The Best Small Space Heaters to Warm up Your Bedroom, Den or Office

The Dreo Atom 316 makes the point about good things coming in small packages. Despite being one of the smallest and most inexpensive space heaters we evaluated, it offers one of the widest feature sets — including an adjustable thermostat — and heats as well as models that cost over three times as much.

In Lab tests, the 1,500-watt heater raised the temperature of a medium-sized room by 7°F in just 30 minutes on maximum power. At its maximum setting, the sound level is 47.9 decibels from 6 inches away — about as quiet as a typical home refrigerator. Thanks to its ETL verification, cool-to-the-touch exterior, automatic timer and tip-over protection, you can feel safe using it. To prevent overheating, the fan even runs for 30 seconds after the heater shuts off.

One drawback is that its touch-sensitive buttons may be difficult to locate or identify since they're not backlit and lack tactile feedback.

This compact and budget-friendly space heater has three heat settings and is capable of heating rooms up to 260 square feet. Its black design blends in most rooms, and the built-in handle makes it easy to move around. Plus, ETL certification ensures it meets rigorous safety standards.

Ceramic space heaters are known to heat up quickly, and a GH staffer successfully used this space heater to warm a large room and was impressed by its rapid heating capabilities. The tip-over shut-off feature provided peace of mind, as it automatically turned off the heater when accidentally knocked over. Additional safety features include an automatic overheat shut-off and a highly visible power indicator light. The only complaint from our tester is that it's surprisingly noisy for its size.

With its lightweight, vertical frame, the Lasko Ellipse Ceramic Heater fits neatly on a table, desk, or shelf. Its curved design feels more intentional than most small heaters, and the wide grill paired with 120-degree oscillation allows it to push heat evenly across a medium-sized room. During testing, our engineers noted that this model “packs impressive heat output in a compact housing,” making it a great pick for home offices or smaller living spaces.

In particular, our experts liked how quickly it starts up and how simple it is to control. The top-mounted buttons are intuitive and visible from above, which makes setup and adjustment more user-friendly. After testing the heater at home for several weeks, one GH staffer shared, “It starts up and gets hot immediately. The oscillation is a great feature.” Another noted, “It’s compact, reasonably attractive, lightweight, and effective. I like that it has three heat settings and two fan settings.” In addition to the customizable heat options, the unit includes a 12-hour timer, AutoEco energy-saving mode, and a seven-function remote control with onboard storage.

Safety and quiet operation are also key benefits. The heater runs under 40 decibels, so it won’t disrupt sleep or work. It includes overheat protection, a tip-over switch, a child lock, and cool-touch housing for added peace of mind.

When our team in the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab collaborated on the design of this small but mighty heater, safety was a top priority. The device is ETL-certified, and features overheat protection, a side power safety button and a cool-to-the-touch exterior. There’s even a brief fan-only mode that runs for a minute after you turn it off to cool down its heating element.

The Good Housekeeping-branded heater is about the size of a square tissue box and sports a unique plug-in design, so it won't take up valuable floor space or create any tripping hazards. With its fast heating capabilities, adjustable thermostat and unique plug-in design, this option is perfect for drafty home offices.

The mini-heater features a 12-hour timer and an easy-to-read digital display. But, keep in mind that the 750-watt output and 60-square-foot coverage may be insufficient for larger spaces.

With its sleek black ceramic tower and light wood base, this Lasko space heater looks more like a decorative piece than a typical space heater. It’s compact, easy to place in any room, and designed to warm up larger spaces like bedrooms, home offices, and living rooms. Despite its small footprint, it delivers powerful, consistent heat thanks to its 1500-watt output and widespread oscillation.

In Lab testing, this model stood out for how quickly and evenly it warmed up a room. It includes key safety features like overheat protection, tip-over protection, and a cool-touch housing, all of which meet the safety standards our experts look for. One tester noted how quickly the unit reached the set temperature and appreciated the built-in thermostat, saying it could help reduce heating costs during colder months by maintaining the right level of warmth without running constantly.

The controls are straightforward, with a large digital display and two comfort heat settings that are easy to adjust. A six-function remote makes it even more convenient, letting you control everything from across the room. Testers also liked that the unit comes fully assembled and is easy to move from one space to another. Such a stylish unit would look great in other colors, but it's only available in black.

The Lasko CD08200 stands out as a safe and reliable bathroom heater, thanks to its built-in Appliance Leakage Current Interrupter (ACLI) plug, which is a safety feature that prevents electrical shocks in areas like bathrooms by automatically shutting off power if it detects a hazard like water.

The small heater is roughly the size of a loaf of sourdough and features a single button to control power, enable its one-hour timer and switch between low- and high-heat modes. If you're looking for a heater that has a thermostat for precise temperature control, we recommend shopping for another option in this guide.

Regardless, the Lasko is quick to heat up, sports a convenient handle and has all the expert-recommended safety settings, including a tip-over switch and built-in overheat protection.

The Vornadobaby SENSA is designed with families in mind. Parents can rest easy knowing that it has a highly-sensitive automatic shut-off sensor if it becomes too hot, tips over or gets bumped into. The exterior of the heater is cool to the touch and it was specifically designed to be topple-proof and finger-friendly with no pinch points, according to the brand.

We appreciate that the heater has convenient cord storage to minimize tripping and that the controls and filter cover are lockable. Given its higher-than-average price point, this option has more premium features like automatic climate control, a 12-hour timer and a small separate sensor designed to measure the temperature around your child’s crib. This ensures the heater turns on or off automatically to maintain the desired temperature. Although the digital display is overly bright and can’t be dimmed.