What Is the Most Energy Efficient Heater for a Large Room
Every electric resistance heater is 100% efficient at the point of use, so no type beats another at turning electricity into heat. What saves energy in a large room is a thermostat that shuts the heater off at your set temperature. If your room is up to 300 square feet, get the Lasko DUO Comfort. If it's closer to 200, the Dreo Solaris Slim H3 fits too.
Pick the branch that matches your room and how you want to run the heater:
- Your room is big enough that a heater has to push air across it, and you want a thermostat plus an 8-hour auto shut-off timer: get the Lasko DUO Comfort. It covers 300 square feet and runs from 900 W to 1500 W.
- Your room is around 200 square feet and you want a heater that can drop to a lower setting on its own: get the Dreo Solaris Slim H3. It drops to 900 W in ECO mode and has a 12-hour timer.
- You need the whole space heated and want push-button Auto Climate Control: get the Vornado AVH10. It's the whole-room pick.
- Your room is bigger than about 300 square feet, or you only sit in one corner of it: skip heating the whole space and warm yourself instead. Get the Dr. Infrared Heater, which will directly heat objects and people in their path. Point it at where you sit.
A thermostat is the feature to hold out for. Standalone electric heaters tend to be more energy efficient if they have thermostatic controls, because they switch off at the set temperature. A 1500 W heater uses 1.5 kWh for every hour at full output, so fewer hours at full output is the saving. If you want a full buying guide for big rooms instead of an efficiency answer, see the best space heater for large room. If you are heating a smaller space or want a general pick, see the best space heater.
Three rules apply to every branch. Plug the heater directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip. Keep it at least 3 feet from furniture, drapes and bedding. Turn it off before you sleep.
Questions
Are there more energy efficient space heaters?
No type of electric resistance heater is more efficient than another at turning electricity into heat, because every one is 100% efficient at the point of use. What does save energy is a thermostat. Standalone electric heaters tend to be more energy efficient when they have thermostatic controls, since they switch off at the set temperature. A 1500 W heater uses 1.5 kWh for every hour at full output, so fewer hours at full output is the saving.
How large of a room will a 1500 watt heater heat?
The Lasko DUO Comfort, which runs from 900 W to 1500 W, covers up to 300 square feet. That makes it the pick for a big room where a heater has to push air across the space, and it adds a thermostat and an 8-hour auto shut-off timer. For a room closer to 200 square feet, the Dreo Solaris Slim H3 fits too.
What should I do if my room is bigger than 300 square feet?
If a room is bigger than about 300 square feet, or you only sit in one corner of it, skip heating the whole space and warm yourself instead. An infrared heater such as the Dr. Infrared Heater directly heats objects and people in its path, so you point it at the spot where you sit. This avoids running a heater at full output to warm air you are not using.
What safety rules apply when using a space heater in a large room?
Three rules apply to every heater. Plug it directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip. Keep it at least 3 feet from furniture, drapes and bedding. Turn it off before you sleep. These rules hold no matter which heater you choose or how big the room is, so follow them even with a thermostat and an auto shut-off timer.