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Heaters such as room heaters or space heaters are appliances that heat or warm up an area such as a room on cold days and nights, especially during winter. These appliances convert electric current into heat and are ideal for home and office use. Space heaters are great for supplementing an inadequate main heating source or when central heating may be too costly for installation and/or operation. There are many different types of room heaters available on the market. They vary according to the energy source used, the heater size, the room size, the price and the British thermal units (BTU). A higher BTU indicates more heating power.

Electric room heaters use a variety of heating techniques. The two main ways of heating are radiation and convection. Radiant heaters are sufficient for keeping one or two people warm and are especially good for offices and workshops. Such heaters use quartz tubes or ribbon coils with reflective panels to produce heat. Convection heaters use natural convection like air present in the room or a fan to circulate the warm air. Such heaters are ideal to raise the room temperature to desired levels. Convection heaters are safer and circulate air more quickly. Halogen heaters, natural gas heaters and monitor heaters are other types of room heaters.

Room heaters have a limited heating capacity up to around 2400 watts. They are always mounted on inflammable floors and the legs are designed to leave sufficient space between the support surface and the bottom of the heater for proper air circulation to prevent overheating.

The older electric room heaters had old-fashioned metal coils that turned red hot to produce warmth. The new generation of room heaters use superconductors such as ceramic heating elements. Such heaters are safer as their heating element is not exposed and can be completely closed off with only a fine mesh screen at the front. A ceramic element produces less BTU but relies on a blower fan to distribute the heat, which makes it more economical to use.

Before buying a room heater, you should check for safety features. A protective grill around the heating element helps to prevent accidents. Safety cut-off switches are also essential in the event of electrical faults, overheating or overloading of electrical circuits, or if the unit is accidentally knocked over.