Consumer Reports' lab has tested 90 space heaters, and its 2026 best-of list was updated on 9 November 2026. The catch: the specific picks and scores are members-only. This guide sets out what Consumer Reports publishes for free on heating, noise and hot-surface safety, adds safety rules from the CPSC and UL, and lists maker prices checked on 13 November 2026.
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Short answer. Consumer Reports' free articles name the Vornado VH10, Vornado MVH, Midea MSF15AH6LB, PureGuardian HTR410B, Vornado VH200 and Vornado VMHi600 as heaters that warm well and run quietly. They name the Honeywell HCE323V, Dyson HP1 and Vornado EH1-0212-43 as top scorers for room heating. Several of these have exhaust outlets that CR found hot enough to burn on high, so check hot-surface scores if you have kids or pets. Most good heaters cost under $100: the VH10 was $79.99 at Vornado on 13 November 2026.
The Review NYU did not test any space heaters. This guide is research based. We read Consumer Reports' 13 Best Space Heaters of 2026 (updated 9 November 2026), its quietest space heaters and under-$100 roundups, its space heater safety guide and one public model page. We then read safety guidance from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and UL, and checked prices on maker and retailer pages on 13 November 2026.
A key limit: Consumer Reports keeps the actual picks and numeric scores in its main best-of list behind a membership wall. When we read the page on 13 November 2026, the model names and ratings in each category were locked. So we only name models that Consumer Reports describes in its free articles, and we repeat only what those free articles say. Where something was locked, we say so.
Knowing the tests tells you what a good score means. Based on Consumer Reports' public descriptions (read 13 November 2026):
CR says its current ratings cover 90 heaters, all bought at retail. It says most of them cost about $19 a month to run at a national average electricity rate. It also says it left out of its best-of list any model that failed the hot-surface test. Even so, CR warns that several top-rated heaters get an unfavorable or middling hot-surface rating, so they may be a poor fit if you have young children or pets.
The six models below come from Consumer Reports' free quietest-heaters article (updated 5 November 2025). CR says each one earned excellent or very good scores for both room and spot heating, has a thermostat, and rated excellent for noise. The test notes are CR's findings; the price column is ours.
| Model | What CR's lab found (free text) | Hot-surface note from CR | Price checked 13 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vornado VH10 | Quietest heater in CR's ratings; a "champ" at room heating and almost as good at spot heating; top marks for fire safety; tip-over switch | Exhaust outlet "can be hot to the touch" | $79.99 at Vornado, in stock |
| Vornado MVH Whole Room Heater | Very good room and spot heating; excellent noise and fire safety; just over 4 lb; five-year warranty | Outlet warm enough to pose a burn risk on high | $74.99 at Vornado, in stock |
| Vornado VMHi600 | Excellent spot heating, very good room heating; excellent fire safety; timer, remote; 10 lb; five-year warranty | Outlet can cause burns if touched | Not on Vornado's site on 13 November 2026; price not verified |
| Vornado VH200 | Excellent spot heating; extremely quiet; tip-over switch; 4 lb; five-year warranty; CR found controls "a bit tricky" | Does not fare well; can burn on highest setting | Not on Vornado's site; Home Depot price could not be read |
| Midea MSF15AH6LB | Very good room and spot heating; excellent noise and fire safety; tip-over switch, oscillation, remote; 16 lb | CR's free text does not mention a hot-surface problem | Midea lists it as no longer available |
| PureGuardian HTR410B | Very good room heating, excellent spot heating; super quiet; excellent fire safety; tip-over switch, remote, timer | Burn risk on highest setting if bumped | No verified U.S. price found |
The same article names three of CR's top-scoring heaters overall: the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1, the Honeywell HCE323V and the Vornado EH1-0212-43. CR says all three earned excellent room-heating scores but are among the noisiest models it tested because they have fans. The free text does not give their hot-surface scores.
CR's 2026 best-of list says its picks include models from Comfort Zone, Dyson, Honeywell, Lasko and Vornado. The specific models in that list were members-only when we read it, so we cannot tell you which Comfort Zone or Lasko heaters made it.
