Reviews You Can Rely On

Honeywell Digital Ceramic Review

While this heater has nothing inherently wrong with it, better models can be found for a similar price
gearlab tested logo
honeywell digital ceramic space heater review
Credit: Honeywell
Price:  $115 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Honeywell
By Buck Yedor & Austin Palmer  ⋅  Jul 23, 2022
58
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 12
  • Personal Heat - 40% 6.0
  • Convenience - 30% 6.0
  • Small Room Heating - 20% 6.0
  • Power Consumption - 10% 4.0

Our Verdict

The Honeywell Digital Ceramic Tower is a fairly run-of-the-mill space heater. It scored above average in most of our testing metrics but didn't wow us with any one thing in particular. The operating costs are on the high side for an appliance of this size, but the scores in personal heating, convenience, and its ability to heat a small room were more than acceptable.
REASONS TO BUY
Many safety features
Digital temperature display
Heats a small space quickly
REASONS TO AVOID
High cost of use
Beeps loudly when selecting options
Editor's Note: We updated this review for Honeywell Digital Ceramic on June 8, 2022, with an assessment of value and a section that highlights other directly comparable products.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award 
Price $115 List
$69.70 at Amazon
$80 List
$69.99 at Amazon
Check Price at Amazon$70 List$34 List
$33.12 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
58
73
68
64
50
Star Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Bottom Line This heater is more than adequate but there are higher performing options for about the same priceWhen 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 Honeywell Digital C... Lasko Ceramic Digit... Comfort Zone Oscill... Comfort Zone Cerami... Amazon Basics 1500W
Personal Heat (40%)
6.0
9.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Convenience (30%)
6.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
4.0
Small Room Heating (20%)
6.0
6.0
5.0
6.0
5.0
Power Consumption (10%)
4.0
4.0
5.0
4.0
4.0
Specs Honeywell Digital C... Lasko Ceramic Digit... Comfort Zone Oscill... Comfort Zone Cerami... Amazon Basics 1500W
Model HCE322V 755320 CZ523RBK CZ499R 1500W
Measured Temperature Increase at 60 Minutes 11.3 10.8 9.9 12.1 10.1
Remote No Yes Yes Yes No
Fallover Protection Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Oscillator Yes 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 Honeywell Digital Ceramic Tower is a middle-of-the-pack contender. It might be a worthy purchase if you can find it on sale, but otherwise, we would steer you toward other top space heaters.

Performance Comparison


honeywell digital ceramic space heater review - the honeywell digital ceramic tower has a simple and easy-to-use...
The Honeywell Digital Ceramic Tower has a simple and easy-to-use interface.
Credit: Laura Casner

Personal Heat


The scores for personal heat are comprised of two components. The first is how well the heater can fit and operate under a desk, and the second is how well it functions in a living room setting. This model is a convenient size that has no trouble fitting underneath a desk. Its footprint is relatively small, which means it won't take up too much room if space is limited. The heating element works well, so it will get the job done if you need to warm a small space quickly.

However, the heat dispersal isn't the best, and as such, our testers found it better to put the device directly in front of both legs rather than to one side. If you're using the Honeywell in an open room rather than under a desk, its effective range is five feet or less.

honeywell digital ceramic space heater review - when used under a desk or in a small space, it has a working...
When used under a desk or in a small space, it has a working distance of about five feet.
Credit: Laura Casner

Convenience


The scores for convenience are based on how user-friendly each heater is to use. Does it have a remote? How many settings does it offer? The little things make this device intuitive and easy to use. With an oscillating body and a timer that lets you set the run time for one, two, four, and eight hours, the Honeywell has the makings of a reasonably convenient device. The temperature controls consist of two buttons that let you raise and lower the set temperature between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It also sports excellent safety features such as tip-over protection, over-heating protection, and cool-touch housing and handles.

The Honeywell loses some points for its lack of remote control. If you want to make any adjustments, you'll need to get up and walk over to the device. On another note, this heater cannot operate as a fan. If you just want air moved around and not heated, you'll need a separate machine. (Check out our review on the best fans to see our favorites for cooling off.)

honeywell digital ceramic space heater review - the honeywell is equipped with handy safety features like fall...
The Honeywell is equipped with handy safety features like fall protection and a heat proof handle.
Credit: Laura Casner

Small Room Heating


To avoid subjective scoring, the scores for this metric were calculated by taking a lab-grade thermometer and measuring how much heat each heater was able to add to a 161-square-foot room over an hour. We checked and recorded the temperature increase every twenty minutes during that hour. This little space heater does a great job of heating small spaces. On average, it brought the room temperature up about 7.4 degrees in the first twenty minutes of run time and a full 11 degrees after an hour. This puts it up there with the best space heaters in the test group.

honeywell digital ceramic space heater review
Credit: Austin Palmer

Power Consumption


Power consumption refers to how much energy each heater uses and the associated costs. Our testers connected each machine to a wattmeter and recorded how many kilowatts they used per hour. We then multiplied that number by the national average price of a kilowatt per hour to determine how much it costs to run each machine for ten hours, one month, six months, and one year. The Honeywell isn't the most energy-efficient heater in our fleet. One full day of operation, which we accounted for as 10 hours of continuous use, cost $1.82, or $55 for 10 hours a day over 30 days. If you run it constantly for a month, the cost of use is right around $131. These numbers make it one of the highest in terms of energy consumption.

Should You Buy the Honeywell Digital Ceramic?


This Honeywell model has above-average scores when it comes to personal heating and its ability to warm a small room. However, considering its high cost of use and above-average MSRP, you can find other options that perform just as well for a lower lifetime cost.

What Other Space Heaters Should You Consider?


The Honeywell Digital Ceramic heats a small space quickly and is decent as a personal heater when placed under a desk. But at the end of the day, the high cost of use and lower performance lead us toward more cost-effective options, like the miniature Amazon Basics 1500W, or even the full-sized Comfort Zone Oscillating Digital Tower.

Buck Yedor & Austin Palmer