The Best Electric Garage Heaters for a Comfortable Bonus Space, Tested

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Don’t let the weather dictate when you can and can’t work in your garage. Get a top-quality electric garage heater to warm up your workshop.

Cold-weather days can turn your garage into a frigid, uncomfortable, and unproductive work space. An electric garage heater can keep your garage warm and toasty so you can continue working in comfort, no matter the outside temperature. Electric garage heaters are powered by an electrical connection through an outlet, allowing you to easily set them up for use in any wired garage or with an extension cord running to the closest outlet.

The best electric garage heater for your garage or workshop will depend on your floor space requirements, the type of heater you want, and the safety features you need. Take a look at the products below that represent some of the best electric garage heaters in each respective category according to quality, functionality, and overall value.

1. BEST OVERALL: Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Infrared Space Heater
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Lasko 1,500-Watt Digital Ceramic Space Heater
3. BEST WALL-MOUNTED: Broan-NuTone 198 4,000-Watt Wall Heater
4. BEST FOR GARAGE GYM: Comfort Zone Ceiling-Mounted Radiant Quartz Heater
5. BEST HARDWIRED: Broan-NuTone 9815 1,500-Watt Wall Heater
6. BEST FOR WORKBENCH: Isiler 1,500-Watt Ceramic Fan Space Heater
7. ALSO CONSIDER: Dr. Infrared Heater DR-988 Portable Industrial Heater 

How We Tested the Best Electric Garage Heaters

Testing the best electric garage heaters required a few days’ worth of work, as the temperatures in the garage needed to be low enough to give these heaters a fair shake. Over the course of three mornings, the temperatures were in the high 30s or low 40s in degrees Fahrenheit, which gave us the perfect opportunity to test them out.

First, we tested the setup. We attached and hung brackets, wired heaters, and installed apps to see how easy it was to go from the box to heating the garage. Then, we cranked these space heaters up to see how well they’d heat the garage. We also performed a test where we let the heater regulate the temperature in the space by itself (which is why we could only test a few each day).

Finally, we tested each of the best electric garage heaters’ safety functions. While we weren’t able to get any to overheat, we did tip them all over to ensure the safety features worked as they should. If they didn’t (one didn’t), we noted it in the guide.

Our Top Picks

The top-rated electric heaters below were chosen for quality, price, and functionality. To help you choose the best model for your garage or workshop, we performed hands-on testing with the best electric garage heaters. We made sure they are easy to install, operate as they should, and have the safety features necessary to keep users safe.

Sadly, some heaters didn’t make the cut. While we generally love Comfort Zone heaters, the ceramic model we reviewed came broken while the box was still in generally good shape. If it was simply a bracket or small crack, we’d get it. But the condition it arrived in was unsafe for use, so we scratched it from our list of favorites.

Best Overall

Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Infrared Space Heater

See It

Product Specs 

• Type: Infrared
• Style: Wall-mounted
• Wattage: 1,500

Pros

• Slick Wi-Fi controls allow users to adjust heat output from anywhere at anytime
• Attractive appearance on the wall without taking up a lot of space
• Wide temperature range between 40 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit; suitable for cool and cold climates

Cons

• Has a very short power cord, so it must be mounted close to an outlet

The Heat Storm infrared heater has 1,500 watts of power and is Wi-Fi enabled. Access and control it from a smartphone, Google Assistant, or Alexa. Just set the built-in thermostat to a desired room temperature and let the heater do the work. You can also set a heating schedule or activate the child lock to prevent anyone from changing the heater settings.

Wall-mount the heater to provide continuous heat to a garage without taking up floor space. The heater doesn’t need to be hardwired into an electrical system, so setup is easy. If the heater overheats or somehow falls from the wall, it has both a tip-over mechanism and overheating protection to shut down the heater and prevent further damage.

During testing, the Heat Storm proved to be a great overall choice. It came with a neat template with a built-in level to ensure we could hang it properly. We also liked that this heater has a range between 40 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it can protect pipes from freezing without keeping the space too warm, or heat a garage up to the point we’d trade in our work boots for flip-flops. The app was very easy to install, and the heater has a much nicer appearance than most heaters. The one downside was that its very short cord (around 3 feet) limited where we could install it.

Get the Heat Storm electric garage heater at Lowe’s, The Home Depot, or Best Buy.

Best Bang for the Buck

Lasko 1,500-Watt Digital Ceramic Space Heater

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Product Specs

• Type: Ceramic
• Style: Portable
• Wattage: 1,500

Pros

• Quietly produces quite a bit of heat; the sound should not disturb people in the garage
• Oscillation mode spreads heat evenly around the room; does not leave any cold spots
• Handy remote for changing the settings and temperatures from anywhere in the room

Cons

• Doesn’t shut off when tipped over; needs to be watched when in operation

This portable electric garage heater is tower shaped and has an oscillation feature so heat can spread across a taller and wider area from the ceramic elements. Set the temperature to either a fixed low setting or a fixed high setting for a maximum 1,500-watt power output. The ceramic heater also comes with an adjustable thermostat that can be used for automatic operation.

After turning the heater on, users can choose to set an automatic timer that will turn off the heater when it reaches the scheduled time or leave it to function on its own until turning it off. The heater comes with a built-in carry handle, a remote control, and several safety features, including overheating protection and a cool-touch exterior that allows for maneuvering the heater while it is in use without getting burned.

