The fan’s outer plastic felt cool to the touch, making it a great option for people with kids or pets.

This space-conscious tower heater has a basic design yet blends well into small spaces while heating up the room effectively. Also, it was quiet while operating, but, oddly enough, we found it to be louder while operating on the low setting. Its cool exterior cabinet means you won’t have to worry about accidentally bumping into it, though we think the heater’s compact size and broad base make it pretty noninvasive.

Read on to learn more about our top picks and how to choose the best space heater to keep your home warm this winter. Just keep in mind that the large, electric stove-style appearance may be a bit too clunky for those seeking a more discrete space heater. Other than those two small noise issues, we appreciated the extra safety features and how effectively it warmed up the room. This is in addition to the device’s anti-tipping feature, which worked great in our testing, shutting off immediately when we knocked it over. Most of our top picks use 1,500 watts as their maximum wattage, so you can easily heat a room with them.

But if that's not enough to keep off the chill while you work from home, consider setting up a portable space heater to keep your feet or hands warm while you type. Biermeier lists energy efficiency and an ability to quickly produce a large amount of heat as being the typical benefits of a ceramic heater.Biermeier adds that “despite being considered energy-efficient, the size of the area that they can effectively heat is small for the amount of electricity used. Look for models with automatic shutoffs or temperature regulators, particularly if your space heater will be running frequently or overnight. In testing, the temperature change was noticeable after just a few minutes, with the heater producing a solid, effective stream of hot air. Over the last few years, we've tested 43 space heaters in our lab and evaluated each unit on what’s most important in a space heater: heating performance, design, safety features, noise levels, portability, and value. It's a comfortable warmth that heats the room objects, including you, instead of the air in the room.