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Consumers Guide to Buying Portable Heaters

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Radiant Heater Reviews

Radiant heaters (what we used to call bar heaters) range in price from under £10 for a basic halogen tube model to £400+ for sturdy high power commercial models.

Read Intro'

Cheap halogen tube radiant heaters have a very limited life span. The heating elements damage easily and burn out quickly. If you pay under £20 for one and it lasts the winter, you've done well!

A good halogen radiant heater is ruggedly built with anti-vibration and anti-shock fittings to protect the tubes. The very best have gold lined quartz glass tubes, expect to pay £100+ for a good quality one.

A radiant heater heats the objects (people, furniture etc...) in front of it, not the air in the room so most have no thermostat to control the temperature.

Radiant heaters are virtually silent, some will make a slight humming noise when in use, this is normal and caused by the magnetic field generated by the wire wound element. Crackling, popping and hissing noises are not normal and indicate a fault

We advise using a radiant heater for short periods of time to provide quick heat and having a thermostatically controlled convector, or oil filled radiator to maintain the room temperature as a long-term solution.

All of our Recommended models have been tested for usability, safety, longevity, and ease of use. We have included the best budget buy and also what we consider to be the 'best radiant heaters on the market'.

Note: When in use Halogen and quartz radiant heaters give off a  bright light, ceramic is much dimmer.

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  • Marking: Our marks are from 1 (poorest) up to 10 (best) for each of the areas we monitor. For noise 1 is the quietest and 10 the loudest. for more details about our testing /marking please see our article on How we test our heaters.

Radiant Heater Best Budget Buy

Warmlite Traditionally Styled 2 Bar Radiant Heater, 1.2kW

Scoring: Value for money 9: Safety 6: Build quality 5: Ease of use 9: Noise 2: Styling 6. Customer Satisfaction rating 75%

Home Heating Shop radiant electric heater reviews Warmlite budget heater

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Home Heating Shop radiant electric heater reviews Warmlite 2 bar heater
Simple but effective two bar heater

Halogen radiant heaters are available at under £20, we cannot recommend one of those cheap heaters they are poorly made and have a limited lifespan.

Sometimes the old solution is the best and we find that the traditional 2 bar wire wound ceramic element heater still remains the most popular and reliable form of radiant heater, expect one to give you at Home Heating Shop radiant electric heater reviews Warmlite 2 bar heater in situleast 10 years service.

This Warmlite  2 Bar Radiant Heater, is built along traditional lines with a switch for 1 bar or 2 bar with a reflector behind the heating elements to direct the heat forwards and a wire guard to prevent contact with the hot elements.

There is an anti-tilt switch which shuts down the heater if it should be knocked over. Great for a quick burst of heat, or for use while waiting for your main heating to warm the room up.

Dimensions: 900 mm L, 286 mm H, 280mm D, (35 x 11¼ x 11 inches), weight 1.9Kg (4lbs).

  Warmlite will extend the statutory guarantee by another  2-years  (you must register your product online).

Please note: Because of the anti-tilt device this heater will not operate on uneven carpet or rugs, to solve this put a large ceramic tile or other hard flat non-flammable surface, under it so it sits on an even surface.

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Home Heating Shop radiant electric heater reviews warmlite traditional  2 bar heater


Warmlite Portable Radiant 2 Bar Heater with Ceramic Heating Elements, Adjustable Temperature, Anti-tip Over Prevention Safety Feature, Free-Standing Design, 1200 W, White
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Warmlite Portable Radiant 2 Bar Heater with Ceramic Heating Elements, Adjustable Temperature, Anti-tip Over Prevention Safety Feature, Free-Standing Design, 1200 W, White

New From: Out of Stock
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Our Recommended Radiant Fires

If you want a cheap Halogen Heater then buy a Warmlite, register online and get a free extended 3yr Guarantee.

