Buying guide
The best space heaters in 2026
Updated Aug 30, 2026 · prices dated per offer
All four heaters below draw 1500 W on their highest setting, which is the practical ceiling for a heater plugged into a standard household outlet. That means none of them heats a room faster or cheaper than the others purely because of wattage. What actually separates them is how they move heat, how loud they are, how much of a room they realistically cover, and what safety hardware they carry.
We picked one heater from each common type sold at US retailers: an oscillating ceramic tower, an oil-filled radiator, a small personal ceramic heater, and an infrared cabinet unit. Every price below was checked directly on the retailer's own page on the date shown, and every rating comes from a store review count of ten or more for that exact model.
| Spec | Lasko CT20111 | Lasko 754200 | De'Longhi TRD40615T | Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best price | $44.99 at Target | $39.99 at Lasko | $159.95 at De'Longhi | $129.99 at Dr. Infrared Heater |
| Checked | ✓ AUG 30 | ✓ AUG 30 | ✓ AUG 30 | ✓ AUG 30 |
| Shopper rating | 4.2312 ratings | 4.428 ratings | 4.164 ratings | - |
| Type | Ceramic tower heater, oscillating, remote control included | Personal ceramic heater, fan-driven, desktop size | Oil-filled radiant heater, no fan, 6 fins | Infrared quartz tube plus PTC dual heating system, cabinet style |
| Wattage | 1500 W, 2 heat settings | 1500 W high, 900 W low, plus fan-only mode | 1500 W max, 700 W min, 3 power settings | 1500 W, 5,200 BTU max (manufacturer's rating) |
| Coverage | 100 to 300 sq. ft. (Lasko's estimate) | 100 sq. ft. maximum (Lasko's estimate) | 23.2 sq. ft. (De'Longhi's own spec sheet, listed as 'working capacity') | 200 to 500 sq. ft. (manufacturer's estimate) |
| Thermostat | Digital, adjustable | Adjustable thermostat with 11 settings | Mechanical temperature and power dial with a programmable 24-hour timer | Electronic, 50 to 85 degrees F range |
| Safety features | Automatic overheat protection, cool-touch exterior housing, ETL listed | Automatic overheat protection, cool-touch housing, ETL listed | Thermal cut-off, fully enclosed heating elements, rounded corners | Overheat protection, tip-over safety shutoff, UL and cUL listed |
| Dimensions | 20.4 in. H x 7 in. W x 7 in. D | 9.2 in. H x 7 in. W x 6 in. D | 16.4 in. x 10.3 in. x 26.1 in. | 16 in. H x 11 in. W x 13 in. D, 19 to 20 lb |
| Warranty | 3-year limited warranty | 3-year warranty | Full manufacturer warranty (De'Longhi does not state the number of years on its product page) | 3-year limited warranty |
| Timer | 8-hour auto-off timer, settable in 30-minute increments | - | - | 12-hour automatic shutoff |
| Weight | - | 3.18 lb | 24.03 lb | - |
| Noise | - | - | - | 39 dB, per the manufacturer |
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Best overall for a single room
1. Lasko CT20111
The CT20111 is the easiest heater here to live with day to day: a digital thermostat, a remote, an 8-hour timer, and oscillation that spreads heat instead of aiming it at one spot, all in a tower that fits in a corner.
Verified at $44.99 at Target, checked 2026-08-30, it also carries the strongest rating in this roundup at 4.18 out of 5 from 312 Target reviews. Lasko's 100 to 300 sq. ft. coverage claim is its own estimate, so match it to a bedroom or office rather than an open living area.
Skip it if: you need to heat more than one room at once or want a furniture-style look; the plastic tower design is functional rather than decorative.
Best for a desk or small personal space
2. Lasko 754200
The 754200 does not try to heat a room. At 9.2 inches tall and 3.18 lb, it is meant to sit on a desk or nightstand and warm the person next to it, with an 11-step thermostat that gives finer control than the usual three-setting dial.
We verified it at $39.99 direct from Lasko and $62.59 at Staples, both checked 2026-08-30; Staples also shows a 4.39 out of 5 rating from 28 reviews. Buy Lasko's own price if it matches your total cost after shipping.
Skip it if: you are trying to heat an actual room; Lasko's own coverage estimate caps out at 100 sq. ft., a fraction of what the tower and cabinet heaters here claim.
Best for a quiet bedroom
3. De'Longhi TRD40615T
The TRD40615T has no fan. It heats an internal oil reservoir that radiates warmth into the room, so the only sound is an occasional tick from the metal casing, and De'Longhi says the sealed reservoir never needs refilling.
Verified at $159.95 direct from De'Longhi, checked 2026-08-30, with a 4.1 out of 5 rating from 64 reviews on the same page. It is also the slowest to warm up and, at 24 lb, the heaviest heater here, so it suits a room where it can stay put rather than one it gets carried between.
Skip it if: you want to feel warm air moving or need the room to heat up within a few minutes of switching it on.
Best for a large room
4. Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968
The DR-968 pairs a quartz infrared tube with a PTC element in a cabinet housing, rated by the manufacturer at 39 dB, quieter than a typical fan-driven ceramic tower, with a 12-hour timer and an electronic thermostat you can set between 50 and 85 degrees F.
It matched at $129.99 both direct from Dr. Infrared Heater and at Target, both checked 2026-08-30. The manufacturer's claimed 200 to 500 sq. ft. coverage is the largest in this roundup, though like every coverage figure here it is not independently tested.
Skip it if: you need something light to carry between rooms; at 19 to 20 lb and a cabinet shape, it is meant to stay in one place.
Common questions
Which of these heaters is cheapest to run?
None of them, meaningfully. All four draw 1500 W on their highest setting, and a 1500 W heater converts almost all of that electricity to heat regardless of type. The Lasko 754200 can be run on its 900 W low setting for less draw, but that trades away heat output, not efficiency.
Which one is quietest?
The De'Longhi TRD40615T has no fan at all, so it is the quietest by design. The Dr. Infrared DR-968 is rated by its manufacturer at 39 dB, which is quiet for a fan-assisted heater. Lasko does not publish decibel ratings for the CT20111 or the 754200.
Do I need a heater with a tip-over switch and overheat protection?
Both are worth having on any heater. A tip-over switch cuts power if the unit is knocked over; overheat protection cuts power if an internal sensor detects excess heat even while the unit is standing normally. All four heaters in this guide carry overheat protection, and the DR-968 explicitly adds tip-over protection on top of it.
Is a bigger, more expensive heater always better?
Not if it does not match the space. The De'Longhi and the Dr. Infrared unit cost more and are built for a whole room; the Lasko 754200 costs less because it is only meant to warm the space right around a desk. Buying the wrong size for the room wastes money either way.