5 Great Portable Electric Space Heaters

Wha wha what?!?! Are you freaking mad?!

"using only 1500 watts"

Do you have ANY idea how much electricity that is? Delete this ridiculous post NOW! I am flabbergasted at your ignorance! I can heat my entire room using only 200 watts... and that is to a comfortable 21C!... for the WHOLE room!

Space heaters are garbage that have no business being produced. Wasteful crap.

civil sure went out the door on this one...

I have a desktop computer which I replaced with a laptop a while back (I needed the portability). The desktop computer consumes over 200 watts while my laptop sips only 20 watts.

All those extra watts get wasted into heat, so winter time is a great time to use that inefficient computer (it actually heats up our room during the summer so I never use it when it's hot anymore).

something interesting to consider:
If you had a completely sealed room which was at a cold 45 degrees.

You have 1.5kwh of energy to heat the room, I don't think any electric heater can be considered "efficient" to the point where it will heat up a room any better than the others. One might heat up the room QUICKER, but if that's the case it will stop producing heat sooner than those that heat up the room slower.

At the end of the day, I think that weather you heat a room with 15 incandescent 100watt bulbs vs one 1500 space heater, you're really getting the same amount of heat. If you want to be nitpicky then yea, just make sure none of the light escapes outside your house because the light photons carry a tiny bit of heat.

The only heater I'd consider efficient is the radiant heater because it heats up surfaces instead of the air.

The statement about "using only 1500 watts" refers to the *max* power the heater will use, given a large difference between the ambient temperature and the preferred temperature setting. Once the room temperature is up, the heater will use as much energy as any other method of heating.

I suspect it is a fair statement to say that heating an entire house with space heaters is not as efficient as a gas furnace (or electric heat pump). But, if you truly want to minimize your footprint (and most likely cost), then heating individual rooms is much more efficient than heating the entire house.

I'd be interested to see how a gas fireplace compares to electric space heaters in terms of heat per BTU/Watt spent and their equivalent costs.

Electrically heating a normally insulated room with an average number of windows and an 8ft ceiling will require approximately 10 watts per square foot of floor space if you intend to heat the entire space (that is, not directional-radiant heating).

Watts convert to BTUs at 3.4121 BTU per watt.

So, a 1500 watt heater is 5118 BTU.

As a point of interest, average stovetop burners are around 8000-10,000 BTU/hr, although of course fancy models can go much higher (eg: 44,000+ BTU/hr).

Wool socks, thermal underwear, a warm hat, - with those things - you can be comfortable with out using a heater. If it gets too cold, get off your butt and do a few pushups or situps - that will warm you up. Also, the bit about sleeping blankets is ridiculous... All people need is enough blankets over them, and their 98.9 degree body will stay plenty warm while they sleep.

You can't heat your room with 200 Watts unless your room is 2 cubic meters! You're a dork.

I'm speechless. Eco-heating at 1500 watts?!?

There is a reason why California's Title-24 energy code forbids the use of electric space heaters.

"We have already established time and again that using an electric space heater in one room is much more efficient that heating an entire home efficiently with a gas furnace"

Link?

In the total electricity cycle, heating by electricity means you take an efficiency loss at the power plant by converting fuel to electricity and unusable heat to ultimately provide heat. With gas, you are converting fuel to heat at an ultimately higher efficiency than fuel >> electricity >> heat.

Would you like to share with the class exactly how you heat your WHOLE room with only 200 watts??

Yup, I was about as shocked as SirEdrick. Not a single heat pump (they sell portable ones these days too you know) was on this list. You should be ashamed.

"using only 1500 watts"
"using only 200 watts"

Watts = Joules per second. (Joules measure energy, so do calories as seen on food lables. 1 kcal = 4184J.)

Watts measure how fast you're using energy, not how much you use in total. In one second, the first heater uses 1500J, the second uses 200J. So, in 7.5 seconds the second uses 1500J.

If your room *loses* heat at 200W (i.e. 200 joules of heat energy escapes through windows etc) then your 200W heater will run continually. The 1500W heater will run for 1 second in every 7.5 seconds. The same amount of electricity is used either way.
(Obviously the more powerful heater will actually run for a couple of minutes, then cut out for 15 minutes.)

If the room is really draughty and loses energy at, say, 2000W, then both heaters will run continually and obviously you'll use more energy with the larger one -- and be warmer.

