Best Bathroom Heater Reviews 2017

Bathroom heaters can make bathing bearable in winter

We all know that feeling. You’ve just had a relaxing, warm shower and as soon as you open that shower door, all the heat rushes out and you’re left standing in the chilly air, rushing to finish. If this scene sounds familiar to you then maybe it’s time to consider a bathroom heater.

Bathroom heaters are a great way to heat your bathroom without having to run your entire central heating system in the morning. They will keep your bathroom nice and warm and you will notice your energy bills drop in the colder months. Plus, your morning shower will be far more enjoyable.

Best Bathroom Heater Buying Guide

Buying a bathroom heater can be a daunting task as there are so many things you must consider:

• How do I decide which type to buy?
• Where should I put it?
• Will it heat my entire bathroom?
• Can I fit it myself?

A bathroom heater can be an expensive purchase; therefore it is important to know exactly what you’re buying and how it works.

We’ve done the research for you to help make your decision easier. By reading through pages of reviews and researching every type of bathroom heater, we’ve made sure this guide will be all you need to read to decide what is the best product for you.

Types of Bathroom Heater

​The term bathroom heaters cover a wide variety of products. There are 5 main types of bathroom heater- and no, a radiator is not one that appears on our list.

Bathroom heaters should be able to heat your bathroom quickly and with the minimum of fuss. With radiators you must turn on the whole central heating system. This is costly and can take time to actually heat your bathroom. For this reason we don’t feature them.

​Bathroom heaters are designed to heat your bathroom quickly, and in some cases, provide light and work as an exhaust fan. Depending on the type you buy, it will either be wall mounted, ceiling mounted, or a portable heater.

​Of course, with some types of bathroom heater there will be restrictions on how you can use them. For example, a portable heater will need to be kept away from water.

​The typical bathroom heater is easy to use and add a little luxury to the bathroom. Their controls are as easy as turning a thermostat on the side of the heater or, in the case of ceiling mounted heaters, a thermostat located somewhere else in your bathroom.

​After considering our research, we have included the main 5 types of bathroom heater in our guide. Below we have listed a brief overview of each type of bathroom heater and considerations that you need to take into account.

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Wall Heaters

​These do not cost a great deal of money and are easy to install. All you need is some wall space available to mount it on and it should not be in the way of any bathroom furniture or other objects in the room such as the door.

This can be a problem, especially if you have a particularly small bathroom space. Wall heaters are suited to the smaller bathroom because they may not be powerful enough to adequately heat a large space. We recommend wall heaters as they do not pose an electrical risk as some other options may do.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Wall Heaters

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• ​Attach to the wall, easy to install unless you want it recessed between wall studs.
• Energy efficient which can save you money, especially in the colder months.
• Typically safer as they are usually placed further from baths and sinks.
• Quiet operation.
• Relatively inexpensive.

​Heater/Extractor Fan Combo

​This type of bathroom heater is a great option if you want to keep your bathroom warm but you want to remove the damp from the air.

They are harder to install as you need to install a moisture duct to carry the moisture to the outside of your home, so before you buy this type, make sure you can do this.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Heater/Extractor Fan Combos

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• Can be difficult to install and may require an expert fitter. Needs to have a duct to take moisture to the outside of your house.
• Will warm up the room instantly but will use more electricity if you use it constantly, will also instantly cool down when you turn it off.
• Have a dual purpose as they will remove moisture from the room as well as heating it. Thermostat needs to be placed in a position where it can accurately and reliably measure the room temperature.
• Slightly louder operation as they use an extractor fan and blow hot air into the room. They can usually be operated separately if you don’t need to use both at the same time.
• A fairly expensive option for bathroom heater due to installation costs and higher electric bills than a wall mounted heater.

Portable Space Heaters​

​Does what it says on the tin. Portable space heaters are great if you are renting your property and can’t install a heater on the wall or in the ceiling.

They also don’t have to be confined to the bathroom and can be used in other rooms. With this type of heater, you need to be careful when you place it as they tend to have lower levels of water resistance.

