Review: Roundup: Space Heaters

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Your abode is nippier than a yorkiepoo, and you're actually considering a Snuggie. Try a space heater instead. We put four through hell to see how they held up under fire.

Roundup: Space Heaters

Learn How We Rate ##### Wired

Eye-pleasing style. No floor clutter. You can enjoy the fake fire sans heat.

Roundup:

• 1/10A complete failure in every way
• 2/10Sad, really
• 3/10Serious flaws; proceed with caution
• 4/10Downsides outweigh upsides
• 5/10Recommended with reservations
• 6/10Solid with some issues
• 7/10Very good, but not quite great
• 8/10Excellent, with room to kvetch
• 9/10Nearly flawless
• 10/10Metaphysical perfection

1. De'Longhi Mica Panel
Along with passive convection heating for lasting coziness, this unit has an infrared panel that radiates an almost instant beam of life-giving warmth. Our test-room temperature shot up 4 degrees in 30 minutes. Just 2 inches thick and weighing a mere 11 pounds, the Mica can be mounted on a wall to keep its piping hot grille away from little fingers and paws. We preferred to slap on the wheels and drag it around the house like an IV.

2. Dimplex Sahara Electric Fireplace
This faux fireplace hangs on your wall like a painting. Flick the remote and real-looking flames leap from the triple-toned sand — instant ambience for your bachelorette pad. But the warmth actually comes from an electric coil inside the 28 x 40-inch aluminum and steel frame. With the fan, it can make a large room toasty in 40 minutes (though the whooshing sound could be a mood killer). Choose your location wisely; at about 60 pounds, it doesn't move easily.

3. Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater
The lap of luxury comes cheap when you've got the Lasko Tower Heater. Imagine this scenario: You wake up, hit Snooze, and program the perfect clime from the snugness of your bed — so getting out of it 20 minutes later is downright pleasant. As the ceramic plates inside the tower heat up, a fan pushes hot air out the front; an optional oscillating action spreads the gladness to all bodies in the vicinity.

WIRED Flexible timer can be set to turn off in one to seven hours. Electronic display indicates when set temperature is achieved.

TIRED Fan noise. Settings are in 5-degree intervals, from 60 to 85, but sometimes you just want a perfect 72 degrees, dammit.

$60, Laskoproducts.com

4. Sunbeam Low Profile Heater
The Low Profile is aptly named; measuring about a foot high and 7 inches front to back, it tucks away nicely against a baseboard. Like the De'Longhi, it has no fan, so there's no noise, no stirring up dust, and no messing with a room's moisture content. The trade-off is that you don't get the immediate thaw offered by the other models on this page.

WIRED EcoSmart mode is pretty clever: It toggles between 1,500 and 750 watts to save power while providing steady heat throughout the day.

TIRED Timer options are limited to four, eight, and 12 hours. Keep an eye on dogs, cats, and rug rats — the metal shell sizzles. Our test unit flatlined after half a day; fortunately, Sunbeam provides a one-year warranty.

$60, Sunbeam.com