A space heater is an affordable way to warm open living space. Modern houses and apartments have one thing in common – open spaces that make your small homes feel bigger and spacious. However, the real challenge is to warm 500 to 1000 square feet of open space in cold, chilling winters.
Read along to learn about the features of the best heater for 500 square feet and above. Furthermore, we have compiled a bonus buying guide to facilitate you to select the best space heater for 1000 square feet.
The Best Large Room (500-1000 Sq. Ft.) Space Heaters
You often find yourself at the crossroads while selecting a space heater with numerous models available in the market ranging from gas to electricity or infrared heaters.
After reading the below review of the best heaters for 500 square feet and more, you’ll be able to make a well-informed decision about buying a suitable heater.
1. Dr Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater
The Dr. Infrared space heater is a featureful space heater with auto energy-saving mode, tip-over protection, and overheat protection. The dual heating system combines both convection and infrared heat that efficiently distributes warm air around the room.
The Dr. Infrared space heater features a distinct square wood casing design similar to a vintage speaker. Moreover, the wheels at the bottom of this 24 pounds heater allow you to move it from one room to another.
The heater’s control panel comes with power, standby, mode, and up and down arrows to adjust the temperature. The good news is you can adjust the target temperature between 50 to 85 degrees.
Additionally, you can select any three power modes – high for 1,500-watt operation, low for 1,000 watts, and eco to save energy. However, the heater itself selects high or low power modes in the eco mode to warn the room.
2. Mr Heater 30,000 BTU Natural Gas Heater
The Mr. Heater natural gas heater is a convection heater with a blue flame burner. It offers a dynamic design that includes legs and wall mounting hardware. This CSA-certified heater comes with an automatic low oxygen shut-off system featuring an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS).
You can adjust the target temperature using the thermostat. The cherry on top is the battery-powered electronic ignition that starts the heater in no time.
It depends on you to mount the heater on the wall using the mounting brackets and fasteners included in the box. Alternatively, you can place the heater on the floor.
However, this heater doesn’t come with wheels, unlike the previously reviewed heater. The absence of wheels certainly makes portability a challenging task as you need to lift and carry the heater to another room.
3. Heat Storm WiFi Wall Mounted Heater
The Heat Storm wall-mounted heater is one of the best heaters for 500 square feet and above, featuring advanced Wifi technology that allows you to set the temperature, schedules and enable child lock from your smartphone.
It means you don’t need to use a remote control or the heater’s control panel; instead, you can use the Wifi connection to control the heater. You can select the temperature between the range of 49 F degrees to 99F degrees.
The Heat Storm heater features a clean and compact design with a weight of less than eight pounds. Moreover, the safe touch grill doesn’t feel hot or burn your skin if you accidentally touch the heater. This safe heater has got it all under control with the automatic shut-off function that turns off the heater if it tips over.
One thing you should know about this heater is that you can mount it on the wall only. Unfortunately, the design doesn’t allow you to place the heater on the floor.
4. NewAir Portable Electric Garage Heater
If you want to buy a long-lasting space heater, the NewAir portable electric heater is the best choice for you.
It’s made of sturdy material that can withstand rough and challenging work conditions. Courtesy of the heavy-duty handle, you can carry this 15 pounds heater anywhere. In addition, you can use the adjustable louvers if you want to direct the heat anywhere in your room or garage.
The NewAir heater comes with overheating protection to ensure your safety. The 5,000 watts of power warms a space of up to 500 square feet. Moreover, you can use the single-pole thermostat to control and adjust the temperature.
The heater comes with mounting brackets to install on the wall or the ceiling in your busy garage, so no one trips over.
5. LifeSmart Infrared Electric Heater
The LifeSmart infrared electric heater features eight infrared quartz elements of 1,500 watts to warm up to 1000 square feet of large spaces. Moreover, it offers an even distribution of clean heat throughout the room because of quartz elements.
You can select any of the three power settings, including high, low, and eco, in addition to adjusting the temperature using a thermostat. It means you can set the temperature at 68 degrees while regulating the power consumption.
This elegant heater features a rectangular shape with infrared elements on the top and an LED screen in the middle. You don’t have to lift and carry this heater, courtesy of the easy gliding casters.
The LifeSmart heater comes with remote control with a thermostat and innovative dual-timer settings. It means you can keep the heater either on or off for the next 12 hours with the set it and forget it timer.
6. Dr Heater Garage Commercial Heater
The Dr. Heater garage heater is a powerful commercial heater with a built-in thermostat and auto-shut-off feature. This heater features spiral steel electric heating elements that ensure uniform distribution of warm air. Furthermore, these heating elements coupled with the eight-inch fan maximize the warm airflow with the least noise.
