The 10 Best Infrared Heaters Reviewed

Buyers Guide Questions

What is an Infrared Heater?

An infrared heater is a type of heater that works by using alternative heating technologies to create warmth in a designated area. Infrared heaters harness the same type of energy that is used by the sun to create heat – infrared rays.These infrared rays are harnessed by infrared heaters to produce a heat source that works by heating objects instead of only heating the air. This makes temperature in any given environment much more balanced and preferable to humans instead of stuffy and overbearing – the result many traditional heaters produce.

Do Infrared Heaters Work Well?

Yes! Infrared heaters actually work very effectively. They use infrared rays to heat the internal temperature of objects instead of simply heating up the air in your home. This means they actually produce more consistent and comfortable heat than many traditional heaters do.

An added bonus of investing in infrared heaters is that they tend to make the warmth in your home more balanced. They work by spreading heat to your home via the objects you have inside your house – not by making the air unbearably stuffy. In addition to making for much more bearable air, using an infrared heater means that the temperature of your floor and the temperature of your ceiling are much more likely to be fairly similar in temperature.

Typically, with older heaters, the temperature of your ceiling would be warmer than the floor – and many of your furniture pieces and miscellaneous items in your home. This is because traditional heaters work by simply generating heat in the air. That heat then rises, leaving your floors unbearably cold (click here for outside heaters for the patio) for a few hours until they are able to pump enough hot air into your room. However, by then, you’re already uncomfortable because the air in your home is stuffy and overwhelming – not the comforting sort of warmth you were looking for.

Infrared heaters fix this problem because they are able to heat a room by sending out infrared waves to heat objects instead of focusing on the air. This means that when you walk across your tile floor in the middle of winter you’ll be fine – the floor will be one of the first things the infrared rays warm up instead of one of the last things. The rays will target not only your floor, but also your walls, furniture, blankets, ceiling, etc., until it has spread to everything in your room.

Gradually, as all of the walls and objects in your room begin to warm up, they’ll naturally release heat on their own. You’ll be sitting in a warm, toasty room in no time – without having to deal with unbearably thick and stuffy air.

Do Infrared Heaters use a lot of Electricity?

This question is dependent on what size heater you’re working with and what the wattage is. However, even with these variables, we’d say no. Infrared heaters can technically use just as much energy as a traditional heater – but there are some very important differences we’d like to point out.

The first is the size of the heater you’re working with. Infrared heaters are very efficient – especially when it comes to capitalizing on space (click here for our review on Space Heaters). In fact, infrared heaters are capable of producing the same heating comfort that a traditional heater can while only taking up 40% of the space that the traditional heater would require. This means that you can use smaller heaters to get your home to those toasty warm temperatures you desire and save on both wattage and unit price.

Additionally, we think it’s important for you to realize what you’re saving on. You actually get a lot more than extra space and lower wattage use when you invest in an infrared heater – you’re likely to spend a lot less time working to heat up your home. Traditional heaters work by trying to heat up the air. We all know that it’s hard to keep those drafts out of your house during the winter months.

Additionally, if you have a family that’s constantly on the move, you’re going to have to factor in all of the warm air that gets lost every time someone opens the door with their comings and goings. Add it all up and it makes for one expensive electricity bill at the end of winter.

Infrared heaters, however, are a completely different story. They work by heating up the objects in your home (including you) and then letting those objects produce heat that warms the air around them. You may lose a little heat here and there when you’re on the move or you can’t seem to seal up that draft, but it’s nothing compared to what you’d lose with a traditional heater.

Are Infrared Heaters Dangerous?

This question typically has to be broken down into two parts. However, no, infrared heaters are not dangerous. This doesn’t mean that you can just use them without following safety precautions, but it does mean that you shouldn’t need to look out for anything out of the ordinary.

Most people find concern with infrared heaters if they are concerned about using a form of radiation to heat their home or if they aren’t certain about what sort of hazards to expect from an indoor heating appliance.

Both of these concerns merit their own answers, which we’ll explain in-depth. If you’re worried about the word ‘radiation’ you likely have prior knowledge that influences this concern. While radiation has proven to be an incredibly efficient energy source, we know that bad things can sometimes happen if the radiation source in question isn’t completely stabilized.

The good news is that the radiation you’re worrying about and the radiation that is used to power infrared heaters are completely different things! Good to know, right? But how do they differ? We’re glad you asked. There are lots of types of radiation. There is the type of radiation that comes from substances like uranium and plutonium and then there is radiation that stems from an electromagnetic source.

