Feeling a chill in the air? Is that little space heater you bought on sale just not doing it for you?

If you have come here, you must be looking for a little more warmth and comfort in your life. Buying a heater is easy, but buying the right heater for your needs is a little trickier. We've put together this Heaters Buying Guide to help you ward off the cold without leaving you financially out in the cold.

Review our buying guide to compare the types of heaters and key features to consider when you buy your next heater.

Heaters: The Basics

There are two basic types of heaters - radiant and convection. Sometimes they are combined into one, but we'll start by looking at them separately:

Radiant Heaters

As the name implies, radiant heaters radiate heat. These are sometimes also called space heaters, because they heat only a limited amount of space. Some of them are fan-assisted, but essentially, they still just create heat from their element and don't recirculate the air in the room, replacing cooler air with warmer air. Therefore, the further away from the heat source you are, the colder you will be.

Radiant Heater Pros: Radiant heaters are cheap and portable. If you are just looking for a heater to keep you warm while you sit in front of the TV or to warm up a small room, radiant heaters will do the job nicely.

Radiant Heater Cons: Radiant heaters are dangerous. They are not recommended for use around infants and small children. Definitely get a radiant heater with automatic tilt overheat shut off features.

Convection Heaters

Convection Heaters work by warming the air that is drawn into them and then expelling the air back out into the room. This is in contrast to radiant heaters, which heat objects in their proximity.

Convection Heater Pros: Because they replace cold air with warm air, convection heaters can warm up an entire room far more efficiently than radiant heaters can. They are also safer, because the elements that heat the air are hidden within the heater.

Convection Heater Cons: Good convection heaters are more expensive than radiant heaters. If you only need to heat up a small space, convection heaters are not usually necessary.

Radiant / Convection Heaters: The Best of Both Worlds?

If you want a portable heater that will warm your body when you are standing or sitting nearby and will warm the air in the room at the same time, then consider combination radiant and convection heaters. Some of these look exactly like portable radiant heaters, the only difference being in the fact that they pull air in from the back and push it out into the atmosphere through a fan behind the heating element. Other, more expensive models have wide, yet nearly flat ceramic or micathermic heating elements and can heat a large room very efficiently. Combination radiant/convection heaters cost more than radiant heaters, but many people find them to be the perfect compromise between portability and efficiency.

The Heating Elements

Quartz Tube

These are the heaters with one, two or sometimes three glowing tubes that serve as the heating element. A metal grill is all that stands between you and a terrible accident, so always choose one of these that has automatic tilt and overheat cut off facilities.

Oil

Usually called column heaters, oil heaters give off a nice, warm heat. The drawback to them is that they take quite awhile to heat up. On the upside, they are safer than the quartz tube heaters and don't dry out the surrounding air as much. This is something to think about if you have very dry skin.

Ceramic

Ceramic heaters have a ceramic heating element. Heat from ceramic heaters is generated from a wider area than the heat than comes out of quartz tubes. Ceramic heaters can be very flat, so you can find wall mountable or slimline floor ceramic heaters.

Halogen

Halogen lamps are capable of giving off a great deal of heat. In fact, you can now buy cooktops with halogen heating elements. Halogen heaters are often touted as being more energy efficient than other types of electric heaters, but this is a subject of debate.

Features to Look For

Safety Features

We mentioned these before in relation to radiant heaters, but we'll mention them again in relation to all heaters. If you buy a portable heater, make sure it has a tilt shut off device that automatically and immediately shuts off the heater if it is knocked over. In the event the heater malfunctions and overheats, you will be glad that it has an overheat shut off mechanism. All heaters should have both of these features, but check to make sure.

Thermostat

Why waste electricity when your room reaches a comfortable temperature? Having a thermostat on your heater will ensure that your room stays at the right temperature.

Temperature Control

Your radiant heater does not have to feel like a blast furnace if it has temperature control settings.

Electronic Controls and Displays

You can fine-tune your heat settings and other features with electronic controls and displays. These heaters also usually come with a remote control device, which is always appreciated.

Oscillation

Oscillating heaters turn from side to side, distributing the heat to a wider area.

Air Filter

If you are looking for convection heaters, look for brands and models than have an air filtration system. This will prevent dust being redistributed throughout the room. If you or anyone in your family suffers from allergies, air filtration is always an important consideration.

A Few Final Hints

There is no way to get around it: if you are using electric heaters, you are consuming energy - and lots of it. Unlike your stereo, which is rated in watts, heaters are rated in kilowatts. One kilowatt equals 1000 watts. This explains why your electric bill soars over the winter months. One way to conserve energy is to close the curtains. This provides a surprising amount of room insulation. If you turn the thermostat down a few degrees and wear an extra layer of clothes, this will also help lower your energy bill. Also, look at the specs sheet of any heater you buy. Some use more kilowatts than others.

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