Space Heaters Start a Warming Trend
Cold-weather appliances that get top marks for warming just you or for heating an entire room
Leave it to Dyson to create a space heater that looks better than most—and costs a lot more, too. And unlike some of the Dyson vacuum cleaners that Consumer Reports has tested over the years, the oval Dyson AM09 space heater lives up to its star billing, earning the top spot in our space heater tests. Of course, at $450 you would hope so. We also found 15 other space heaters to recommend and most cost a fraction of that, with prices as low as $40. Here are the details.
Best at spot heating. In our tests we measure a heater’s ability to heat a room and to directly heat a person. Not all space heaters do both well, so before you shop, decide which type of heating you need. If you want to bathe only yourself in warmth, choose a heater that’s best at spot heating. The best in our tests quickly warmed someone sitting in a room within 15 minutes and include the Dyson AMO5, $400, and the larger Honeywell HZ-980, $190.
Best at room heating. In our room heating tests, we measure the ability of a heater to warm up a standard-sized room, such as a family room, in 15 minutes. Tops in this test were the Vornado TVH600, $200, and the Vornado ATH1, $130, as well as the Heat Storm Sahara, $200, and the larger Heat Storm Logan, $200.
Excellent at both. Three of the more than three dozen space heaters in our tests aced both spot and room heating including the Dyson AM09, the Heat Storm Mojave, $160, and the much cheaper DeLonghi DCH1030, $42, a CR Best Buy.
Safety concerns. Safety is another important aspect of our tests, especially considering that 25,000 house fires and 300 deaths are associated with space heaters every year. A heater that rates poorly in our tests can cause cotton to ignite while operating on its hottest setting. Our lowest-rated heater, the Sunbeam SQH310, $50, got the bottom score for fire safety. That heater also did poorly on our hot-surface tests, which means it can get hot enough on the hottest setting to cause a burn. Heaters with a score of very good or excellent stay cool enough to safely touch.
This year, we added a new group of small space heaters to our tests that use less energy and can be used under a desk or in an office. Read all about them in “Freezing at Work? Try a Personal Heater.” And for more good choices, see our full space heater Ratings and recommendations.
The Thermostat Wars
Who controls the heat in your home?
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