Best electric heaters to keep your home warm this winter

Tested by Mumsnet editor Poppy O'Neill: Read our full De'Longhi Dragon 4 review

Oil-filled radiators are a great way to produce long-lasting heat inside your home, with the oil in the unit staying warm for some time even after the power is turned off. The chimney design on this radiator from De'Longhi really impressed me when I tested it - dispersing warm air around the room to warm up a space in record time.

Silent in operation and suitable for rooms of up to 60m3, it comes completely pre-assembled in a permanently sealed unit, so there’s no need to refill or worry about leaks and rust. 

With wheels and a carry handle for convenience, the De’longhi Dragon 4 is easy to move between rooms as required. As well as a manual thermostat and intuitive digital LED control panel, you can choose to set a timer with automatic start and shut-off times at intervals between 30 minutes and 24 hours.

Related: Best oil-filled radiators

Tested by Mumsnet editor Poppy O'Neill: Read our full Beldray Oscillating Halogen Heater review

A halogen heater is a cheap and efficient option for a fast-acting blast of heat. With halogen elements that distribute heat directly at objects in front of them, they’re less suitable for heating an entire room, however, they’re perfect for warming yourself up after the school run or for those who work outdoors. 

This affordable Beldray halogen heater provides almost instant heat, with multiple power settings that let you choose between one or three bars depending on the level of warmth you need. Ideal for working from home, it provides impressive personal heating and oscillates up to 75 degrees to warm around your desk.

A lightweight and portable heater that is easy to move between rooms, you do need to position it safely, ensuring it’s kept away from flammable items such as upholstery. While this may be less appealing for families with young children and pets, we love the tip-over safety cutout - instantly cutting off the heat if you accidentally knock over the main unit.

Read next: Best halogen heaters

Great for a blast of heat when you need it, fan heaters can warm up a room really quickly by blowing air over a heated element. Ideal for short-term use, they’re less suited for heating a room warm over a long period of time, as the heat is quickly lost once the fan is turned off.

While there’s no getting away from its premium price tag, the Dyson HF1 Hot + Cool Fan Heater is ideal for all-year-round use, with a dual-function design that includes both a heating and cooling fan - plus it also works as an air purifier. With patented technology, the Air Multiplier technology optimised air flow, to get the most out of the fan as energy-efficiently as possible. 

A completely bladeless design, the Dyson HF1 not only looks stylish and modern in your home, it also offers ten adjustable heat settings so you can adapt the power to your needs. The lower settings are incredibly quiet, and compared to previous models, Dyson have improved the noise levels on higher settings to just 26dB.

Related: Best fan heaters

If you’re looking for a powerful fan that can heat an entire room without boosting your energy bills, the Dreamland Silent Power Eco Portable Fan Heater could be the ideal solution. While its variable settings can run up to a powerful 2200 watts, the eco mode uses just 1850, costing around 41p per hour to run despite heating spaces of up to 18m2

Ideal for humid environments like bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms, the Dreamland heater also comes with an extra-long power cable and IP25-protected anti-drip lid, allowing it to work safely even if accidentally splashed with water. With Quiet Mark accreditation, it also runs incredibly quietly, heating up in 20 seconds and running with a timer of between one and nine hours depending on your preferences.

While some may like the grey aesthetic, we did feel this fan heater was a little more industrial-looking than some of our top picks. It’s also worth noting that it will cost more to run if used on the highest setting, so we recommend only using that on the coldest of days or for a quick boost when needed. 

We love the retro design of this dinky DeLonghi ceramic fan heater, which not only looks great but can heat up smaller rooms in a flash. The ceramic element provides self-regulating heat, so it’s really effective at maintaining a constant temperature, making it ideal for the chillier parts of the house where your central heating needs a boost. 

As well as an Anti-Frost feature that avoids the temperature from falling below 5°C, this heater can also be used to generate some welcome ventilation during the warmer summer months. 

We love the ergonomic handle, which allows you to easily carry it around the home as required, heating up just the area you need. With a budget-friendly price tag and running at just 1800 watts, it’s a relatively affordable option to run over longer periods, but it's worth noting that the heat generated will diminish relatively quickly once the power is turned off.

One of the cheapest options to run, a convection heater heats cold air at the bottom of the unit, creating a constantly circulating stream of warm air to heat your room - even larger spaces like living rooms and bedrooms. Convection heaters take longer than other types to heat up the entire space, but once they get going they provide a good and even heat flow for long-lasting comfort. 

This Daewoo Convector Heater is well suited to medium to large rooms and comes with a choice of three heat settings, allowing you to adjust the heat to your preferences. With an adjustable thermostat, it can also be set to turn off automatically when the desired temperature is reached.

With a lightweight design and integrated carry handles, this portable heater is simple to move between rooms as required, so you can even take it upstairs to your bedroom when it's time to get some rest. 

Tested by Mumsnet editor Poppy O'Neill: Read our full INVO Curved Freestanding Infrared Heater review

If you’re feeling the chill when sitting at your desk all day, an infrared heater can be a cost-effective solution, gently using infrared waves to heat the space directly in front of the heater. While you do need to be in close proximity to feel the benefits and it's less suited to heating an entire room, this freestanding infrared heating panel from INVO Heating can keep you toasty warm without turning up the thermostat, and it comes highly recommended by Mumsnet users.

Slimline with a curved design "like a hug", the heater features a simple on/off switch to operate it. It's also completely silent, which is a big plus if you're using it under your work-from-home desk this winter.

For a more traditional look, without the environmental impact of a wood burner, this electric stove heater from Dimplex creates a flame effect using water vapour, and heats the room via a fan heater.

Mumsnet users love the warm glow and dancing 'flames' this heater provides, as well as how efficiently it warms a room up. It's faff-free to set up, too - just plug it in and you're ready to go. Ideal for an alcove or in place of a fireplace, Dimplex have done a great job of achieving the look of a cast-iron wood burning stove.

At over £600, the Dimplex Gosford Optimyst is quite an investment, and cheaper electric stove heaters are available. However, it's the Optimyst range that gets consistently recommended on Mumsnet, thanks to its high quality materials, stylish look and reliable heating.

Related: Best electric fireplaces