Scoring: Value for money 9: Safety 7: Build quality 5: Ease of use 8: Noise 2: Styling 7. Customer Satisfaction rating 83%

Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater  Reviews Warmlite Halogen Heater

Read Full Review

Home Heating Shop Radiant Fire Reviews Warmlite 1600 halogen heater controls
On-off, power and swing controls on the 1.6KW heater

We do not recommend cheap halogen heaters as most are poorly made Chinese imports with a short life span. Decent ones cost over £100, see the ones we review later on this page.

Despite this, we have had many inquiries from visitors asking us to find a decent budget halogen heater.

We've tried and the best we can we can recommend are Warmlite who have 2 at under £20  and    Warmlite will extend the statutory guarantee by another  2-years (you must register your product online). So if it the heater fails due to poor build quality they will replace it.

"During the guarantee period, we will replace or repair your items free of charge if there is any defect due to faulty material or workmanship, provided you have followed the care instructions and the product has not been misused.
Home Heating Shop Radiant Fire Reviews Warmlite 800watt folding halogen heater
The Warmlite 800 Watt folding halogen heater
Guarantees do not cover damage caused by deterioration, accidents, misuse or commercial use. Scratches, stains or discolouration are also not covered."This does not affect your statutory rights.
There are 2 types of Warmlite halogen heater availableAn 800 Watt folding oneAn upright oscillating model which comes in different sizes 1.2 kW or 1.6 kW

Both have anti-tilt switches which turn them off if they are knocked over.

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Warmlite Three Bar Halogen Heater, Wide Angle Oscillation Function, 1200 W, Grey
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Warmlite Three Bar Halogen Heater, Wide Angle Oscillation Function, 1200 W, Grey

New From: Out of Stock
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Warmlite Folding Quartz Heater, 2 Heat Settings, Carry Handle, 400-800 W, White
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Warmlite Folding Quartz Heater, 2 Heat Settings, Carry Handle, 400-800 W, White

New From: Out of Stock
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Dimplex Yeominster 2Kw Freestanding Bar Heater

Scoring: Value for money 10: Safety 7: Build quality 9: Ease of use 10: Noise 2: Styling 8. Customer Satisfaction rating 97%

 Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews. Dimplex Yeominster

Read Full Review

Dimplex is a British company who have been making heaters for over 60 years and are now the worlds largest heating appliance manufacturer.

This very popular, simply designed, robustly built and reliable heater has been in continuous production since 2002 and still has a high satisfaction rate with 97% of users giving it 3 to 5 stars and 77% of all users giving it a top 5-star rating.

Home Heating Shop radiant heater reviews. Dimplex Yeominster
Traditionally styled and timelessly elegant 2 bar Radiant Fire

This 2 kW radiant heater has been designed to look like much more than a basic piece of kit.

By using a fire-basket with a sturdy black cast iron effect frame and brass coloured detail, topped off with a burning log effect. This heater is designed to be pleasant to look at and makes an interesting room feature.

Originally designed to put in a fireplace, it is freestanding and can be located anywhere.

This is a simple turn on, turn off heater with 2 heat settings 1 kW and 2 kW, it has no timer or thermostat, there is a safety thermal cut out to prevent it overheating.

The pleasing retro flame effect with flickering logs uses a 60-watt bulb and can be used independently.

Dimensions: Width 21.4cm, Height 39.5cm, depth 21.4cm Weight 5.33Kg

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 Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews Dimplex Yeominster


Dimplex YEO20 Yeominster Electric Fire Heater, 2000 W, 10 V, Black
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Dimplex YEO20 Yeominster Electric Fire Heater, 2000 W, 10 V, Black

New From:£86.98 In Stock
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Birchwood Rhino 2.8k Thermo - Quartz Radiant Heater

Scoring: Value for money 10: Safety 10: Build quality 10: Ease of use 8: Noise 2: Styling 4. Customer Satisfaction rating 100%

Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews The Birchwood Rhino infra red quartz heater

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Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews Birchwood Rhino TQ3 in situ
The Rhino originally designed for commercial use

Infra-red Quartz heaters, like this one, with elements heating to about 1000ºC, are far superior to domestic halogen heaters and are usually reserved for patio or commercial use.

