10 Best Portable Heater Reviews for 2022
If you are shopping for a portable heater for your car, garage, or maybe workshop, then our buyer’s guide might be able to help you. Today, we want to feature 10 products that we think are the best portable heaters money can buy!
To help you get started with the shopping and better understand our picks, we’ve also prepared an in-depth buyer’s guide.
But first things first, let’s start with our portable heater reviews!
10 Best Portable Heaters Reviewed
Below, you will find our reviews of the 10 best portable heaters out there. We’ve kept our reviews concise to make things simple, but we’ll still cover the key features of each of our picks to help you understand what you have before you.
To ensure that we are truly showcasing the best of the best, we’ve identified and compared dozens of available options. When evaluating our picks, we’ve heavily based our opinion on buyer reviews to deliver a more weighted, more objective point of view. You can see the result of our hard work below!
1. Mr. Heater MH9BX Buddy Propane Radiant Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
If you want a compact portable propane heater with high heat output, then consider Mr. Heater’s MH9BX Buddy radiant heater. Powered by propane, this heater is an excellent option if you are going to need heat in an area with no access to electricity.
Of course, propane heaters produce dangerous fumes, but the Buddy heater has a low-oxygen shutoff to keep you safe. Additionally, it shuts off when tipped over or when the pilot light goes out for any reason.
As a radiant heater, MH9BX Buddy also delivers quick, focused heat in up to 225 square feet spaces. With that said, unless you are in the heater’s line of sight, you aren’t going to feel much heat. This is a downside inherent to any radiant heater.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
2. Air Choice 1,500W Space Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
If you want something really small and inexpensive, then this 1,500W portable heater from Air Choice is an excellent option to consider. Its heat output is a little weak, but if you value space efficiency more than anything else, this won’t be a problem for you.
With a wattage of 1,500W, this thing will probably heat up to 150-200 square feet spaces. This won’t be enough for whole-room heating, but if you want heat in a small space or maybe in the corner of your garage, then this heater should work just fine.
The Air Choice electric heater has a few nice safety features as well – namely, tip-over protection and overheating shutoff. In terms of temperature adjustments, this thing is also pretty solid – it has a thermostat for auto temperature control, 3 fan modes, and 3 heating levels.
As Air Choice advertises, this electric heater additionally delivers heat in just 3 seconds thanks to its ceramic heating technology.
What we don’t really like about this heater is that it doesn’t have any carrying handles. Although this heater is very easy to carry thanks to the weight of a mere 3.1 pounds, a handle would make things much nicer.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
3. Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968 Portable Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
The DR-968 portable heater from Dr. Infrared Heater boasts the benefits of infrared and PTC technology.
Thanks to infrared elements, this heater can delivery near-instant focused heat to your workspace. However, due to the nature of infrared heating, the air inside the room won’t be heated directly.
PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) comes in to deal with this drawback. Based on more traditional ceramic heating elements, the PTC tech will heat your space while ensuring safety and energy efficiency.
This electric heater also has a fan to assist with the spread of hot air. At 39 dB, the fan is a little loud though, which is this heater’s main downside.
Weighing at about 24 pounds, this is a rather hefty unit. But thanks to the integrated casters, it’s pretty easy to move around. If it had a carrying handle as well, it would have been a perfect portable heater!
For added efficiency, the DR-968 electric heater features a 12-hour programmable timer along with an adjustable thermostat. And for safety, you are getting tip-over and overheating protection.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
4. Air Choice Tower Space Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
This tower-style space heater from Air Choice is a more functional and convenient alternative to the 1,500W Air Choice heater reviewed earlier.
This portable heater has roughly the same heating performance as the previous Air Choice heater but offers more functionality. Most importantly, you are getting a fan plus an oscillation function to allow for more even heat distribution.
Additionally, this portable heater has a 12-hour timer function, which the previous Air Choice heater lacks. This heater is more convenient in carrying as well thanks to its large carrying handle.
In terms of safety, the Air Choice tower heater retains its counterpart’s features – most importantly, the tip-over shutoff and overheating protection. A rather tall heater, this unit tips easily, so the tip-over protection is a great thing to have.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
5. ISILER 1500W Portable Indoor Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
Next on our top, we have this cute little portable heater from ISILER.
Priced very pocket-friendly, this heater is great for up to about 108 square feet spaces. Although the heating capacity of this portable heater is limited, its thermostat allows you to manage its energy consumption, while the fan-assisted PTC ceramic technology delivers quick heat into the room.
Interestingly, ISILER includes a supporting stand with this heater to direct the heat upward. This isn’t what we’d consider a must-have feature in a portable heater, but it might make this model more convenient for your needs.
Weighing at a mere 2.42 pounds and boasting a large carrying handle, the ISILER heater is very easy to carry as well.
