There’s just something about winter and the quiet coldness of it all that signals that we’ve reached the tail-end of the year, but the winter chills that snap you awake in the morning and impromptu snowball fights are better left outdoors. The inside of your home needs to be warm and toasty. This is where a compact electric heater comes in. Here, we’re going to take a look at the best small electric heater options that can be used at home.
Table of Contents
Types of Portable Electric Heaters
Before we continue, here are a few of the different types of portable electric heaters that are available in the market today.
- Fan Heater – This type of electric heater utilizes an electric coil that creates heat, which then spreads throughout the space. The fan heaters are considered to be lightweight and cost-effective, although they tend to be noisier as compared to their counterparts.
- Convection Heater – A convector heater is designed to radiate heat across a living space via an internal heating element. However, unlike a fan heater, this type of heater waits for the hot air in a room to rise up and be replaced by cooler air, which is then also heated. This is why convection heaters are considered to be slower as compared to other types of space heaters but are able to distribute heat more evenly throughout a room. This is the main reason why some people consider it to be the best small electric heater to heat small to medium-sized rooms.
- Halogen Heater – Halogen heaters are designed to radiate heat straight to the object instead of circulating the warmth around a room via convection. This allows halogen heaters to provide warmth far quicker as compared to other types of heaters. A halogen heater is also lightweight and portable, which makes it the ideal choice for those who will be using a compact electric heater to heat multiple rooms in their home and will need to move the heater around frequently to different rooms.
- Oil-Filled Heater – This type of portable heater utilizes an electric current in thermal oil. The oil is heated and distributed throughout the heater. Since the oil adds weight to the heater, it can be cumbersome to move around the house. The oil-filled heater also takes longer to heat up a room as compared to other electric heaters.
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Comparison Table
Best Small Electric Heater
The following are some of our top picks for the best compact electric heater that you can invest in for your home.
1) Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater
The Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater is another great option when choosing a portable electric heater for home use. This heater has been designed with high-quality materials, which makes its surface heat resistant. The premium materials that have been used in its design means that the Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater does not heat up when not in use.
Another major feature of this compact electric heater is its lightweight design, which makes it easy to transport from one room to the next without much effort. The 1500-watt compact heater offers just the right amount of warmth for both small and large rooms and comes with additional safety features for more protection.
Pros and Cons:
- Built with sturdy materials
- Compact design
- Delivers up to 1500 W of heating
- Fire-resistant ABS frame
- Timer feature
- No auto tip-over feature
Our rating: 
4.7 / 5
2) Andily Electric Space Heater
The Andily electric space heater boasts a sleek and compact design that makes it easy to fit in even the smallest of rooms. This compact electric heater has been made from premium quality, sturdy materials to ensure its longevity. The Andily electric space heater features manual controls that allow you to adjust the heat according to your requirements.
This compact electric heater has also been designed with additional features that give you the very best in safety and performance. Some of the features that you will find in this portable electric heater include a power indicator that lights up when the unit is switched on. There’s also an automatic overheat protection feature that kicks in once the heater reaches the desired level of warmth.
Pros and Cons:
- Built from premium quality ceramic
- Features an adjustable thermostat
- Compact design
- Overheat mechanism
- Tip-over safety feature
- Comes with three head adjustment modes
- Its small size does not make it efficient for use in larger rooms
Our rating: 
4.6 / 5
3) GiveBest Portable Electric Heater
GiveBest is a brand name that’s well known in the portable electric heater niche. The company has been responsible for designing many premium heaters, and this portable electric heater is no exception.
The GiveBest portable electric heater does not only boast a space-efficient design but is also highly functional providing users with two levels of heating – 1500W and 750W. You also get the blower fan that’s designed to blow cool hair during those warm summer months.
The GiveBest Portable Electric Heater is a smart choice for those who are looking for a reliable compact electric heater for their home. This heater is made with flame-retardant material so that it doesn’t overheat, even after hours of use. Overall, this is a cost-effective option for those looking for the best compact electric heater for their home.