From Birchwood, a UK company based in Nottingham comes The Rhino, a high performance infra-red radiant heater originally designed for commercial use.I  saw them in use in a large clothing shop and realised that they were suitable for home use.Because it plugs into a standard 13 amp wall socket, is nicely styled and at  42.¾" high, 21.½" wide and 22." deep it's about the same size and better looking than most Calor Gas heaters.I spoke to the staff and they were all very pleased with the performance and had been using them for 5 years with no problems.

 The Rhino is designed for industrial use so it is robust, durable and long lasting. With 2 x 1.4 kW infra-red elements it can be used on either 1 (1..4 kW) or 2 bars (2.8 kW).

Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews Birchwood Rhino Junior
The Rhino Junior, same power in a smaller package

It will radiate heat across 12 square meters of floor space so is suitable for larger rooms. It has a large handle and wheels for easy movement.

It does not have an anti-tilt cutout but is very difficult to overturn due to the large base and low centre of gravity (which is one reason they had them in the shop).

There is also a much lighter, smaller version the Rhino Junior It has the same 2 bar, 2.8Kw output, and is built to commercial specifications, but as it has no tilt protection, it is not suitable for areas where pets, children or foot traffic may knock it over.

Note: This is hotter than traditional domestic bar heaters so a greater safety distance is needed between the rhino and objects (Furniture, people etc...).

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Rhino Junior Infra-red Heater
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Rhino Junior Infra-red Heater

New From: Out of Stock
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Rhino H029400 TQ3 2.2kw Infrared Heater-240V, 2200 W, 230 V, Black
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Rhino H029400 TQ3 2.2kw Infrared Heater-240V, 2200 W, 230 V, Black

New From: Out of Stock
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Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews The Birchwood Rhino infra red quartz heater in shop-1

With extra width guard for public use

Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews The Birchwood Rhino infra red quartz heater in shop-2

In use in a clothes shop

Clarke Devil 370p 3kW Quartz Heater

Scoring  Value for money 8: Safety 7: Build quality 10: Ease of use 10: Noise 2: Styling 4 Customer Satisfaction rating 100%

Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater reviews Reviews Clarke Devil 3kW radiant heater

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Clarke Devils are a range of heaters aimed at the commercial market.

The 370P has an easy grab handle and is on castors for easy mobility, so can easily be moved while it is on, once positioned the castors can lock to prevent it from moving.

It is a dual purpose model designed for both domestic and commercial applications.

Ideal if you're looking for a robust halogen heater delivering serious heat and not concerned with appearance.

Ruggedly constructed with an all industrial steel case, it's solid enough to deal with knocks and bumps.

It has 2 x 1.4kW infrared tubes and can operate at 1.4 kW or 2.8 kW. On the high power 2.8 kW output, it radiates over a large floor area quickly heating up anything in front of it.

The one fault is it is only available in bright red, if you don't mind the colour then it is a solid, reliable, powerful radiant heater at a decent price.

These heaters are not small and are about 3 feet high x 2 feet wide x 1.5 feet deep (88.7cm x 56.3cm x 49cm]. Suitable for the larger room.

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Home heating shop Machine Mart Link

Available from Machine Mart. £179.98 + delivery or click & collect free (Nov 2020 price)

Buy From Machine Mart

Comfort Glow Quartz Compact Furnaces

Scoring: Value for money 10: Safety 10: Build quality 10: Ease of use 8: Noise 3: Styling 4. Customer U.S. Satisfaction rating 87.5%
Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews  Comfort Glow quartz heater

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We discovered the Comfort Glow range of fan-assisted Quartz infra-red heaters in America (they call them portable furnaces) and were very impressed with their high build quality, great finish, good design and noticed that even on full blast the casing is cool to touch.

