Best Space heaters 2026: 16 Compared (19 Sources)

What are the best space heaters in 2026?

Summary

We read twelve review pages from eight outlets that test space heaters, and no heater is the top pick of more than one of them. Vornado's vortex heaters come closest to a consensus: Wirecutter ranks the VH200 first and the AVH10 second, TechGearLab ranks the AVH10 first in its lab test, Reviewed names the AVH10 its best fan heater, Good Housekeeping's top pick is the Vornado MVH, a model Wirecutter calls almost identical to the VH200, and Consumer Reports lists the VH200 and MVH among its quietest heaters that rate very good or excellent for both room and spot heating [src1, src11, src9, src10, src8]. Tom's Guide's top pick is the Lasko FH500, CNN Underscored's the Dreo Solaris 718, and Reviewed's overall pick the De'Longhi HMP1500 [src3, src5, src9].

The AVH10 is our top pick because it has the widest independent support. TechGearLab measured it raising the average room temperature by 6.3°F, more than any other heater in its lineup; Wirecutter found it made the room hotter and warmed it faster than the VH200, though less evenly; and CNN Underscored, whose previous best pick it was, still calls it a great all-around option [src11, src1, src5]. Wirecutter prefers the VH200 for its even heat and its price — it says the AVH10 usually costs $30 to $50 more — so the VH200 is our value pick [src1]. The FH500 holds Tom's Guide's top spot and Wirecutter's praise as a tower, but no other outlet we read ranks it first, so it is our tower pick [src3, src1, src5].

Safety results separate heaters that look alike on paper. Consumer Reports leaves out any heater that fails its hot-surface test [src2]. TechGearLab draped a sheet over each heater: the AVH10 shut itself off in 0.17 minutes at 120°F, while the Dr. Infrared DR-968 ran for 11 minutes and its grille melted and warped [src11]. CNN Underscored measured the Lasko FH500's grille at 212°F after an hour on high and the Lasko CD12950's at up to 220°F [src5]. The Lasko 754200, our budget pick, has no tip-over switch at all, which is why Tom's Guide leaves it off its list [src1, src3].

Top 16 Models Compared

Best for Each Use Case

Best Overall: Vornado AVH10 — Check price

TechGearLab ranks the AVH10 first of the ten heaters it tested: it raised the average room temperature by 6.3°F, more than any other heater in the lineup, and led the consistent-warmth score because its large fan pushes air more than 5 feet out [src11]. It was also the best performer in TechGearLab's overheat test, shutting itself off in 0.17 minutes under a sheet at 120°F, the coolest reading of the ten [src11]. Its weak spot is close-up, direct heat, and TechGearLab warns against it in drafty spaces [src11]. Wirecutter, which ranks it second only to the VH200, found it made the room hotter and warmed it faster than the VH200 but spread the heat less evenly; it has a digital display, a cord-wrapping post, a shut-off countdown and a five-year warranty, and Wirecutter says the slightly revamped AVH10 Vornado released in 2025 tested as well or better [src1]. Reviewed names it its best fan heater, measured 44 decibels at 4 feet, and found its plastic housing stays cool to the touch [src9]. CNN Underscored, whose previous best pick it was, measured an average rise of 5.6°F and an exterior of 119°F, and misses a remote and a timer [src5]. Availability, stated plainly: when we checked on 2026-10-06, the Amazon listing behind our link (the 2024 model) had no offer and Vornado's own store showed the AVH10 as unavailable; Amazon's listing for the newer model, titled "Vornado AVH10 (2026)", showed it in stock, sold by Amazon, the same day [src17, src18]. That is a note on where to buy it, not a change to the ranking.