(I made up the figures for a room losing energy, but they must be in the correct area since these kind of heaters do get the room up to a temperature.)

"We have already established time and again that using an electric space heater in one room is much more efficient that heating an entire home efficiently with a gas furnace."

Where, exactly, have "we" established that? The link embedded in that sentence says no such thing.

I'd be interested in any empirical information demonstrating that this heat-only-one-room approach is workable for significant numbers of people and/or that they actually save money doing it.

I live in Japan, which means that I have access to quite a few electronic gadgets that people in America don't. There is no such thing as central heating in this country. Ok, perhaps there is, but no one I have ever talked to has ever visited a house that had it, so that to me is as good as it not existing.

Most people have heater/air conditioner units that also have dehumidifier functions and air purifier functions built into them. They are wall mounted, with exhaust units set outside. If you have a small enough room (my room is small) and you keep it sealed off from the rest of the house, then you can easily heat/cool it using little to no energy.

For anyone interested, this is the maker of my air conditoner/heater. The numbers with a symbol after them refer to the size of a room, counted by Japanese tatami mats. Mine is a 6. Knock yourself looking at the stats.

http://panasonic.jp/aircon/

I currently use the space heater to heat the bathroom. It is a a 2kW fan assisted unit, it gets the temp up to comfortable levels in 15 minutes. I use this option maybe a couple during weekdays so it adds up to only about 2 kW*h a week. That is a big save if the alternative would be to turn on the central (oil) heating system.
And other important rooms in the house are currently heated by air-air heat pump and a wood burning stowe. Heat pump helps to postpone the inevitable start-up of central heating by at least 6 weeks and we can turn it off at least a month early. This saves a ton of oil (literally, maybe even 1,5 tons). Compared to a slight increase of electricity consumtion it is viable both economically and environmentally.
Space heaters can help You "zone" your heating - so you only heat what you use. I dont mind if the stairwell or the corridor is colder...
But if enegry consumption is the issue, (air source) heat pumps are the best way to go, since they get about two thirds of the heating energy from renewable source (outside air). They are not portable though... And initial cost is a bit higher than mentioned in this article. But in a colder climate a $500 unit would pay for itself in a year.

"Wool socks, thermal underwear, a warm hat, - with those things - you can be comfortable with out using a heater. If it gets too cold, get off your butt and do a few pushups or situps"

In michigan, we have people who get their gas turned off and they die of exposure during the winter!!!
we've had many cases of the elderly and poor being found dead, bunddled up in blankets and sleeping bags during the winter months.

people in the environmental movment need to realize that not everybody lives in california or florida. and that we have to consider the basic needs of everybody including people who live in northern states.
I'm all for saving the environment, but your not going to sway people in minnesota to help the environment by telling them they need to turn their heat off in the winter. this type of statement does not take into consideration the needs of these people and will surely turn people against the movement.

Electric heaters can be useful if they allow you to keep the whole house cooler and just temporarily heat a smaller area to a higher temperature.

This post, on the other hand, just regurgitates the marketing nonsense from the boxes of the heaters.

The truth: radiant heaters best embody the advantages of electric heaters, because they allow you to direct the heat more narrowly and directly provide it to people. Mica panel heaters work partly by radiation and have some of this type of advantage. Oil-filled heaters negate the advantages of electric heaters because they are slow to heat. Yes, they retain heat longer, but you might have left the room or the house by that time.

I definitely made great use of my electric heaters last winter, but am in need of a new one! I'm glad to see a post with 5 heaters that can do the job and still tread lightly! Thanks for the post!

I have a 1500 watt space heater. I have an old house that is 2 story. I hang a blanket up in the hallway, so my heater only heats the downstairs area. I don't even need to use gas heat so far. I'm hoping I'll be saving money by doing this. The heater seems to be heating all of the downstairs and the temp gets up to around 68 or 69 degrees. It's about 25 outside. When it's warmer, I use a different setting, 600 or 900 watts.

Does anyone know of a chart that shows the difference between heating a room with various kinds of furnaces vs. heating with various kinds of space heaters. I'd like to know where the break-even point is.

I live in southern California, so I don't have to use much heat, but I do use the furnace sometimes and use space heaters other times. Most information I've seen is based on heating a whole house in a fairly cold climate.

I wish there were a chart that showed the costs for various options and the break even points. Anyone know of one?

