A good portable heater is the perfect way of providing some extra heating power that you can produce when and where you need it. Even if your home has central heating, it's probably that you have a draughty hallway or a little-used room that doesn't get enough heat in the winter time. Portable heaters provide you with instant heat whenever and wherever you need it, making them the ideal solution for those cold spots that

Fan and Convection Heaters

Fan heaters work by first drawing in cold air from the surroundings, then passing that air over a heated element within the heater unit. The heated air that is produced is then passed out of the heater into the room.

These are inexpensive to buy, but are definitely not inexpensive to run: fan heaters are notoriously inefficient. While they can provide fast heat, they are also noisy and aren't considered as environmentally friendly as other heaters due to their inefficiency.

Convection heaters are similar in the way they heat air, but are somewhat more efficient and less noisy, because they don't use a fan to distribute air, instead operating on the principle that warm air rises. These heaters take advantage of the natural air currents produced by warm air to distribute heated air throughout a room.

Oil Heaters

Oil heaters (also known as column heaters) are generally regarded as the most efficient and cost-effective electricity-using portable heaters around (however, they are not as efficient and inexpensive to run as most gas heaters). These work by using electricity to heat oil contained within the heater. The heated oil gives off heat into the air surrounding the heater, and natural currents move the heat around the room.

The beauty of these is that they take advantage of the fact that warm air rises and produces natural air currents, even within a room where the air is reasonably undisturbed. That makes them much more efficient in terms of heating power, and cheaper in terms of electricity used, than your average fan heater.

Radiant Gas Heaters

Radiant heaters are usually powered by gas. They are highly cost-efficient, attractive, and unobtrusive. Better yet, they can provide instant close-distance heat, and can also quickly heat an entire room.

Radiant portable heaters work by dispersing heated infrared rays. The heated rays radiate from the central heater point, where they can be absorbed by any surrounding objects, including furniture, floors, and people. As these objects heat up, they release heat into the air around them, thus heating the entire room.

These heaters are particularly efficient because, like many modern heaters, they do not use fans or blowers to move air around or distribute heat. They're quiet, too, so they can be used in a child's bedroom or other quiet space without causing any noisy disturbances. Another advantage of radiant heaters is that they do a great job of warming temperatures at floor level: if you like having toasty warm toes, this is the heater for you.

Catalytic Gas Heaters

These are smaller in size than most other gas heaters, but still capable of producing a good amount of heat. Their small size makes them convenient to move around, and the environment benefits, too-these have a significantly reduced carbon monoxide emission due to their smaller size.

One particular advantage of catalytic heaters is that once they have been lit using the heater's pilot light, they are entirely flame-free. This makes them perfect for use in a garage or workshop, as the lack of flame makes them a very safe option in a potentially hazardous area.

Gas or Electricity: which should you choose?

Probably the most important decision you'll make when buying a portable heater is that of gas versus electricity. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but each tends to be more suitable for particular locations.

Electrical heaters are usually good for smaller rooms where they can be stored unobtrusively until needed, and where they have easy access to an outlet. Their lower inefficiency makes them unsuitable for large rooms, however. The main problem with heaters that rely on electricity is that you can't operate one without access to an outlet.

The beauty of gas heaters is that since they dispense with the need for an electrical outlet, you can take them almost anywhere in your home. They tend to be more easily portable, since there's no need to worry about bundling up power cords and locating the best-situated outlet in a room. With gas heaters, as long as you have gas in the tank, you've got instant, portable heat anywhere you need it. However, due to the emissions gas heaters produce, they're not suitable for small rooms.