Best Value: Vornado VH200 — Check price

The VH200 has been Wirecutter's top pick since 2018: Wirecutter says it has surpassed nearly every heater it tested in speed and overall effectiveness, with heat that builds evenly across the room — about a 6-degree difference between its sensors 3 and 6 feet away, one of the most consistent results it measured — and it is quieter than most ceramic heaters, simple to use with three buttons, and covered by a five-year warranty [src1]. Wirecutter prefers it to the AVH10 for that evenness and because the AVH10 usually costs $30 to $50 more, which is why it is our value pick [src1]. Consumer Reports lists it among its six quietest high performers, with an excellent spot-heating score, but it fails CR's hot-surface test — it can get hot enough to burn at the highest setting — and CR found its controls a bit tricky; CR adds that its price is right [src8]. Tom's Guide calls it good value for money and quiet, though its Dreo 714 review faults the VH200 for not oscillating and prefers the Dreo at the same price [src3, src6]. Good Housekeeping's top pick is the Vornado MVH, which Wirecutter calls almost identical to the VH200 but says tends to stop working altogether once its overheat switch trips [src10, src1]. Vornado's own store showed both VH200 colors as unavailable when we checked on 2026-10-06 [src16].

Best Budget: Lasko 754200 — Check price

Wirecutter has recommended the 754200 since 2013: it blasts concentrated heat at you almost as soon as it is switched on, performed nearly as well as the VH200 in Wirecutter's tests without the same room-filling warmth, is simple to use with two dials, weighs about 3 pounds and tends to last [src1]. Reviewed names it its best-value heater — compact, light and relatively powerful, though its heat is highly directional — and Good Housekeeping its best compact heater [src9, src10]. The trade-off is safety: it has overheat protection and ETL certification but no tip-over switch, and Wirecutter measured it about 7 dBA louder than the VH200 [src1]. Tom's Guide leaves it off its list because it does not shut off automatically when tipped [src3]. Lasko's store listed it at $39.99, available, when we checked on 2026-10-06, as a 1,500W/900W ceramic heater with a fan-only mode and an 11-setting thermostat [src14]. Lasko also sells the 754201, a 9-inch ceramic heater with a tip-over switch [src15]. We do not recommend the 754201 instead: no outlet we read recommends it, and TechGearLab, testing a Lasko "Portable Ceramic with Tip-over Switch" (the Amazon listing it links is the 754201), saw that heater take 3.2 minutes to shut off under a sheet, reach 260°F and have its front grille melt away from the body [src11].

Best Tower Heater: Lasko FH500 — Check price

The FH500 is Tom's Guide's top pick for most people, with five stars in its review: in a 15 x 10 foot test room at its highest setting it surpassed every other heater Tom's Guide tested and raised the temperature evenly, and testers felt warmer within 12 seconds [src3]. It oscillates, has an eco thermostat mode, an 8-hour timer and a remote that stores on the back, and its top half works as a tower fan in summer; Tom's Guide found the controls a bit confusing, and the permanent filter needs vacuuming every two weeks [src3]. Wirecutter, which recommended it for many years, still calls it the best and largest tower heater it has tested, though it is not keen on tower heaters in general [src1]. CNN Underscored calls it a great option for large rooms but measured its grille at 212°F after 60 minutes on high; Tom's Guide, by contrast, found no surface on it that presents a burn hazard [src5, src3]. Availability, stated plainly: Amazon showed no in-stock new offer for it in our three most recent daily checks, the last on 2026-10-05; Lasko's own store listed the white FH500 at $99.99, available, when we checked on 2026-10-06 [src13].

Best Wall-Mounted: Dreo WH517S — Check price

Tom's Guide and CNN Underscored both make the WH517S their wall-mounted pick [src3, src5]. Tom's Guide was impressed by how rapidly it circulated heat in a 150-square-foot hallway that can drop below 45°F, measured 44.9 decibels, and liked its louvers and its control by panel, remote, app, Alexa or Google Assistant [src3]. CNN Underscored mounted it in 7 to 10 minutes and stayed warm through a week of cold nights in a 234-square-foot bedroom, though, mounted high on the wall, it took an hour to raise the temperature 9°F; its vent is adjusted by hand, with no automatic oscillation [src5]. Wirecutter suggests it for a semi-permanent bathroom heater because it has an ALCI plug [src1]. It is wall-mounted only, so it cannot move from room to room [src3].

