According to Deane Biermeier, a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board, when looking for a ceramic heater, “the most important thing to consider is the size of the space you’re trying to heat and the heating capacity of the unit.” He also adds that “Although space heaters are required to meet specific safety requirements, it’s good to make sure and look for the UL seal.” We researched and tested dozens of ceramic space heaters, taking into consideration their heating performance, safety features, noise levels, and design. Our best overall pick is the Dreo Solaris Slim H3 Space Heater, thanks to its overheat and tip-over auto-shutoff safety features, quiet operation, easy-to-use temperature controls, and great overall value. Here are the best ceramic heaters. This heater also has a 70-degree oscillation feature and a timer function, which ranges from one to twelve hours. You can take advantage of all these features via the easy-to-read, user-friendly digital display or the remote, which also has a straightforward design. In terms of safety, the heater is ETL-certified and has both overheat and tip-over protection. The plug’s blades are also specially designed to resist bending. As for its design, the heater has a rounded and compact shape, and an overall modern, clean-cut, and unobtrusive appearance. It stands just under 16 inches tall, and it is available with a gold or silver rim. There is a handle to make moving the heater easier, and though it’s a bit awkwardly designed compared to handles on other models, it’s still better than having no handle at all. Its light 4.6-pound weight also helps make it easy to carry. The heater cost less than $80 (at time of publish), and keep in mind that while the heater can serve well in small or medium spaces, it’s not ideal for warming larger spaces. Price at time of publish: $64 The heater has overheating and tip-over auto-shutoff safety features, and its exterior is designed to stay cool. Despite being compact and only measuring 5.9 x 5.9 x 9.5 inches, this heater’s design is a bit clunky and less attractive compared to other heaters in this roundup. However, it’s still easy to use: It has two large dials on the top for adjusting the temperature and heat output, and a switch on the front to turn on the oscillation feature. It also has handles for easy carrying which, when paired with its light 3.56-pound weight, make it a great portable option. Price at time of publish: $45 We wish the instructions were easier to follow and that the digital display was a bit more user-friendly. However, we did not find this to be a major downfall, especially considering all the other handy features this heater offers. It has an 8-hour timer and it comes with a remote. The unit has built-in magnetic storage for the remote as well, so you won’t have to leave the remote floating around your house. As for safety, this is an ETL-tested model with overheat protection and a tip-over auto-shutoff. When our tester gently knocked over the heater to test its tip-over safety feature, the heater turned off within about five seconds. Overall, the heater costs around $60, and our tester judged it to be “a good product for the price.” Price at time of publish: $60 This heater does a nice job of evenly distributing the heat—warmth can be felt all around the unit, not just around its front grill. We also appreciated how its heating power remained consistent while operating, as well as how the unit’s exterior didn’t get too hot and stayed cool-to-touch. The instructions could have been more clear, and our tester noted they wished the unit had a fan. On the plus side, the digital display was user-friendly and it comes with a handy remote, so you have multiple ways to control the unit. Overall, we think this heater is budget-friendly since it offers a good range of features for around $75 (at time of publish). Our tester also claims this “would be a perfect option for the camper” since they think that “it would heat the area nice and it really is cool to touch.” Price at time of publish: $64 This heater lets you choose from a low, high, or auto heat output, and it has an adjustable thermostat and multiple timer options. The heater offers great options for controlling the heat output and temperature, but since it lacks an oscillation feature and since the grill is located at the top of the heater, the heat flows upward and there are no options for adjusting the heat’s direction. Our tester also noted that “the watts per hour of use was higher than the general 1.5 threshold,” which means this heater could perform better in terms of energy efficiency. However, we were overall pleased with the amount of heat this model produced. The heater has an attractive, sleek appearance, and it also has a built-in handle that makes carrying it easy. Our tester notes the handle is in a “good location to avoid potential burns from heat on the front of the unit.” Price at time of publish: $86 We were pleased with the warmth this heater provided and how quickly it heated up the space. The exterior did start to feel warm while it was operating, but not excessively hot. On the highest setting, we did notice the heater produced a slight smell, which was unfortunate, but it wasn’t an overbearing scent. This ETL-tested heater compensates for this minor con with other handy features, such as an eco-mode for saving energy, various timer settings, and an oscillation setting with a 70-degree coverage. It also operates quietly and has a sleek, futuristic appearance, so it won’t be obtrusive wherever you place it in your home. The controls on the unit are user-friendly, and the digital display is clear and easy to read. The remote, however, is a bit awkwardly designed with small buttons, but it’s still convenient for when you want to control the heater from a distance. This heater also has a removable filter for collecting dust particles in the air. While it’s handy that this model can simultaneously heat and clean the air, it does mean it requires extra maintenance since you will have to remember to clean the dust filter. The unit also has a cool-touch handle for easy carrying and special technology that allows for quiet operation. In terms of price, this heater is a bit more expensive than other models in the roundup, costing a little under $100 at time of publish. You will be able to choose from a low or high heat setting, and the heater has a thermostat dial for calibrating the temperature of those settings. Note that while the unit isn’t super loud, it produces more noise than you’d expect from a heater of its size. It also lacks an oscillation feature, which means the heat tends to be focused and lacks a ton of reach. However, the heater does have overheat and tip-over protection, so it will automatically turn off if it starts to get too hot or is tipped over. It also has non-slip rubber feet, which can help keep it from accidentally moving, and a UL-rated power cord. Despite its small size, it can heat up an area quickly. The overall exterior stays cool-to-touch, but the front grill does get considerably warm, which is something to keep in mind when handling the heater. It also has an overheating and tip-over auto-shutoff feature, so it will turn off if it starts to get too hot or is knocked over. As for its design, this heater’s straightforward and simple appearance paired with its small frame means it will be an inconspicuous addition to any room. It has a six-foot cord, too, which should provide a good amount of reach for most rooms. All of the space heaters included in our roundup have a maximum heat output of 1500W. Most of the options let you choose from different heat outputs. For instance, our pick for the best smart ceramic space heater, the Atomi Smart Smart Wi-Fi 1500-Watt Electric Personal Portable Ceramic Oscillating Table Top Space Heater with Digital Touch Screen, allows you to choose from a mode with a 1000W heat output or a mode with a 15000W output.
