10 Best Electric Garage Heater Reviews
Looking for the best electric garage heater for your needs? Our guide might be just what you need!
If you have no time to go through our post, then our top pick is Dr. Heater DR966. This electric heater for garages has enough power to tackle the largest spaces, has fan-assisted air delivery for quick heating, a thermostat for energy efficiency, and boasts one of the most heavy-duty builds among our top 10 picks.
If you aren’t convinced that this heater is the right one for you, then read on to find out what our 9 other picks have to offer! Then, we’ll also provide you with a buyer’s guide to help you choose the best electric garage heater!
Top 10 Best Electric Garage Heaters
Below, you will find our overviews of the 10 heaters we’ve picked for our electric garage heater review. To help you better understand our reviews, we’ll talk about the key things that set each garage heater apart.
Aside from features, we’ll have a good look at each heater’s disadvantages as well. When listing cons, we’ve extensively researched the feedback of past buyers. So what you’ll find below is a combo of our impressions plus a summary of hundreds of buyer reviews.
1. Dr. Heater DR966 Hardwired Garage Commercial Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
If you have a large garage, then the Dr. Heater DR966 electric heater should work wonderfully for you.
The heat output of this thing is a whopping 20,472 BTUs, which should allow the heater to easily cover 500 – 1,000 square feet spaces. DR966 is fan-assisted too, so it can deliver hot air rather quickly for a space heater.
For added flexibility, this heater also has 2 heat settings, a thermostat, and adjustable louvers to allow you to regulate the amount of produced heat and save electricity a little.
The construction in DR966 is remarkably tough. This electric heater features a thermally-protected motor with permanent lubrication. This motor is intended to operate for a long time with little to no maintenance. DR966 also employs steel heating elements with low sheath temperatures to provide uniform heat.
Dr. Heater’s DR966 heater is versatile in installation as well, including ceiling and wall mounting brackets out of the box. This model needs to be hardwired though, so you may need to hire an electrician for setup.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
2. Mr. Heater Vent-Free Garage Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
If you are looking to go even bigger than what Dr. Heater’s electric heater allows you, then consider this vent-free garage heater from Mr. Heater. With a thermal output of 30,000 BTUs, this thing should be a good suit for 750 – 1,500 square feet garages.
The Mr. Heater model also has a thermostat for auto heat control and increased efficiency, which is nice if you are resource-conscious.
What we also like very much about this heater is that it has a very compact footprint. It’s wide but narrow, so when placed against a wall, it won’t occupy too much space. We dislike the flimsy plastic feet included with the heater, but they still do their job pretty nicely.
For further space-efficiency, this heater comes with hardware for wall mounting. This hardware is tougher than the plastic feet, so wall-mounting should be the more secure way to go with this model.
As a vent-free heater, the Mr. Heater unit also requires no vent setup, which will reduce installation costs and allow you to get started quicker.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
3. Heat Storm Tradesman Infrared Garage Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
If you want something inexpensive, then consider this infrared garage heater from Heat Storm. Not only is it cheap, but it also operates on infrared heat!
Infrared heat is like the heat from the sun – it transfers heat to objects and people directly without heating the air. In traditional electric garage heaters, heat is first transferred to the surrounding air and only then to objects that are in contact with that air.
Since the air is out of the equation, infrared heaters provide heat nearly instantly, so you won’t have to wait for your garage to get warm. On the other hand, the heat goes away as quickly as it comes, so infrared technology is a double-edged sword.
Also, since this heater doesn’t warm air, you have to be in its line of sight to get warm. Because this unit is designed to be wall-mounted out of the box too, this limits placement options. With that, we recommend that you go for the Tripod + Heater option because you’ll at least be able to move the heater around.
By the way, we don’t really like the product description of this heater because it implies that this thing can heat the air in up to 200 square feet areas. It cannot do that since it’s an infrared heater, so please don’t get confused.
What Heat Storm probably means instead is that this heater can provide direct heat at up to 200 square feet.
