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Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968 Review

If you're looking for a toasty warm infrared space heater, this is an excellent choice
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dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review
Credit: Laura Casner
Price:  $130 List
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Manufacturer:   Dr. Infrared Heater
By Ross Patton and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Jul 22, 2022
56
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#7 of 12
  • Personal Heat - 40% 5.0
  • Convenience - 30% 7.0
  • Small Room Heating - 20% 5.0
  • Power Consumption - 10% 5.0

Our Verdict

If you're looking for a space heater that doesn't create a lot of breeze or noise, the Dr. Infrared Heater is a good choice. The controls are very intuitive and simple to use, as are the buttons on the remote. Unlike other appliances we've tested, we love that this type of heater doesn't heat the air — rather, it emits infrared energy that radiates heat in the direct line of sight of the heating element. This means more warmth and less hot air blowing around and dropping the humidity. See how the Dr. Infrared heater ranks next to the rest of the lineup in our best space heater review.
REASONS TO BUY
Great remote
Has wheels
Elementary controls
REASONS TO AVOID
Bulky
No oscillation
Editor's Note: We updated this review for Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968 on June 8, 2022, with a hot take on value and a section highlighting other comparable products that may better suit your needs and budget.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award 
Price $130 List
$118.90 at Amazon
$80 List
$63.80 at Amazon
Check Price at Amazon$70 List$34 List
$33.12 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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73
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line A great choice for those that are in the market for this style of space heaterWhen it comes to overall performance, this model is very hard to beatIf you're looking for a model that offers a high level of performance at an excellent price, this is a great optionConvenient and easy to use, it will keep you toasty but has above average energy consumptionIt's hard to go wrong if all you need is the simplest of space heater
Rating Categories Dr. Infrared Heater... Lasko Ceramic Digit... Comfort Zone Oscill... Comfort Zone Cerami... Amazon Basics 1500W
Personal Heat (40%)
5.0
9.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Convenience (30%)
7.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
4.0
Small Room Heating (20%)
5.0
6.0
5.0
6.0
5.0
Power Consumption (10%)
5.0
4.0
5.0
4.0
4.0
Specs Dr. Infrared Heater... Lasko Ceramic Digit... Comfort Zone Oscill... Comfort Zone Cerami... Amazon Basics 1500W
Model DR-698 755320 CZ523RBK CZ499R 1500W
Measured Temperature Increase at 60 Minutes 8.6 10.8 9.9 12.1 10.1
Remote Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Fallover Protection Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Oscillator No Yes Yes Yes No
Fan-Only Setting No No No Yes Yes
Thermostat User Interface Digital Digital Digital Digital Dial
Watts 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Dr. Infrared Heater is an averagely performing space heater. The beauty of infrared space heaters is that they don't actually heat the air. Instead, they emit infrared radiation that warms objects in the direct line of sight of the heating element. This type of heater creates a feel that is less dry and breezy than ceramic models.

Performance Comparison


dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review
Credit: Laura Casner

Personal Heat


We divided the personal heating metric into two parts — how well each heater fits and operates underneath a desk and how well they work in a living room setting. Although this device does a good job of producing warmth, it doesn't make sense to use it underneath a desk, as it has a large footprint. It wouldn't comfortably fit underneath an average-sized desk. It performs about average in living room settings. We found that right around five feet away, the Dr. Infrared has a sweet spot, making it perfect for use near couches and chairs.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review - the dr. infrared takes up a bit too much space to be used underneath...
The Dr. Infrared takes up a bit too much space to be used underneath a desk.
Credit: Laura Casner

Convenience


To measure convenience, we looked at many settings and features — we noted if the heaters had remotes, if the controls were intuitive to use, and if any special elements set any of the models apart from the others.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review - the remote is especially easy to understand and operate.
The remote is especially easy to understand and operate.
Credit: Laura Casner

The Dr. Infrared is very strong when it comes to convenience. Regrettably, this style of heater doesn't offer any sort of oscillation, but it makes up for this shortcoming in other ways. The included remote has the functions of each button spelled out rather than using often confusing symbols like many other models. Although the Dr. Infrared is one of the bulkiest space heaters that we've tested, it does have wheels that aid in mobility, provided that the surface you are using the heater on is concrete, hardwood, tile, or thin carpet.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review - the small caster wheels alleviate some of the mobility issues of the...
The small caster wheels alleviate some of the mobility issues of the DR-968.
Credit: Laura Casner

The timer setting has one-hour increments, and it goes all the way up to 12 hours. We find the option to set the timer for this length of time to be especially useful for long, cold nights or ensuring that you'll be coming home to a toasty room after a day of winter adventuring.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review - the digital user interface on the dr. infrared is easy to read from...
The digital user interface on the Dr. Infrared is easy to read from the other side of the room.
Credit: Laura Casner

Small Room Heating


To gain objective data, we used a laboratory-grade thermometer to measure how much warmth each heater was able to add to a 161 square foot room in 20-minute increments over a total period of an hour. We made sure that the outside temperature and the temps in adjacent rooms were close to the same for each model's test.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review
Credit: Austin Palmer

During our small room assessment, the Dr. Infrared did fairly well. This space heater raised the temperature from an ambient room temperature of 62.4 degrees by 8.6 degrees in one hour. The first 20 minutes of operation were especially impressive — it brought the room temperature up by 5.2 degrees during this relatively short period.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review - the dr. infrared is the perfect choice for larger areas, such as a...
The Dr. Infrared is the perfect choice for larger areas, such as a family room or a workshop.
Credit: Laura Casner

Power Consumption


We used a wattmeter to measure the number of kilowatts each device consumes in an hour to determine energy costs. We are then able to take this number and multiply it by the national average price of a kilowatt per hour to project costs for periods such as 10 hours, a month, six months, or a year.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review - we used a wattmeter to measure kilowatts per hour of consumption for...
We used a wattmeter to measure kilowatts per hour of consumption for each space heater.
Credit: Laura Casner

The Dr. Infrared is a moderately efficient space heater. At the time of this review, the average energy cost in kilowatts per hour in the United States was 13 cents. After 10 hours of heating on full blast, it used 13.3 kWh, which translates to $1.75 in costs for that period. Running it for 10 hours per day for 30 days would cost you $52.50. Even running around the clock for a month, the going rate for running this model will be approximately $120 — this is relatively cheap to operate compared to other top-ranked space heaters with a similar 1500-watt power output.

dr. infrared heater dr-968 space heater review - for the power and quality of the heat output, the dr. infrared...
For the power and quality of the heat output, the Dr. Infrared Heater is a reasonable option for heating any room.
Credit: Laura Casner

Should You Buy the Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968?


This model is a decent infrared space heater. Although it lacks oscillation, it does a decent job of heating a small room and is perfect for longer-term use in a living room. The Dr. Infrared is a bit on the pricey side, but it's a solid choice considering the functionality of this type of space heater and its great deal of efficiency.

What Other Space Heaters Should You Consider?


Ceramic element heaters are generally cheaper than infrared models like the Dr. Infrared. So if the price is a deciding factor for you, it might make sense to go with a cheaper model, like the value-conscious Amazon Basics 1500W. Even the award-winning Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower costs significantly less than the Dr. Infrared heater.

Ross Patton and Austin Palmer