Quietest Space Heaters From Consumer Reports' Tests
These models are quiet enough to share a room with
By Mary H.J. Farrell
Of all the appliances you might have in your home, a space heater is probably among the least noisy. Even so, some models are quieter than others—important when a space heater may run constantly while you’re nearby.
CR 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 take two noise measurements with the heater running on its highest setting, explains Chris Regan, who oversees our space heating tests. For the models we’ve tested, the decibel readings range from about 30 dBA to 56 dBA. Most of the space heaters we test have a decibel level in the low- to mid-40s.
“That’s a huge range,” says Les Blomberg, director of the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, a nonprofit that works to reduce noise pollution. By comparison, he says, 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.
Highlights From CR’s Space Heater Tests
Space heaters with fans distribute heat best, but they can be noisy. One of our top-scoring space heaters, the pricey Dyson Pure Hot+Cool HP04, is also one of the noisier models, earning a middling score on that test. Noisier still is the small Honeywell HHF360V, which isn’t nearly as good as the Dyson at either heating a room or directly heating a person.
“Radiator-type space heaters are the quietest because they lack a fan,” says Regan. Although all the radiator-style models in our tests earn an Excellent score for noise, you won’t find any of the oil-filled heaters on our recommended list because they heat up so slowly, missing our benchmark of heating a room in 15 minutes. “Still, if you’re using one in a guest room and can turn it on an hour or two before bedtime, the room will get toasty,” he says.
Here are the five quietest space heaters from our tests that earn at least an Overall Score of Very Good for heating both smaller areas around the heater and the heating the larger space they’re in. These quiet space heaters are listed in order of their noise rating—beginning with the quietest. For more advice on choosing a space heater, check out our free space heater buying guide. And CR members can access our complete space heater ratings to see how all the models we recently tested stack up.
Quiet Space Heaters
Vornado VH10
Noise rating: Excellent
CR’s take: The Vornado VH10 space heater is a champ at heating a room and almost as good at bathing a person in direct heat. It gets top marks in our fire safety test but can be a little warm to the touch, so it’s not the best choice if you have young children or pets. It does have a tip-over switch, which automatically shuts off the heater if it’s knocked over—a great safety feature.
Lasko 5307
Noise rating: Excellent
CR’s take: Whisper-quiet, the Lasko 5307 heats a room and directly heats a person equally well, earning Very Good ratings for both tests. It also performs nicely in our fire safety test, but the surface can get hot enough to cause a burn when it’s on the highest setting. It lacks a tip-over switch, so there are safer choices, although they may not be as quiet.
Vornado VH200
Noise rating: Excellent
CR’s take: Though the Vornado VH200 is super-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 be hot enough to cause a burn when on the highest setting. On the plus side, this model is equipped with a tip-over switch and, at 4 pounds, is very lightweight, making it easier to move around.
Vornado VMH600
Noise rating: Very Good
CR’s take: The quiet Vornado VMH600 tops our spot-heating test while falling just a bit short in room heating. It sports smart safety features that help it earn impressive marks in our fire safety and hot-surface tests. This squat heater is stable and has a tip-over switch, so it’s a good bet for a house with kids or pets. It weighs 10 pounds, and has a fan and remote control.
Comfort Zone CZ499R
Noise rating: Very Good
CR’s take: The relatively quiet Comfort Zone CZ499R space heater gets Excellent marks for both room heating and spot-heating, and its fire safety features are top-notch. Plus, it has a tip-over switch and a handy remote control. But it’s another model that doesn’t do well on our hot-surface test, so you may want to look elsewhere if you have young children.
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