The Best Small Space Heaters to Warm up Your Bedroom, Den or Office
Stay cozy and comfortable anywhere with these quiet, compact and efficient expert picks.
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Whether the cold air sneaks into your home through drafty windows or your office keeps the air conditioner on full blast, keeping warm sometimes can be a challenge. If you’re tired of wearing layers, thick socks or scrambling to find a blanket, a small space heater could be the cozy companion you’re looking for.
A compact space heater is an affordable and convenient solution to provide targeted warmth on demand. It can quickly heat up your bathroom, office, bedroom or any small area in your home. These portable devices can be moved around easily to provide extra warmth wherever you need it.
The Good Housekeeping Institute has tested and evaluated more than two dozen different space heaters that come with features like adjustable thermostats, safety shut-offs and energy-efficient settings. According to our testing data and expert analysis, these are the best small space heaters worth buying.
Pros
- The fan runs for 30 seconds after the heating element turns off to cool the mesh
- It’s quiet, portable and powerful
- Many safety features
Cons
- Its touch-sensitive buttons may be difficult to locate or identify
If you want to stretch your wallet furthest to keep your space toasty warm, the Dreo Atom 316 won’t disappoint. Despite being one of the smallest and most inexpensive options we evaluated, it offers one of the widest feature sets — including an adjustable thermostat — and packs as much power as models that cost over three times as much.
Testers found that the heater raised the temperature of a medium-sized room by 7°F in just 30 minutes on maximum power. At its maximum setting, the sound level is 47.9 decibels from 6 inches away — about as quiet as a typical home refrigerator. Thanks to its ETL verification, cool-to-the-touch exterior, automatic timer and tip-over protection, you can feel safe using it. To prevent overheating, the fan even runs for 30 seconds after the heater shuts off.
One drawback is that its touch-sensitive buttons may be difficult to locate or identify since they're not backlit and lack tactile feedback.
| Heat settings | 3 |
| Handle | Yes |
| Weight | 3.83 lbs |
| Dimensions | 6.02" x 6.02" x 9.64" |
Pros
- Ceramic space heaters heat up quickly
- Offers several safety features and is ETL-certified
- Has a cool-to-the-touch exterior and a built-in handle
Cons
- Surprisingly noisy for its size
This compact and budget-friendly space heater has three heat settings and is capable of heating rooms up to 260 square feet. Its black design blends in most rooms, and the built-in handle makes it easy to move around. Plus, ETL certification ensures it meets rigorous safety standards.
Ceramic space heaters are known to heat up quickly, and our tech expert successfully used this space heater to warm a large room and was impressed by its rapid heating capabilities. The tip-over shut-off feature provided added peace of mind, as it automatically turned off the heater when accidentally knocked over. Additional safety features include an automatic overheat shut-off and a highly visible power indicator light. Although it's surprisingly noisy for its size.
RELATED: The Best Space Heaters for Large Rooms That Are Powerful and Efficient
| Heat settings | 3 |
| Handle | Yes |
| Weight | 2.652 lbs |
| Dimensions | 4.74" x 6.2" x 8.3" |
Good Housekeeping Digital Ceramic 750-Watt Wall Outlet Plug-in Space Heater
Pros
- Compact plug-in design fits into tight spaces and frees up floor space
- Extremely easy to set up and use
Cons
- May be insufficient for larger spaces
Our Good Housekeeping-branded heater is compact (about the size of a square tissue box) and sports a unique plug-in design, so it won't take up valuable floor space or create any tripping hazards. With its fast heating capabilities, adjustable thermostat and unique plug-in design, this option is perfect for drafty home offices.
When our team set out to design this small but mighty heater, safety was a top priority. It’s ETL-certified, and features overheat protection, a side power safety button and a cool-to-the-touch exterior. There’s even a brief fan-only mode that runs for a minute after you turn it off to cool down its heating element.
It comes in black or white to match your space., has a 12-hour timer, an easy-to-read digital display and a 750-watt output. But, keep in mind that the 750-watt output and 60-square-foot coverage may be insufficient for larger spaces.
| Heat settings | 2 |
| Handle | No |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs |
| Dimensions | 5.5" x 5.5" x 6" |
Lasko CD08200 Small Portable Ceramic Space Heater
Pros
- Quickly heats up small rooms
- Built-in ALCI switch makes it safer to use in damp environments
- Isn’t too loud
Cons
- Some users may prefer a heater with multiple buttons for adjusting settings.
The Lasko CD08200 stands out as a safe and reliable bathroom heater, thanks to its built-in Appliance Leakage Current Interrupter (ACLI) plug, which is a safety feature that prevents electrical shocks in areas like bathrooms by automatically shutting off power if it detects a hazard like water.
