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How we test electric heaters
We test electric heaters in the lab, so you’ll know which ones heat up a room fast and don’t waste energy (or your money).
Last updated: 18 Aug 2025
You can’t tell from the outside which electric heaters are great performers, so we test them under lab conditions for:
- Heating performance
- Energy efficiency
- Electrical safety
We also assess their controls, stability, and how easy they are to move around so you know what they’re like to live with.
Why you can trust our independent testing
How does CHOICE pick which electric heaters to test?
Types tested: Convection and column heaters.
We aim to test the most popular brands and types on the market, and what you’re most likely to see in shops. To do this, we:
- Survey manufacturers to find out about their range of products.
- Check market sales information.
- Check member requests to test specific models.
We then buy each product, just as you would. We do this so we can be sure the products are the same as any consumer would find them, not ‘tweaked’ for better performance.
How does CHOICE test electric heaters in the lab?
Heating performance
Key tests include
- Heating speed
To test how well electric heaters do their main job of heating a chilly room quickly, we measure how long each heater takes to raise the temperature of an 8°C room. Excellent heaters can raise the temperature by 5°C in 7 or 8 minutes. The best ones can raise it by 10°C in less than 30 minutes.
- Heat evenness
To test how evenly heat is spread around the room, we place sensors at different points and measure temperature. Excellent heaters spread heat well, with less than 2°C difference in temperature between points. That means you won’t have to sit right next to them to get warm.
- Thermostat
To test how consistent the temperature in the room stays, we measure thermostat performance, or how well the thermostat controls variations in the room’s average temperature. Good performers stay within one degree of the set temperature.
Energy efficiency
We measure efficiency based on the power the heater uses vs the temperature achieved, compared to other electric heaters. A model that’s only OK for efficiency may heat the room effectively but cost you more to run.
Safety
We check heaters’ cord anchorage to ensure the power cord is securely connected. We test the surface temperature of the heater, to make sure it’s not dangerous to touch.
We check the heater’s stability, to see if it tips over too easily. Then we lie it on its side, to simulate it being knocked over, and check the tilt switch or thermal cut-out feature shuts the heater off quickly for your safety.
Ease of use
So we can give you a practical idea of what a heater is like, testers also assess ease of use.
They look at controls, stability, ease of moving the heater around and whether or not it’s easy to clean, to get an idea of what it’s like to operate and own.
Who does the testing?
Most CHOICE product reviews are conducted in our own test labs, but when a test calls for skills or equipment that we don’t have, and that aren’t cost-effective for us to obtain, we partner with other expert, accredited labs.
Heaters are tested in an external lab, to a program we’ve specified.
