Infrared vs Convection Heaters: Which Fits Your Room?

The short answer

Infrared heaters warm what they face. Convection heaters warm the air in the room. Radiant heating transfers heat directly from a hot surface to people and objects, while a convection heater relies on air moving through and around it. Source: DOE

Choose infrared for quick warmth in one spot, in drafty or open spaces, and outdoors. Choose a convection heater for even, lasting warmth across a closed room you use for hours. Source: Far Out editorial

How each one feels

With an infrared heater you feel warm on the side facing it, much like standing in sunshine. Step out of its line of sight and the effect fades. A convection heater takes longer to make a difference, but once the air has warmed, the whole room feels comfortable wherever you sit. Source: Far Out editorial

Where each one fits

Drafty garages and workshops

Warm air leaks out of an uninsulated garage or a room with an open door. A radiant heater aimed at the workbench keeps the person warm even as the air turns over. Source: Far Out editorial

Covered patios and porches

Outdoors there is no closed room to fill with warm air. An electric patio heater listed for outdoor use can warm a seating area directly. Source: Far Out editorial

Bedrooms and closed living rooms

In a closed room used for hours, a convection heater with a thermostat can hold a steady temperature. An infrared panel can do the same job more slowly by warming the walls and furniture. Source: Far Out editorial

Desks and reading chairs

When one person needs warmth in one place, a low wattage radiant panel aimed at that spot can do the job without heating the whole room. Source: Far Out editorial

Running cost

Watt for watt there is no difference. Electric heating converts electricity into heat at an efficiency the Department of Energy puts at 95 to 100 percent, whether the heat leaves as radiation or warm air. Source: DOE

What changes the bill is how much space you heat and for how long. Warming one chair with radiant heat can use fewer kilowatt hours than warming an entire room's air, if you lower the main heating at the same time. Our efficiency guide explains the math. Source: Far Out editorial

Noise, dust and air movement

Infrared heaters have no fan unless a model adds one, so many run silently. Convection heaters range from silent oil-filled radiators to fan heaters that hum and move dust. Check the specification: some heaters sold as infrared cabinets use a fan to blow warm air. Source: Far Out editorial

Is radiant the same as infrared?

In everyday use, yes. A radiant space heater gives off its heat as infrared radiation. The term radiant heating also covers heated floors and wall or ceiling panels, which the Department of Energy describes as transferring heat directly from a hot surface. Source: DOE

Hybrid heaters

Some heaters combine a radiant element with a fan. They warm you directly when you sit in front of them and also push warm air into the room. Read the specification to see which mode a model uses and whether you can switch the fan off. Source: Far Out editorial