More Space Heaters I Recommend
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Vornado AVH10 for $99 and Vornado TAVH10 for $140: Vornado has an unholy variety of models that look quite similar, but have different levels of loudness and different feature sets. Some are built in America, some in China. In general, the models I’ve liked best are the ones that advertise “vortex action,” a fancy name for spinning a fan into a spiral grate oriented opposite to the action of the fan. This leads to a mostly quiet and nigh-undetectable column of warm air, directed out to the back of the room, where it scatters. The non-digital MVH is my favorite: the most silent, the most reasonably priced. Because it’s analog, the MVH can also be regulated by a temperature-controlled power outlet in order to get the most accurate version of thermostat. But the MVH is not exactly a feature-rich device. The digital AVH10 and TAVH10 are also quiet, though not quite as quiet as the MVH. They also cost more. But the AVH10 adds a fan and a digital temperature readout. The TAV10 adds to these a timer and a remote.
Dreo MC706 for $170: New this year, Dreo’s innovative 2-in-1 fan/heater won top marks in our fan guide for its auto-shift positive temperature coefficient (PTC) technology, which moves the heater’s ceramic element aside to allow full fan airflow. Its 1,700 ft/m wind speed is a rarity among tower fans, let alone tower fan/heater combos. It’s not the strongest space heater, but it is sufficient, with five settings, 120-degree oscillation, and tip-over protection. Note that though there is a remote, there are no smart features and it does not work with Dreo’s app.
Dreo Bathroom Heater for $60: Like Dreo’s smart wall-mounted model I far prefer, this ceramic heater comes with an ALCI plug for safe use near water. I prefer to keep bathroom heaters away from the floor, but I also understand that not all bathrooms have mountable wall space. This remains a possible, though not ideal alternative, with a somewhat janky thermostat.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Also Tested
Pelonis 16-Inch space heater for $65 and Pelonis 23-Inch space heater for $70: Both of these towers heated up quite quickly. Both were also enormously hot at the surface of their vents, with relatively little shielding from the visible heating elements. The 23-inch was significantly quieter than the 16-inch, however.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Morento 26-cm heater for $60 and Morento 40-cm heater for $59: Both of these Morento heaters were pretty quiet. But they also had the highest surface temperatures across their front vent of any space heaters I tested: The smaller, 26-centimeter tower measured 207 degrees Fahrenheit on its face, nearly hot enough to boil water.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Vornado VMHi600 for $190: This large cube was about as quiet as the AVH10, staying below 60 decibels, but its vent got quite hot—about 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Other Vornado models perform far better at a far lower price.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Vornado Velocity Cube 5S for $100: This cube’s outer housing stayed quite cool, and the fan functionality is welcome. But its surface vent got a little hot, and the fan was a bit on the noisy side compared to other Vornados.
Vornado Velocity 5R Whole Room Heater for $97 and Vornado VHEAT for $160 : Our top pick MVH from Vornado is one of the quietest space heaters I’ve tested. These were two of the loudest. The 5R topped 70 decibels. The vintage-looking VHEAT is quite lovely, but it’s also a bit of a noisemaker.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Lasko MyHeat Mini for $25: This little thing looked cute, as a desktop or under-table personal heater. But even with its low output at 400 watts, this thing’s vent got way too hot to want it anywhere near your laptop or papers.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Lasko 22-inch Oscillating Tower With Remote for $57: This one failed our tip-over test when we knocked it over, blasting heat endlessly into the rug until it overheated and sent a burnt-plastic smell into the air. It did restart hours later, meaning this shutoff was a safety feature. But this tower’s a bit too tall and tippable to risk repeating these events often.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Honeywell 2-Position Heater for $45: This compact, simple, analog heater was a nice enough idea, able to rest vertically or on its side. Lord, it’s loud when its fan is in operation, though.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Honeywell Compact Ceramic Tower for $43: This Honeywell performed well in terms of fast heat, and safe surface temperature. Its fan wasn’t too loud either. But the one we received had a maddening squeak each time the tower oscillated fully counterclockwise.
