Electric room heaters come in a variety of designs. There is much hype included in the sales literature for various models of heaters. Before we make recommendations about specific heaters or the best space heaters for specific applications, it is important to dispel some myths.

When it comes to portable room heaters, it is important to know that the power usage is limited to 1500 watts. Further, most electric heaters are very efficient at converting electric energy to heat, in fact, for comparative purposes, we can assume they are all 100% efficient. Since 1 watt will equal 3.4 BTU’s, the maximum heat output of any portable electric heater will produce is approximately 5100 BTU’s per hour. So, the $15 heater that is rated at 1500 watts will produce just as much heat as those $300 designer fireplace heaters that are featured in full-page newspaper ads.

Portable electric heaters fall into two general categories: radiant and convective. Convection heaters are characterized by the movement of air across a heated surface. Forced air convection heaters use a fan to drive the air, while natural convection heaters use the natural pattern of air movement. Examples of forced air heaters are the electric fan heaters and ceramic heaters (also with fans). Two examples of common natural convection heaters would be the oil-filled heater that looks very much like the old radiator heaters you see in many vintage homes, and panel heaters that may be wall mounted.

Radiant heaters use light energy to transfer heat from a warm heat source to a cooler object (or person). They provide warmth in a way that is similar to standing in the direct sunlight. Even though the air temperature may be the same in the sun or shade, you feel warmer in the sun due to the radiant heat transfer to your skin and clothes. Examples of radiant heaters are quartz infrared heaters, halogen heaters and parabolic heaters.

The most efficient way to determine the best space heater for your needs is to first acquire an understanding of the most common classes of space heaters and some of the terminology that is used in product literature. After becoming familiar with the types of electric room heaters, the next step is to learn where each type of heater excels and where is performs poorly.