Best for Small Rooms: Dreo Whole Room Heater 714 — Check price

Tom's Guide picks the 714 for its safety features — a child lock, tip-over and overheat shutoff, and a flame-retardant housing — and gave it an Editor's Choice award, finding it works best in small to mid-size rooms because its airflow is strong but concentrated [src3, src6]. It oscillates 90° horizontally and 60° vertically at the same time and doubles as a fan; Tom's Guide measured it near 50 decibels against Dreo's 34-decibel claim, and found the remote slow to respond [src6]. CNN Underscored saw it raise a small room about 5°F in 30 minutes and up to 9°F in an hour, and says it would have topped its list if not for its price [src5]. Wirecutter found it heated much like its oscillating Dreo pick, though less evenly [src1].

Best Heater and Air Purifier: Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 — Check price

The HP1 is Tom's Guide's pick when one machine must heat, cool and purify: its oscillating bladeless fan spreads the heat, it warmed a small living room in five minutes in Tom's Guide's test, and its app sets heat, fan speed, schedules and an air-quality target [src3]. Consumer Reports counts it among its top-scoring space heaters, with an excellent room-heating score, though it is also among the noisiest models CR tested [src8]. The costs: Tom's Guide says it is five times the price of its top pick, needs a $79.99 filter every year or so, has an app that often loses connection, and takes up a lot of space [src3].

Best Panel Heater: De'Longhi HMP1500 — Check price

The HMP1500 is Reviewed's best space heater overall, for high performance in both spot and room heating and a design that rolls on wheels or mounts on a wall [src9]. Wirecutter makes it its space-saving pick: about 2¼ inches thin, with two knobs (high or low power, and a 1-to-6 dial), no fan and so almost no noise, and never more than a one-degree difference across its temperature monitors; but the middle of the panel reached about 300°F after an hour on high, so Wirecutter suggests wall-mounting it around children and pets [src1]. Bob Vila measured a 5°F rise in 20 minutes in a 200-square-foot space and also warns that the front panel gets hot [src4].

Fast-Heating Tower Alternative: Dreo Solaris 718 — Check price

The Solaris 718 is CNN Underscored's top pick: in a 13 x 18 foot room it raised the area in front of it by 21°F in 15 minutes without oscillation, took the room to 95°F in 15 minutes and 101°F in an hour on its highest setting, and peaked at 41 decibels; its weakness was uneven spread, with the far side of the room slow to catch up [src5]. It beeps and shuts off 20 seconds after being knocked over [src5]. Wirecutter, testing the Solaris 718, saw surprisingly uneven heating and left it out of its picks [src1].

Even Oscillating Heat: Dreo Solaris Slim H3 — Check price

The Solaris Slim H3 is Wirecutter's pick for oscillating heat: it performed nearly as well as the VH200, and with less than 1 degree of difference between monitors 3 and 6 feet away, its 70° sweep spread heat about as evenly as a Vornado [src1]. It runs at 900W on low rather than the usual 750W, has an eco mode, and its tip-over switch waits for a 45° tilt and then a 20-second countdown [src1]. CNN Underscored saw it reach 98°F within an hour on high at 47 decibels, and found it worked better on the floor than on a desk [src5]. Dreo's store listed it at $74.99, available, when we checked on 2026-10-06 [src19].

Best Tabletop: Lasko CD12950 Ellipse — Check price

The CD12950 is CNN Underscored's budget pick and Good Housekeeping's best tabletop heater [src5, src10]. CNN found it hit its target temperature within 15 minutes and raised its test area 10°F within an hour on high, slightly more quietly than the Dreo Atom One; it has a child lock and a timer, and it shut off within three seconds each time CNN knocked it over — but its grille reached up to 220°F, it can topple, and the remote must point straight at it [src5]. Good Housekeeping cites 120° oscillation, a 12-hour timer, under 40 decibels and a cool-touch housing [src10]. Wirecutter called the Lasko Ellipse heaters it tested, this one included, perfectly mediocre [src1].

Small Tower Alternative: Lasko Ellipse CT18950 — Check price

Tom's Guide's review calls the CT18950 a top choice among small tower heaters: it warmed a 200-square-foot bedroom from 60.6°F to 67°F in an hour, held a room of just under 500 square feet at 66°F, sweeps a 120° arc, and measured about 48 decibels against Lasko's advertised 40 [src7]. CNN Underscored calls it a fine budget-friendly tower with a child lock and a 12-hour timer, but its grille became very hot after an hour [src5]. Wirecutter found it mediocre [src1].

