Best Space Heater for a Large Room
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No plug-in space heater gives more than 1,500 watts, which is enough for about 150 square feet. So for a large room, the heater's power matters less than how well it spreads that heat: wide oscillation, a strong but quiet fan, or infrared heat that warms you directly. These five picks all run on a standard outlet, and each has tip-over and overheat protection.
Not sure if one heater is enough? Check your room in the calculator first.
Space heater size calculator
Our picks for large rooms
Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968
The DR-968 pairs an infrared quartz element with a PTC element and a blower, so it warms people and furniture directly as well as the air. That works better than a plain fan heater in a large room or one with drafts. It comes with a remote, an electronic thermostat and a 12-hour timer, and rolls on casters.
| Type | Infrared quartz + PTC cabinet heater |
|---|---|
| Power | 1,500 W (high and low settings) |
| Electrical | 120 V plug-in, 12.5 A |
| Controls | Remote, electronic thermostat 50–85°F, 12-hour shut-off timer |
| Safety | Tip-over and overheat protection |
| Also | 19 lb on caster wheels; listing gives about 5,200 BTU and a 39 dB blower |
Worth knowing: At 19 lb it is the heaviest heater here, and it still gives 1,500 W like every other plug-in model. The listing calls the filter permanent; it needs dusting from time to time.
DREO 25-inch Tower Space Heater (DR-HSH013)
A 25-inch tower that pushes warm air across the room and oscillates 70°. The thermostat holds the temperature you set in 1-degree steps, and ECO mode lowers the power once the room is warm. The listing puts its coverage at about 100–270 sq ft.
| Type | Ceramic tower with 70° oscillation |
|---|---|
| Power | 1,500 W, four modes including ECO |
| Electrical | 120 V plug-in |
| Controls | Digital thermostat 41–95°F in 1° steps, remote |
| Safety | Tip-over and overheat protection, child lock, ETL certified |
| Also | Listing says it covers about 100–270 sq ft and runs as low as 25 dB |
Worth knowing: Coverage figures like 270 sq ft assume the heater is topping up a room that is already partly heated. On its own, 1,500 W suits about 150 sq ft.
DREO Oil-Filled Radiator Heater (DR-HSH010)
An oil-filled radiator with no fan, so it is silent. It takes longer to warm up than a fan heater but holds the room at a steady temperature, with a digital thermostat, remote and 24-hour timer. Three power levels (600, 900 and 1,500 W) let you run it lower once the room is warm.
| Type | Oil-filled radiator, no fan |
|---|---|
| Power | 600, 900 or 1,500 W plus ECO mode |
| Electrical | 120 V plug-in, 12.5 A |
| Controls | Digital thermostat, remote, 24-hour timer, mute and screen-off |
| Safety | Tip-over and triple overheat protection, child lock, ETL listed |
| Also | 17.6 lb on wheels |
Worth knowing: Oil radiators are slow: give it 15–20 minutes before you expect the room to feel warm.
Lasko 751320 Ceramic Tower Heater
A long-selling 23-inch ceramic tower from a U.S. brand that has made fans and heaters since 1906. Two heat settings, an adjustable thermostat, oscillation, a remote and a 7-hour timer. It is light enough to carry from room to room by its handle.
| Type | 23-inch ceramic tower with oscillation |
|---|---|
| Power | 1,500 W, two heat settings |
| Electrical | 120 V plug-in, 12.5 A |
| Controls | Adjustable thermostat, remote, 7-hour timer |
| Safety | Overheat protection, cool-touch housing, ETL listed |
| Also | Carry handle; listing describes it for medium-sized rooms |
Worth knowing: Lasko itself describes it for medium-sized rooms, so in a big room it works best close to where you sit.
Amazon Basics Oil-Filled Radiator (7 fins)
A basic seven-fin oil-filled radiator with three power levels and a dial thermostat. It has no fan, so it is quiet, and the sealed oil never needs refilling.
| Type | Oil-filled radiator, no fan |
|---|---|
| Power | 600, 900 or 1,500 W |
| Electrical | 120 V plug-in |
| Controls | Manual dial thermostat |
| Safety | Tip-over and overheat protection, ETL certified |
| Also | 15.4 lb; sealed oil, nothing to refill |
Worth knowing: There is no remote, timer or digital display; you set it by dial.
Side by side
| Heater | Type | Remote / timer | Fan noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Infrared DR-968 | Infrared + PTC | Yes / 12 h | Low (listing: 39 dB) |
| DREO 25" tower | Ceramic tower | Yes / yes | Low (listing: from 25 dB) |
| DREO oil radiator | Oil-filled | Yes / 24 h | None |
| Lasko 751320 | Ceramic tower | Yes / 7 h | Some |
| Amazon Basics radiator | Oil-filled | No / no | None |
Getting more heat into a large room
- Put the heater near where you sit, not in the middle of the room.
- Close doors to rooms you aren't using, and block drafts at the bottom of exterior doors.
- If one heater isn't enough, add a second on a different circuit. Running two on the same circuit will trip the breaker.
- Run a ceiling fan on low in reverse (clockwise) to push warm air down from the ceiling.
Space heater safety basics
- Plug the heater straight into a wall outlet. Heater makers and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission both warn against extension cords and power strips.
- A 1,500 W heater draws about 12.5 amps. Don't run two on the same circuit, or with a microwave or hair dryer on that circuit.
- Keep 3 feet of clear space around it: beds, curtains, paper and clothes.
- Look for tip-over and overheat protection and a safety certification mark (UL, ETL or CSA).
- Turn it off when you leave the room. Safety groups also advise turning heaters off when you go to sleep, so a timer or auto-off setting is useful in a bedroom.
- 240 V garage heaters are hardwired. Have an electrician run the circuit and follow the wire and breaker sizes in the manual.
More heater guides
Questions people ask
Will one space heater heat a large room?
Only partly. A plug-in heater gives 1,500 W at most, enough for about 150 sq ft on its own. In a bigger room it warms the area around you, or tops up a room your central heating already keeps partly warm.
What type of space heater is best for a large room?
Heaters that spread heat well: an oscillating tower, or an infrared heater that warms people and objects directly. Oil-filled radiators give steady, silent heat but take longer to warm a big space.