A space heater is a simple promise: warm the room without starting a fire or wrecking the power bill. We scored seven and the winner is the Vornado AVH10, with an SR Score of 88, because it heats a whole room evenly with the safety features that matter, at a sensible price. If you want a more striking design for less money, the Dreo Solaris 718 (86) is the runner-up.
The ranking
| Rank | Model | Best for | Price | SR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vornado AVH10 | Whole-room heating | ~$100 | 88 |
| 2 | Dreo Solaris 718 | Design + value | ~$110 | 86 |
| 3 | Dreo Atom One | Budget pick | ~$45 | 83 |
| 4 | De’Longhi TRD40615E | Silent bedroom | ~$100 | 82 |
| 5 | Dyson Hot+Cool HP07 | Heat + air purify | ~$550 | 81 |
| 6 | Lasko Ellipse Ceramic | Tabletop oscillating | ~$50 | 78 |
| 7 | Lasko 754200 Ceramic | Cheapest useful | ~$30 | 75 |
Methodology
The Home Score v2026 rubric weights five criteria that sum to 100:
- Heating performance (30) — how fast and evenly it warms a room.
- Value for money (25) — warmth and features per dollar.
- Safety (20) — tip-over shutoff, overheat protection, cool housing.
- Features & ease (15) — thermostat, oscillation, remote, timer.
- Reputation & reviews (10) — owner ratings and lab testing.
Heating leads because that is the job; safety is weighted heavily because a heater is a fire-risk appliance. Re-weight toward Value and the Dreo Atom One and Lasko climb; toward Features and the Dyson and Dreo Solaris rise.
Vornado AVH10
The whole-room pick. Vortex circulation pushes heat across the entire room rather than just the area in front of it, with tip-over and overheat shutoff and an adjustable thermostat. Around $100.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Heating performance | 28/30 |
| Value for money | 23/25 |
| Safety | 18/20 |
| Features & ease | 11/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: no oscillation and the fan is audible.
Dreo Solaris 718
The design-and-value pick. A sleek tower with strong heating, oscillation, a remote, and a clean digital interface at a fair price. Around $110.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Heating performance | 26/30 |
| Value for money | 23/25 |
| Safety | 17/20 |
| Features & ease | 13/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 7/10 |
Trade-off: a newer brand with a shorter track record than Vornado.
Dreo Atom One
The budget champion. A compact heater that raised a room about 10 degrees in an hour in testing, matching pricier units, for under $50.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Heating performance | 24/30 |
| Value for money | 25/25 |
| Safety | 16/20 |
| Features & ease | 11/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 7/10 |
Trade-off: small footprint covers a smaller area than the tower models.
De’Longhi TRD40615E
The silent radiator. An oil-filled radiant heater that produces zero operational noise and holds steady warmth, ideal for bedrooms. Around $100.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Heating performance | 24/30 |
| Value for money | 21/25 |
| Safety | 18/20 |
| Features & ease | 11/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: heats up slowly compared with ceramic fan heaters.
Dyson Hot+Cool HP07
The premium multitasker. Bladeless heating plus HEPA air purification and a cooling fan mode, with smart controls. Around $550. It raised a room about 10 degrees in an hour, matching cheaper heaters.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Heating performance | 24/30 |
| Value for money | 14/25 |
| Safety | 19/20 |
| Features & ease | 14/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: you pay mostly for the purifier and design, not better heating.
Lasko Ellipse Ceramic
The oscillating tabletop. Oscillation, a digital thermostat, timer, and remote in a compact unit for around $50.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Heating performance | 22/30 |
| Value for money | 22/25 |
| Safety | 15/20 |
| Features & ease | 13/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 6/10 |
Trade-off: build quality feels less premium than the Vornado or De’Longhi.
Lasko 754200 Ceramic
The cheapest useful heater. A compact ceramic unit with adjustable thermostat and overheat protection for around $30.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Heating performance | 21/30 |
| Value for money | 23/25 |
| Safety | 15/20 |
| Features & ease | 9/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 6/10 |
Trade-off: small coverage, basic controls, and louder than premium picks.
Verification
- Vornado AVH10 — vortex heating, tip-over/overheat shutoff, ~$100 verified via CNN Underscored and TechGearLab.
- Dreo Solaris 718 — tower with oscillation and remote verified via Product Review Crew and Dreo listings.
- Dreo Atom One — ~$45, 10°F/hr rise verified via CNN Underscored testing.
- De’Longhi TRD40615E — silent oil-filled radiant verified via TechGearLab and De’Longhi listings.
- Dyson Hot+Cool HP07 — HEPA + heat, 10°F/hr rise, ~$550 verified via CNN Underscored.
- Lasko Ellipse Ceramic — oscillation, thermostat, remote verified via CNN Underscored.
- Lasko 754200 Ceramic — compact ceramic, ~$30 verified via Lasko retail listings.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the best space heater in 2026?
- The Vornado AVH10 is the best for most spaces: it heats a whole room evenly with vortex circulation, includes the core safety features, and is priced reasonably. The Dreo Solaris 718 is a strong, more affordable runner-up with a sleek design.
- Are space heaters safe to leave on?
- Modern picks include tip-over shutoff and overheat protection, which the Vornado AVH10 and Dreo models have. Even so, do not leave a heater unattended overnight or plug it into a power strip; use a wall outlet and keep it clear of fabric.
- Ceramic, radiant, or fan heater?
- Ceramic fan heaters like the Vornado warm a whole room fast. Radiant oil-filled heaters like the De'Longhi TRD40615E run silently and hold heat well for bedrooms. Choose ceramic for speed, radiant for quiet steady warmth.
- Is the Dyson Hot+Cool worth $500?
- It raised a room about 10 degrees in an hour in testing, matching far cheaper heaters, and adds HEPA purification and bladeless safety. You pay mostly for the air purifier and design, not superior heating.
- How many watts does a space heater use?
- Most plug-in electric heaters draw about 1,500 watts on high, the maximum for a standard US outlet. That is the figure to expect on your power bill; lower settings cut both heat output and cost.