CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review products and services. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
If you like your room warm and cozy, one of the best investments you can make is in a space heater. Spring, winter, or just a rainy day with a bit of nip in the air, a space heater is the perfect solution to boost the warmth in the room. Compact heaters are a great addition to any room, letting you stay warm without firing up the central heating.
And guess what? The latest models are getting better and better with heat output and energy efficiency, so you can stay cozy without worrying about sky-high energy bills. Ready to pick up one? CNET's experts have put together the best options on the market. But don't forget to read the manual. Space heaters can pose a significant fire risk if used carelessly. Be sure to read up on the best space heater safety practices before plugging in one.
What is the best space heater overall?
A space heater is a no-brainer if you're looking to save money on your energy bill during the winter. Honeywell
Our team found the Vornado VH2 Whole Room Heater to be the best overall space heater. It's small but mighty, and provides consistent heat without making too much noise. In our testing, it performed well when it came to heating and circulating air throughout the room, and its exterior didn't overheat. Of course, we've found plenty of other great options worth exploring. Check out all of our top picks below.
Read more: Ready to Pull Out Your Space Heater? Here's How Much It'll Cost You
Best space heaters of 2025
Vornado Photo Gallery 1/1 Vornado Best overall space heater (Currently out of stock) Vornado VH2 Whole Room Heater Pros Consistent temperature
Quiet
Safe for pets and children Cons On the larger size Vornado's models topped just about every best list out there where space heaters are concerned. You can't go wrong with a variety of Vornado products, no matter your space or heat needs this season, with the VH2 being its most consistently singled-out performer. This whole-room space heater circulates heated air throughout a medium-sized room, like a furnace in miniature, maintaining a consistent temperature without a significant space requirement. It is reported to be among the quietest models available, with several users remarking that it was quiet enough to sleep with while operating. Its plastic exterior stays comparatively cool to the touch, making it among the safest bets for households with pets and children. Vornado also offers a 5-year support term, making it easy to address technical issues should any arise. ... Show more Get it now $90 at QVC Specs & Configurations Size 9.5 x 11.8 x 11.9 in. (DWH) Heat Element Forced air Additional Features Tip-over protection, 2 settings, adjustable thermostat Add to compare
Lasko Photo Gallery 1/1 Lasko Best budget space heater Lasko Ceramic Heater 754200 Pros Doesn't take up too much space
Costs less Cons Small heat range At a fraction of the space imprint of the Vornado model above, and about a third of the cost, Lasko's Ceramic Heater 754200 is an excellent starting place if you're still in a trial mind-set where a space heater is concerned. Lasko also had a preponderance of mentions for several models among review sites. Its compact size is better suited to smaller spaces such as small bedrooms or home offices, or even desktop or counter use rather than an entire room. If you live with a perpetually warm person, this may be an ideal model for creating different heat zones within the same room. Otherwise, users report that it warms up quickly and reliably -- ideal for helping you get out of bed on a chilly morning -- and its lightweight nature makes it especially easy to move around the house with you. ... Show more Get it now $45 at Walmart Specs & Configurations Size 6 x 3.7 x 9.2 in. (DWH) Heat element Ceramic Additional features Overheat protection, 3 settings including fan-only, adjustable thermostat Add to compare
Honeywell Photo Gallery 1/1 Honeywell Best space heater for bedrooms Honeywell HHF360V Pros Highest user rating
360 degree air circulation While the previous two models were the most singled out among product testing sites, this Honeywell model had one of the highest user ratings on retailers' sites. The feature here that significantly sets it apart from every other model is its 360 degrees of air circulation, relying on top and bottom vents to pull in air and circulate warm air around its circumference. Several users mentioned that its multidirectional airflow made it especially useful for bedroom use to create ambient warmth in a medium-sized space without an intense, one-directional flow. ... Show more Get it now $45 at Walmart Specs & Configurations Size 8 x 8 x 11.5 in. (DWH) Heat element Forced air Additional Features Overheat and tip-over protection, 2 settings, adjustable thermostat Add to compare
Vornado Photo Gallery 1/1 Vornado Best designed space heater Vornado VHeat Vintage Metal Heater Pros Aesthetic design
Sufficient heat in low and high settings Who says fan heaters are out of style? Good news for those with mid-century decor who can't bear the thought of an industrial appliance interrupting their curated look. Vornado's VHeat Vintage Metal Heater manages to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional, called out by basically every review site I considered. Again, Vornado's products overall tended to top the lists of best space heaters, and this model is more than just attractive, functioning accordingly, with users reporting it delivered sufficient heat to a small space on both its low and high settings. ... Show more Get it now $160 at Amazon $146 at Walmart $160 at Target Specs & Configurations Size 13.7 x 11 x 8.7 in. (DWH) Heat element Forced air Additional features Tip-over protection and safety shut off Add to compare
Dreo Photo Gallery 1/1 Dreo Best space heater for bathrooms Dreo DR-HSH004A Pros Additional safety features for bathroom
Versatile