The type in question comes from an electromagnetic source (the type of radiation that is responsible for creating ultraviolet rays and x-rays). Though there is some danger associated with specific types of electromagnetic radiation, infrared rays are completely safe. They are most similar to the type of electromagnetic radiation that creates the natural light that allows us to see, which we know doesn’t do us any harm at all.

So if you’re worried because you don’t want to bring an unsafe radiation based appliance into your home, you can rest easy. If you’re worried about an infrared heater for general reasons, you’ll be fine as long as you keep a few things in mind. The first is that as a heat source, you don’t want to leave anything too close to the surface of your heater – especially cloth or other flammable material. Doing this creates a fire hazard for any device and is ill advised.

The second thing you should keep in mind is not to sit too close to the heater. This is something you’d want to keep in mind with any heater, but it is especially relevant because of the type of heater we’re working with. Infrared heaters emit energy that can be absorbed by anything that comes into contact with the rays. This works well because the infrared rays have to travel a sizeable distance to transfer the energy.

However, if you’re sitting right in front of the heater, the rays don’t have to travel far at all and can potentially irritate or even burn your skin because they’re transferring too much energy to your body. You don’t have to sit across the room from the device to avoid this outcome, but do keep a respectable difference between yourself and the heat source.

Last but not least, make sure that the outlet you have your heater plugged into isn’t overloaded. If you have too many devices competing for electricity at once, your circuit will overload and could potentially cause a blackout or fire. If you have questions about how much wattage one outlet can handle or where a new power circuit begins in your home, consult the house blueprints or call up your local electrician to ask for help.

Can Infrared Heaters Heat a House?

They absolutely can! Infrared heaters work by emitting infrared rays. In turn, those rays travel throughout your room (or home) and transfer their energy to objects. Once those objects warm up, they emit natural heat of their own and your house heats up to a nice, toasty, warm temperature.

If you have a small home, you can easily heat your entire home by using clever positioning for your heater, or by moving the heater from room to room to make sure everything has a chance to heat up evenly. If your home is a bit larger, you can still heat it with an infrared heater, but the process will go by much faster if you invest in multiple heaters.

Are Infrared Heaters Safe to Leave Unattended?

As with all other heaters, it is inadvisable to leave an infrared heater unattended. They emit a great deal of energy in a short period of time and should be properly looked after. However, this shouldn’t be a concern since infrared heaters are able to quickly heat up rooms quickly. You’ll be able to relax in comfort a few minutes after walking through your front door and turning on the switch for your heater.

Top Pick

The Dr. Infrared Heater has an incredible design that is sure to fit the needs of any homeowner – one of the reasons that it’s made our top pick. It takes all the needs, desires, and concerns of homeowners into consideration which is part of why the device proves to be so efficient and effective. One of the best features on the device is the humidifier. Since the Dr. Infrared Heater already incorporates infrared technologies into its design, it doesn’t take moisture out of the air like a traditional heater would. However, thanks to the humidifier, it does add to the moisture in the air, which should help you make the transition between the harsh outdoors to your cozy home even easier. We also love the protection technologies that were incorporated into the design. They make life less problematic for homeowners who purchase this device, and add some extra assurances for homeowners with small children or pets.

Premium Choice

EdenPURE works to make life less of a hassle – especially during the winter months. They’ve come up with a great design that allows for versatility in functionality and makes for an investment that is extremely beneficial to any homeowner. With all the consideration and precautions put into the design, it’s not hard to see why the EdenPURE A5095 makes our pick for premium choice buy. We also love that the EdenPURE infrared heater has a ‘heat on’ and ‘heat off’ option that allows you to use it for more than just winter heating solutions. You’ll also be able to use it to circulate out hot air that sits in your home during the summer – now that’s what we call efficient.

Great Value

The Lifesmart Element Large Room Infrared Heater is an excellent choice for any homeowner who needs to invest in a budget device that will still help to create that comfy and cozy environment to serve as a sanctuary from the harsh winter weather conditions. You’ll be able to keep your home warm all throughout the winter season while making major savings on your electricity bills. The Lifesmart heater comes with three different heat settings that allow you to choose how much wattage the machine is operating on. One of them allows you to use only 500 watts while still maintaining a comfortable 68 degree environment. It just goes to show that when you have a great product, you can cut costs without having to sacrifice any comfort.