Desk and Small-Room Heater: Morento AT-SH26 — Check price

This is Tom's Guide's budget pick, and the Morento its review tested is the AT-SH26 [src3, src12]. It took a 100-square-foot office from just under 67°F to 71°F in about 30 minutes and warmed a 200-square-foot bedroom more modestly, and Tom's Guide expects it to max out at about 300 square feet [src12]. It has tip-over and overheat protection, 70° oscillation and a remote; Tom's Guide measured 57 decibels on high and thinks its 24-hour automatic shut-off is far too long [src12]. No other outlet we read reviews it.

Oil-Filled Radiator: De'Longhi TRD40615T — Check price

Wirecutter's oil-filled pick is the TRD40615E, which De'Longhi told Wirecutter in early 2026 would likely stay out of stock for the rest of that heating season; Wirecutter says the TRD40615T, with analog controls, is otherwise identical and performs just as well [src1]. In Wirecutter's tests of the TRD40615E, the 25-pound radiator was silent, took half an hour or more before it gave off noticeable warmth, kept a room between 80°F and 90°F for four hours without using electricity, and its exterior reached 180°F after four hours [src1].

Infrared for Basements, With Caution: Dr. Infrared DR-968 — Check price

The DR-968 is Bob Vila's best overall heater for basements: Bob Vila found it quiet, with a 39-decibel fan, easy to control with a 50-85°F thermostat, a 12-hour timer and a remote, and warm but not hot on the outside; it weighs 24 pounds [src4]. TechGearLab ranks it fourth of ten and calls it a great choice for consistent, direct heat, but in its overheat test it ran for 11 minutes under a sheet before shutting off, its grille melted and warped at 245°F, and it had the lowest sound score in the lineup [src11].

Infrared with Humidifier, With Caution: Dr. Infrared DR-998 — Check price

Tom's Guide points readers who want an infrared heater to the DR-998 rather than the Heat Storm Phoenix it tested [src3]. CNN Underscored liked its large controls, rotating outlets, built-in cool-mist humidifier and rolling casters, but its 3.5°F temperature differential was on the low end of its test pool, and it weighs 26 pounds [src5].

Key Market Trends (2026)

• Vortex circulation still wins whole-room tests: Vornado models are Wirecutter's top two picks, TechGearLab's best overall and Good Housekeeping's best overall, and four of the six heaters on Consumer Reports' quietest high-performer list are Vornados [src1, src11, src10, src8].
• Oscillation in two directions: the Dreo Whole Room Heater 714 sweeps 90° horizontally and 60° vertically at once, and Wirecutter found the 70° sweep of the Dreo Solaris Slim H3 about as even as a Vornado [src6, src1].
• Heaters that do more than heat: Tom's Guide's list includes a tower fan-heater (the Lasko FH500), a heater-fan-purifier (the Dyson HP1) and the Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat; CNN Underscored found the TurboBlade's heater too small to warm a medium-sized room quickly [src3, src5].
• Smart, wall-mounted heaters: the Dreo WH517S is controlled by app, Alexa or Google Assistant, and two outlets make it their wall-mounted pick [src3, src5].
• Safety tests now separate look-alike heaters: Consumer Reports leaves out heaters that fail its hot-surface test, TechGearLab drapes a sheet over each heater and times the shut-off, and CNN Underscored measures grille temperatures [src2, src11, src5].

Important Caveats

• Prices in the comparison table are the latest Amazon prices our checks returned, except where a maker's store and a check date are named; the picks table at the top shows each product's latest availability. A dash means our last check returned no price.
• All portable electric space heaters in the U.S. are capped at 1,500 watts (5,100 BTU) on a standard 120V/15A circuit.
• Never plug a space heater into an extension cord or power strip. Tom's Guide also advises unplugging it when it is not in use, not sleeping with it on, and never leaving it running unattended [src3].
• Oil-filled radiators heat slowly but keep a room warm after they are switched off; Tom's Guide found that fan heaters such as the Dreo 714 only make a difference while running [src1, src6].
• Test conditions differ: Consumer Reports heats a 204-square-foot room for 15 minutes, Tom's Guide measures a 15 x 10 foot room after 20 minutes, and CNN Underscored a 13 x 18 foot bedroom over an hour, so temperature rises compare only within one outlet [src2, src3, src5].

