Best Space Heaters of 2025
We've tested more than 100 space heaters to determine how well they heat and whether they provide any safety features
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In our tests of space heaters, we’ve found several models that work well—even adding a bit of style—all for less than $100.
More than style and cost, though, safety is a determining factor in buying a great space heater. For instance, you might consider a space heater with remote control because it’s safest to keep space heaters on the floor rather than on the table, and you don’t want to have to worry about kneeling down to twist knobs and dials on the bottom of the unit. Or you might prefer to buy a space heater with a tip-over safety switch that turns the machine off when it’s knocked over.
- Best Space Heaters for: Overall Heating Quick Heating Direct Heating
- How CR Tests Space Heaters
Photo: John Walsh/Consumer Reports Photo: John Walsh/Consumer Reports
Best Space Heaters for Overall Heating
In our tests, the best smaller heaters—those designed to warm one or two people in a small space—outperformed larger models when it came to overall heating (in other words, quickly heating up a space as well as heating the people in it). Here are the space heaters that received top scores in our room-heating and spot-heating tests.
Best Space Heaters for Heating a Room Quickly
The following space heaters aced our tests for room heating, getting a top score in heating up a standard-sized room in less than 15 minutes.
Best Space Heaters for Direct Heating
These heaters scored particularly well in our test of how effectively they warm the people in the room where they’re used.
How CR Tests Space Heaters
We evaluate space heaters on how well they heat a standard-sized room in 15 minutes and how good they are at heating a person directly—our spot-heating score—in the same amount of time. “Our spot-heating test uses a mannequin wired with sensors,” says test engineer Chris Regan, who oversees our space heater ratings. “We want to know how your body will feel when you’re sitting within 4.5 feet of the appliance.”
We also test space heaters for safety, as shown above, including how hot the surface gets (so that you don’t burn your fingers) and whether the model gets so hot that it can ignite a piece of fabric (nearby curtains, for example). If you have young children or pets in your home, pay close attention to the hot-surface score in our ratings. Models that score poorly on that test aren’t included in this article.
“While a heater is supposed to provide adequate heat to warm your space—and in turn, you—you don’t want to pick a heater that could potentially burn someone who doesn’t understand that they shouldn’t touch it, even if they accidentally bump into it,” Regan says.
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