Working, relaxing, or sleeping in a cold room is uncomfortable. Central heating can take ages to warm up your whole house. Running it everywhere can also feel like a waste if you only need heat in one room.
That’s why plug in fan heaters are so popular. They blast warm air into your room in minutes. Most options are compact and portable with easy controls. Simply plug it in, pick your heat level, then enjoy a burst of warmth.
Of course, the best fan heater depends on room size and your budget. You should also think about noise level. You may not care if a heater is loud in your garage. But a noisy fan heater can be annoying in a home office or bedroom.
Our guide explores some of the best electric fan heaters on the market in the UK for 20 26. We’ll also highlight things to look for when you are ready to buy.
Best Overall: Dyson Hot+Cool Jet Focus AM09
The Dyson Hot+Cool Jet Focus AM09 heater is great if you want heat right away and use your heater year-round. This option works as a heater in the winter. You can flip it to use as a cooling fan during summer months. Having both options can make the steep price tag feel worth it.
This Dyson has a sleek bladeless design. It can push warm air across the room with good force. The AM09 also includes remote control, a timer, oscillation, and thermostat. Thermostats let you set your desired room temperature. You do not need to run the heater at full blast all the time.
When tested by Good Housekeeping, the AM09 quickly heated the room. Testers awarded it a top score of 93 out of 100. They also found that its maximum noise level was about 51 decibels. This is similar to the hum of a fridge or freezer.
There are some drawbacks to consider. This Dyson heater costs more than most other fan heaters. On high, it can use almost 2kW of power. It works great in bursts. But you may not want to leave it on all day. Despite this, the AM09 is a great choice for living rooms, home offices, or bedrooms.
Best Quiet Pick: Dreamland Silent Power Pure Air
Fan heaters do not need to be noisy. The Dreamland Silent Power Pure Air heater proves this point. It produces fast heat without loud fan noise.
This heater comes with four heat settings. You can use it for warm air mode, rapid heat, cool air, or just as a fan for ventilation. It has both a timer and built-in ioniser. The ioniser reduces impurities in the air while the heater is running.
The Dreamland heater is compact enough for an office desk or small bedroom. It has a built-in carry point at the back. You can use this to comfortably move it from room to room if desired. This heater also comes with a lid that covers the controls. This is nice if you want to use it in kitchens or utility rooms.
Independent research found that this heater’s rapid heat mode kicked out warm air instantly. The tester found this heater surprisingly quiet. They noted it was whisper-quiet even on high fan speed.
The biggest downside is its timer. You must set the heater with a run time to use it. Some people might dislike this feature. However, it can also work as a nice safety feature. You can’t accidentally leave it on all day.
Best for Larger Spaces: Dreo Space Tower Heater
Not everyone needs a miniature desk heater. The Dreo Space Tower Heater is great if you need something bigger. Its tall design comes with a digital display, remote control, and multiple heat settings.
Its heat oscillates wide from side to side. This pushes warm air throughout more of the room at once. It’s great for heating a bigger bedroom, office, or living room. The tower also has five total heat settings. It includes three fan speed modes as well.
Good Housekeeping awarded the Dreo tower heater 91 out of 100. In their testing, it put out strong airflow without getting overly loud. The unit also has child lock capabilities, tip- over protection, and overheat protection.
The biggest complaint about this heater is its size. It is bulky when compared to a standard fan heater. It may not work in tiny rooms. If you need heat to spread over multiple chairs or spread further than one corner. We think the tower style is worth the bulk.
Best Compact Heater: Duux Threesixty Smart Fan and Heater
This cute little heater from Duux is compact, round, and easy to stash away when not in use. It works well in a box room, study, or home office. It heats up quickly and pushes air vertically. This helps push the warm air out and around the room.
This heater’s best feature is its smart capabilities. You can run this heater with an app on your phone. It uses Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect. You can set a timer or adjust the heat from another room with this feature. It’s great for warming up a home office before you even walk in.
Good Housekeeping found that the Duux heater was ready to go in about 38 seconds. The tester praised its small footprint, stable base, and easy-to-use app controls.
This heater doesn’t come with a dedicated carry handle. If you plan on using it in one room, that won’t matter. However, carrying this heater daily can get annoying. Another small issue is that it pushes air vertically. Don’t buy this heater if you want something to warm your feet.