Portability
If you plan on moving your space heater from room to room, or are looking for a model you can take with you to the office in the colder months, you’ll want to make sure you opt for a space heater with portability features. That means looking for a heater that’s lightweight, ideally with an easy-to-grip handle. Our pick for the best portable space heater, the GiveBest Portable Electric Heater, weighs only 3.2 pounds and has a large handle for easy carrying.
Size
Heaters can vary in size. Some may be tall and slim towers, while others may be compact enough to fit under a desk. Note the heater’s dimensions, and make sure it will fit, both physically and visually, in the space where you intend to place the heater. Keep in mind that size does not always equate to heat output. Just because a heater looks bigger and more powerful, doesn’t mean it has the best heating power. Look at size in conjunction with heat output to make sure you are purchasing the best heater for your space. Our pick for the ceramic space heater with the best design, the Honeywell HCE200W UberHeat Ceramic Personal Heater, measures 9.02 x 6.5 x 10.24 inches and has a heat output of 1500W.
Safety Features
When dealing with a product that produces heat, safety features are one of the most important things to keep in mind. You should look for space heaters with tip-over and overheating auto-shutoff features, so they will automatically turn off when they are knocked over or start to get too hot. You will also want to make sure the space heater you are looking to buy meets U.S. safety standards. The heater should be labeled as being UL- or ETL-tested, or as being tested by some other recognized lab. You should also not use your heater with an extension cord, and should instead opt to buy a heater with a cord long enough to meet your placement needs. The Honeywell ThermaWave 6 Ceramic Technology Space Heater is UL-tested and packed with handy safety features, like an overheating and tip-over auto-shutoff, an automatic 8-hour shutoff, a cool-touch exterior, and a fan to help it cool down.
Temperature Controls
Different heaters offer different types of temperature controls. A heater may have dials, buttons, or a digital display. Some may come with remote controls, while some may be smart models that let you control the heater through an app on your smartphone. Aside from the design type of the controls, it’s also important you pay attention to the range of temperatures and heating modes the heater has to offer. You want to make sure the lowest mode available isn’t too powerful and that the highest mode isn’t too low for the space you are looking to warm up. Our best overall pick, the Dreo Solaris Slim H3 Space Heater, offers three different heat output settings, and it has a digital thermostat that allows you to set the temperature anywhere between 45 and 90 degrees. Timers are another handy control feature to look for when searching for a heater, and our top pick has a 1-12 hour timer.
Energy Efficient
Space heaters tend to use a lot of electricity, and they use a lot of energy to only heat up a small portion of space. However, among different types of heaters, ceramic heaters tend to be the most energy-efficient option. If energy efficiency is one of your primary concerns, you will want to keep an eye out for ceramic heaters that have energy-saving modes. Timer features can also be a handy way to save energy, since they let you set the heater to turn off after a certain amount of time, so you won’t have to worry about accidentally leaving it running for longer than intended. The Dreo Solaris Slim H3 Space Heater has an Eco Mode for saving energy, as well as a one- to twelve-hour timer.
Noise Level
You may want to use your heater to heat up your room while you do things like watch a movie, read a book, or chat with friends, which means you want to make sure your heater doesn’t make too much noise while operating. The noise levels for heaters are measured in decibels. The Dreo Solaris Slim H3 Space Heater has a decibel rating of 37.5 dB. Keep in mind that even if a heater is quiet enough to use while sleeping, and even if it has appropriate shut-off safety features, it is not recommended you leave a space heater on while you are asleep, since it’s best to only use a heater when you can monitor it.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Sarah Toscano is a freelance writer for The Spruce, specializing in all things related to home tech and smart home gadgets. Many of these ceramic heaters in this roundup were tested in The Lab, where product testers followed a testing methodology to evaluate important attributes of each unit. Sarah carefully researched the models that were not tested by reading through various customer reviews and discussion forums and by analyzing the product’s specs. According to Biermeier, ceramic space heaters “cost around $0.20 per hour to operate,” which makes them pretty energy efficient. Biermeier adds, however, that it’s important to “keep in mind that they can only heat one room at a time and obstructions in that room can lower the heat distribution effectiveness.” In order to learn more about ceramic heaters, Sarah also consulted with Deane Biermeier, a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board who has experience with HVAC and appliance repair.