Portable heaters tend to be the cheapest option out of all the bathroom heaters.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Portable Space Heaters​

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• Require no installation, all you need is a plug socket in the bathroom.
• Warm up the room quickly and come in either forced air or radiant heat models. Forced air heaters are louder than their radiant heat competitors.
• They are not as water resistant as wall mounted options so placement in the room needs to be considered more carefully.
• A good option if you rent your house and cannot install a more permanent bathroom heater. This also means that you can move a portable heater around the house if you need more heat in another room.
• The cheapest option for bathroom heater.

​Radiant Under Floor Heating

This is a good option if you have a larger budget and don’t want to visibly see your bathroom heater. They don’t use as much electricity as many people think but they can take time to heat up enough to send heat into the room.

A good choice if you are planning to leave them on for most of the day but not the best option if you will only use it when you shower.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Radiant Under Floor Heating

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• Requires installation, often requires a professional which can make the initial cost of under floor heating very expensive. If it develops a problem, it can also be very expensive to fix.
• Can take up to 2 hours to heat up enough to heat the room. A good option if you plan to leave on for long periods.
• Cannot be seen and do not require any wall or ceiling space. Do not have to worry about keeping it away from water.
• Overall, an expensive initial cost but will not push up your electricity bills in the long run.

​Ceiling Mounted Heaters

For anyone who doesn't want to clutter the look of their bathroom, ceiling mounted heaters are a great choice. They are considered a generally safe option as the heater is kept well away from water.

When installing this, you will need to ensure the thermostat is in an easy to reach a location that isn’t too high up as it can interfere with the temperature reading.

Advantages/Disadvantages of ​Ceiling Mounted Heaters

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• Requires installation but this can be done without professional help.
• Heats the room instantly but will cool down as soon as it is turned off.
• Uses a lot of electricity if run constantly.
• Price tends to be more expensive than a wall mounted heater but less than a heater/extractor fan combo.

Best Bathroom Heater Buying Factors

Wall Mounted Bathroom Heater

​Putting your central heating system on every morning can become expensive, especially if you are only putting it on so the house is warm after you get out of the shower. As the vast majority of us leave for work soon after we shower, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to heat the whole house and waste so much heat and energy.

​This is the one main benefit of installing a bathroom heater in your bathroom. A bathroom heater keeps your bathroom warm and means you don’t use the central heating system every morning. It can save you money when used as a substitute for your central heating system. But, if you are using both at the same time it will increase your energy bills.

​There are very few downsides to installing a bathroom heater apart from the initial cost. The biggest issue facing customers is not measuring their bathroom accurately. This can mean ending up with a product that is not suitable for the size of their bathroom. To avoid this, make sure you measure your bathroom carefully. Don’t forget to consider the ceiling height as well as just the floor space.

​With bathroom heaters, the main consideration you will have is the installation. Portable heaters are the only type of heater that doesn’t require some form of fitting. Under floor heating is the most complex to install and will likely need the help of an expert. The same is true of the heater/extractor fan combo. Fitting yourself is always an option. But, beware, if you install them incorrectly it could be a very costly mistake.

​Ceiling and wall mounted bathroom heaters also require fitting but this is generally a lot easier and can be done without the help of an expert. However, if you want them to protrude into the room less and are considering one that can be fitted into a recess between studs in the wall then you may need to consider getting expert help. It is important to always check the manufacturer’s instructions when fitting a bathroom heater.

​Maintenance costs are only something you need to consider if you buy under floor heating. This type of bathroom heater is expensive to install. It is also expensive to fix if something goes wrong. Most heater/extractor fan and mounted heaters have permanently lubricated motors which eliminate the need for servicing.

Bathroom Heater Summary

You may think that there isn’t a bathroom heater out there for your bathroom, but by considering every option, we believe you will find one that suits the space you have. The majority of bathroom heaters are able to heat spaces of up to 250 sq. ft, which is larger than most bathroom sizes. This means that unless you have a particularly large bathroom space, most heaters will meet your needs in this way.

​As you can see from this buying guide, the biggest benefit to you is that you can save money on your heating bill, especially in the colder months. Of course, the other added benefit is that you no longer have to rush as you get out of the shower.

​Don’t forget, measure your room accurately. You want a heater powerful enough to heat the whole room. It is also sensible to set a budget for the whole project. A budget is particularly important if you are considering under floor heating or a heater/extractor fan combo.

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