Updated Sep. 18, 2024
Tired of stepping out of a warm shower into a freezing bathroom? These bathroom heaters keep you toasty during the frosty winter months.
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Getting out of bed is hard enough when it’s cold out, and the idea of venturing into a frigid bathroom makes it even more daunting. The best bathroom heater remedies this by warming up the space quickly and easily. With various types and sizes available, we’re here to help you find the optimal option for your area.
According to Josh Mitchell, an HVAC technician and plumbing expert, the best type of heater for a bathroom is typically a wall-mounted fan or a radiant floor heating system. Mitchell, who is also the founder of the Air Conditioner Lab and Plumbing Lab, notes that wall-mounted fan heaters are compact and can swiftly warm up small spaces, making them ideal for bathrooms. “They’re also typically installed high up on the wall, away from water,” he adds. On the other hand, he says, “radiant floor heating provides a more even and luxurious heat, warming the entire floor surface, which is particularly pleasant in a bathroom.”
The first step in choosing a bathroom heater is to determine your square footage to ensure your selection is properly sized. Do this by adding the length of each wall, and multiplying that number by the height of the room from floor to ceiling. The resulting number represents the square footage of the room. From the top portable picks to wall- and ceiling-mounted designs, we found the best bathroom heaters to cater to every need. Still looking for ways to keep your bathroom warm? Learn more about bathroom fireplaces and bathroom heat lamps.
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The Broan-NuTone 9093WH is our pick for the best bathroom heater. It’s a low-profile, multi-functional compact ceiling heating solution that seamlessly integrates into your bathroom, creating a sleek and modern look. Extending just three inches from the ceiling, this heater features a white enamel grill that effortlessly complements any style. Equipped with one 100-watt light bulb and one seven-watt bulb doubling as a nightlight, it provides warmth and illuminates your space.
In addition to its heating capabilities, the exhaust fan ensures even heat distribution throughout the room. With a powerful 1,500-watt heating element, this unit efficiently and quickly warms up your bathroom. Managing the device is made easy with the included four-function wall switch, offering convenience at your fingertips.
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Hard-wired heaters, while requiring some DIY knowledge or professional assistance for installation, offer the advantage of being cord-free. The Broan-NuTone 157 unit easily mounts to any standard electrical box, and according to Amazon reviewers, it is simple to install. The low-profile design extends only 2-3/4 inches from the ceiling and a built-in fan ensures the uniform distribution of heat.
Featuring an encased heating element, this bathroom heater delivers 1,250 watts of warming power with the flip of a switch. Safety is a priority with automatic shutoff and overheat protection measures in place to minimize the risk of potential issues.
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Portable bathroom heaters may occupy valuable floor space, but they remain an excellent choice for anyone seeking the flexibility to use the heater elsewhere in their home. Portable heaters also offer convenience for those looking to avoid installation or wiring projects. This Lasko model, powered by an energy-efficient 1,500-watt ceramic heating element with three heat settings, stands out in this category.
This bathroom heater incorporates important safety features, including an ALCI plug, overheat protection and an exterior that remains cool to the touch. Its user-friendly design allows for easy operation—simply plug it in and press the oversized power button on top. Additionally, a one-hour timer eliminates the need to remember to shut it off.
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By incorporating light and fan components into your heater, you can minimize clutter and the need for excessive mounting hardware on your ceiling. The Delta Breez Radiance Series offers a streamlined fixture with all three components, along with a built-in thermostat for consistent temperature regulation to ensure you stay comfortably warm at all times.
An integrated dimmable LED light with an impressive lifespan of 30,000 hours (compared to the 10,000-hour CFL bulb life) lets you customize the perfect illumination for your space. It also boasts a long-lasting brushless DC motor, which is engineered to run continuously for a minimum of 70,000 hours, outlasting traditional AC motor fans by 2.5 times.
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Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a comfortably toasty bathroom. Affordable heaters can still produce enough heat to warm up smaller rooms, and they’re typically more compact and take up less space than more expensive options. This Minetom compact pick boasts a convenient and easy-to-use plug-in design.
Unlike some space heaters with limited settings, this model lets you set the digital thermostat down to the degree (from 60°F to 90°F). It then automatically cycles on and off to maintain the selected temp. Overheat protection, automatic shutoff and a cool-touch exterior also mean you won’t be sacrificing safety for affordability.
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Compact heaters offer optimal convenience because they don’t take up much space, making them easier to position and angle just the way you like. The Optimus ceramic heater, with a width of just five inches, avoids cluttering your bathroom counter. Its sleek design also includes a modern mesh cover that you won’t mind displaying.
Enhancing its functionality, the motorized oscillating feature allows for warm air to circulate evenly. A sturdy base reduces the chances of someone accidentally knocking it over. And if that does happen, a tip-over switch automatically shuts it off.
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Unlike models mounted on the wall itself, recessed heaters are set inside the wall, with only the grill or faceplate protruding into the bathroom. While this setup may complicate the installation process, it offers a seamless look that appeals to many homeowners. This Broan-NuTone 174 boasts an efficient nickel-chrome alloy heating element that quickly removes the chill in just seconds.
Its functional design includes an adjustable front-mounted thermostat and a user-friendly turn dial for easy temperature control. Additionally, it incorporates a louvered grill that directs the warm air downward to heat the room from the floor up.
You can confidently rely on the information presented in this article, as it stems from my extensive experience in the home improvement, DIY and appliance space. With more than five years spent as a residential and commercial carpenter in NYC, specializing in custom furniture construction and installation, I bring a wealth of real-world expertise and hands-on training to the table.
As a freelance writer, I leverage my in-depth knowledge to craft thorough product reviews, insightful buying guides and practical how-to articles for Family Handyman. My work has also been featured in reputable outlets such as CNN Underscored, Business Insider and Popular Mechanics.
For this article, I consulted with HVAC technician and plumbing expert Josh Mitchell. Mitchell founded Air Conditioner Lab when he saw how confusing it was to shop for these common home appliances. He then began experimenting with ACs, heaters, air purifiers, dehumidifiers and humidifiers to find the best options to help people solve their HVAC problems. He also started other home improvement sites, the Plumbing Lab and Paint Sprayer Judge.
We also got advice from Brad Roberson, the president of Aire Serv, a Neighborly company that provides HVAC services to residential and commercial clients. Aire Serv is a trusted name in the field of heating and air conditioning installation, maintenance and repair; and Robertson has almost 20 years of experience.
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
The three general types of bathroom heaters include portable units and wall- and ceiling-mounted models. Portable heaters offer flexibility and can be easily moved to different locations. Wall-mounted heaters are compact, quickly warm up small spaces and are typically installed high on the wall to avoid water exposure. Ceiling-mounted heaters are popular for their powerful output and discrete design—and because they don’t take up any valuable floor space.
According to Roberson, it’s best if your HVAC system vents to the bathroom. However, electric wall heaters or radiant heaters are practical alternatives. “These heaters are compact, provide quick warmth and are designed for smaller spaces like bathrooms,” he says. Additionally, they are often equipped with safety features like overheat protection, making them a smart pick for powder rooms.
Roberson says infrared heaters are an efficient and cost-effective choice. “Infrared heaters directly warm objects and people in the room, providing targeted heat,” he explains. Mitchell agrees, noting that these heaters provide immediate warmth, which is beneficial in a typically cold, tiled room. “It’s also more energy-efficient as it doesn’t heat the air, which can quickly escape in small, often ventilated spaces,” he says.
Originally Published: October 01, 2021
