The Best Portable Heaters for a Busy Lifestyle

For a busy lifestyle, convenience is essential to anything you purchase. Luckily, portable heaters are a hassle-free, efficient and low-maintenance way to stay warm. Take a space heater with you anywhere-- heating will be one less thing you'll have to worry about!

Instead of using a lot of energy trying to warm an entire room through expensive ductwork, compact portable space heaters can be placed on a tabletop or on available floor space and pointed directly at you. Using portable heaters instead of a centralized heating system will give you warmth at a fraction of the cost.

The biggest advantage of portable heaters is that they're lightweight and compact enough to be taken with you. Bring one from room to room, or even house to house! Portable heaters are ideal for many different kinds of lifestyles, and we're here to break down which one may be best for you. These are the best portable heaters for the home, workplace, garage or RV.

The Functions of Portable Heaters

Before we get into the specifics, here are a few features you should look out for when choosing a portable space heater.

Fuel: Electric or Gas

There are two basic types of portable heaters to choose from: electric and gas.

Gas heaters are very inexpensive to use and can operate during power outages. They heat up quickly using fuel such as propane or kerosene.

Gas heaters need proper ventilation and can only be used outdoors, so in many instances electric heaters are what you will be looking for. Electric portable heaters create warmth by converting electrical energy into heat, so you'll need an electrical outlet to plug your heater into.

Overall, electric heaters are the safest option for portable heating and can be used almost anywhere.

Design: Convection vs. Radiant

Electric portable heaters come in a variety of designs. They use either convection or radiant heat. Convection heaters use a permanently sealed heat transfer liquid, such as oil, to create heat. Some use fans to help circulate warm air, and oscillating units distribute heat evenly throughout a room even more.

Radiant heaters, also known as reflective heaters, direct infrared rays onto objects directly and don't heat the air at all. This makes them an efficient choice for instant heat.

Panel heaters combine convection and radiant heat, using 80% convection and 20% infrared heat to warm a room. They don't use fans at all.

Controls: Programmable Thermostats and Timers

Some portable heaters come with an automatic or programmable thermostat, which provides convenience and flexibility. A thermostatically controlled unit will cycle a portable heater on and off, so you don't waste energy continuously running the heater once the optimal room temperature has been reached.

Timers are extremely convenient since you can program a heater to turn off after a certain amount of time. You can set a heater to warm up your bedroom before you wake up, turn off after you leave the house, and turn back on once you've arrived home.

Safety Features: Cut-Off Devices and Overheat Protection

Portable heaters have a reputation for causing fires, but if you use your heater carefully, and pick one with added safety features, portable space heaters are an excellent source of safe heat.

Tip-over switches automatically shut off the unit if it's knocked over accidentally.

Overheat protection will shut off the portable heater when the sensor detects too high of a temperature.

Some portable space heaters come in flame-resistant cases and have thermally protected motors to provide additional fire protection.

Best Portable Heaters for the Home

Bedroom

Cut down on your electric bill by turning down your central thermostat, and use a portable space heater for your bedroom! Portable heaters are great for bedrooms, since at night you don't need to heat your entire house. Infrared heaters are great for a bedroom because they provide clean, silent, instant heat, and won't dry out the air since no fan is involved. You can direct the heater towards the bed and get even heating all night long from a compact, unobtrusive unit.

Our Recommendation : Try the Red Core 1500 infrared space heater . It comes in a contemporary design with three different finishes to match your decor and also works as an air purifier and humidifier. The Red Core 1500 has convenient features like an LCD remote control, programmable timer, and temperature display.

Living Room

Ceramic portable heaters are great for widespread, effective heating. Many space heaters use 1500 watts and can   heat spaces up to 150 sq. feet. Oscillating heaters help circulate heat evenly throughout a room and work great as a supplemental heat source. They're relatively inexpensive, and some portable heaters have a fan-only mode, making them ideal for summertime use as well.

Our Recommendation : Try the Lasko 5568 34" tower oscillating ceramic space heater , which offers penetrating air velocity thanks to its elongated design. This unit has three comfort settings, including a programmable thermostat-controlled mode, and has an 8-hour timer. It also features a built-in handle for ultra-easy portability.

Best Portable Heaters for the Workplace

Garage

Garages can be difficult to heat because they have much less insulation than houses or offices. But when you have a workshop in a garage or open area, it's probably the place that needs heating the most! Many garage heaters feature a single thermostat control and high temperature cut out, meaning the heater will turn off automatically if it begins to overheat, for safe operation.

Garage portable heaters are strong both inside and out. They use more wattage than regular indoor space heaters, so they provide more powerful heating. They also usually have a fan or blower to help spread the heat evenly, come with a handle for easy portability, and are constructed out of durable metal.

Our Recommendation : Try the NewAir G73 240V 5,000 watt electric garage heater . It covers up to 500 square feet, making it ideal for shipping/receiving areas, warehouses, garages, workshops, public buildings, service stations and more. You can also mount the G73 to the ceiling or a wall.

Office

For the office, an ideal portable heater is compact and silent. Central heating never seems to really cut it in an office,   and layering on blankets can become a hassle. Luckily, there are many flat-panel, low-watt portable heaters. These discrete heaters are ideal for providing easy personal comfort from under your desk. Low-watt portable heaters are a safer, greener alternative to high watt space heaters with unnecessary fans.

Our Recommendation : Try the NewAir AH-400 electric flat panel oil filled space heater , which has a tip-over safety switch, carrying handle, and an analog thermostat for custom comfort control. The NX3 is ultra-compact, uses only 400 watts and fits easily under a desk. Just plug it in and it's ready to use!

Best Portable Heaters On-the-Go

RV and Camping

Your RV can get chilly during the winter season, so it's a good idea to have an electric portable heater on hand that    won't use a lot of energy or take up a lot of space. Portable heaters with a fan-only mode will allow you to use the unit all year long. A low watt setting helps you save on electricity when not as much heat is needed, and an adjustable thermostat further enhances the efficiency of a unit, since the heater will automatically adjust its output based on the temperature of the room.

Our Recommendation : Try the Pelonis B-6A1 4 disc portable ceramic space heater with a carrying handle, easy-to use controls, and a tip-over safety switch. Weighting a compact 5 pounds and measuring less than 7" wide and 9" tall, the B-6A1 doesn't sacrifice its power for size. The powerful ceramic heating element will quickly warm an area of up to 200 square feet, making it ideal for efficient on-the-go warming.

Backyards and Patios

Stay outside longer with a portable tabletop patio heater. These portable heaters are made of quality steel so they're   durable enough for the outdoors, and use a propane tank for fuel. Most models have a propane regulator and safety anti-tilt switch. Portable patio heaters are easy to move and store whenever you don't need them. When you do want to use your portable heater, rest assured you can comfortably gather your guests around an outdoor table, and enjoy a late night meal under the stars!

Our Recommendation : Try the PrimeGlo JDSO32-CG portable patio heater , with a gold steel powder coated finish and a 1 lb. disposable propane tank for fuel.