Did you hear that? The cold snap.
With temperatures falling and the energy crisis raging on, more of us are looking at ways to heat our homes without racking up a huge gas bill before spring rolls around.
Central heating is now a luxury firmly reserved for the bitterest of nights; unless you can see your breath indoors, it’s time to whack on another layer and bury yourself under blankets while cuddling a brew (we’ll use any excuse to have another hot chocolate).
Other effective ways to trap heat inside include using draught excluders under doors to shut icy breezes out. Thermal curtains over windows can keep temperatures cosy, while a door curtain can be used on internal entryways to help lock heat inside the room you’re in.
The most efficient way to stay warm in winter is by just heating the room you’re in, rather than the entire house. Electric heaters are ideal for this: simply switch them on and allow them to flood the room with warmth, flicking them off once you’re comfortable.
Electric heaters are available in all sizes, from dinky desk buddies to keep you warm as you WFH or watch telly, to more powerful models that can nudge the mercury back up to reasonable levels in double time.
If your home has an open-plan design, you’ll need something with more firepower to warm up the air quickly.
A tower heater can cascade warmth over mid- to low-levels and is an unobtrusive design that just sits in the corner. Bladeless versions operate at such a whisper you’ll barely even remember they’re on. And there are floor heaters fitted with timer functions so you don’t have to worry about accidentally leaving it on all night.
How we tested
With cold weather a British speciality, we had plenty of opportunities to put these heaters through their paces. Testing spanned four months where we noted everything from noise to the time it took to feel warm from switching it on. As well as big-name players - Dyson, Philips, Duux - we made sure to include smaller, less costly heaters so that there is an option for every price bracket.
We’ve rounded up the best electric heaters to warm master bedrooms, kitchen diners and large lounges below.
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Duux Threesixty 2 Smart Fan Heater
A machine with figurative firepower, the Duux ThreeSixty is a great smart heater designed to warm up small and medium-sized rooms quickly and efficiently.
Cylindrical in design, it uses a fan to cascade heat from the top, flooding the room with warmth to keep you in blissful toastiness. There's no worry about having it on while you're working or watching TV; it has a Quiet Mark accreditation which means you'll barely notice it when it's on.
The Dutch-made device is a sturdy little thing that's available in a choice of white or grey, but still features a tip-over safety switch in case of accidental knocks, and auto shut-down in case it overheats. Control three heat settings on the unit or via a smartphone app.
We've found using it for a few hours in the evening is enough to keep the room cosy all night long. Smart winter investment in more ways than one.
Was: £118.98
Buy now £88.95, John Lewis
Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool™ Formaldehyde purifying fan heater
One of Dyson’s bestselling fan heaters, this design may be on the pricier side, but when you consider that winter sometimes lasts well into April here in the UK, it’s a sound investment against whatever the conditions lay beyond your front door.
Not only does this bladeless gadget flood hot or cold air into the room, but it will purify and scrub it clean of 99.95 per cent minuscule formaldehyde particles (dislodged from old furniture or wallpaper) too.
As you’d expect, it boasts world-class Dyson tech, such as Air Multiplier technology that evenly propels air all while operating at country mouse-like noise levels. It can warm or cool a room incredibly quickly, so you won’t need it switched on for very long. The best thing about this heater is that it’s blade-free, making it ideal for anyone with curious pets or infants in the house.
Comes with a two-year guarantee.
Was: £699.99
Buy now £549.99, Currys
PHILIPS Ceramic Fan Heater 5000 Series
Ward off that early morning chill with a tower heater that can blast through the iciness. Philips' ceramic heater is powered by AI to make warming up as efficient as possible and optimises consumption to keep your winter bills low.
Hot air rapidly moves over ceramic plates, warming rooms up to 20m2 in seconds, making it ideal to use when you just can't force another jumper on. Set the timer for when you need a warm, enveloping hug the most, whether that's first thing in the morning or when you arrive home from work.
Buy now £69.99, Amazon
HOMCOM Electric Heater
This streamlined heater is perfect if you want to add additional warmth to your home without tripping over bulky machines. Homcom’s machine is compact and light, with a touch control panel and a digital display to make it easy to set to your preferred temperature.
Best of all, unlike fan heaters, it will warm the room silently and features a 24-hour timer so you can use it only as and when you need to.
Was: £49.99
Buy now £46.99, Amazon
De'Longhi Capsule Hobby 2.4kW Fan Heater
A stylish option for those looking for a quick fix. Weighing in at 1.69kg, this ceramic fan heater can warm rooms up to 24m² and comes complete with a safety cut-out switch to prevent overheating.
The compact shape and gently rounded edges are a welcome departure from the standard rectangle while the contrasting loop handle makes it very easy to move from one room to another. A good job, because this little heater is destined to be your cold-weather BFF.
Buy now £55.00, Argos
MILL CUS1800MECWA Fan Heater - White
Rather stylish, as heaters go. Mill's fan-powered heater sits on a nifty little stand to encourage air-flow and while it may look small, the 1800W is powerful enough to warm up a large living room. Control the temperature through two heat settings to maintain a comfortable level and feel safe in the knowledge that if there's a tip-over, the cut-out feature will prevent any accidents.
Was: £79
Buy now £55.00, Fenwick
ESSENTIALS C20FHW20 Fan Heater - Black & White
Proving that you needn't shell out the big bucks to bank the warmth, Curry's Essentials fan heater pumps out heat at 2000W. With two speed settings for hot and cold, this is a hardworking little gadget that you can have on call at any time of year. Comes with a one-year manufacturer's guarantee.
Buy now £15.99, Currys
Pro Breeze 2000W Mini Ceramic Fan Heater
Pro Breeze 2000w is one of the highest-rated fan heaters on Amazon, it does what it says and looks good doing it too - but let’s get down to the specifics.
The ceramic heating element helps create faster and stronger heat and unlike many static fan heaters, the Pro Breeze offers 60 degrees of oscillation.
It measures 18.5 x 15.5 x 26 cm, so while it is bigger than your average mini fan heater it’s still smaller compared to its peers. If you have a small flat and need something in equal parts powerful and petite, then this is the fan heater to buy.
Safety features include built-in overheat protection and an automatic anti-tip-over switch.
Was: £44.99
Buy now £28.49, Amazon
Princess 2kW Smart Glass Panel Heater - Black
With a smart panel heater to make rooms up to 25sqm more comfortable in the winter months, Princess has low-cost home warming in the bag.
This design, which has a sleek glass panel on top, comes with a stand but can be wall-mounted too if you're looking for a more permanent solution. Features for the 2000W heater include a safety cut-out switch and a timer. Control it from the palm of your hand by connecting it with the Princess Home app - even if you're not at home.
Comes with a one-year manufacturer's guarantee.
Buy now £120.00, Argos
MYLEK Panel Space Heater
From Mylek comes this panel heater, which uses convection to heat up cold spaces with a 1500W output. The WiFi-enabled gadget turns your phone into a remote, allowing you to operate it through an app while also keeping an eye on your energy usage.
It's stuffed to the gills with useful features, including a waterproof IP24 rating, various modes and timers and an open window detection tool, which cuts power if the temperature plummets from a window that's been left ajar.
The electric nature means you can use it in the home, outbuildings and even caravans - as long as you have mains power to draw from.
Buy now £119.99, Amazon
Draper 92967 PTC Electric Space Heater
Moving air over a heated ceramic element, this fan operates at three speeds: fan, low and high to provide the best temperatures in rooms of up to 20sqm. The floor set heater comes with the standard overheat protection to stop it from melting should it be left unattended and operates quietly enough to have it on when you're working, on a work call or watching TV.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