OK folks here is the truth. First I work with a research company so I tend to know what I talk about when I post things and base my posts on research and facts.
My home is well insulated and heated with natural gas. My utility bill (gas and electric) averaged $400.00 per month during the winter at 70 F.
Tired of being ripped off, I put an oil filled radiator heater in master bedroom, a Holmes digital forced air space heater in the great room, and of course the kitchen heats itself as does my office room due to the electronic items. I shut off the other rooms and vents.
The bathroom has a heat lamp in the ceiling so no problem to get it warm quick. I also keep the master bath door closed which keeps the heat in when the furnace runs.
I cut the thermostat back to 60 F.
In the rooms I have heated with space heaters the temp is set to 74 F and the space heaters are off as much as they are on.
My utility bill now averages $180.00 per month and I don't have to walk around in an overcoat.
A study was done by a major utility company ( it was witheld but I saw the results) which PROVED that window AC's and individual room heaters were a lot more efficient and reduced total utilitiy bills by up to 60%. The study was done in two identical 3,000 Ft Sq. houses in the same city.
Individual room heating and cooling using electricity is far more efficent than whole house.
So there is the truth, the facts, do with them as you please.
Stay warm.

OK folks here is the truth. First I work with a research company so I tend to know what I talk about when I post things and base my posts on research and facts.
My home is well insulated and heated with natural gas. My utility bill (gas and electric) averaged $400.00 per month during the winter at 70 F.
Tired of being ripped off, I put an oil filled radiator heater in master bedroom, a Holmes digital forced air space heater in the great room, and of course the kitchen heats itself as does my office room due to the electronic items. I shut off the other rooms and vents.
The bathroom has a heat lamp in the ceiling so no problem to get it warm quick. I also keep the master bath door closed which keeps the heat in when the furnace runs.
I cut the thermostat back to 60 F.
In the rooms I have heated with space heaters the temp is set to 74 F and the space heaters are off as much as they are on.
My utility bill now averages $180.00 per month and I don't have to walk around in an overcoat.
A study was done by a major utility company ( it was witheld but I saw the results) which PROVED that window AC's and individual room heaters were a lot more efficient and reduced total utilitiy bills by up to 60%. The study was done in two identical 3,000 Ft Sq. houses in the same city.
Individual room heating and cooling using electricity is far more efficent than whole house.
So there is the truth, the facts, do with them as you please.
Stay warm.

If you live in Texas please I beg you DO NOT Subscribe To "FIRST CHOICE POWER" or "GREEN MOUNTAIN ENERGY"
Both of these company's are a total rip off and I am filing a complaint for both myself and my mother because we have these companies.

Here's the deal in a detailed breakdown based on a 2 bedroom apt:
#1 How do you EXPLAIN your Summer rate from .15KWH bills being LOWER when you run your Central heat, cook most of the day, have 3 tv's running and most of all electric appliances running daily with a desktop and lap top computer on too. Compared to the Winter rate being .14KWH with all but 3 appliances plugged in which are a tv, laptop and a space heater. And only plugging in a toaster oven in to warm your food for a max of 15min because you don't use your stove anymore to cook. And seeing your bill go to a ridiculous amount.

#2 I have called to inquire why the bill was so high with a lower KWH usage and a reduced use with electric consumption to the electric companies. I even had a meter re-read done on both of our services. And they told me that the re-read was going to be the final result and I would have to trust what the Oncor guy said and pay the bill or get turned off. Totally unfair in my opinion.

#3 I have spoken to an energy conservation representative and he advised me that my methods to save were correct and should have reduced my bill. The use of the electric space heaters have an automatic shut off and I only use them on average 6-8hrs max. When they are not in use I unplug them too.

#4 Just as a comparison I have seen my bill in the Summer at the highest extreme use become a bill of $270 to a bill going from $80 with the use of electric heater in one room and freezing in the other parts of the house still using the 1 heater and watching my bill reach $172 and now $254.00!!!

Come on please someone tell me if I am losing my mind here? I am starving myself by eating frozen dinners and letting them thaw 1st before I pop them in my toaster oven for the 15min max time. I am confined to my bedroom freezing and using only 3 outlets for electric. Daily I am using the natural sunlight and I only use my lamp after 7pm if I just have to have some form of light and it is only on for maybe 2 to 5min at a time or hour at the most.

Where am I going wrong here? Could it be possible that indeed the Oncor reps are reading our meters wrong? Or could it be that my small electric heater with an automatic shut off is really burning that much energy...especially when I hardly have it plugged in and it is the only source plugged into the socket?