The small heater is roughly the size of a loaf of sourdough and features a single button to control power, enable its one-hour timer and switch between low- and high-heat modes. So if you're looking for a heater that has a thermostat for precise temperature control, we recommend shopping for another option in this guide.
Regardless, the Lasko is quick to heat up, sports a convenient handle and has all the expert-recommended safety settings, including a tip-over switch and built-in overheat protection. Even better, it heats up fast and isn’t too noisy.
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| Heat settings | 2 |
| Handle | Yes |
| Weight | 3.35 lbs |
| Dimensions | 6.25" x 6.25" x 7.65" |
Pros
- Quiet operation
- Lightweight and portable
- Maintains steady temperatures
Cons
- There is no cord management system
If you’re in search of a small space heater that is reliable and easy to use, this option from Lasko is a good bet. Testers appreciated its three adjustable heat settings and automatic heat protection which shuts the unit off when it senses dangerous temperatures.
The heater weighs just 3 pounds, has a carrying handle and an 8-foot-long power cable. While we wish it had a way to neatly store the cable when not in use, the unit still runs quietly and heats rooms fast.
We can’t recommend it enough for storing it under your desk or to heat a small bedroom. Pro tip: Choose the 754201 model over the 754200 model, as it includes essential safety features like a tip-over safety switch and automatic overheat protection.
| Heat settings | 3 |
| Handle | Yes |
| Weight | 3.18 lbs |
| Dimensions | 9.2" x 7" x 6" |
Vornadobaby Sensa Nursery Space Heater
Pros
- Includes a temperature sensor to attach to your child’s crib
- Wide array of safety features
- Two heat settings and a built-in timer
Cons
- The digital display is overly bright and can’t be dimmed
The Vornadobaby SENSA is designed with families in mind. Parents can rest easy knowing that it has a highly-sensitive automatic shut-off sensor if it becomes too hot, tips over or gets bumped into. The exterior of the heater is cool to the touch and it was specifically designed to be topple-proof and finger-friendly with no pinch points, according to the brand.
We appreciate that the heater has convenient cord storage to minimize tripping and that the controls and filter cover are lockable. Given its higher-than-average price point, this option has more premium features like automatic climate control, a 12-hour timer and a small separate sensor designed to measure the temperature around your child’s crib. This ensures the heater turns on or off automatically to maintain the desired temperature. Although the digital display is overly bright and can’t be dimmed.
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| Heat settings | 2 |
| Handle | Yes |
| Weight | 5.16 lbs |
| Dimensions | 11.9" x 10.1" x 10.9" |
How we test small space heaters
The test engineers and analysts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have been testing HVAC products like space heaters, air purifiers and humidifiers for decades. When evaluating the best small space heaters, we extensively researched everything from ease of use to safety and energy efficiency. For the ones that we tested, we conducted our analysis in a controlled environment to assess its performance, heat distribution and noise levels.
What to look for when shopping for a small space heater
✔️ Size: If you're looking for a small space heater, size is likely a top concern. Many of the models we recommend have a very slim profile, so they should fit easily in most areas. However, it's important to measure your space and ensure the heater is kept at least 3 feet away from flammable items like bedding, curtains and furniture. Also, pay attention to a heater’s weight and whether or not it has a handle if you plan to move it throughout your home.
✔️ Features: Small space heaters often have a more limited feature set compared to larger models and typically lack adjustable thermostats and heat settings for precise control. While essential features like a built-in timer are recommended, nice-to-haves include integrated fans or oscillation functionality to better disperse heat and a remote control for convenient operation.
✔️ Safety: Seek models that have been vetted by independent safety-testing laboratories such as UL or ETL. We also recommend shopping for models with overheat protection, cool-to-the-touch exteriors and tip-over auto shut-off switches to reduce fires and injury.
✔️ Power: Large electric space heaters typically have a high setting of 1,500 watts and a low setting of 750 watts. However, there are smaller models with lower power outputs, often 375 watts on low and 750 watts maximum. It's important to consider your power needs before settling on a model.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Good Housekeeping Contributing Commerce Editor Brandon Carte wrote this guide. He has over a decade of experience testing and researching products, from space heaters and fans to home goods, consumer tech and leaf vacuums. He urges people to have an easily accessible fire extinguisher on each floor of their home.
He consulted the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Improvement and Outdoor Director, Dan DiClerico, as well as the Lab’s extensive testing data, to include the latest, most-reliable and top-performing space heaters.
Brandon Carte is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience covering technology, gadgets and appliances. His reporting has been featured on Best Products, Top Ten Revies, Good Housekeeping and USA Today. When he's not researching washing machines or testing robot vacuums, you can find him at concerts, swimming laps, or at the movies. He thinks smartphones are too big, prefers MP3s to Spotify and misses his iPhone’s headphone jack.
