are silent and steady but slow to warm up. Infrared heaters warm people and objects in front of them, good for spot heating or bigger spaces.

Size

Plug-in heaters top out at 1,500 watts, which comfortably supplements a room of about 150 square feet. For a large, drafty room, choose a heater that circulates air well, or use two on separate circuits.

Safety features

Look for automatic tip-over and overheat shutoff, a cool-touch exterior and a UL or ETL safety listing. Plug heaters directly into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, and keep them 3 feet from bedding, curtains and furniture.

What it costs to run

On high, a 1,500-watt heater uses 1.5 kWh every hour. Multiply that by your electricity rate to see the hourly cost; a thermostat or eco mode cuts it by cycling off when the room is warm.

The reviews

Ranked from our overall favorite down.

Vornado VH200 Whole Room Vortex Heater

Best overallBudget

The VH200 has been Wirecutter's top space heater for years, and Tom's Guide rates it highly too. Instead of blasting hot air at you like a hair dryer, Vornado's fan circulates warm air around the whole room, so it heats more evenly. It's quiet, the outside stays cool to the touch, it has tip-over and overheat shutoff, and Vornado backs it with a 5-year warranty. The controls are simple dials, with no remote or timer.

  • Fan-forced
  • Tip-over shutoff
  • 5-year warranty

What we like

  • Even, whole-room heat
  • Quiet, cool-touch exterior
  • Tip-over and overheat protection
  • 5-year warranty

Watch out for

  • No remote, timer or digital thermostat
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Lasko FH500 All Season Tower Heater and Fan

Best heater and fanMid-range

Tom's Guide's top space heater is a ceramic heater and tower fan in one, so it earns its floor space all year. It oscillates, has an eco mode with a digital thermostat, a remote and a timer of up to 8 hours. Tom's Guide found the controls a little confusing, but once set it's easy to live with.

  • Ceramic + fan
  • Remote
  • 8-hour timer

What we like

  • Heats in winter, cools in summer
  • Remote, timer and thermostat
  • Oscillates to spread heat

Watch out for

  • Controls take some getting used to
  • Tall tower takes floor space
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Lasko 754200 Ceramic Space Heater

Best budgetBudget

Wirecutter's longtime budget pick is a small, simple ceramic heater that warms a bedroom or office quickly. It has basic controls, overheat protection and a cool-touch exterior, and it's light enough to carry from room to room. It's louder and less even than the Vornado, but costs less.

  • Ceramic
  • Compact
  • Overheat protection

What we like

  • Inexpensive
  • Small and light
  • Heats a small room fast

Watch out for

  • Less even heat than the Vornado
  • Basic controls
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De'Longhi Oil-Filled Radiator Heater

Best for bedroomsMid-range

Oil-filled radiators don't blow air, so they're silent, which makes them the classic choice for bedrooms and nurseries. They take longer to warm up but hold heat and give a steady, gentle warmth, and De'Longhi's radiators have been a Wirecutter pick for years. They're heavy, but have wheels.

  • Oil-filled radiant
  • Silent
  • Wheels

What we like

  • Completely silent
  • Steady, gentle heat
  • Stays warm after it cycles off

Watch out for

  • Slow to warm a room
  • Heavy
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Dreo Solaris H3 Slim Space Heater

Best slim heaterMid-range

Bob Vila's testers named this slim ceramic heater the best electric heater of 2026. It's narrow enough to tuck beside a desk or couch, heats quickly, and in their tests it dried out the air less than the other heaters they ran for three hours.

  • Ceramic
  • Slim tower

What we like

  • Slim design fits tight spaces
  • Heats quickly
  • Dried the air less in Bob Vila's tests

Watch out for

  • Ceramic fan noise, unlike an oil-filled radiator
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Dreo Atom 316 Space Heater

Best personal heaterBudget

A compact heater that Bob Vila named its best value in 2026. It's small enough for a desk or under-desk spot and puts out a lot of heat for its size. Best for warming you, not a whole room.