Heating aside, what we like about this heater is that it plugs into a standard 110V household outlet, so no hardwiring or special outlets are necessary. This thing is made IPX4 weatherproof as well, so it’s safe for garage use.
All in all, the Heat Storm electric heater is a very interesting option if you want quick heating for not too much money. Just keep in mind that it needs to be faced towards your workspace to provide heat.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
4. Mr. Heater MH40NG 40,000BTU Infrared Garage Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
Mr. Heater’s MH40NG garage heater is also an infrared heater, but it’s far more powerful than the Heat Storm electric garage heater. With its 40,000BTU heat output, this thing is advertised to heat up to 1,000 square feet spaces with 12-15 feet ceilings!
However, since this is an infrared heater, again note that it won’t heat air directly. It will only provide effective heating to objects at up to 1,000 square feet.
For added heat efficiency, this unit has a thermostat as well. But given its high BTU output, it will be rather costly to operate anyway.
Also note that Mr. Heater MH40NG is a very expensive unit. Although if you do need its heat output, then its cost will probably be worth it for you.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
5. Mr. Heater 30,000BTU Infrared Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
This infrared heater from Mr. Heater is a more space- and cost-effective alternative to the 40,000BTU MH40NG heater we’ve just reviewed. It’s still rather pricey, but for its heat output, it’s priced very attractively.
The footprint of this heater is small as well – only 11.25 inches deep, it won’t occupy much room in the garage if floor mounted. It may also be mounted to the wall for added space savings.
As an infrared heater, this model has the benefits of our previous infrared heater picks – most importantly, it provides near-instant heat. But also remember that it needs to be carefully placed for effective heating.
In terms of heat capacity, this model produces up to 40,000 BTUs and can provide warmth at up to 750 square feet. For added convenience and energy efficiency, the Mr. Heater unit has variable heat output along with a thermostat. Thanks to the vent-free design, this garage heater is rather easy to set up as well.
All in all, this model provides plenty of heat for not too much money. It therefore offers great value for the money and is a good buy if you want something relatively pocket-friendly.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
6. Mr. Heater MH9BX Buddy Radiant Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
The Mr. Heater MH9BX Buddy heater is a very inexpensive radiant heater, so it’s a great choice if you have a small space to heat.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of this heater is that it’s very compact and space-saving – perfect for very small garages. It’s portable as well, so you can easily take it wherever you need heat.
Intended for floor placement, MH9BX Buddy also has tip-over protection – that is, it shuts off if tipped. This is a great safety feature for garage use.
However, with only 4,000-9,000 BTUs, this thing probably won’t be able to deliver heat across your entire garage, but since it’s portable, you can take it to the area of your garage that you are currently working in. Mr. Heater also advertises that this thing can deliver radiant heat at up to 225 square feet, which is pretty small.
As a radiant heater (the same as infrared), this heater has the familiar features of infrared heating – near-instant heating that requires a direct line of sight. This model is nice at delivering instant heat, but since it doesn’t have a thermostat, it doesn’t offer the same control over temperature as more sophisticated heaters.
Overall, the MH9BX Buddy is a nice pocket-friendly option for garage use. It will require frequent moving to deliver heat where you need it, but if your budget is really tight, then this isn’t a huge downside, in our opinion.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
7. Dimplex DGWH4031G Space Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
If you want a quality 240V electric garage heater, then this model from Dimplex is a good option. It boasts a high-quality corrosion-resistant steel construction and outputs a good amount of heat. The delivered 13,640 BTUs should be enough for up to about 600 – 650 square feet spaces too.
As a traditional non-infrared space heater, this unit will heat the air in your garage, allowing for more uniform heating. Heat delivery here is fan-forced as well, so you should be getting hot air quicker. But, of course, you won’t be able to enjoy instant heating as with infrared heaters.
The Dimplex electric garage heater is intended to be mounted to the wall or ceiling, and notably, it can swivel right and left to deliver directional heat. For safety, this garage heater also has an auto-shutoff that activates if the unit’s airflow gets restricted.
