Electric Heaters & Portable Heaters

It depends on the room and how you use it. Panel heaters are silent and fan-free, so they suit bedrooms, nurseries and living areas you heat for hours. Column heaters give steady, even warmth to a whole room. Ceramic and fan heaters warm you up fastest, so they suit short bursts in a study or bathroom. Electric fireplaces and stoves add a flame effect for the lounge. Our buying guide compares them side by side.

A common rule of thumb is about 1kW (1000W) for every 10 square metres of floor in a room with a standard 2.4m ceiling. Allow more for high ceilings, open-plan spaces, poor insulation or big windows. Our listings agree: the Nobo 2000W Slimline Wi-Fi panel heater is listed for rooms up to 20m² and the Nobo 2000W T2-NTL4S20 for 24m². A 1000W to 1500W heater suits a small bedroom or study, and 2000W to 2400W a larger bedroom or living room.

Every plug-in electric heater turns almost all the electricity it uses into heat, so no type is much more efficient than another. What saves money is control: a thermostat that switches the element off when the room is warm, a timer so it only runs when you need it, and the right size for the room. The Noirot Spot Plus range, for example, has an electronic thermostat that checks the temperature every 30 seconds. To heat a whole house, a reverse-cycle air conditioner usually costs less to run than any portable electric heater.

Multiply the heater's power in kilowatts by your electricity rate. A 2000W heater on full power uses 2kWh an hour, so at 30c per kWh it costs about 60c an hour; a 1000W heater about 30c. Check your own tariff on your power bill. With a thermostat the element cycles on and off once the room is warm, so real costs are usually lower than full power. Our blog has 12 ways to save on heating costs this winter.

Panel heaters are slim (the Nobo panels are only 5.5cm thick), silent, and can stand on castors or feet or mount on the wall. They heat by natural convection, so they do not blow dust around. Column heaters are bulkier but move easily between rooms and give strong, even heat; ours from Dimplex come in 1.5kW and 2.4kW. Choose a panel heater for bedrooms and wall mounting, and a column heater for a portable all-rounder.

An oil-filled column heater warms oil sealed inside its fins, which holds the heat and keeps radiating for a while after it switches off, like the Dimplex 2.4kW Oil Column Heater. An oil-free column heater has no oil to warm up, so it heats faster and is lighter to carry; Dimplex says its oil-free models are 10% lighter. Several of ours add a turbo fan to spread the heat quickly.

Look for overheat protection and a tip-over switch, which turn the heater off if it gets too hot or falls over. The Pronti glass panel heater has both plus a child lock and open-window detection, and the Dimplex personal ceramic heater has overheat and tip-over protection. Use a timer rather than running a heater all night, keep it well clear of curtains, bedding and furniture, never cover it or dry clothes on it, and plug it straight into a wall socket, not a power board.

Only a heater rated for damp areas. The Nobo and Pronti glass panel heaters are IP24 rated, which means they are protected against splashing water, but rules on how close any appliance can sit to a bath or shower still apply. Keep portable heaters well away from water and ask a licensed electrician if you are unsure.

Yes. Our Dimplex electric fireplaces and stoves have a built-in heater of 1.2kW to 2kW, most with two heat settings, which suits a lounge or bedroom. The Optiflame LED flame effect also runs on its own without the heat, so you can enjoy the glow all year round. They plug into a normal power point, with no flue, gas or wood. The Bari, Casper and black Ritz stoves are designed to sit in a standard fireplace or on a hearth. Compare them all in our electric fireplaces range.

Our refurbished Nobo and Noirot panel heaters have been fully function tested by the manufacturer and are in good working order. They may have cosmetic marks, scratches or dents, or come in damaged or generic packaging, which is why they cost less than new. Each one comes with a warranty; check the product page for its length, as some Noirot models list two years.

Yes, with a Wi-Fi model. The Noirot Spot Plus 1000W, 1500W, 2000W and 2400W Wi-Fi panel heaters have a timer you set through an app, and the Nobo 2000W Slimline Wi-Fi works with the Capa Connect app as well as its remote. You can warm the bedroom before you get home and set different times for weekdays and weekends.