If you live in a place where cold weather is a way of life, chances are you know how important it is to have a good space heater by your side come wintertime. That said, you are also acquainted with the problems that can stem from space heater usage, from efficiency issues to running up your electricity bill. Thankfully, the best low-wattage space heaters can help solve these problems – and here’s how.
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Why Choose a Low-Wattage Heater?
Economical, efficient, and space-saving, low-wattage space heaters can make a huge difference.
High wattage space heaters may use anywhere from 1500 to 3000 watts, which is to say nothing of how inefficient such units can sometimes be. Those two factors are two of the main reasons why high wattage space heaters can be so expensive. By contrast, smaller, more efficient space heaters can use as little as 150 watts to warm the area beside you without setting your bank account ablaze.
What’s more, if you live in a place where space is lacking – like, say, a tiny bohemian apartment – the small size of many low-wattage space heaters is doubly welcome.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best and most efficient low-wattage space heaters on the market.
Best Low-Wattage Space Heaters: Recommendations
1. Costway Oil Filled Radiator Low Wattage Space Heater 700W
This is a perfect example of some of the best features offered by the finest low-wattage space heaters. It is certainly the highest-ranking oil-based space heater on our list.
For one thing, it is relatively small, measuring 12 x 14 x 5.5 inches. In addition, it is reasonably lightweight, weighing 8.6 pounds when filled up. This makes it easy to fit in your home or office, or to take on the road with you.
The unit itself generates 700 watts of power, a respectable figure that should be more than enough to heat your space while still not ranking with larger, more costly space heaters.
In addition, this unit gets hot in a hurry, which is a huge plus. When you’re cold or wet, you don’t want to wait five or ten minutes or more for your space heater to finally start giving off some serious heat. With this unit, warmth is just a flip of a switch and a few short moments away.
That said, the fact that the unit gets hot so quickly makes it that much more important to practice safe space heater usage. Thankfully, this unit also offers a thermostat and essential safety features, such as an automatic shutoff point to prevent overheating.
2. Amazon Basics 500 Watt Ceramic Small Space Heater
This unit is on the smaller side, measuring just 5.9 x 6 x 3.2 inches, and boasts 500 watts worth of power. That makes it another ideal option for those looking for a good portable space heater.
The unit makes use of ceramic coils and an internal fan to generate heat. The latter factor, in particular, can give those shopping for space heaters pause, as they can often be quite noisy. Luckily, however, this AmazonBasics space heater is an exception to that trend, as its fan operates reasonably quiet while distributing warm air over a given area.
The unit features tip-over protection, and given how small the unit is and, thus, how easily it can tip over, that’s definitely a good thing. However, it does not have an automatic shut-off system for protection against overheating. While that isn’t an automatic dealbreaker and it can still be used safely as long as you are responsible with it, this is nevertheless an increasingly standard safety feature to be missing from an otherwise fine unit. In addition, it does not have a thermostat.
That’s all the more important as the unit does heat up pretty quickly. This is a good thing to be sure, but the lack of a thermostat means that you’ll have to pay close attention to make sure the unit doesn’t heat up so quickly as to overheat. As long as you keep an eye on the unit’s temperature, however, it’s a good value buy among portable space heaters.
3. Lasko #100 MyHeat Personal Ceramic Heater
Offering only 200 watts of power, this unit is definitely designed with portability and short-term use in mind. If you are looking for a heater that can help keep everyone in your living room nice and toasty, you may want to consider other options on this list. If you are looking for a lightweight personal ceramic heater to stick right beside your bed or desk or to take on the road with you, however, this might be the perfect choice.
It can warm small spaces with 200 watts of power and a quiet fan. It works well as a supplementary heater and is recommended for personal heating or very small spaces.
In terms of safety features, this unit has overheating protection. While 200 watts may not seem like a lot of power, it is still more than enough to make a unit get hotter than you might expect and faster than you might imagine, so overheating protection is definitely a welcome touch here. What’s more, the unit is also cool to the touch, which is definitely called for given the personal use nature of the item. If you’re going to keep this space heater so close to your bed or desk, it’s nice to know a stray movement won’t result in you accidentally burning yourself.
As such, even though it doesn’t have a thermostat or automatic shut-off features, it still ranks high in terms of safety for a space heater of its size.
What’s more, its small size makes it one of the best choices on this list for those especially concerned with lowering the amount of wattage they use and, thus, the amount due on their energy bills.
4. VersionTECH Portable Mini Electric Ceramic Space Heater
This space heater is another great example of a device that focuses on portability as a main selling point. It measures a lithe 4.9 x 4.9 x 8.1 inches and weighs just 2.4 pounds. These factors make it highly portable and easy to move around as needed, and perfect for travel purposes.
What’s more, this is another example of a unit that scores highly in terms of safety considerations. It features a built-in thermostat as well as overheating protection, including an automatic shut-off point. Add to that the fact that the unit is made of flame retardant material, and it is safe to say it is one of the safest options on this list.