Pros and Cons:
- Made with premium materials
- Features two heat adjustments
- Automatic tip-over function
- Overheat mechanism
- Comes with ETL certification
- Not as efficient at heating rooms
Our rating: 
4.5 / 5
4) Asterion Ceramic Space Heater
The Asterion Ceramic Space Heater is another great choice for those who are looking for a reliable and portable electric heater for their home. This heater has been designed with premium quality materials and offers quite a few features, which makes it a good option for heating small or large-sized rooms. The Asterion Ceramic Space Heater boasts a sturdy build quality that can take a few bumps and keep working.
This portable electric heater features up to 5 different heat settings, which can be controlled either by remote or buttons located on the unit itself. The heater features a bright LED display, which allows you to know the current temperature of the heater so that you can set it accordingly. This feature enables you to get the perfect amount of warmth for any sized room.
Other standout features of the Asterion Ceramic Space Heater, which easily makes it stand out from the rest of the compact heaters in the same niche, is that it comes with a 72-inch oscillation feature so that you don’t have to move around the heater to different parts of the room to get the desired level of heating.
Another feature of the Asterion Ceramic Space Heater is the automatic tip-over function. This ensures that you can save on your electricity costs by using this ceramic space heater. The Asterion Ceramic Space Heater also has a low-noise function, which makes it the ideal choice for households where there are infants or elders that can get disturbed by noisy heating systems.
Pros and Cons:
- Made from high-quality, sturdy materials
- Compact design means it can fit comfortably in the smallest spaces
- Low-noise, peaceful operation
- Up to five heat adjustments
- Comes with a remote control
- The automatic tip-over function helps save on electric costs
- Comes with ETL certification and UL certification
- The automatic tip-over function doesn’t work sometimes
Our rating: 4.5 / 5
5) Lasko Compact Heating Space Heater
This is one of the smallest space heaters currently on the market. With the dimensions of 3.8 x 4.3 x 6.1 inches, it takes very little space. Of course, with such small size comes very little heating power – mere 200-watts and 682 BTUs.
This heater doesn’t require any assembly and works with a standard 120v wall outlet. I feel obligated to point out that the heater is designed to warm you (one person) and not an entire room.
As is the case with most electric heaters, the heating method is convection and the ceramic heating element heats up very quickly. This miniature Lasko heater has only one heating setting.
Pros and Cons:
- Very portable
- Affordable
- Doesn’t take much space
- No Assembly
- Low heating power
- Only 1 heating setting
Our rating: 4.5 / 5
6) GAIATOP Space Heater
This particular heater is a great combination of portability, modern design and effectiveness. Being very small, with the dimensions of 6.3 x 5.31 x 6.3 inches it boasts with 1000-watts power on highest setting.
The PTC ceramic heating element heats up in a matter of seconds and doesn’t produce noise over 45 dB. This model offers 3 settings, 1000-watt, 500-watt and fan only. While the power is enough to heat more than one person, don’t forget that the heater is very small and will not heat an entire room properly.
Pros and Cons:
- Small in design
- Portable
- Powerful (considering the size)
- Modern design
- 6-hour built-in timer cannot be changed
- The 3-leg support isn’t super stable
Our rating: 
4.4 / 5
7) VersionTECH Small Space Heater
The VersionTECH Small Space Heater is considered to be one of the best compact electric heaters available in the market today, and for good reason. Not only is this electric heater amongst the smallest in the market, but it is also highly efficient when it comes to providing warmth to small to medium-sized rooms.
The VersionTECH Small Space Heater has been designed with premium quality PTTC ceramics and ABS material, which makes it sturdy and long-lasting. It’s compact size also means that this electric heater can easily fit a backpack or a suitcase for easy carrying.
Don’t let its compact size fool you. The VersionTECH Small Space Heater is able to deliver an ample amount of warmth without making you wait for too long. It comes with three power options: 5W, 450W, and 950W for large rooms. This means you will feel warm and comfy in no time when using the VersionTECH Small Space Heater.