Good price Of all the rooms in your house, none are as disappointing when overly chilly as your bathroom. Who wants to get out of a hot shower on a cold day and be greeted with the rude awakening of arctic air on wet skin? You can't put just any space heater in the bathroom, which adds additional safety considerations because of the moisture element. Among those that are specifically designed to be bathroom-safe, this Dreo model was the clear winner, not to mention Amazon's best seller in space heaters overall because of its versatility and price. The Dreo DR-HSH004A is equipped with a special safety plug that cuts the power immediately upon contact with water, and its small footprint makes it ideal for one of the smallest rooms in your house with the biggest heat needs. ... Show more Get it now $60 at Amazon Specs & Configurations Size 10.3 x 6.7 x 5.5 in. (DWH) Heat element Forced air and convection Additional features Eco mode, tip-over and overheat protection, ALCI safety plug, remote control Add to compare
Dyson Photo Gallery 1/1 Dyson Best dual heater and air purifier (Currently out of stock) Dyson HP01 Pure Hot + Cool Pros Cooling and heating for year-round use
Air purifier
Sleek design Cons Pricey While several space heaters here have a fan-only option for cooling during the warmer months, Dyson offers one of the few models that not only has both of these features but also works as a HEPA air purifier. Dyson's products typically demand a higher price, and this is no exception, but it is perhaps worth it, given its one-and-done functionality and sleek design. This dual model had the highest user satisfaction rating among retailer sites, with many people pointing out that it was especially ideal for allergy sufferers, as well as lauding its year-round utility. ... Show more Get it now $530 at Dyson Specs & Configurations Size 6 x 8.7 x 24.9 in. (DWH) Heat element Oscillating forced air Additional features Tip-over protection, HEPA air purifier, sleep timer, 10 settings Add to compare
DeLonghi Photo Gallery 1/1 DeLonghi Best space heater for large spaces DeLonghi Ceramic Tower Heater Pros High user ratings
Capable of heating a whole room Tower-style space heaters, and especially those that oscillate like this DeLonghi Ceramic Tower Heater model, are some of the best options for heating a large space like a larger bedroom or living room. Their radiant heat is capable of reaching more space both vertically and horizontally because of its size and functionality. This model also had one of the highest user ratings among retail sites, with many users mentioning how quiet it ran, and singling out the utility of the remote control and digital display, which is a less common feature among the space heaters I researched. Several also commented how this space heater felt like it was capable of heating the whole room, rather than just delivering heat to its immediate surroundings. ... Show more Get it now $51 at Amazon Specs & Configurations Size 7.5 x 8.7 x 23.6 in. (DWH) Heat element Ceramic Additional features ECO Energy Saving Mode, remote control, timer, overheat and tip-over protection Add to compare
How we evaluated space heaters Our list of space heaters was aggregated from numerous review sites for those models that were most frequently mentioned, as well as best-selling models at major retailers such as Amazon, Target and Walmart. I researched the space heaters in this list by analyzing specs and user reviews, diving deep for mentions of persistent issues, and considering the available features and functionality compared to price as a measure of each model's overall value. I focused primarily on those models that had extremely high user ratings, typically 4.5 and above with at least 1,000 ratings. While I didn't bring every model home and perform extensive hands-on testing, I was able to examine most models in person to get a feel for the design, footprint and intuitiveness of its controls. Space heaters compared
Vornado VH2 Lasko Ceramic 754200 Honeywell HHF360V Dyson HP01 DeLonghi Tower Vornado VHEAT Vintage Dreo DR-HSH004A Settings 2 3 2 10 3 2 5 Heat element Forced air Ceramic Forced air Forced air, oscillating Ceramic, oscillating Forced air Forced air, oscillating Adjustable thermostat Y Y Y N Y Y Y Tip-over protection Y N Y Y Y Y Y Overheat protection Y Y Y N Y Y Y Additional features None None None Sleep timer, HEPA Air Purifier Timer, remote control, ECO mode Adjustable head Remote control, safety plug, ECO mode Dimensions, (DxWxH, inches) 9.5 x 11.8 x 11.9 6 x 3.7x 9.2 8 x 8 x 11.5 6 x 8.7 x 24.9 7.5 x 8.7 x 23.6 13.7 x 11 x 8.7 10.3 x 6.7 x 5.5 Energy draw 750W/1,500W 900W/1,500W 1,500W Not available 1,500W 750W/1,500W 900W/1,000W/1500W Price $90 $31 $35 $530 $110 $146 $60
Space heater buying advice Space heaters come in all shapes and sizes and use different elements to heat a room. We're here to help you find the perfect fit for winter. Hector Roqueta Rivero/Getty Images Space heater price Most electric space heaters that operate solely in that function (and not as a dual air purifier) are priced below $150, with many models on this list costing less than $100. Several smaller, well-regarded budget models may even run you less than $50. The size of the unit, additional features, number of settings and heating element all contribute to the overall cost of a space heater. Space heater size There are no standard sizes or shapes for electric space heaters, and most of the space heaters I researched did not specify the square footage for coverage, other than to mention its capacity to heat a "small to medium" space or to specify room types such as a bedroom or office. Space heaters may be indicated as tabletop, floor or bathroom models and many also come as tall but narrow "tower" models, which may or may not oscillate, that have a smaller footprint and therefore a smaller horizontal space requirement. Types of space heaters While this list consists only of electric space heaters, (as opposed to water- or oil-heated models,) there are several different mechanisms that electric space heaters may utilize to create heated air. Fan-forced: Fan-forced space heaters circulate air by pulling it into the unit and passing it over a heating element, typically metal coils, expelling the heated air through exhaust vents in the unit. Infrared: Infrared bulbs are those which convert electricity into radiant heat. This is the least common type among the space heaters we included here, but no less effective. Ceramic: Ceramic space heaters utilize electricity to heat a ceramic plate within the unit, which then emits radiant heat into the air, with or without the additional use of a fan.