17 best electric heaters for warming UK homes, tried and tested

Score: 92/100

This small but powerful heater fits easily on a bedside table, desk or coffee table, keeping you warm day and night.

There are three fan levels as well as three settings for heat, so you can find the right level for you, and we liked that it can be controlled by the remote control or an app, making it accessible for everyone. Everything from the oscillation and temperature, to when you want it to turn on and off can be controlled via the app and our expert dubbed it “one of the most responsive apps ever” for a heater.

Throughout testing, the air strength impressed, and it effectively heated the room to 37.8C in our lab. It was a lot warmer when we sat close to the heater, but that’s to be expected, and we were still pleased with how it spread heat across the room.

Choose this electric heater if: You don’t want to splash out on something as premium as the Dyson above but still want an excellent heater for your living spaces.

Score: 91/100

An excellent option from Dreo, this tall tower heater delivers powerful airflow while staying impressively quiet – it only reached 47.8dB in the lab when on the highest fan setting (quieter than the hum of a fridge).

There are five heat settings, 120-degrees of oscillation and three fan modes, which were noticeably different in testing. The average temperature reached a toasty 38.8 degrees when you’re sat a metre away from the heater, and while the intensity did taper off after 1.5-metres, the temperature still got close to 36°C, which should make a big difference. One tester told us it kept them warm in a “very large, cold open space”, making it ideal for taking the edge off in bigger rooms.

Adjusting the modes and setting the timer on the heater was simple, and we also appreciated the added convenience of the remote control. Its energy efficiency impressed too with the lowest setting only using 0.852kWh an hour – just 22p.

Choose this electric heater if: You need to heat larger, more open-plan spaces.

Score: 89/100

Whether you want to wheel it around or mount it on a wall, this is a smart, radiator-style heater. Testers praised its quiet design and Wi-Fi compatibility, which allows you to control it from your phone, even if you’re not directly nearby. You can even set a seven-day timer. Crucially, our experts found it distributed warmth well and it raised the room temperature to an impressive 45.8°C (when measured from 1.5m away), making it another good pick for medium to large spaces.

It is heavy if you’re moving it around, and testers would have liked a longer plug cable. It’s also a little fiddly to set up, but once started, it heats up in 14 minutes, so you don’t have to wait too long to feel the warmth. Its lowest temperature setting is economical, too. It also has a setting that detects if a window is open and automatically switches off.

Choose this electric heater if: You want a powerful radiator-style heater for medium to large spaces.

Score: 88/100

If you’re after a heater that’s whisper-quiet, look no further. Even on its highest power, testers only recorded 40 decibels. There are three settings, and it projected warmth well. But note that its maximum temperature (about 32°C ) wasn’t as high as testers would have liked for heating larger spaces, but if you want it to heat a smaller room, that shouldn't be an issue.

There’s no timer, but it has a thermostat that turns the heater on and off depending on the room temperature and chosen setting. This makes it a good pick for minimising energy consumption.

It’s relatively small and robust too, and while there was some minor assembly required on arrival, it’s very easy to use and comes with clear instructions. Its cable isn’t that long though, which may impact where it can go, depending on your plug sockets. But it does everything you'd need to heat small spaces.

Choose this electric heater if: You’re shopping on a budget or want to heat up small spaces.

Score: 88/100

This heater looks stylish and performs very well. It takes nearly nine minutes to warm up, but once in action, it’s reliable, earning full marks for its effective heating.

It’s quiet in use and was a relatively low energy consumer – we spent 23p to run it for an hour on its lowest heat and 42p to run it for the same time on its highest (the cheapest on test for high power). Plus, if your room doesn’t have any existing heaters, you can mount this one on the wall for permanent warmth. Rest assured though, it’s sturdy when kept free-standing, too.

Its smart connectivity relies on a good Wi-Fi signal (which may prove troublesome if you’re far from the router), but its touch screen buttons are responsive, the timer is easy to set and the glass finish wipes clean quickly. No wonder it was our testers' top-rated panel heater.

Choose this electric heater if: You’re after a sleek-looking panel heater that’s also cheap to run.

Score: 86/100

This Beldray model is an affordable version of a bladeless design and doubles up as a fan. Our testers loved how quiet it was (it’s even quieter than Dyson’s winning model), with one tester saying they “almost forgot it was running”. It has a remote control and an in-built ambient light, which would make a great nightlight.

