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Want to heat just one room without firing up the boiler? We cosied up to 12 electric heaters to find the best for your home
Pete Wise Wed 14 Oct 2026 16.00 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google A re you in need of a stopgap stand-in for your central heating? Or perhaps you’re looking for an efficient appliance to heat a small space. If so, investing in one of the best electric heaters can rid your home of the cold.
Electric heaters range from compact, fast-acting fan-powered models to oil-filled radiators and wall-mounted panels. Some also have smart functionality, so you can ask Alexa to turn up the heat, and other advanced features such as air purification and adaptive heating. But which are best?
I cosied up to some of the most popular models from makers including Russell Hobbs, Everhot, Dreo and Mill. Here’s my roundup of the best electric heaters, including models that are cheap to run, high-powered and capable of warming a large room, alongside smart electric devices with app-assisted functionality.
Best electric heater overall Dreo PTC fan heater Solaris 718
Best budget electric heater Russell Hobbs Oscillating ceramic 2kW heater
Best stove-style electric heater Everhot Electric heater
Best efficient electric heater Mill Wifi max portable heater 1,500W
Why you should trust me Product reviews should be fair, useful and unflinchingly geeky – something I keep in mind when getting to grips with each new batch of items I test.
I’ve reviewed hundreds of products, ranging from fridges and fans to combi drills and pressure washers, since 2017. My favoured approach to reviews is in-depth exploration that prioritises hands-on testing and attention to detail.
View image in fullscreen ‘Sauna-like conditions’: each heater was tested at its maximum temperature. Photograph: Pete Wise/The Guardian Staying warm matters, so I dug deep to test the models featured in this guide.
I set up each model in my living room and blasted them at the maximum temperature. I measured the room’s air temperature using a digital thermometer at regular intervals to see how powerfully each heater was warming the space. Bravely risking sauna-like conditions, I took each measurement from the centre of the room and kept the windows and door shut during each heater’s test.
Of course, temperature gain isn’t the only measure of an electric heater’s quality. I also assessed each model’s noise levels from the same position at regular intervals, and used an infrared thermometer after each test to judge whether the heater would be safe to touch. To gauge energy efficiency, I plugged the heaters into a power usage meter during testing.
I was keen to try each heater’s special features, so I tested extras such as timed heating and smartphone operability. I ended up testing 12 heaters, and I believe that the eight models listed below are worthy of your consideration.
Some brands did not want the heaters I tested back, so those will be donated for fundraising to Cat Action Trust 1977 , a small national charity dedicated to the welfare of feral cats.
Dreo PTC fan heater Solaris 718 from £118.99 £139.99 at Dreo £118.99 at Amazon What we love Quieter operation than most fan models, despite its power What we don’t love Relatively high energy usage View image in fullscreen £139.99 at Dreo £118.99 at Amazon I was instantly impre…