Since the surface material used in this electric heater is fire retardant, it does not heat up, even after extended use. The heater comes with a sturdy handle, which makes it easier to carry or move around the house. Anti-slip mats below ensure that the unit does not slip. Overall, this is a cleverly designed compact electric heater that delivers reliable warmth to small or large rooms.
Pros and Cons:
- Compact design
- Made from high-quality PTTC ceramics and ABS material
- Quiet function
- Features an automatic thermostat
- Easy-to-use controls
- 3 power settings: 5W, 450W, and 950W
- Anti-slip mats keep it from slipping
- Comfortable and sturdy handle for easy moving
- Does not come with a remote control
- Auto tip-over function has a long time delay
Our rating: 
4.3 / 5
8) RomyChamer Portable Space Heater
This portable electric heater by RomyChamer is a great choice for heating small spaces. The heater has been designed using premium quality materials which results in a long-lasting design. This heater is powered by a PTC ceramic heating element that ensures an equal distribution of heat throughout a room. The RomyChamer portable space heater also boasts many features that make it easy to use.
The compact heater boasts of 1500 Watts of power and comes with 2 heat settings – 1500W and 750W. The base of the unit is firm and well-built, which prevents slipping or tipping over. The RomyChamer Portable Space Heater also comes with an automatic tip-over mechanism that is activated immediately once the heater tips over.
Another useful feature of this compact electric heater is that it offers quiet, noise-free heating, which makes it a great choice for those households that do not wish to wake up the neighbors (or the occupants in the next room).
Pros and Cons:
- Portable build design
- Build from tough materials
- LED display
- Lightweight and easy to move around
- Features two heating settings
- Automatic tip-over mechanism
- Quiet operation
- Comes with a flimsy thermostat
- Due to small size, heating is not strong
Our rating: 
4.2 / 5
9) SENDOW Portable Electric Space Heater
This compact electric heater has been designed, keeping the user in mind. The 1200W heater is able to deliver an ample amount of warmth to a room of any size, despite its own compact size.
The SENDOW Portable Electric Space Heater features a sleek design with sturdy materials, which means it’s going to be in use for many winters to come. Apart from its durable build quality, the SENDOW Portable Electric Space Heater offers quite a few features. This easily puts it on our “best small electric heater” list.
One of the standout features of this compact electric heater is its ceramic heating element that’s extremely efficient when it comes to spreading warmth quickly and equally throughout a room. This compact electric heater is also able to generate heat a lot quicker as compared to other electric heaters at the same price point, making it the ideal choice for those who are in search of a fast and reliable compact electric heater.
The SENDOW Portable Electric Space Heater features three heating modes. This makes it easier for you to get the warmth you need, regardless of the size of the room you’re in. Apart from that, this compact electric heater also offers multiple safety features for safe indoor use.
Some of the main safety features that have been integrated into the SENDOW Portable Electric Space Heater’s design are dedicated protection from overheating along with a tip-over safety switch that kicks in automatically if the heater tips over. The heater also automatically shuts off when it gets too hot. The unit has also been designed to oscillate in order to maintain room temperature. This means that there’s no need to move the compact heater around the room for better heat distribution.
The SENDOW Portable Electric Space Heater also features a built-in, adjustable thermostat that allows the user to adjust the amount of warmth in a room for enhanced comfort. The inner timer feature of this compact electric heater enables the user to customize the unit, so it turns off automatically when not in use, which also saves on your energy costs.
Pros and Cons:
- Built from a sturdy ceramic material
- Portable design
- Features an adjustable thermostat
- 70-degree Oscillation
- Comes with three different heating modes
- Low noise functionality
- The smart heater turns off automatically
- ABS and V-0 Grade flame-resistant material
- The automatic switch-off mechanism turns off the heat, but the blower keeps running
- Instructions could be clearer
- Used parts are made of cheaper materials
Our rating: 
4.0 / 5
Conclusion
So, there you have it. These were our picks for the best small electric heater for your money. While each household’s heating requirements during winter is going to be different, the aforementioned compact electric heater options should be a good place to start as you set out on your quest for comfortable warmth during those winter months.
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