Ceramic vs Radiant Heater [Which One’s Better & WHY]

Dominic Mitton
By Dominic  • Reviewed by Ben  • Updated:   January 16, 2024
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You may be considering buying a ceramic or radiant heater and don’t want to rush.

Choosing between those two was the most frustrating thing I’ve done.

As I know how hard it is to choose between them, I prepared a guide for you to choose which one fits your needs.

Let’s first talk about their differences, and then I’ll cover the benefits and drawbacks of ceramic and radiant heaters.

Difference Between Ceramic and Radiant Heaters?

The main difference between these two is the principle of how they work and distribute heat.

Ceramic heaters work on the convection principle, which means they heat up the air with ceramic and then distribute the warm air throughout the home.

There are two different models: regular models and fan-aided models.

I would always recommend fan-aided models for bigger rooms.

Radiant heaters don’t heat up the space like ceramic heaters; they heat up “things.”

You should consider buying one if you’re looking for “laser-focused” heating.

Also, they come in two variations: wall-mounted and stand-and-swivel.

Benefits of Ceramic Heaters

Portable

It’s incredible how you can easily move ceramic heaters from one place to another without burning yourself or damaging your home.

You can always heat multiple rooms; ceramic heaters don’t take long to heat the whole room.

Safe

Most ceramic heaters nowadays have overheating protection, making your home safe.

Also, specific models have protection grills that protect your kids and pets from burning themselves.

Economic

They are very economical and don’t require much energy to run.

Ceramic heaters are the perfect solution if you’re on a tight budget and don’t want a huge monthly electricity bill attached.

You should look at the most energy-efficient space heaters on the market.

Powerful

Although they’re not as strong as smart space heaters, they can still heat the rooms of your house quickly.

From my experience, they are stronger than radiant heaters and can heat the house quickly.

If you can’t choose the right ceramic heater for your home, I have an honest recommendation that I have used for more than three years.

Recommended Ceramic Heater: Lasko 751320

Our Pick
Lasko 751320 Ceramic Tower Space Heater with Remote Control
$74.99 $58.08


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12/05/2024 12:32 am GMT

This is the best and most quality ceramic heater – no wonder it’s so popular on the market.

First, I must mention the auto-off timer function that allows you to heat the home even while you’re not there.

I love how it has a thermostat, which is rare in ceramic tower heaters.

It has overheating protection and is easy to move around all the rooms because of its carry handle.

However, you should use it for rooms up to 350 sq. ft. for the best performance.

I highly recommend this portable space heater if you’re on a budget.

What You Might Not Like About Ceramic Heaters 

Ceramic heaters have a lot of advantages, but they are not perfect and lack a couple of things.

The first thing you might not like is that you shouldn’t use them as your primary heating source.

Yes, they are powerful, but they’re meant to be your second heating source.

The second thing you probably won’t like is the temperature settings.

The problem is that you have 5-8 different temperatures that you can choose from, and you can’t choose the temperature you might want.

Another thing that you may consider a weakness of ceramic heaters is that they only work best in spaces with good insulation and minimal outside airflow. If the space has poor insulation or cold air is flowing in, ceramic heaters may struggle to warm up the space.

Radiant heaters using infrared radiation are a better choice as they aren’t affected by wind or poor insulation.

Benefits of Radiant Heaters

Space Friendly

Radiant heaters usually take up very little space or can be wall-mounted, so they won’t even take any of your floor space.

They can fit into your household design because of their size.

Clean Heating

They don’t produce any smoke or any smell because they run only off electricity.

They don’t produce ash or dust, so you don’t have to clean them every now and then to maintain them.

This might be the most significant benefit of radiant heaters if you have a dust allergy.

Smart

Some radiant heaters even have a WiFi option so that you can control them over your smartphone.

You can control everything, including temperature, automatic shutdown, speed level, and more, just by using your phone.

I believe radiant heaters became popular because of their advanced technology.

Let me tell you more about the best radiant heater on the market.

Recommended Radiant Heater: Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX

Our Pick
Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX-WIFI Infrared Heater, Wifi Wall Mounted
$103.68 $93.35
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This is one of the smartest heaters with built-in Wi-Fi technology that allows you to control everything through your smartphone.

It’s a wall-mounted model so it won’t take any of your floor space. It makes it even safer for kids and pets.

You can even control it with your voice, so you have to integrate it with Alexa or Google Assistant – this tells you a lot about its advanced technology.

If you’re interested in this fantastic radiant heater, you should find five reasons to buy a Heat Storm heater.

The Downside of Radiant Heaters

Radiant heaters are a great solution, but they have some disadvantages that I dislike and bother me.

What frustrates me is how they’re not as durable as ceramic heaters – I’m not talking about all models, but most of them.

Also, I noticed that ceramic heaters heat the room much faster than radiant heaters.

They’re very good, but these two things are what I would call the “downside” of radiant heaters.

So, Which One Is Better?

As you’ve learned in this article, they both have their own advantages and downsides.

If you want to heat a bigger room, use ceramic heaters.

However, if you’re a tech guy and like innovative features – you should go with radiant heaters.

Choose carefully based on your needs and your own requirements. Only in that way will you know which one fits you better.

If you have other issues with your heating, you can always get professional heating services to inspect your home, or feel free to call an HVAC technician by submitting a form here.

Hey there! I am Benas, the founder and content editor at Home Caprice. Thanks for reading the article. I hope you were able to find what you were looking for. I and my team are here to simplify heating and cooling for everyone. Please have a look at the About page for more details about our website and feel free to check out our editorial process.