Deliveries are only done between 09h00 and 17h00 from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). Adjustable thermostat Using this function, a portable heater will heat the room and when the desired temperature is reached, it will try to maintain the room at that temperature. Most of the cheaper, simpler heaters we tested have a dial thermostat that doesn't let you choose specific temperatures in °C. You'll likely need to buy a more expensive model for that. Our tests also found that they're rarely 100% accurate and will probably think the room is a couple of °C warmer or cooler than it is.

Some portable heaters have useful extras, such as an LCD screen that displays the current temperature or a remote control for turning the heater on from across the room. These features may come in handy: In our tests, we set every heater to run at full blast so you can see the maximum amount it cost to heat our medium-sized test room. If you have the thermostat of your heater set to a desired temperature, the heater will toggle on and off once it reaches that temperature – depending on what's needed to maintain it. The heater won't operate continuously, so won't cost you as much to run. Are electric heaters cheaper to use than central heating? Programmable timer Useful for setting a heater to turn on just before you get home or wake up, so there's no waiting around for the heater to warm up.This model looks wonderfully retro with its Scandinavian wood-effect details and old-fashioned FM radio-style shell. In fact, it looks better in the flesh than it does in photos. At 76.4cm in height, the Hot+Cool Formaldehyde is quite a lot shorter than Dyson’s standard tower fans. Nevertheless, it still enjoys the attractive design for which Dyson products are well known. When it comes to air purification, this Dyson can filter down to 0.1 microns, which includes pollen, pet dander, bacteria, smoke, benzene, nitrogen dioxide and, in the case of this specific model, formaldehyde – a poisonous gas emitted by cigarette smoke, many household products and wooden flooring. In other words, this model doesn’t just heat – or cool – the air in your room, it cleans it too at a rate of up to 290 litres per second. We use a force meter to record how much is needed to topple each heater over and a decibel meter to measure how much noise each one makes while running.

Convector heaters are usually taller than fan heaters, but thin and light – making them larger, but still relatively easy to move between rooms. Pinning down an exact comparison of how much central heating and electric heaters cost to run is nigh-on impossible, as the factors below are just some of the variables that play a part:These have exposed heating elements, which heat up cold air as it passes. This often leads to slower, but more even, heating. They tend to be a little slower than fan heaters, but are quieter, and our tests found some are still pretty speedy. If you can afford it, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde is a sterling choice for winter warmth and air purification. What’s more, when the summer months arrive, you can turn off the heater element and enjoy a cooling breeze instead. This attractive Italian-designed model from DeLonghi arrives with a high-quality, cool-to-the-touch metal casing with legs attached. And with its maximum sound pressure of 48dB, it’s one of the quietest fan heaters you can buy.

The oil in the radiator acts as a heat reservoir, which stays hot for some time after the heater's switched off. Some are called 'oil-free' and function in a comparable way, just with an internal heating element instead of any oil. Nearly all have some kind of carry handle for moving about and many have a safety cut-out feature, which will switch off the heater if it gets dangerously hot. Whether you want to heat a chilly home office or just take the edge off when the temperatures plummet, a fan heater is a great option for short-term use. Rather than heat your entire home, electric fan heaters can be placed in your immediate vicinity, directing heat to where it’s needed most. Simply place the heater a few metres away from where you’re sitting and your feet, hands and face will remain warm while you watch TV, read a book, cook or work at your desktop. Frost protection The heater can be set to heat automatically when the temperature drops below 5°C, but you'll need to have it on standby for it to run, so this can limit its usefulness. On the downside, this type can be quite noisy and they don't have some of the more advanced features you can get with convector heaters.

RHFH914 RH Eco Fan Heater

Unlike most fan heaters that blow out hot air from a front grill, here it is blasted out through the top of the unit in a 360-degree pattern. At just 30cm in height and 22cm wide, the Duux Threesixty 2 is unobtrusive – in fact, some may mistake it for a small waste paper bin. There’s no doubt the Dyson Hot+Cool is expensive, but for your spend you’re getting the best of three worlds: heating in the winter, cooling in the summer and arguably the best air filtration system in the business. Aside from these minor design foibles, the Capsule Fit heater performs exceptionally well. It comes with two simple controls: a thermostat dial and another for its three heat settings (up to an impressive 2.4kW). The highest heat setting also increases the fan’s speed for extra reach. Read our full story on illegal and dangerous plug-in mini heaters for sale on online marketplaces to see those we identified as having serious safety risks.