For safety, this portable heater has overheating protection that triggers when its internal temperature reaches 176 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the ISILER heater lacks a tip-over shutoff (though it is difficult to tip over), and its housing gets hot to the touch.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
6. Home Choice 2-Piece 500W Mini Space Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
If you want something really simple, then consider this 2-piece space heater set from Home Choice. This heater set is very affordable, has relatively limited functionality, but does a good job of heating small spaces.
Home Choice space heaters employ ceramic heating elements to deliver quick, efficient heat. Given that each heater is powered at 500 watts, we’d say that this set will be good for no more than 100 square feet areas. For the money, this is pretty decent.
When it comes to controls, Home Choice mini space heater only has two modes – power on and off. Unlike what the product description suggests, this unit does not have thermostat controls, so it can only go full power when heating.
Home Choice heaters have no carrying handles, but they are small and light enough for convenient carrying as-is. Their housing doesn’t get too hot to the touch as well, so you should be safe even if carrying the heaters right after shutting them off.
Like all our previous picks, Home Choice portable heaters also have overheating shutoff, but they do not have tip-over protection. Since these heaters are small and light, you should be very careful with them.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
7. ASTERION Ceramic Space Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
The ASTERION space heater offers remarkable functionality for a pretty low price.
The highlight of this portable heater is the 5 modes, including ECO, fan-only, and 3 heating settings. After the on/off functionality of the Home Choice heaters, this looks amazing.
To distribute heat more evenly, this heater also has 72-degree oscillation. At the same time, the fan-assisted PTC ceramic elements will deliver quick and even heat into your room.
The ASTERION heater has a large and easy to read display to let you know what settings the heater is on. ASTERION includes a remote control with this heater too for added convenience.
For energy efficiency, this portable electric heater has an integrated thermostat as well, but it can be 5-10 degrees off at times. It does its job, but not as well as it should.
Notably, this heater is one of the few models out there that are compliant with CA 65 standards. Besides, its overall safety is very nice – unlike previous budget options, the ASTERION heater has overheating shutoff AND tip-over protection.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
8. Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater 2-Pack
QUICK SUMMARY
The Lasko model 755320 ceramic heater is a nice option if you want something functional and convenient. This particular product listing also includes 2 portable Lasko heaters, so you will be able to heat larger spaces.
At the heart of this Lasko model is a ceramic heating element that provides a fairly quick influx of heat. Thanks to the 2 heat levels plus an auto thermostat mode, Lasko heaters will deliver as much heat as you need while conserving energy. Plus, you get an 8-hour programmable timer.
Adjusting the heating modes and timer is very easy thanks to the oversized digital display and convenient remote control.
Unlike previous electric heaters, this heater has no fans, so it may not be as quick in heat delivery. On the other hand, it will be way quieter too, which may be a big upside for some buyers.
For portability, Lasko heaters have a small molded-in handle in the rear. This handle isn’t the best we’ve seen, but it’s better than nothing.
The safety in this heater model is also nice, but if it had overheating protection, it would have been perfect.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
9. AmazonBasics Indoor Portable Radiator Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
This portable radiator heater from AmazonBasics is an all-around solid option if you want something quality and durable. Made of rust-resistant steel, this heater is tough and will easily withstand abuse.
This radiator heater is not only durable but offers solid heating performance. It can heat up to 144 square feet spaces, and for added energy efficiency, it boasts 3 heat settings and a thermostat.
The safety features in the AmazonBasics radiator heater are pretty interesting as well. This heater has not only overheating but also freezing protection. In extreme cold, this unit turns on automatically to keep itself and you warm.
The AmazonBasics radiator heater doesn’t have tip-over protection, but this isn’t a big deal since it’s not that easy to tip.
One thing to keep in mind with this heater is that it gets hot to the touch, which is a downside of all radiator heaters. With that, it can be difficult to move around when on or right after shutdown.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
10. NUMIFUN Ceramic Space Heater
QUICK SUMMARY
Finally, we have this extremely inexpensive ceramic space heater from NUMIFUN. This heater is a very small unit, so it’s only going to work for small spaces, e.g. as a portable car heater or maybe a desk heater.
Despite its cheapness and size, this heater offers great safety features and functionality. It has tip-over & overheating protection, a cool-to-the-touch housing, and even an integrated thermostat (though no temperature settings). It also features fan-forced ceramic heating – pretty much like in our previous picks.
One dislike we have with this heater is the plastic smell out of the box, but it quickly goes away and doesn’t seem to be anything critical.
WHAT WE LIKED
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
What To Look For When Shopping For The Best Portable Heater
Let’s now have a good look at the most important features to consider in portable heaters. Once you are done with this section, you will hopefully have a clear idea of what matters in portable heaters.
Final Words
When shopping for the best portable heater, we think that the most important thing to consider is safety. Portable heaters are typically delicate and easy to tip, so it would be great if you purchased a heater packed with safety features.
Don’t forget everything else we’ve talked about earlier too. Thermal output, convenience, efficiency – all these things matter in portable heaters. And, of course, remember what you are buying a portable heater for – this will help you identify the right heater quicker!