Despite being quiet, the fan is strong enough to distribute warmth very effectively, and the oscillating action spreads heat evenly around your room. It mainly lost marks on overall heating power, with the room reaching 32.5°C – several degrees lower than our higher scorers. But on the whole, this heater works well, looks great and will cool you down in the summer too.

We also tested the Beldray 2-in-1 Bladeless Fan as a tower fan, where it scored 88/100. Read the review in our best tower fans roundup.

Score: 86/100

Performing well on test, this radiator-lookalike is hard to fault. Our experts rated it highly for its sturdy design, complete with a neat cord storage system and a responsive control panel. Instructions are thorough, too.

It did a reliable job of heating our test room, keeping the temperature at 48°C at 1.5-metres away. As it’s a panel heater, there’s no built-in fan blowing the heat out into the room so while it provides plenty of warmth, it might taper off as you reach the far corners of bigger rooms.

This means it’s best for heating small to medium-sized spaces or most bedrooms. It's also the quietest heater we tested, reaching just 37.5 decibels – that’s barely louder than a whisper – so it won’t disturb your snoozing.

It’s heavier than many we reviewed, and you’ll need to wait until it's cooled to move it due to the positioning of its handles, but if portability isn’t top of your must-have list, it’s a reliable warmer.

Choose this electric heater if: You want a reliable, effective heater for your bedroom.

We’ve also tested the Dimplex ML3BTA 3kW Bluetooth Convector Heater, which scored 83/100 and the Dimplex Qube, which scored 79/100. If you want a classic radiator that offers steady warmth and is quiet to use, choose the Dimplex above. However, if you want a heater that can be wall-mounted, choose the Bluetooth Convector Heater. For compact, personal heating, the Qube is the better choice – just note that it was much louder than the others in testing, reaching 58.8dB on high (similar to the noise of a dishwasher running in the background).

Score: 85/100

Affordable, wheel-able and quiet – is there a box this radiator-style heater doesn’t tick?! Our testers found it easy to attach the castors and praised its stability when they knocked it. You can also store the cable neatly on board. It needs to be positioned a metre away from objects, though, so keep that in mind if you’re buying it for a box room.

This used a fair whack of energy on its highest setting, costing more than 50p an hour. It distributed warmth well, though, with the temperature dropping by only 5.6°C when we moved 1.5m away. It was quick to heat up, too, and uses its built-in thermostat to keep the room at the right temperature. It didn’t reach particularly high temperatures, though – testers recorded an average of 28 degrees. That’s enough for a boost of warmth in small rooms but not enough to heat bigger spaces.

Choose this electric heater if: You want an affordable, easy-to-use radiator heater that’s easy to move from room to room.

Score: 84/100

While this heater looks compact, it packs a real punch, heating up in just 38 seconds and then maintaining its heat well. The unique round shape means air is blown upwards, so wherever you place it in your room, it should still distribute heat evenly. This does mean that it can’t provide targeted warmth, so if you need a heater for cold feet, scroll on.

We found its instructions detailed and its controls intuitive, plus its accompanying app doubles as a remote. Our experts liked how it connects via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, offering added flexibility if you’re heating less connected spaces such as a garden shed.

It has a few dust traps, but it is quiet (although it continues to make a noise after it’s turned off, while it cools). The small yet stable design should store away easily come summer too, making it a savvy pick for smaller homes.

Choose this electric heater if: You want a compact, yet powerful heater for family rooms.

Score: 83/100

There aren’t many panel heaters on our list, but they look sleek – and this one is WiFi enabled, so you can control it via the Smart Life app on your phone, and even with Alexa. Our testers found it easy to connect and responsive to use – whether checking the room temperature or scheduling the heater.

While it doesn't consume as much energy as many, there wasn’t a lot of difference between its low and high settings; both measured just under two kilowatts for an hour’s use, costing around 50 pence. It made the room nice and toasty too – measuring 38.8°C at 1.5 metres away – and testers found it projected the warmth quietly and effectively. They liked that you can set timers and mount it on the wall, too.

Note, though, when used as a freestanding heater, attaching the feet is a little fiddly and the cable isn’t that long.