  • Ceramic
  • Compact

What we like

  • Compact
  • Strong output for its size
  • Inexpensive

Watch out for

  • Not for large rooms
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Vornado AVH10 Vortex Heater with Auto Climate Control

Best with thermostatMid-range

The AVH10 is the VH200's step-up sibling: the same even, whole-room circulation plus a digital thermostat that holds the temperature you set, and it was Wirecutter's runner-up. Get it if you want a set-and-forget heater instead of adjusting dials.

  • Fan-forced
  • Digital thermostat

What we like

  • Holds a set temperature automatically
  • Even, whole-room heat
  • Quiet

Watch out for

  • Costs more than the VH200
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Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968

Best for large roomsMid-range

Bob Vila named the DR-968 its best energy-efficient heater overall. It combines infrared heating with a fan, rolls on casters and has a remote, thermostat and timer. It suits bigger rooms and basements better than small ceramic heaters. Like every plug-in electric heater, it can't produce more than 1,500 watts of heat; it just spreads it well.

  • Infrared + fan
  • Remote
  • Casters

What we like

  • Good for larger rooms
  • Remote, thermostat and timer
  • Casters for moving it around

Watch out for

  • Bulky wooden cabinet
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Lasko CD08200 Bathroom Space Heater

Best for bathroomsBudget

Bathrooms need a heater designed for them. This small Lasko has a safety plug (ALCI) that cuts power if it detects a fault, a cool-touch body and a compact footprint, and it has been Wirecutter's bathroom pick. Still keep it away from water.

  • Ceramic
  • ALCI safety plug

What we like

  • Built for bathroom use with a safety plug
  • Compact
  • Inexpensive

Watch out for

  • Small heater for small rooms only
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Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1

Best splurgePremium

Dyson's bladeless HP1 heats in winter, cools in summer and purifies the air year-round with a HEPA and carbon filter, with app control. Tom's Guide likes it but notes the high price, the space it takes and a replacement filter about once a year. Only worth it if you want a purifier anyway.

  • Fan-forced
  • HEPA filter
  • App

What we like

  • Heater, fan and air purifier in one
  • App control
  • Bladeless, easy to clean

Watch out for

  • Very expensive
  • Yearly filter replacements
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Compare the specs

Specs come from manufacturers and independent test data.

HeaterPrice tierTypeBest for
Vornado VH200 Whole Room Vortex HeaterBudgetFan-forcedMost rooms
Lasko FH500 All Season Tower Heater and FanMid-rangeCeramic + fanYear-round use
Lasko 754200 Ceramic Space HeaterBudgetCeramicSmall rooms, budget
De'Longhi Oil-Filled Radiator HeaterMid-rangeOil-filledBedrooms, quiet
Dreo Solaris H3 Slim Space HeaterMid-rangeCeramicTight spaces
Dreo Atom 316 Space HeaterBudgetCeramicDesks, personal heat
Vornado AVH10 Vortex Heater with Auto Climate ControlMid-rangeFan-forcedSet-and-forget
Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968Mid-rangeInfrared + fanLarge rooms, basements
Lasko CD08200 Bathroom Space HeaterBudgetCeramicBathrooms
Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1PremiumFan-forcedHeat, cool and purify

Questions people ask

What is the best space heater?

The Vornado VH200 for most rooms: it heats evenly and quietly and has good safety features. For bedrooms, an oil-filled radiator like De'Longhi's is silent.

Are some space heaters more energy efficient?

Not really. Every plug-in electric resistance heater converts nearly all of its electricity into heat. You save money by heating one room instead of the whole house, and by using a thermostat or eco mode so the heater cycles off.

How much does a space heater cost to run?

A 1,500-watt heater on high uses 1.5 kWh per hour. Multiply by your electricity rate (on your bill, in cents per kWh) to get the hourly cost.

Is it safe to leave a space heater on overnight?

Choose a heater with tip-over and overheat shutoff, plug it directly into the wall, keep it 3 feet from bedding and furniture, and have working smoke alarms. Oil-filled radiators are a common bedroom choice because they have no exposed hot elements or fan.

Can I use a space heater in a bathroom?

Only one designed for it, like the Lasko CD08200 with its built-in safety plug, and keep it away from water.

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