6 Quietest Space Heaters From Our Tests
These models from Midea, PureGuardian, and Vornado turn up the heat but not the noise
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Of all the appliances in your home, a space heater is probably among the quietest. But unlike a dishwasher or vacuum, the hum of a space heater is pretty much constant—and often just a few feet away. So it makes sense to choose a quiet one.
But that’s not as easy as it seems. As we’ve found in our tests, the top-performing space heaters aren’t necessarily the quietest. In fact, some of the quietest space heaters are among our lowest-rated when it comes to keeping you warm.
Fanless models are typically quieter, but they struggle with heat distribution and receive lower room heating scores, says Samantha Ostrander, who oversees CR’s space heater lab. But “noisy” is relative. “Even the loudest space heaters aren’t that noisy, so it’s best to choose a space heater based on its heating performance first, and then look at the noise score,” Ostrander says.
Space heaters with fans distribute heat most efficiently, but they tend to be noisiest. Three of our top-scoring space heaters—the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1, Honeywell HCE323V, and Vornado EH1-0212-43—are among the noisiest models we tested. But all three notched an excellent score for room heating in our ratings.
CR’s engineers measure sound by positioning a sound meter at a “working distance” from the source of the noise, which varies from product to product. For space heaters, we clip a microphone to a test dummy and place the appliance 4.5 feet away on the floor. We then take two noise measurements with the heater running on its highest setting.
For the models we’ve tested, the decibel readings range from 20.23 dBA to 56.3 dBA. Most of the space heaters we’ve tested have a decibel level in the mid-40s, averaging 47.28 dBA. According to Les Blomberg, director of the nonprofit Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, the level of background noise in a typical house ranges between 25 dBA and 40 dBA. “The quietest heaters fit into that background noise, but anything above that will be the dominant sound of your environment,” he says.
Here, in alphabetical order, are six high-performing space heaters that are also among the quietest we’ve tested. Each earned an excellent or very good rating for both overall room-heating and spot-heating. They all feature a thermostatic control that enables you to set a desired temperature, and they’re rated excellent for noise, meaning they’ll barely make a peep while keeping you toasty.
For more advice on selecting a space heater, refer to our free space heater buying guide. And CR members can access our complete space heater ratings to see how all of the models we recently tested stack up.
At 16 pounds, the Midea MSF15AH6LB is among the heavier space heaters in our ratings, but it’s also one of the quietest. Along with excellent noise and fire safety scores, this heater is very good at heating a standard room and spot-heating people within 15 minutes. You’ll need to make room for this space heater, which features a tip-over switch, an oscillating fan, and a remote control. It comes with a two-year warranty.
A breeze to operate, the super-quiet PureGuardian HTR410B is very good at heating a standard-sized room and excellent at thawing you out when the chill is on. It has a multispeed oscillating fan with a remote control and a timer. Our tests show that it poses a hot-surface burn risk on the highest setting if accidentally bumped into, but it features a tip-over switch and an excellent fire safety rating.
The Vornado MVH Whole Room Heater isn’t among the highest-rated models, but it earns very good scores for both room-heating and spot-heating. Even with its fan, this heater is another exceptionally quiet model from the brand, receiving an excellent rating for its minimal noise. Lightweight at just over 4 pounds, it boasts an excellent fire safety rating, thanks to its tip-over safety switch. But on the highest setting, its heat exhaust outlet becomes warm enough to pose a burn risk, so keep it away from children and pets. It comes with a five-year warranty.
The quietest space heater in our ratings, the Vornado VH10, is a champ at heating a room and almost as good at bathing a person in direct heat. It features a stationary fan and a thermostat control, allowing you to adjust the heat level. It also earns top marks in our fire safety test, but its heat exhaust outlet can be hot to the touch, so keep young children or pets away. It features a tip-over switch, which automatically shuts off the heater if it’s knocked over, a great safety feature.
Although the Vornado VH200 is extremely quiet and boasts an excellent spot-heating score, it does have some drawbacks. It doesn’t fare well in our hot-surface test, which means it can become hot enough to cause a burn when set to the highest setting. CR’s testers also found its controls to be a bit tricky to use. On the plus side, this model is equipped with a tip-over switch and, at 4 pounds, is very lightweight, making it easy to move around. And along with its generous five-year warranty, its price is right, too.
One of the quietest (and priciest) small heaters in our tests, the Vornado VMHi600 earns an excellent score for spot-heating an individual quickly, and it does a very good job of heating a standard-sized room within 15 minutes. This Green Choice radiant heater also boasts an excellent fire safety score, thanks to its tip-over switch and a timer that allows you to program the heater’s on and off times. It weighs 10 pounds and has an easy-to-use fan and a remote control. Another plus is Vornado’s five-year warranty. But be cautious of its heat-exhaust outlet, which can cause burns if touched.
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