Cheap Space Heaters

Smart bargain hunters can save a lot of money on energy bills this winter with a little help from a few strategically placed and cheap space heaters. A cheap electric heater is just the right size to make a small room toasty.

Space heaters can also be handy in the office, placed at your desk to protect against cold hands and feet, which can be distracting and even painful.

There are dozens of pricey space heaters to choose from if you prefer fancy features. Many high-end and mid-range space heaters, such as the Soleus HM2-15R-32 Micathermic Electric Space Heater (starting at $80, Amazon), offer digital display and a remote control that allows users to manage the heater from a distance. Expensive space heaters, such as the TVH600 Vornado TouchStone Vortex Electric Space Heater (starting at $200, Amazon), feature touch-screen controls. The Honeywell Safety Motion Sensor Tower Heater (starting at $78, Amazon) offers a motion-sensor safety feature that turns off the unit if an object comes too close to the heating element. Higher-end space heaters are also powerful enough to heat large rooms and open interior spaces.

However, if you're on a budget and intend only to warm a small to average-size room for a few hours, you'll find that a no-frills model will do a fine job. The low-cost segment of the space heater market is full of portable, efficient models that can warm you throughout the winter without putting your budget on ice. DeLonghi, Honeywell, Lasko, Bionaire, and Holmes dominate the cheap space heater market with a bevy of choices for less than $35.

Cheap space heaters break down into two basic types -- convection and radiant -- based on how they deliver heat. A convection space heater typically uses an electric coil and a fan to blow heat into an area. This is effective for warming up an entire room, but the fan can be noisy. Radiant space heaters use quartz tubing to create heat. You must stand or sit near this type of cheap space heater to feel its warmth. Ceramic heaters, a sub-category in the convection space heaters segment, use electricity to heat ceramic pieces and a fan to push the hot air into the room. Features favored by experts and users include portability, an adjustable thermostat, and built-in safety features such as automatic shutoff if the unit gets too hot and a tilt switch, which turns off the heater if it tips over.

Our top picks among cheap space heaters are the Optimus H-5210 Infrared Quartz Heater (starting at $29, Amazon), a radiant-heat model with several safety features, and the Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater (starting at $23, Amazon), a convection model that's powerful and efficient. We also like two other convection-heat models: the small but mighty DeLonghi DCH1030 Ceramic Heater (starting at $25, Amazon) and the Honeywell HZ-2200 Mini Tower Surround Heater (starting at $34, Amazon) with its child-resistant safety knob and 360-degree heat delivery. (The similar but updated Honeywell HZ-0360 (starting at $30, Amazon).) We aren't so crazy about the Heat Runner 33551 Portable Heater (starting at $24, Amazon) and the Honeywell HZ-315 Quick Heat Ceramic Heater (starting at $29, Amazon). Reviews of both convection models report problems maintaining power and general durability issues.