Portable Electric Heaters: A Buyer’s Guide
Portable electric heaters, warmth that moves with you.
How to choose a portable room heater that actually suits the job: plug in panel radiators, oil filled models and freestanding conversions, with honest wattage guidance and the safety rules that matter.
Plug it in, switch it on, move it when you like.
A portable electric heater, sometimes called a space heater or plug in room heater, is any heater that runs from a standard 13A wall socket with no fixed installation. There is no plumbing, no electrician and no wiring work: you unbox it, stand it on its feet or castors, plug it in and it heats. When the season changes or you move house, it goes with you.
That flexibility is the whole point. A freestanding heater can warm a home office during the day, a bedroom in the evening and a conservatory at the weekend, all without touching your central heating. Modern portable heaters are a long way from the old bar fires: the models in our portable plug in electric heaters range are panel radiators and oil filled radiators with accurate electronic thermostats, 24 hour timers and, on many models, WiFi app control. Because they only draw power when the room is below the set temperature, they meet the same Lot 20 Eco Design efficiency rules as our wall mounted radiators, which is exactly what searches for a freestanding eco electric heater are really asking for.
Match the heater to the job, not the other way round.
Before comparing models, decide what you actually need the heater to do. Most portable heating jobs fall into one of three patterns.
Fast heat, short bursts.
A portable fan heater pushes warm air out within seconds, which makes it tempting for cold mornings. The trade off is noise, a dry draught and a high running cost if it stays on for hours. If you only ever need ten minutes of heat while you get dressed, a small fan heater does the job. For anything longer, a thermostatically controlled panel or oil filled radiator gives quieter, steadier and cheaper warmth.
Whole rooms, whole evenings.
For heating a living room, bedroom or home office for hours at a time, choose a portable panel radiator or oil filled radiator with a thermostat and timer. As a rule of thumb, allow around 80W per square metre of floor space in a typical insulated room, and more in older or draughty rooms. A 10 square metre room therefore wants roughly 800W of output to hold a comfortable temperature.
Conservatories and cold spots.
Conservatories, garden rooms and rarely used spare rooms often just need protecting from the cold rather than heating all day. A freestanding heater with an accurate thermostat can sit on a low setting and only switch on when the temperature drops. Glass loses heat quickly, so for a conservatory in regular use size generously and use the timer so the room is warm before you walk in.
Small portable electric heaters, built like radiators.
Every heater below stands on the floor, plugs straight in and includes an electronic thermostat and timer. WiFi models add full app scheduling from your phone.
| Heater | Control | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADAX Neo Electric Panel Heater, Portable / Freestanding | Thermostat and timer | £169.00 | View |
| ADAX Neo Low Profile Electric Panel Heater, Portable / Freestanding | Thermostat and timer | £180.00 | View |
| ADAX Neo WiFi Electric Heater, Freestanding / Portable | WiFi app, thermostat and timer | £224.00 | View |
| Adax Neo WiFi Low Profile Portable Electric Radiator | WiFi app, thermostat and timer | £235.00 | View |
| ADAX Clea WiFi Glass Electric Heater, Portable / Freestanding | WiFi app, thermostat and timer | £234.00 | View |
| Smart WiFi Oil-Filled Electric Radiator, Wall Mounted or Portable | WiFi app, voice control, timer | £109.00 | View |
The ADAX Neo is the classic choice: a slim Norwegian panel heater that looks like a modern radiator rather than an appliance, with a low profile version for under windows. The Clea WiFi brings a sleek glass front for anyone searching for portable electric fires with a more architectural look, and the Smart WiFi oil filled radiator holds its heat after switching off, which suits bedrooms. Browse all 11 models in the portable plug in electric heaters category, part of our full range of electric heaters and electric radiators.
One heater. Wall mounted in winter, wheeled where needed.
You do not always have to choose between a fixed radiator and a portable one. Several of our wall mounted panel heaters are designed to work both ways, so the same heater can hang on a bracket as a permanent radiator or stand on the floor as a plug in heater for whichever room needs it.
