Tiva is a heater brand that first gained popularity through high-rotation TV infomercials and online marketing. They make weatherproof heaters for indoor and outdoor use.
The Tiva instant heater uses an older heater technology – radiant heat – and our trial suggests it’s not completely a dud (if you’re standing right in front of it and it’s angled the right way, it’ll certainly heat you up).
The Tiva Standard Heater costs $339.99 for the standard heater and stand. This is a relatively high price tag and, combined with how awkward it is to use, we think there are better, and cheaper, heating options out there.
TV infomercials rarely undersell the products they’re spruiking, and Tiva calling its 2000W infrared heater “the fastest, warmest indoor/outdoor heater you’ll ever own” is no different.
We bought this instant heater model in 2023 via TV Shop AU for $699.95, which gave us two heaters and one stand as a package (part of a buy one get one free special offer over the phone).
Since then, new iterations of the heater have been released and there are various other packages available, priced from around $299.99 for the standard heater. The price tag still seems quite hefty to us, when you consider you can find similar products available at retailers such as Target and Bunnings for around $100–$200.
What is an infrared heater (also known as a radiant heater)?
Radiant heaters, usually identified by the bright orange light they emit, are designed to directly heat objects (or people) rather than heating the air.
They are therefore often used as an outdoor heating solution, where standard convection heaters would have little impact. You can either buy standalone, column-style radiant heaters or models that can be mounted on a stand or a wall.
Getting the Tiva heater set up
The heater took only two business days to arrive and came in cardboard packaging with minimal plastics to dispose of. The unit has an electric cord on the right-hand side (from the back of the heater), so keep in mind if you’re buying and installing it away from a power point.
The back of the Tiva heater showing bolts to adjust the angle.
The recommendation is to install it straight into a power point, not via a power board or extension cord, which is advice we give for all electric heaters (heaters draw a lot of current which can cause smaller gauge extension cords to heat up and catch fire).
Putting the stand together was only marginally painful. We found that the stand isn’t versatile, with little way to adjust the angle of the heater easily, and it’s also tall (around 190cm), which is problematic – you’ll need a spanner to adjust the angle of the heater, and it doesn’t make for a good experience.
The upper tube that connects to the heater slots into the lower tube part of the stand. This means it feels top-heavy, and with no way to screw in the upper tube to the lower tube, it feels a little dangerous. However, it’s not a problem as long as nothing disturbs the heater stand, but keep watch for children and pets nearby as you might for any heater on a stand. Tools and appropriate screws and bolts are also supplied for a hard install into a wall.
You can change the temperature of the Tiva heater with a remote control or manually on the heater itself. There are four levels to the heater, but not much indication as to what the levels mean in terms of temperature, aside from one being the lowest heat and four being the highest.
There’s also a motion sensor built into the device so when something moves in front of the heater it starts up again, which is useful, but as with anything on standby it’ll still be drawing a trickle of energy.
A closer look at the motion sensor on the Tiva heater.
So does the Tiva instant heater heat you up? Absolutely. Assuming you’re standing in front of it and it’s angled the right way. We tried it out on a very cold deck in mid-winter, and depending on the way we placed it, we could warm up to two people at the highest heat.
But despite the reflective material used at the back of the heater to widen the spread of heat, once something gets in the way of that direct heat you’re suddenly cold again. Like any radiant heat, it heats the thing it’s pointed at and not the surrounding area like a convection heater would.
The advertised advantages of infrared are that it creates instant heat, but these heaters are essentially just radiant heaters. Remember the old radiant heater experience from bathrooms in the ’70s and ’80s?
The Tiva instant heater claims to have an IPX4 rating, which means it protects from splashing water in any direction, which is definitely an advantage in the outdoors. But given the high price tag and awkward ease of use experience, we think it’s worth shopping around as there are cheaper options available that’ll deliver the heating experience you’re looking for.
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Matthew Steen is the Director of Reviews and Testing, which conducts all the testing for CHOICE. He has had a long and storied history in the consumer movement.
Matthew is driven to work at CHOICE for its constitutional mission and its dedication to making Australia more fair, safe and just.
Matthew represents CHOICE as a council member on the Standards Australia Council. He is also responsible for CHOICE lowering its environmental footprint.
Find Matthew on LinkedIn.
Matthew Steen is the Director of Reviews and Testing, which conducts all the testing for CHOICE. He has had a long and storied history in the consumer movement.
Matthew is driven to work at CHOICE for its constitutional mission and its dedication to making Australia more fair, safe and just.
Matthew represents CHOICE as a council member on the Standards Australia Council. He is also responsible for CHOICE lowering its environmental footprint.
Find Matthew on LinkedIn.
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