This unit blows heat around a room with its oscillating tower design, powered by fans that operate at less than 45 decibels. While that isn’t “whisper-soft,” it is nevertheless on the quiet side for a space heater, and a definite plus. It is especially impressive given the fact that it’s able to remain quiet while still packing 700 watts of power. Finally, this unit offers three distinct power modes.
All in all, this is one of the best portable electric space heaters, especially among ceramic and oscillating units.
5. Opolar 500 Watt Ceramic Mini Low Wattage Space Heater
This impeccable space heater from Opolar does a good job of ticking all the boxes necessary for a quality low wattage option. At 500 watts, it offers enough power to heat most small rooms while still being energy efficient and a good potentially money-saving option. The unit makes use of PTC technology, which helps it get hotter quicker than many of the other options on this list.
Opolar have done their homework on safety features, putting together a space heater with an adjustable thermostat as well as tip-over protection. The latter is especially important as the unit can be a bit more prone to tipping over than other options listed here, but thanks to that protection, it and your home should be none the worse for fear.
Meanwhile, the adjustable thermostat can help you take greater control over your home heating bills.
This is also one of the lightest options listed here, weighing in at a tiny 1.65 pounds. Add to that its 4.2 x 6.7 x 7.9 inch frame, and it isn’t hard to see where the “mini” in the name comes from.
The unit boasts a fan that runs at or below 50 decibels, making it a quiet (if not totally silent) fan for use in your bedroom or office.
6. Honeywell HCE100B Heat Bud Ceramic Personal Space Heater
Here we have yet another unit that does a good job of heating up fairly quickly. In addition, it is another example of a low-wattage space heater that has multiple settings.
Low power makes use of 170 watts while high power gives you 250. Both settings place it firmly in the personal use category. This isn’t the type of space heater you’re going to use to heat a large room, but with those two settings and a quick warmup time, it may be ideal for use by your bed or as a portable option.
The case for the latter is strengthened by the small size of the unit, 5 x 4 x 7.8 inches, and it weighs just more than one pound.
Thankfully, though this is a smaller low wattage space heater, it scores big in terms of safety features, offering overheating as well as automatic tip-over protection, and it is made from flame-retardant material.
Finally, this is another space heater that can boast quiet fans and overall near-silent operation, a definite plus given its personal use intent.
This is a great choice for those looking for a personal heater that is energy efficient, lightweight, quiet, and safe to use.
7. Olliwon 600 Watt Ceramic Low Wattage Space Heater
This heater is able to go from cool while off to hot and heating your space in just two seconds. If you’re looking for a heater that can quickly heat up the area near you, it’s hard to beat that. That is especially true given the fact that this heater makes use of an oscillating fan feature to distribute heat around a given space. What’s more, with 600 watts of power, there is plenty of potential heat to go around.
If you are looking for a low-wattage space heater that still has enough watts to heat a small room effectively and can get hot in a hurry, this is definitely an option to consider.
In addition, it is a unit that weighs in on the small side, at just 1.9 pounds, and measures only 8.3 x 4.3 x 3.9 inches. These factors make it a pretty decent portable option as well.
In addition, this is a solid space heater as far as safety is concerned. It features automatic overheating protection as well as tip-over protection.
While this unit may be small, it packs a surprising amount of power. That, along with its safety features, makes it well worth a mention here.
A Guide to Buying Your Low-Wattage Space Heater
To help you choose the right space heater for your needs, you’ll need to pay attention to some basic safety and efficiency considerations.
For example, any small wattage space heater worth considering should feature a thermostat and overheating as well as tip-over protection.
Wattage
You’ll also need to determine how much power output you need to effectively heat a space. An easy way to do this is to measure the length and width of a room, multiply it by 10, and that’s the minimum number of watts it should take to effectively heat the space in question.
Of course, that’s just a rough estimate, and things such as the placement of the space heater within the room can further affect that number, but it can be a good starting calculation and guideline.
Types of Space Heaters
You’ll also want to make sure you’re getting the right type of low-wattage space heater. Different space heaters make use of ceramic, infrared, and oil-based elements to generate their heat.
Ceramic space heaters tend to be internally regulated, which helps them maintain the same temperature for a protracted period of time. This can help mitigate safety risks. In addition, maintaining the same power output can help you control how much electricity you use, thereby helping you cut down on your energy bills.
Infrared space heaters make use of quartz tubes and specialized technology to project heat outward.
Oil-based space heaters are just what they sound like, heaters that make use of diathermic heating oil used in conjunction with internal heating systems to generate heat.
Noise
Then, there’s the question of noise. You may want a space heater with all the heating power of a roaring furnace, but you probably don’t want it to be as loud as one. Check reviews to see what they say about the noise level of a given heater. Heaters with internal fans for distributing heat can be considerably louder than other options.
Other Features
What’s more, you’ll want to look for different heat settings. While a single energy-efficient power setting may be nice, most top-tier units will offer two or more settings for optimal temperature and energy consumption control.
Size can have a huge impact on a model’s portability and energy efficiency. Look for units with smaller sizes that still boast enough wattage to keep you warm.
Finally, with so many heaters and features from which to choose, it is vital that you take a look at each unit individually. Different heaters work better in different settings.