The Caldo WiFi electric heater (£123.00) is a slimline panel radiator supplied for wall mounting, and the optional Caldo leg brackets (£28.00) convert it to a freestanding heater whenever you want the flexibility. The Vitra WiFi electric panel heater (£70.00) offers the same wall mounted or portable choice at our lowest price point, and its sister model, the Vitra Verde WiFi (£137.70), is the Lot 20 compliant wall mounted version for a permanent spot. If you know the heater will stay fixed, the wall only SolAire Lyndo WiFi (£136.00) is another energy efficient option with thermostat and timer.
A convertible heater is a genuinely good answer to the portable heating system question: buy one well made radiator, mount it for the heating season, then unhook it and stand it in the conservatory or home office when plans change.
Five minutes of sense that keeps a portable heater safe.
Stable, clear, uncovered.
Stand the heater on a firm, level floor where it cannot be knocked over, and keep curtains, bedding and furniture well clear of the heat outlet. Never drape washing or towels over a portable heater and never use it to dry clothes. Check the flex is routed where nobody will trip over it, and switch the heater off before you move it.
Straight into the wall.
Plug a portable heater directly into a wall socket. Do not run high wattage heaters from extension leads, adaptors or multi way strips: a heater drawing 1000W or more for hours can overheat a lead that would happily run a lamp. If you smell warm plastic at the plug or socket, switch off and have the socket checked.
Right heater, right room.
Plug in portable heaters are not for bathrooms: UK wiring regulations (BS 7671) restrict what can be used near baths and showers, and bathroom heating should be a fixed, appropriately IP rated appliance installed under Part P. Use portables in dry rooms, avoid leaving them running unattended for long periods, and let the thermostat, rather than a constantly running element, hold the temperature.
Before you buy.
What size portable heater do I need for my room?
Allow roughly 80W per square metre of floor space in a typically insulated room, so around 800W for a 10 square metre room and 1600W, in practice a 2000W model, for a large living room. Add a margin for older properties, high ceilings and conservatories, which lose heat faster. A thermostat means a slightly larger heater costs no more to run: it simply reaches temperature sooner and then cycles off.
Are portable electric heaters expensive to run?
Every electric heater converts essentially all the electricity it draws into heat, so running cost depends on wattage, hours of use and your tariff, not on marketing claims. The real savings come from control: a thermostat stops the heater once the room is warm, and a timer stops you heating empty rooms. That is why all our portable models include both, and why the WiFi versions let you schedule and adjust from your phone.
Do portable heaters have thermostats?
The good ones do. Every small space heater with thermostat control in our range uses an accurate electronic thermostat with 24 hour timer programs, and the WiFi models add full app scheduling and adjustment room by room. Cheap heaters with only a crude dial tend to overshoot the target temperature and waste electricity.
What is the difference between a fan heater and a panel heater?
A fan heater blows air over a hot element, so it heats fast but runs noisily and stops helping the moment it switches off. A panel radiator warms the air by convection and radiant heat, silently and evenly, and an oil filled radiator goes on releasing warmth after the power cuts out. For all day or all evening use, panel and oil filled models are the more comfortable and economical choice.
Can I use a portable heater in a conservatory?
Yes, and it is one of the best uses for one, since many conservatories have no fixed heating at all. Choose a freestanding model with a thermostat and timer, size it generously because glass loses heat quickly, and use a frost setting in winter to protect plants and plumbing. A convertible heater such as the Caldo or Vitra can serve the conservatory in summer and a wall in winter.
Can a space heater be solar powered?
Not practically as a plug and play product. Heating draws far more power than a small solar panel can supply, so there is no meaningful solar powered space heater on the market. If you have home solar panels with battery storage, running an efficient thermostatically controlled electric heater from that stored energy is the realistic route.
Is delivery free?
Yes. Free next working day delivery applies to mainland UK and Isle of Man orders. Call 01325 717 899 for delivery to other areas or for help choosing the right portable heater.
Ready for heat you can carry?
Every portable plug in electric heater in one place, with thermostats, timers and WiFi control. Free next working day delivery to mainland UK and Isle of Man, or call 01325 717 899 for advice.
Shop Portable Electric HeatersThis guide is part of our full buying guide library. You may also find Electric Heater Running Costs: What You Will Really Pay and Bathroom Heating: What Is Safe and What Works useful next.