Delsa LLC the manufacturer of Comfort Glow products ceased trading in 2009, the brand is now with World Marketing (est 1982) who provide technical support and spare parts for Comfort Glow heaters.
Well built with some very usefull es extra functions
The 1.5Kw Comfort Glow QDE1340

These heaters are sturdily built with metal frames, as well as having safety overheat and tip-over protection they have the following functions as standard: -

  • Electronic Thermostat;
  • 12 hr Programmable Timer;
  • Digital Display
  • Washable Fan Filters
  • Full remote controls.

Plus they have technological innovations such as preheating, cool down cycling and monitored airflow which extends the life of and increase the efficiency of these heaters.

You can see full specs on the World Marketing website Comfort Glow Furnaces

We know how fussy and demanding Americans are and they seem to love these portable heaters. Based on our American experiences we cannot recommend this range too highly.

Reasonably priced in the US they tend to be more expensive here and not many retailers stock them, your best option is to look on eBay there are several new models available.

Comfort Glow on eBay

Occasionally they become available from Amazon UK if so you can see what's in stock here Comfort Glow on Amazon. They do other heating appliances so check that it is a 'furnace' and not a stove or standard Quartz heater.

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The Best Radiant Heaters on the Market

Veito 1.8 Kw Free-Standing Carbon Infrared Heater.

Scoring: Value for money 10: Safety 10: Build quality 10: Ease of use 8: Noise 2: Styling 10. Customer  Satisfaction rating 90%

Home Heating Shop Radiant Heater Reviews Veito carbon element heater

Read Full Review

home heating shop radiant heater reviews Veito CH1800RE
Elegantly designed and fully remote controlled

Veito are an innovative company, in business since 1979, they launched their first Carbon elementhome heating shop radiant heater reviews Veito CH1800RE Infrared radiant heater in 2007, and are now the world's leading manufacturers of carbon infrared and patio heaters.

Veito Heaters are made using the latest carbon fibre technology, they are robust, hard-wearing and have long-lasting heating elements.

Veito heaters are used in Antartica to heat the white desert pods. The luxury South Pole campsite costing over  £80,000 for an 8-day stay.

The CH1800RE has an adjustable height stand (820mm-1350mm) and a choice of 4 different power settings 900W / 1200W / 1500W and 1800W, automatic temperature contrhome heating shop radiant heater reviews Veito CH1800RE remote control padol and a timer.

home heating shop radiant heater reviews Veito CH1200LT
The Veito CH1299LT

Its control panel has a display which indicates the temperature, power and timer settings.

The heater also has a remote control which manages all its functions and settings, regulating heating levels, activating and setting the timer and the automatic temperature control.

All CH1800RE remote circuits use the same frequency, so it is possible to control several of them using a single remote control.

The heater has a safety tilt cut out which prevents it from operating unless it is in an upright position, it also has thermal protection which shuts it off if it overheats.

The Veito range includes a compact upright radiant heater the Veito CH1200LT IPX4 in Black/ Silver also available in White is rated at 1200 watts (This does not have a remote control) and several wall-mounted models. Including fully remote-controlled models and waterproof bathroom models. Veito is our featured radiant heater manufacturer, you can view the range here.

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Veito CH1800RE Free Standing Carbon Infrared Heater, Black/Silver
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Veito CH1800RE Free Standing Carbon Infrared Heater, Black/Silver

New From:£210.00 In Stock
buy now


Veito CH1200LT Free Standing Carbon Infrared Heater, Black/Silver
See larger image

Veito CH1200LT Free Standing Carbon Infrared Heater, Black/Silver

New From:£145.00 In Stock
buy now


veito BLADE1200 Blade Mini, Aluminum, Black/Silver
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veito BLADE1200 Blade Mini, Aluminum, Black/Silver

New From:£210.00 In Stock
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veito BLADE2500 Carbon Infrared Heater, Aluminium, Black/Silver
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veito BLADE2500 Carbon Infrared Heater, Aluminium, Black/Silver

New From:£320.00 In Stock
buy now

If you need a cheap heater for that cold spot go to our Budget Heater Page.

Have you sorted out your emergency back up heating yet? Take a look at our Calor Gas Heater Reviews.

Visit our Surviving The Winter Page to see how to stay warm in case of power cuts this winter.

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