The main downside of this heater is that it’s pretty loud, so you should keep it away from your workplace if possible. It’s also rather power-hungry, but thanks to the thermostat, energy efficiency shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
8. Dr. Infrared Heater DR-988A Garage Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
The DR-988A is a portable, freestanding infrared heater from Dr. Infrared Heater. If you want portability from an infrared electric heater, then this thing might be the best choice for you.
DR-988A delivers plenty of heat for not too much money – about 19,100 BTUs per hour. With that, it should be able to provide heat in up t0 600 square feet garages. However, since it’s an infrared heater, remember that it will only provide directional heat.
Heating in this electric heater is assisted with a fan as well. The fan is a little noisy though (45 dB), and its benefit is questionable since infrared heaters deliver quick heat anyway.
Rated at 5,600 watts at max heat settings, this infrared heater is rather power-hungry. It does have a thermostat, however, allowing you to adjust the amount of output heat and electricity usage.
Designed for floor use, this electric garage heater features tip-over protection. Besides, DR-988A has an overheating shutoff along with finger-safe intakes. It’s a pretty safe model all in all and is a perfect exemplar of a good freestanding garage electric heater.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
9. NewAir G56 Garage Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
The NewAir G56 garage heater is a solid alternative to Dr. Heater’s DR966 heater we reviewed at the very beginning. More precisely, if you want a floor heater with DR966’s performance, then G56 should work for your needs.
In terms of heat output and overall performance, G56 is pretty close to DR966. NewAir advertises that this heater is good for up to 800 square feet areas, and it features an integrated fan for quicker heating. For added energy efficiency, G56 boasts a thermostat as well.
As a floor-mounted heater, G56 is also easy to carry around and thus is excellent if you need portable heat.
The build in G56 is very nice as well. Thanks to its powder-coated steel body, this unit should be rust-resistant and be able to take quite a beating. Not only that, but G56 should be more durable than the Dr. Infrared DR-988A heater – a comparable option, infrared heat aside.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
10. Comfort Zone 25,600BTU Garage Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
Finally, we have this 25,600BTU garage heater from Comfort Zone. Thanks to its insane heat output, this heater should be able to easily heat up to 1,200 square feet garages. As with many other models on this top, hot air is blown into the garage via a fan, so this heater should be able to deliver heat quickly too.
Needless to say, this electric heater consumes a lot of power – up to 7,500 watts, to be exact. It has a thermostat for auto heat intensity adjustment, but the Comfort Zone heater will still cost a lot to run.
The Comfort Zone garage heater boasts a tough build as well – thanks to the heavy-duty steel body, it’s an excellent choice for heavy use.
Some people may also like the fact that this heater is intended to be ceiling-mounted. It’s thus space-efficient and doesn’t take up any precious wall or floor space. However, before spending money on this model, make sure that your ceiling will indeed support an electric heater.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
Buyer’s Guide – What To Look For In An Electric Heater For Garage Use
Now, let’s have a look at the key features to look for when shopping for the best electric garage heater. Our buyer’s guide should help you better understand our reviews, as well as will help you with picking the right heater for your needs.
Why Buy An Electric Garage Heater?
Wondering why you should buy an electric garage heater? Electric heaters have many benefits over their gas or propane counterparts! Most importantly, these include:
Electric heaters have some downsides as well:
- They require electricity and unlike gas/propane heaters cannot be used in areas where electric power is unavailable.
- The costs of running an electric heater are higher because gas and propane are typically cheaper than electricity.
Despite these downsides, electric heaters are optimal for garage use because air quality is crucial in such a small space. Although your garage should have good ventilation, you should also do everything you can to ensure that your tools & devices don’t significantly deteriorate air quality. One way to do this is to use an electric heater.
Final Words
Hopefully, our top of the best electric garage heaters was able to help you!
One final tip – perhaps the most common mistake that buyers make (based on our research) is neglecting the required electricity. Many people have bought an electric heater only to realize that they don’t have the proper electric system to run it. Don’t make this mistake.
Of course, apart from electricity requirements, you should pay attention to other specs as well. BTUs, wattage, coverage, safety features – everything is important. Be sure that you understand what you want and pick an electric heater accordingly.