Here, lab results and maker claims point in different directions. Vornado's product pages describe both the VH10 and the MVH as having a "cool-touch" case. Its heater collection page says every unit has cool-touch exteriors (checked 13 November 2026). But Consumer Reports' lab found that the VH10's heat exhaust outlet "can be hot to the touch." It also found that the MVH's outlet gets warm enough on the highest setting to pose a burn risk.
The two claims can both be true. A plastic case can stay cool while the grille where hot air comes out does not. CR's hot-surface test looks at the hottest reachable surface, not just the case. For a home with toddlers or pets, read "cool-touch" as a claim about the housing and look for an independent hot-surface result.
Honeywell also markets "cool-touch housing" on the HCE323V, as well as a motion sensor that it says shuts the heater off when an object gets too close (Honeywell's claim, from its product page). CR's model page for the HCE323V confirms a tip-over switch and thermostat, a weight of 4.7 lb and a three-year warranty. Its scores and pros and cons were locked for non-members on 13 November 2026.
Consumer Reports' noise data suggests you should not choose a heater on quietness alone. CR says decibel readings across tested models range from 20.23 to 56.3 dBA, with an average of 47.28 dBA. Les Blomberg of the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse told CR that a typical home's background noise is between 25 and 40 dBA.
Ostrander says fanless models are usually quieter but spread heat less well and score lower on room heating. Her advice, quoted by CR, is to choose "based on its heating performance first, and then look at the noise score." The three top scorers CR names (Dyson HP1, Honeywell HCE323V, Vornado EH1-0212-43) show the trade-off: excellent at heating a room, but among the noisiest. If you want a heater for a bedroom, the six models in the table above are CR's public picks for heaters that are both quiet and warm.
Consumer Reports' under-$100 roundup (updated 12 November 2026) says 72 of the 90 heaters in its ratings sell for $100 or less. It also says 19 of its top 25 cost $100 or less. In other words, a higher price does not reliably buy better heating in CR's data. The main reason to pay Dyson prices is that the HP1 is also a fan and an air purifier, not that it heats better.
| Model | Price | Sale or list | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vornado MVH | $74.99 | Vornado.com; no compare-at price shown, so treat as list | In stock |
| Vornado VH10 | $79.99 | Vornado.com; no compare-at price shown, so treat as list | In stock |
| Honeywell HCE323V | $99.95 | HoneywellStore.com sale price; list $146.95 ("Save $47") | In stock |
| Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 (White/Silver) | $449.99 | Dyson.com sale price; was $659.99 | Out of stock |
Prices change often, especially around Black Friday. Honeywell's "Save $47" claim is based on a $146.95 list price. Before you treat that as a deal, see our guide on how to tell if a sale is a real deal.
In a January 2026 release, the CPSC estimated that portable heaters, including electric space heaters, were involved in an average of 1,600 fires a year from 2020 to 2022. Those fires caused an average of 70 deaths and 150 injuries a year. Official guidance is consistent:
Whatever you buy, keep the receipt and try it during the return window. Check the noise level in your own room and whether the outlet gets too hot where kids or pets can reach it.
Consumer Reports' 2026 best-of picks are members-only. In free articles, CR names the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1, Honeywell HCE323V and Vornado EH1-0212-43 as top scorers with excellent room heating. It names the Vornado VH10 as the quietest heater in its ratings.
It is Consumer Reports' rating of how likely a heater is to cause a burn, based on how hot its surfaces get and where they are. A poor score means it can burn on the highest setting. Very good or excellent means it stays cool enough to touch safely.
No. The CPSC says to plug electric space heaters directly into a wall outlet and never into an extension cord or power strip. Consumer Reports adds that you should not plug other devices into the same outlet.
Consumer Reports recommends one. It shuts the heater off if it is knocked over. In CR's tip-over test, a perfect score means the heater turns off less than 10 seconds after being tilted onto its face.
Not usually, based on Consumer Reports' data. It says 72 of the 90 heaters in its ratings cost 100 dollars or less, including 19 of its top 25.
Not necessarily. Vornado markets cool-touch cases, but Consumer Reports found the exhaust outlets on some Vornado models can get hot enough to burn on high. Keep a 3-foot zone around any heater.