Choose this electric heater if: You want the ease of smart controls and app connectivity in a sleek-looking design.

Score: 82/100

Our expert said this smart-looking heater was easy to use and effective. Along with its three power modes, it also has a turbo setting for when you need some speedy heat on colder days.

It consistently maintained a comfortable 31ºC throughout testing, but ideally we’d have liked the option to make it hotter. It was quiet, though, even when we used turbo mode.

The LCD display is easy to use and, while there’s no app connectivity, you can control it via a remote control, so you don’t need to get out from under your bundle of blankets for a top-up of heat.

Choose this electric heater if: You want an affordable panel heater for small- to medium-sized rooms.

We also tested Devola’s 1500W Portable Fan Heater, which scored 79/100. We’d recommend this for small bedrooms, home offices or personal heating as it’s compact but less powerful than the 2000W model, only heating a medium-sized room up by a couple of degrees.

Score: 82/100

Affordable and compact, this lightweight electric heater is ideal for small rooms or personal heating. It takes less than two minutes to heat up, and our panel found the interface “simple and very responsive”.

While it didn’t reach the high temperatures of some of the larger heaters on our list, our panel all said they felt warm enough when sat near the heater. There are three modes, including a power heat function for when you need that extra boost, and an adjustable thermostat from 5-35°C, so you can use it for year-round comfort.

It doesn’t come with a remote control, so you need to use the interface to adjust the settings (which, unfortunately, means getting out of your cosy spot). That’s a compromise we’re happy to make for the price though.

Choose this electric heater if: You’re shopping on a budget and want a compact heater to sit next to in the winter months.

We also tested the Dreo Atom 320, which scored 82/100 as well. It’s ideal for popping on desks or tables, and it can be manually tilted up to 60-degrees to direct the warmth wherever you need it. It was quicker to heat up than the model above but reached similar temperatures and cost the same amount to run. Both models are great personal heaters, but our experts preferred the Atom 316 because it’s lighter and has a slightly stronger fan.

Score: 82/100

This is a cleverly designed heater; it uses AI to learn your usage habits and optimise your energy consumption accordingly. You'd need to use this for a while to see any benefits, but even in our testing, it wasn’t too much of an energy guzzler, using just shy of two kilowatts an hour on max. And it has app connectivity, so you can even schedule the fan from your phone should you wish.

It's also easy to set up, and quiet in use. The touch panel wasn’t always the quickest to respond, but it goes up to 37C. The temperature dropped noticeably as our testers moved further away though, making it better suited to keeping nearby (as close to you as is safe – most manufacturers will specify a set distance).

That said, it oscillates, which will suit if two of you want to feel its benefits. It’s a robust, quality pick.

Choose this electric heater if: You like smart functions and want a heater that will keep you and your partner warm while relaxing on the sofa.

Score: 82/100

If you like the sound of the Duux Threesixty, but you don’t want to splash out, this could be a good alternative. It doesn’t have the smart capabilities, but it has the same intuitive design. We found this affordable heater best for personal heating, as the temperature output dropped from 51.2C to 23.8C once you moved a metre away.

It’s small, robust and easy to move about. The touch screen controls were responsive, and it was very quiet. Plus, with four temperature settings (including a notably efficient eco mode) and a cooling function, it should prove adequately versatile. There’s no timer function, but as you’ll no doubt be keeping it close by (the cable is a good length too), switching it off manually shouldn’t prove a burden.

Choose this electric heater if: You want an affordable option for personal heating that won't take up too much space in your room or in storage.

Score: 79/100

At just 26-centimetres tall, this compact heater from ProBreeze is ideal for bedside tables and home offices. It oscillates up to 60-degrees, helping to distribute warmth evenly round the room, and its lightweight design makes it easy to move around.

While it's not the most powerful heater we’ve tried, our panel enjoyed the subtle warming effect. “I went out of the room and left it running on eco mode at 21 degrees and really noticed a difference in the temperature when I came back in,” one person told us. There wasn’t a major drop in temperature as we moved further away from the heater either, making it a good choice for taking the chill out of medium-sized rooms.

The remote control wasn’t always responsive and felt a little flimsy, but otherwise we were impressed with how easy it was to use.

Choose this electric heater if: You want a budget-friendly, compact heater that still packs a punch.