Sources for this update

• Wirecutter, "The 7 Best Space Heaters of 2026" — https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-space-heaters/ (accessed 2026-10-06 through the Internet Archive's capture of 2026-08-21, because nytimes.com refused our request; Wirecutter dates the guide 2026-02-18)
• Consumer Reports, "11 Best Space Heaters of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed" — https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/space-heaters/best-space-heaters-of-the-year-a6792168873/ (accessed 2026-10-06; updated 2026-04-22)
• Tom's Guide, "Best space heaters in 2026 — expert tested and rated" — https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-space-heaters (accessed 2026-10-06; updated 2026-05-22)
• Bob Vila, "Best Space Heaters for Basements of 2026" — https://www.bobvila.com/reviews/best-space-heaters-for-basements-2026/ (accessed 2026-10-06; published 2026-01-15)
• CNN Underscored, "The best space heaters in 2026, tried and tested" — https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-space-heater (accessed 2026-10-06; updated 2026-02-11)
• Tom's Guide, "Dreo Whole Room Heater 714 review: Astonishingly good" — https://www.tomsguide.com/home/home-appliances/dreo-whole-room-heater-714-review (accessed 2026-10-06; published 2026-01-09)
• Tom's Guide, "Lasko Ellipse CT18950 Ceramic Tower Space Heater review" — https://www.tomsguide.com/home/home-appliances/i-tested-this-small-tower-heater-and-now-my-home-office-is-always-toasty (accessed 2026-10-06; published 2025-01-29)
• Consumer Reports, "6 Quietest Space Heaters From Our Tests" — https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/space-heaters/quietest-space-heaters-from-cr-s-tests-a4731602762/ (accessed 2026-10-06; updated 2025-11-05)
• Reviewed, "8 Best Space Heaters of 2026" — https://www.reviewed.com/home-outdoors/best-right-now/the-best-space-heaters (accessed 2026-10-06; updated 2025-11-11)
• Good Housekeeping, "9 Best Space Heaters of 2026, Tested & Reviewed" — https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/what-to-buy/g25440218/best-space-heaters/ (accessed 2026-10-06; updated 2026-02-26)
• TechGearLab, "The Best Space Heaters | Tested & Ranked" — https://www.techgearlab.com/topics/electronics/best-space-heater (accessed 2026-10-06; updated 2025-05-14)
• Tom's Guide, "Morento Space Heater review" (Morento AT-SH26) — https://www.tomsguide.com/home/home-appliances/morento-at-sh26-space-heater-review (accessed 2026-10-06; published 2025-01-24)
• Lasko, FH500 product page — https://lasko.com/products/lasko-1500w-electric-all-season-tower-fan-space-heater-with-timer-and-remote-fh500-white (accessed 2026-10-06)
• Lasko, 754200 product page — https://lasko.com/products/lasko-9-ceramic-space-heater-overheat-protection-2-heat-settings-thermostat (accessed 2026-10-06)
• Lasko, 754201 product page — https://lasko.com/products/lasko-9-ceramic-space-heater-2-heat-settings-tip-over-switch-thermostat (accessed 2026-10-06)
• Vornado, VH200 product page — https://vornado.com/products/vh200-parent (accessed 2026-10-06)
• Vornado, AVH10 product page — https://vornado.com/products/avh10-whole-room-heater-with-auto-climate (accessed 2026-10-06)
• Amazon.com, "Vornado AVH10 (2026)" listing — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK5XX2VQ (accessed 2026-10-06)
• Dreo, Solaris Slim H3 product page — https://www.dreo.com/products/dreo-solaris-slim-h3-space-heater (accessed 2026-10-06)