Best Budget Buy: Beldray 2,000W Fan Heater
If you want fast heat without spending too much money, check out the Beldray 2,000W fan heater. This basic heater is light, portable, and easy to move anywhere in your home. It comes with two heat settings. You also get a cool fan-only mode and adjustable thermostat.
This isn’t a fancy heater. It doesn’t come with smart features, an upgraded display, or air-cleaning technology. However, it does its main job well. It can blast heat into a small room in no time. Great for bathrooms, spare rooms, or small office spaces.
The Independent found this heater heated up a small room quickly. It also has several great safety features. This includes a tip-over switch. You can also use its thermal cut-out that helps prevent overheating.
The trade-off is that it can be loud. And the heat it puts out won’t last long after you turn it off. However, this is expected with any small, basic fan heater. They are made for quick heat. They are not meant to heat an entire room for hours.
Cutting Heating Time Without Heating the Whole Building: Real-World Case Study
Let’s take a look at a real-world case study, provided by the building controls company which helped to achieve these results:
The Coplow Centre in Billesdon, Leicestershire.
The community facility struggled with its central heating system taking approximately five hours to warm up its main hall before events.
In addition, rooms were not always heated prior to occupancy and heating was occasionally left running after occupancy had ceased. Put simply, the problem wasn’t how much heat could be generated by the building. It was how that heat was managed.
The centre decided to install an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air- conditioning) building control system which could schedule heating based on room bookings and detect room occupancy.
Coupled with sensors and automated temperature controls reducing unnecessary heating. Reported gas bill savings reached 51%, while the centre cut the heat up time for its main hall by 90%.
This isn’t an article about replacing central heating with a portable fan heater. Every household will have different demands when it comes to heating.
But just because central heating isn’t always suitable, that doesn’t mean you can’t heat your home effectively using a portable heater.
What this case study shows is that fast, powerful heat can be very useful if you don’t need to heat your whole home.
When used carefully and sensibly, an electric fan heater can help you do just that.
Say you’re working at your desk in a cold home office. You may not want to heat your entire home just to make your working environment comfortable.
Instead, you can use a portable fan heater to direct heat exactly where you need it – in this case, your home office.
As with the Coplow Centre, the key is knowing what you need it for.
A small 2,000W fan heater can generate heat in a matter of seconds. But if you’re using it to heat a whole room for several hours, they aren’t always the best option.
For short-term use in a spare bedroom, home office, conservatory or similar sized room, however, few things can beat their convenience.
That’s why the Coplow Centre case study is so great. It highlights an often overlooked point:
Heating efficiency isn’t always about creating more heat.
Sometimes, it’s about creating the right amount of heat needed, in the right place and at the right time.
https://etl.energysecurity.gov.uk/case-studies/heatingsave-heating-controls-coplow-centre
Does that help answer your questions about electric fan heaters?
Here’s a quick FAQ!
FAQs About Electric Fan Heaters
Are electric fan heaters good for heating a room?
Yes, electric fan heaters are very good at heating rooms quickly. When you flick the switch, the heater uses an electrical heating element to heat the air.
That heated air is then pushed into the room by the heater’s fan. The end result? Warm airflow that fills the room almost instantly after you turn the heater on.
They’re especially great when you don’t need heating for long periods of time or want to heat your whole house.
What size fan heater do I need?
In a lot of situations, a portable 1,000W-2,000W heater can provide ample heat for a small bedroom, home office or other room of a similar size.
Don’t be dictated by the wattage though. The size of the room, insulation, draughts, ceiling height and even the outside temperature can all have an impact on how warm a room gets.
Just because a heater has a higher wattage doesn’t make it better than a lower-wattage heater.
Are fan heaters expensive to run?
Running costs will vary depending on the heater’s wattage, how long you run it for and what electricity tariff you’re on.
Take our 2,000W example above that we used for one hour. Running it for one hour uses 2kWh of electricity.
To calculate the actual cost, you’d multiply 2 (for 2kWh) by your electricity unit cost. (You’ll find this on your electricity tariff.)
Remember that’s why fan heaters are best used for occasional or targeted heating. Don’t use them as a cheaper alternative to central heating.
Are fan heaters noisy?
Some electric fan heaters are noisy. But newer models can be a lot quieter than their budget-friendly counterparts.
If you plan on getting one for your bedroom, study or home office, try to find independent noise tests online.
A fan heater that sounds fine in your garage might drive you insane when you’re trying to sleep, read or concentrate.
Can I leave my fan heater on all night?
