Before purchasing any brand of space heater, we scoured every corner of the web for user reviews and picked through hundreds of specification sheets to choose a wide array of heaters for our readers. We then purchased each product at full price to maintain objectivity and mitigate any bias that may come with discounted or free gear. Our fun really began next, as we devised meticulous trials to understand and assess each unit's design, features, performance, and how they stacked up to our four metrics: Room Heating, Direct Heat, Consistent Warmth, and Sound. Please read below to understand more about how we tested these space heaters and for an in-depth explanation of how to choose the right heater for you, go check out our space heater's buying guide
Room Heating
Most people are primarily purchasing a new space heater for their main function, to heat a specific room in their house, office, garage, or detached unit. That's why we have dedicated 40% of every heater's total score to their Room Heating proficiency.
To understand how each heater performed at heating a room entirely and maintaining temperature, we created an in-house test in the GearLab Headquarters' tool room, which measures 1680 cubic feet. We started by strategically placing eight iButton industrial-grade temperature sensors throughout separate locations and sectioning off a designated heater zone. Starting at our room control temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit, we turned each subject unit on high, observing, analyzing, and recording the rise in each sensor's data over the course of 60 minutes.
After all products had undergone our Room Heating test, we compared and contrasted scores before taking each unit to our offices, homes, and workshops for days of real-life testing. We noted how each model succeeded in heating different room sizes. We also judged how each heater's fan spread hot air throughout the room and whether it contained specific features that would aid in this, such as oscillation modes, varying fan speeds, etc. Finally, after hundreds of hours of testing, we were able to calculate each heater's relative Room Heating Metric.
Direct Heat
A space heater with proper Direct Heat capabilities can save money by supplying portable supplemental warmth rather than turning up the HVAC. Direct Heat can also provide swift, intense, localized warmth or raise the temperature of a small room by just a few degrees. For these reasons, we have given the Direct Heat metric 25% weight in each product's total score.
Anyone who has worked in a drafty workshop, auto shop, or even garage knows that having Direct Heat to warm both fingers and toes before starting the next project can be the most critical heat of the day. Many factors, such as the heating element and fan speed, contribute to a heater's performance. Therefore, we created two tests to gauge each unit's capabilities at pushing hot air directly at its subject.
Our first test started in a control room at 64 degrees, where we hung a vertical sheet from the middle of the ceiling. We then took a 6-foot-long pole and placed five industrial-strength temp sensors 1.5 feet apart before hanging them horizontally 3 feet directly in front of each test subject. After turning the heater on high, we noted each sensor's rise in temperature over 5 minutes from the center, mid-left, mid-right, far left, and far-right data points. Throughout the entirety of our first sheet test, we used thermal cameras in conjunction with our sensors to have a deeper comprehension of each heater's air spread and ability to heat a subject directly.
Following our first Direct heat test, we turned every heater perpendicular to our test sheet, and again, through the thermal camera, we observed how far each heater could blast heat from the front of its grille. At this point, we also began to understand each product's hazards by observing whether they created hot spots on the ground before them. After finishing both tests, we could finally compile and add all data points to give each heater a Direct Heat Score.
Consistent Warmth
Consistent Warmth is imperative for warming an area or subject evenly and constantly without hotspots or energy waste, and our Consistent Warmth metric accounts for 25% of the overall score.
To truly understand how each heater performed in this metric, we needed to use every heater for countless hours. We ran through all functions and features and tweaked dials, buttons, and remotes to achieve the perfect blanket of warmth. After days of sitting at our desks, on the couch, in the garage, and everywhere else we could plug in our products, we calculated Consistent Warmth scores.
Sound
As with most home appliance technologies, the sound of a machine running in your home or work environment can be an unwelcome distraction. Although our sound metric accounted for only 10% of the total score, it still demanded serious attention, especially considering that it could be a major factor for anyone with new kids or easily disturbed pets.
We used these Space Heaters for days and tentatively listened for any irritating noises and the tune of different fans in each setting. We also used a Professional Sound Meter to obtain objective data and the decibels emitted. After noting any annoying grinds, squeaks, or whirs, we added our experienced data to each machine's dBa output to achieve a Sound metric score for all products.
Safety
For anyone who cares about their home, the thought of having any fire hazard in the house can bring genuine concern, and that's why we took ample time to inspect and test each heater's respective safety features. We checked for tip-over protection and performed an overheat sheet test by throwing a sheet over the machines, recording how long each one took to shut off and their grille temperature afterward. We consider these imperative tests to allow our readers complete confidence in the safety of whichever unit you purchase.
Convenience
Space heaters can come with a myriad of controls, temp displays, remotes, and even the option to use your heater in fan-only mode. Therefore, we spent plenty of time tweaking and changing every possible setting on every product in order to understand how convenient they were to use, move, and store. We realize that lots of features may turn a product from good to great in the blink of an eye, but some may prefer having a simple machine that works well in lieu of bells and whistles.
Power Consumption
One downside for anyone paying the electric bill is the added cost of an inefficient space heater. All of these machines are high-wattage, so we decided to take measurements ourselves instead of relying on specification sheets. To determine power consumption, we used an in-line kilowatt energy consumption meter to measure how much each heater drew on their different settings.
Conclusion
We aim to provide our readers with a trustworthy source that can convey accurate results from our extensive testing. After reading this article, we hope you will now have the knowledge and confidence to purchase the space heater that is perfect for you.