Best Office Space Heater

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A cold office is a nightmare for those who work from home. You’re sat at a desk all day with your fingers typing away at your laptop, and all you can think about is the cold temperature spreading throughout your body. The last thing you want is for the cold to affect your quality of work. 

Whilst you could turn the heating on, this can be a huge waste of money for providing warmth to one room in the house. The radiator might also be on the other side of the room, which won’t provide any warmth to your cold feet or hands. That’s where office space heaters come in.

Best Office Space Heater Buying Guide

Why to buy an office space heater

Whether you have an office in your house, a makeshift spare room/designated office space, or a rented office space - you will know how cold it can get.

In the winter months, keeping motionless and sitting in a desk chair will make you colder than usual. Picture this - it’s your weekly Zoom meeting and you’re wearing your work clothes (potentially some pyjama pants that are hidden from the camera, but we won’t judge), and you don’t think it’s professional to wrap yourself up in a thick blanket despite how cold it is.

Without regular movement, the cold may start to affect the quality and consistency of your work, as all you can think about is how cold you are. 

Office space heaters are an affordable, cost effective, and energy efficient way to warm yourself up without relying on turning on the heating. These heaters are generally mostly small and portable, so they hardly take up much space and can be moved to any room.

Office space heaters can quickly warm up a particular area or a room - whether you want the whole room to be warm or just your chilly feet. 

However, it is important to remember that due to their size, office heaters cannot heat up the largest of spaces. 

What to look for in an office space heater

Heater types: 

There are three main heater types: infrared, ceramic, or oil-filled. Each heater type serves a different purpose. 

Ceramic heaters are the most common and popular heater type, as they warm up the fastest and are possibly the most cost effective. However, they do not work as well in large rooms or rooms with tall ceilings. 

Infrared heaters are best suited for smaller rooms, but not larger rooms. These heaters usually reside at the top of a wall closer to the ceiling and warm up the skin in a similar way to the sun’s rays. 

Oil-filled heaters, or micathermic heaters, don’t have as many variations of models compared to ceramic heaters. They are like smaller radiators, and are best suited for large rooms due to their larger heat area. 

One thing to consider when looking to buy a heater is that most of them require plugs to work. Whilst they don’t take up too much energy or space, be cautious that some extension leads can be short, and will therefore limit where the heater can reside. 

Energy efficiency: 

Due to the safety features included in most heater models, energy efficiency tends to work naturally. Most heaters, particularly ceramic ones, can reach the chosen temperature within a matter of seconds - so there is no wasted energy or time on waiting for it to heat properly.

As heaters are only designed for warming a room as opposed to an entire house, turning on the house’s heating will waste more energy unless every room is being occupied.

The best heaters for energy efficiency would be run by solar panels, though these are less common to find on the market. 

Office room sizes: 

The size of your office space will determine what type of heater is best for you. As most office spaces are fairly small, you most likely will not need an oil-filled large heater as this will just waste unnecessary energy. For smaller rooms with lower ceilings, ceramic heaters are the best choice. 

Larger rooms will naturally be harder to properly heat, unless the heater offers good rotation. Still, you can’t expect a compact portable heater to warm up an entire room - though they are great for placing on a desk and warming the user up!

Where you choose to keep your heater is entirely up to you. They can reside on a desk if they are small, underneath the desk to keep your feet warm, or just in the corner of the room. 

Noise levels:

If you’re someone who cannot work with a noise in the background, whether it’s building works or music, the idea of a heater might sound like a nightmare for you.

Fear not, as the heaters we have recommended have incredibly low noise levels - to the point where you can keep them in your bedroom and sleep right through it!

Safety features:

The key safety features to look for in a heater include auto shut-off, safe touch, overheating protection, and tip-over protection. 

• Auto shut-off: Automatic shut-off is the same as overheating protection but with a different name. This is when the heater automatically shuts off before it begins to overheat. 
• Safe touch: Ever accidentally touched a boiling heater? It hurts. Imagine what it’s like having kids or animals running around. Fortunately, most heaters are made from a flame-resistant material that keeps the outside of the heater cool to prevent burning. 
• Tip-over protection: This is an incredibly important feature, as it automatically turns the heater off if it has been accidentally pushed over. If you have children or animals that may knock it over, this feature is highly beneficial. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Which is better between infrared and ceramic heaters? 

Ceramic heaters can effectively heat up to the chosen temperature within a matter of seconds, so they are more energy efficient as they don’t require a preheating time period.

These heaters are portable and compact, making them incredibly versatile for other uses and in other rooms. This is also what makes them so cost effective, as you can use them for other purposes than just in an office space. They are best suited for smaller office spaces, though some ceramic tower heaters offer rotations that can heat up larger rooms. 

Infrared heaters are situated at the top of a wall near a ceiling, and therefore lack the portable ability of ceramic heaters. These heaters mimic the sun’s infrared rays and are usually used in outdoor spaces. These heaters can get very warm, but do not offer a rotation feature - so there’s only a small space for the heater to warm up. 

For an office space, we personally recommend the ceramic heaters due to their versatility and portability. 

How many fires are caused each year by heaters? 

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 25,000 residential fires occur annually due to space heaters.

This is most likely caused by cheap space heaters that do not come equipped with the necessary safety features such as auto shut-off and tip-off protection.

As long as you don’t leave a heater alone in a room and you are sensible with it, most heaters are not likely to catch or cause fires. 

What type of heater is the most energy efficient?

Due to the speed of the heating, ceramic heaters are the most energy efficient. They do not take up much room, they only take several seconds to fully heat, and the portability means that you don’t have to keep the heating on in the house if you are only using one room.

Also, the heat they produce can linger in a room long after it has been turned off. 

What size room will a 1500W heater heat? 

With proper insulation, a 1500W heater can heat a room sized anywhere between 150 and 200 square feet.

The 1500W heaters we have recommended are suitable to heat a variety of room sizes depending on if they offer a rotating heat function, which also works to heat a larger space.