One of Electrical Safety First’s top tips is to avoid using portable heaters while you’re sleeping.
You should also avoid using them while you’re not in the room or can’t supervise them.
Keep them at least one metre away from curtains, furniture, paper, bedding and other combustible materials.
For extra safety, Electric Safety First advises keeping heaters on a stable, level surface and ensuring the heater’s air vents aren’t blocked by furniture or clothing.
Can I use my fan heater with an extension lead?
No, we wouldn’t recommend this.
Fan heaters can use a lot of electrical power, especially higher-wattage models (e.g. 2,000W heaters).
Electrical Safety First warns that using extension leads with portable heaters can cause the leads to overload.
If you can, plug the heater directly into the wall and follow the manufacturers guidelines.
Will a fan heater upset my baby?
There’s no evidence to suggest leaving a fan heater on would harm a baby. But that doesn’t mean you should do it.
Heaters should never be left unattended or where they’re inaccessible. They can be very dangerous if you’re not careful.
Can I use a fan heater in my bedroom?
Yes, but make sure you can supervise the heater whenever it’s on.
Never cover your heater, and keep the heater away from bedding, clothing, curtains and furniture.
Heaters should be placed on a stable surface and kept at least one metre away from any materials which could catch fire.
Electrical Safety First recommends giving your heater at least one metre of space from any combustible materials.
Are there any safety features I should look for?
These include: overheat protection, thermal cut-out, tip-over protection and a thermostat.
You could also opt for a heater with a timer. A timer will allow you to set how long your heater will run for.
However, a heater with lots of safety features isn’t an excuse to be careless. Position your heater carefully and never leave it unattended.
Should I buy an expensive fan heater?
Don’t be suckered into buying the most expensive heater.
A more expensive heater could offer benefits such as quieter operation, better temperature controls and smart features.
But if you’re only going to use your heater once in a while, these features won’t benefit you.
Just make sure you buy from a reputable retailer and that the heater meets all UK safety standards.
What’s the best fan heater for my home office?
A fan heater with a thermostat is a good place to start.
Temperature controls and a thermostat will allow you to pick how hot your heater gets and how much heat it outputs.
You may not need to heat your whole home office. Having a thermostat will allow you to heat your room to your preferred temperature.
Cheaper models may not have a thermostat and simply have 3 or more heat settings.
Is a fan heater better than central heating?
Again, it depends what you want to heat.
If you’re only trying to heat one room or a small area, a fan heater can provide heat to that area very quickly.
But using a fan heater as a replacement for your central heating won’t be effective. You’ll still need central heating to heat multiple rooms or your whole home.
My heater’s plug or socket is getting hot. What should I do?
If it’s safe to do so, switch off your heater and unplug it.
If you notice your heater’s plug or the socket it’s in are hot to touch, there could be a problem.
Ignoring problems such as a hot plug or socket, smell of burning, visible scorch marks, buzzing/crackling noises or your circuit breaker tripping time after time could put your property at risk.
Electrical Safety First states that if your equipment appears damaged or has caused any of the issues above, it shouldn’t be used.
How do I know which electric fan heater to buy?
Think about the room you want to heat first.
You’ll need to consider how big the room is, how quickly you want it heated, how long you plan on using the heater for, noise levels and if you require any features such as a thermostat or timer.
A small bedroom that only requires occasional heat from your heater? A simple 2,000W compact heater might be all you need.
Need to heat a larger room or whole room quickly? A tower style heater with wide oscillation could help distribute heat more evenly around the room.
Once you know what you need, finding a heater that matches your needs shouldn’t be too difficult.
And finally, never sacrifice safety for convenience. Buy from a reputable retailer, read the instructions and don’t leave heaters on when you can’t supervise them.
Final Words
Fan heaters are great but need to be used carefully. Always keep the heater on a flat, stable surface. Do not put it near curtains, bedding, clothes, paper, or furniture.
Don’t plug your heater into an extension lead or power strip. Unless the manufacturer specifically states it is safe to do so. Electrical Safety First recommends keeping heaters at least one metre away from items that could catch fire. They also recommend only using your heater when you are awake. You should also only use it in the room you are in.
Don’t hang clothes up to dry on your heater. And never leave heaters on if you’re out of the house. If the plug, cable, or wall socket feels hot, unplug your heater and don’t use it again. Like anything that uses electricity, use your heater safely. For most families, fan heaters are better as a quick burst of heat. Move it to the room you’re in and enjoy!
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