Best Space Heater for Large Room
Get the Vornado Vortex heater if the far side of your room stays cold, or the Lasko DUO Comfort tower if you want a thermostat and a timer in a big open room. Plug-in electric heaters all turn their power into heat, so what separates them is how far the heat travels and how often the heater runs. Spread and a thermostat are the two things to buy on. The list below matches each pick to what you can see in your room.
What's a Good Space Heater That Doesn't Use a Lot of Electricity
A good low-electricity space heater has a thermostat, because electric heaters with one switch off when they reach a set temperature. That is where the saving comes from. A 1500 W heater uses 1.5 kWh for every hour at full output, and most space heaters are 1500 W.
Plug whichever you buy directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip. Keep it 3 feet from furniture and bedding. Switch it off before you sleep.
Pick the line that matches your room:
- The warmth stays near the heater and the far side of the room stays cold: get the Vornado Vortex heater, the pick for large rooms.
- Your room is open-plan and you want to set a temperature and a timer: get the Lasko DUO Comfort tower, which is ETL listed and lists 300 square feet of coverage with an adjustable thermostat and an 8-hour timer.
- Your walls and windows are well insulated and you want a panel heater: get the De'Longhi mica panel heater, which raised a 180 square foot test room 6°F in an hour at maximum heat.
What Is the Most Effective Heater for a Large Room
The most effective heater for a large room is the Vornado Vortex heater, named the pick for large rooms.
Radiant heaters warm what they face and heat a room slowly, so they suit one seat, not the whole space. Oil-filled units release heat that disperses slowly and steadily, and radiator-type heaters give even warmth in limited areas. Skip the De'Longhi Dragon for a big room: the maker's page gives no usable room size. If you are not heating a large room, see the best space heater instead.
What Is the Most Energy Efficient Heater for a Large Room
No electric heater type is more efficient than another at turning electricity into heat, so the most efficient electric heater for a large room, or for any home, is the one that holds your temperature and shuts itself off.
Missouri's Department of Natural Resources says all electric resistance heaters are 100% efficient at the point of use, because no heat is lost through ducts or combustion. NewAir's own blog claims oil-filled heaters can help lower energy use, with no test data behind it. Set side by side, the two mean any difference comes from heat distribution and run time.
If you want the efficient choice, get the Lasko DUO Comfort tower, which has the thermostat above.
Best Space Heater for Large Room with Thermostat
Get the De'Longhi mica panel heater if your room is well insulated: its adjustable thermostat holds the temperature you set, so you stop switching the heater on and off by hand.
Set the dial to the temperature you want and leave it there. The heater cycles off once the room reaches that point. If your heater has an economy mode, turn it on: it adjusts between heat levels based on the setpoint.
Questions
What is the most effective space heater for a large room?
The most effective heater for a large room is the Vornado Vortex heater, which is named the pick for large rooms. Radiant heaters warm what they face and heat a room slowly, so they suit one seat, not the whole space. Oil-filled units release heat that disperses slowly and steadily. The De'Longhi Dragon is a poor fit for a big room because the maker gives no usable room size.
What is the most energy efficient heater for a large room?
No electric heater type is more efficient than another at turning electricity into heat, so the most efficient choice is the one that holds your temperature and shuts itself off. Missouri's Department of Natural Resources says all electric resistance heaters are 100% efficient at the point of use. Any difference comes from heat distribution and run time, so the Lasko DUO Comfort tower, with its thermostat, is the efficient pick.
What is a good space heater that doesn't use a lot of electricity?
A good low-electricity space heater has a thermostat, because electric heaters with one switch off when they reach a set temperature. That is where the saving comes from. A 1500 W heater uses 1.5 kWh for every hour at full output, and most space heaters are 1500 W. The Lasko DUO Comfort tower offers an adjustable thermostat and an 8-hour timer.
Which space heater with a thermostat is best for a large room?
The De'Longhi mica panel heater is the pick if your large room is well insulated. Its adjustable thermostat holds the temperature you set, so you stop switching the heater on and off by hand. Set the dial to the temperature you want and leave it there, and the heater cycles off once the room reaches that point. An economy mode adjusts between heat levels based on the setpoint.
How should I plug in and place a space heater safely?
Plug a space heater directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip. This follows the Consumer Product Safety Commission's warning on space heaters. Keep the heater 3 feet from furniture and bedding, and switch it off before you sleep. These steps apply to whichever model you buy, including the Vornado, Lasko, or De'Longhi picks on this page.
Which space heater suits an open-plan room where I want to set a temperature and timer?
The Lasko DUO Comfort tower suits an open-plan room where you want to set a temperature and a timer. It is ETL listed and lists 300 square feet of coverage, with an adjustable thermostat and an 8-hour timer. If the warmth stays near the heater and the far side of your room stays cold, the Vornado Vortex heater is the better choice.