The nicest thing we found about the Lasko space heater is how quietly it heats the space. By using ceramic heating, it displaces the cold air with warm air and creates a cycle, all while barely making a sound. We also liked the remote, but the oscillating function was even better as it distributes heat faster and more evenly than most shop heaters. The only complaint is that it doesn’t have much in the way of safety features; tipping it over didn’t even shut it off.

Get the Lasko electric garage heater at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Walmart.

Best Wall-Mounted

Broan-NuTone 198 4,000-Watt Wall Heater

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Product Specs

• Type: Fan-forced
• Style: In-wall mount
• Wattage: 4,000 at 240 volts (V) and 2,000 at 120V

Pros

• Flexible voltages; suitable for different heat settings needed in cool or cold climates
• Heavy-duty construction can withstand rigorous use and high-heat outputs
• Easy to access for cleaning; helps to prevent malfunctions and clogs

Cons

• Requires 240V for full heat output capability; may not be suitable for some users

For a wall-mounted electric garage heater, the impressive Broan-NuTone 4,000-watt garage heater delivers. Designed to work with either a 240V (4,000-watt maximum output) or 120V (2,000-watt maximum output) electrical system, this wall heater can either be plugged into an available outlet or hardwired directly into the electrical system with the appropriate attachments.

The fan-forced electric garage heater has a heavy-duty 18-gauge steel grill and an adjustable thermostat on the front of the heater. Downflow louvers in the grill direct the airflow toward the ground, so it may be best to install this heater higher up on the wall. A built-in fan delay prevents the fan from operating until the element has reached a high enough temperature so the fan will push out only heated air.

We found that the Broan-NuTone heater was truly a heavy-duty model. The box that installs in the wall and the faceplate itself can definitely hold up to garage uses. We also liked that the faceplate is removable for easy cleaning. However, we had two different takes on the power. On one hand, we liked the flexible voltages, but on the other, it’s markedly less powerful when wired to 120V. The best method for full capability and minor inconvenience is a 10/2 wire run directly to a panel, but that might require an electrician.

Get the Broan-NuTone 198 electric garage heater at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Wayfair.

Best For Garage Gym

Comfort Zone Ceiling-Mounted Radiant Quartz Heater

See It

Product Specs 

• Type: Radiant
• Style: Ceiling mount
• Wattage: 5,000

Pros

• It produces plenty of heat while also being totally silent
• Infrared heat warms the objects in the space rather than the air; ideal for gyms
• Built-in light serves as a reminder that the heater is on
• Ceiling-mount bracket works very well and is very easy to install with the right hardware

Cons

• The hardware that comes in the kit is low quality
• It shows that it can be wall-mounted but it’s much better as a ceiling-mount heater

Comfort Zone’s ceiling-mounted radiant quartz heater is a great option for anyone looking to heat their garage gym space from the top down. This unit draws 1,500 watts to feed its dual heat elements, helping heat the immediate area rather than the air throughout the garage. Users can install it over their weights, treadmill, or other equipment, allowing it to heat these objects so they can radiate heat as well.

This unit comes with a mounting bracket and the hardware required to install it. It has a pull cord that allows users to adjust between four settings and three output levels: low, medium, medium with the light, and high with the light.

First, we’ll start with mentioning that the hardware that comes with this kit is low quality. The screws stripped easily when driving them into ceiling joists. However, if the relatively low-grade hardware isn’t an issue for a user, it’s actually a very nice heater. It produces silent heat, and it doesn’t have a fan to blow hot air into the user’s face.

It does show that it can be wall-mounted, but we would not suggest it as the bracket doesn’t feel strong enough. It does work great as a ceiling-mounted design, and the bracket is very easy to install. We also liked that it has a light, not because it’s powerful enough to illuminate much, but because it can remind the user that the heater is on—it’s just strange that the light doesn’t come on automatically in the low setting.

Get the Comfort Zone electric garage heater at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Walmart.

Best Hardwired

Broan-NuTone 9815 1,500-Watt Wall Heater

See It

Product Specs 

• Type: Forced hot air
• Style: Wall-mount
• Wattage: 750 at 120V, 1,500 at 220V

Pros

• Runs more quietly than most other forced-air electric garage heaters
• Recesses into a wall where it sits nearly flush with the drywall so it doesn’t take up floor space
• Can be wired for 120V or 220V installations for flexibility

Cons

• Doesn’t have a built-in filter, so it will be harder to clean than other models

Anyone who wants a permanent heating solution that they can hardwire into their garage’s electrical system may want to consider the Broan-NuTone 9815 wall heater. This heater is capable of drawing 750 watts when wired to 120V or 1,500 watts when wired to 220V systems. It installs in the wall where it sits nearly flush with the drywall for a clean installation that doesn’t take up any floor space.

The Broan-NuTone 9815 is quite a nice heater. It’s much quieter than most other forced-air fans, and although it does require a more involved installation process, it might be a great fit for a garage or even an unheated mudroom or storage space off of the garage. We wired ours with a temporary installation so we could test it with 120V power (it’s very simple to prepare for 120V or 220V), and it produced quite a bit of heat with 750 watts, though it may be more suitable for insulated and attached garages.

The 9815 has a built-in adjustable thermostat that controls the forced-air element and fan, allowing users to set their heater and allow it to turn on and off on its own. It also has an overheat switch that shuts the unit down if temperatures get too high. However, we would’ve liked to see some sort of filter since it’s going to be more difficult to clean than most other models.

Get the Broan-NuTone 9815 electric garage heater at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Best For Workbench

Isiler 1,500-Watt Ceramic Fan Space Heater