I need answers please... Because I think this is so unfair and not right.

Any comments are welcomed as well as referrals to any good electric companies.

Thanks!

Green heating with 1500 watts ?
Try running copper pipes through the flloors and using a hot water heater and a radiator
Use clean burning NAT Gas for the water heater type

My name is Tracy Myers of Santa Rosa, CA. Like I just wanted to say that I totally love my CZ Infrared 1500 plastic heater. It’s the bomb, yo. Check it, I was like so cold before…even though I like totally live in Cali…I was still like freezing all the time. You try keepin’ up with the styles in the mags and still stay warm. It’s like so a challenge, ya know? So like, I was cruising the net blog scene and scoped all the awesome reviews this CZ Infrared heater was rockin’, and I like said to myself, I need one of those for my pad. So I like ordered one & it came totally quick, yo….and they were so understanding at that Earth-something company….totally cool. They were like totally patient and answered all my questions, yo. So totally the bomb that after I received my heater and needed help understanding how to use it, cuz like who really has time to like read that user-manual thingy, they were so totally down to help me understand every setting and the do’s & don’ts of using my heater, yo. The heater like totally hooked up my pad with this even, comfortable heat that allows me to chill in my threads with no worries, for real. I like totally promoted to all my peeps who like sportin’ the mad trends and wanna stay toasty and chill in their own pads. So like totally check the mad skills this heater has at keepin’ a girl comfy, yo.

Yeah this seems a bit overzealous in terms of power usage.

This message is in response to Tracy Myers post. While it appears that you were impressed with the customer service of the CZ Infrared company, there isn’t any real information provided beyond your empty, slang-ridden opinions of the heater. I have heard good things and thought you could provide me with more than your review has. What has the state of our educational system come to if the best review you can muster comes across as some muddled rap video.

This message is in response to Tracy Myers post. While it appears that you were impressed with the customer service of the CZ Infrared company, there isn’t any real information provided beyond your empty, slang-ridden opinions of the heater. I have heard good things and thought you could provide me with more than your review has. What has the state of our educational system come to if the best review you can muster comes across as some muddled rap video.

Santa could wear shorts year-round if one could harness the hot air from all the hippies on this site. A real tree hugger wouldn't even own a computer with which to view this site. Go ahead, reply that I am wrong and your efforts are justified while another shovel of coal gets thrown to the boiler.

Ok, your electric bill will NOT go down by adding and additional electrical applieanc. BUT, on a national average of $0.10 per watt x 1500 watts for 24 hours is 36 kw/hr times 30 days is 1080 kw/hrs or $108.00 per month. If you are currently paying $250.00 to $450.00 per month for gas or oil to heat your house it is still quite a savings!!!! CZ Infrared is offering a season end SALE at www.czinfraredheaters.com.

I agree with Beverly. For my money the CZ Infrared heater I bought has still saved me money in my overall fuel bill and more than paid for itsself. I have never had any problems with if of anykind.

I do all the usual to keep warm, like extra layers, warm drinks, more blankets, etc, but still have my heater set up to 62 degreese. The CZ Infrared heater has saved me
long dollars.

Good Morning, my name is Garrison Roberts. My wife and I just bought our first home 5 months ago…moving’ up and finally realizing the American Dream. So shortly thereafter we found that it could be very costly during the impending winter to pay the higher propane costs that heating a 1800 sq ft home is…we needed a better solution. So we looked around and found some friends using 2 CZ Infrared 1500P heaters to supplement their home heat. It seemed to do an excellent job in the main areas of their home. So I took the leap of faith and invested in 3 units...they do not disappoint whatsoever. We run our thermostat at a constant 55 F and supplement up to 75 degrees F in our living room, one in our kitchen/dining area, and one in our finished basement that is converted into an office/study. The units perform perfectly and we set them to delay start about 45 minutes prior to coming home for an even, comfortable heat. I run our 3 units for about 12 hours per day for the cost of $1.58 per day or less than $50.00 per month in electrical cost per unit. It has saved us hundreds in potential propane costs this heating season already. I am so glad that I took the leap of faith and decided to choose Infrared heat to keep my new home comfy and warm. Thank you, CZ Infrared.

Come on guys, how good are those "CZ Infrared" heaters - really?

Sirerdrick, exactly 'HOW' do you heat an entire room for only 200 watts? You rant, but deliver no alternative solutions