The Dr. Heater commercial heater comes with a sturdy ball-bearing motor with permanent lubrication to ensure longevity and lesser maintenance. Furthermore, a stamped steel front cover seals the fan perfectly to ensure your safety. The good news is you can adjust the louvers in five ways to regulate and direct the airflow.
The heater comes with the ceiling and wall mounting brackets, so you don’t have to spend extra money buying them. To sum up, you can use the Dr. Heater commercial heater as your primary or supplementary heating source in hospitals, schools, garages, or workshops.
7. Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove Heater
If you want to buy a stylish stove heater that adds to the overall aesthetics of your living room, the Duraflame fireplace stove heater is a perfect choice for you. It’s essentially a 5,200 BTU heater offering infrared quartz heat. This way, you can maintain the humidity within your room without removing all the moisture.
One of the most distinctive features of the Duraflame stove heater is the 3D flame effect technology, featuring realistic dancing flames to replicate an original fireplace. Not only that, but you can adjust the brightness, speed, and color of the flames and set the mode of your living room accordingly.
The Duraflame stove heater comes with overheat protection that automatically shuts off the heater. You can use the digital thermostat to adjust the temperature while watching the flames dancing around the wooden logs.
Buying Considerations – Space Heaters for Coverage Area from 500 to 1000 Sq. Ft.
After reading the above reviews, you are convinced that the best way to heat 1000 sq ft is to buy a reliable heater. However, the question under discussion is which type of space heater fulfills the heating requirement when the temperature gets too low.
That’s why it’s essential to discuss the types of space heaters available in the market and their comparison.
Common Types of Space Heaters
There are the following two types of space heaters based on the heating mechanism:
Radiant Space Heater
As the name suggests, the radiant heater uses rays, such as infrared, to warm both indoor and outdoor spaces. In addition, it’s an energy-saving heater that ensures silent operation.
However, the downside of the radiant space heater is the fire hazard. That’s why you shouldn’t leave the heater on while sleeping.
The good news is advanced radiant space heater models come with safety features to ensure your safety and protection.
Infrared, halogen, and quartz are the most commonly used electric radiant heaters. However, you can also buy gas-burning radiant heaters that use natural gas, kerosene, or propane.
Convection Space Heater
A convection space heater works on the principle of warming the air around. The heater produces hot air that circulates in the surroundings to warm the room.
For instance, a ceramic heater is one of the most commonly used convection space heaters. Electricity heats the ceramic plates while the fan blows the hot air into the room.
A convection space heater is an apt choice to heat large spaces of up to 1000 square feet efficiently. Not only that, but these space heaters are portable, allowing you to place them anywhere in the room.
On the downside, the convection heaters have louder operations compared to radiant heaters.
Other than ceramic heaters, some convection heaters use water or oil, while some heaters use fuel.
Read Also: Difference Between Infrared and Ceramic Space Heaters
Space
First, you need to ensure that the heater you buy can heat large rooms and spaces from 500 to 1000 square feet. The general rule of thumb is that one square foot requires 10 wattages to warm the space. So it means you need at least 5,000 watts to warm a 500 square feet area. Similarly, a 1,000 watts heater is sufficient for a 1,000 square feet area.
Additionally, you can do some calculations by multiplying the wattage ratings of the space heater by 3.41 to get the thermal heat in BTU. Hence, 5,000 watts multiplied by 3.41 is equivalent to 17,050 BTUs. Therefore, it implies you should buy a space heater that offers 17,050 BTUs of thermal heat to warm 500 square feet.
Rooms with heavy insulation require space heaters of less power to warm them. In such a case, 7.5 watts per square foot will be sufficient instead of ten watts. However, you need more power to warm rooms with no insulation.
Protection
Keeping your family warm and safe is your topmost priority while buying a space heater. The good news is many heaters include a shut-off feature that turns off the unit automatically if someone accidentally tips over.
You should also check for the features such as overheat protection and cool-touch surface.
Control
The controls on the space heater’s interface should be user-friendly with straightforward options. Moreover, a touch screen allows people to adjust the target temperature while monitoring the actual room temperature on the LED.
Many space heaters also allow you to set a timer to switch off the heater after the set interval automatically.
Lastly, many people prefer a remote control to adjust the settings without leaving the couch.
Eco Mode
It’s an advanced technology that allows you to save energy by running the heater at lesser power or watts. Many people don’t like the heaters to blow warm air at full speed. So here comes the eco-mode or energy-saving mode into play to minimize your energy cost.
Conclusion
Winters mean reading a book snuggled in a blanket in front of a space heater. However, if you don’t want to shiver in the coming winters, you can buy any of the best heaters for 500 square feet and above, discussed in this review.
A gas or electric heater can help you warm your basement or heat large rooms and spaces from 500 to 1000 square feet. Not only that, but it also helps you save electricity bills, courtesy of its targeted warmth to a specific room.
