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9 Best Baseboard Heaters (Review) In 2021

Written by:
Unclutterer
Last Updated: February 10, 2021
Best Choice
Cadet-Manufacturing-White-120-Volt-Baseboard-Heater-image
Cadet Manufacturing White 120-Volt Baseboard Heater
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Best Value
Heat-Wave-1,000-Watt-Convector-Baseboard-Heater-image
Heat Wave 1,000 Watt Convector Baseboard Heater
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Premium Pick
King-Electric-KP1215-ECO-Dual-Wattage-Baseboard-Heater-image
King Electric KP1215-ECO Dual-Wattage Baseboard Heater
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Show Contents
Contents
  • 1. Cadet Manufacturing White 05534 120-Volt Baseboard Heater
  • 2. Cadet Manufacturing White 05532 120-Volt Baseboard Heater
  • 3. Fahrenheat FBE15002 Portable Baseboard Heater
  • 4. Heat Wave 1,000 Watt Convector Baseboard Heater
  • 5. Marley 2512NW 120V 2' Baseboard Heater
  • 6. Fahrenheat PLF Liquid Filled Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heater
  • 7. Lasko 5622 Low Profile Silent Room Baseboard Heater
  • 8. Comfort Zone Thermal Digital Baseboard Heater
  • 9. King Electric KP1215-ECO Dual-Wattage Baseboard Heater
Award
Brand
Rating
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Award:

Best Choice
image

Brand:

Cadet Manufacturing White 05534 120-Volt Baseboard Heater

Rating:

10
image

Award:

Budget Pick
image

Brand:

Cadet Manufacturing White 05532 120-Volt Baseboard Heater

Rating:

9
image

Award:

Best Value
image

Brand:

Heat Wave 1,000 Watt Convector Baseboard Heater

Rating:

8
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Award:

Energy Efficient
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Brand:

Comfort Zone Thermal Digital Baseboard Heater

Rating:

7
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Award:

Premium Pick
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Brand:

King Electric KP1215-ECO Dual-Wattage Baseboard Heater

Rating:

7

The Best Baseboard Heater

There are lots of reasons why a baseboard heater may be the perfect choice for you. They are ideal if you are looking for a way to heat your home without having to worry about running ducts, if you're looking for a form of supplementary heating or if you simply need to add more heat to a particular room. Instead of using a central heating system that warms the whole house, using a baseboard heater enables you to warm just the room you need, potentially saving money. Once you've made the decision to use this type of space heater, you will then want to decide between an electric hydronic baseboard heater or a convection type heater. In hydronic baseboard heaters, the element heats the water or oil inside the heater, which in turn will heat the air. A convection heater - the most basic type of baseboard heater - simply consists of a heating element with interior coils, similar to the heating coils on a toaster. This guide - which includes convection and hydronic electric heaters - aims to help you choose the best baseboard heater for your needs. Whether you want to supplement your central heating system or look for a simpler form of heating that is quick and easy to install, you're bound to find the perfect unit in our round-up of the best electric baseboard heaters on the market. Some of these models are quite similar to the models we have reviewed in our guide about the best patio heaters.

1. Cadet Manufacturing White 05534 120-Volt Baseboard Heater

Best Choice
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Key Features

    25 gauge steel

    1000W

    20 gauge junction box with ground – metal, and powder coated

    UL listed baseboard heater

    BTUS: 3415

    Made in the USA

    48 x 6 x 14 inches

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Cadet Manufacturing White 05534 120-Volt Baseboard Heater
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One of the best electric baseboard heaters on the market is Cadet Manufacturing White 05534 120-Volt Baseboard Heater. It does not have a power cord and requires hardwiring, but installation is made easy thanks to the pre-punched knockouts set at 1-inch intervals and universal wiring available at either end. Its heating element is sheathed in steel and has aluminum fins. It also has nylon bushings for quiet operation, with no creaking to keep you awake at night. It has a sleek, modern look that blends well with any room and warms up quickly and evenly, producing a generous amount of heat for its size. One important thing to note is that this baseboard heater does not come with a thermostat – this needs to be bought separately.

    Pros

    Requires hardwiring, but quick and easy to install

    High-temperature safety shutoff feature

    Heats quickly

    Durable

    Cons

    Thermostat has to be purchased separately

    No on/off switch

    Slight chemical smell when first used

    Can’t be moved from one room to another

2. Cadet Manufacturing White 05532 120-Volt Baseboard Heater

Budget Pick
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Key Features

    25 gauge steel

    750W

    20 gauge junction box with ground – metal, and powder coated

    UL listed baseboard heater

    Made in the USA

    36 x 6 x 14 inches

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Cadet Manufacturing White 05532 120-Volt Baseboard Heater
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If you’re looking for an efficient way to heat your room on a budget, then one of the best baseboard heaters for you is Cadet Manufacturing White 05532 120-Volt Baseboard Heater. It does not come with a power cord and can be wired in from either end. Pre-punched holes in the case make it easy to install and the steel-sheathed heating element features nylon bushings which cut down on noise and allow it to run almost silently – perfect if you are going to use it to heat a bedroom. It is safe to use and will shut off at high temperatures. Its modern look will suit any room and its tough powder-coated finish is resistant to nicks and scratches. This heater works quickly, leaving your room nice and toasty and representing great value for money!

    Pros

    Requires hardwiring, but installation is quick and easy

    High-temperature safety shutoff feature

    Warms the room quickly and efficiently

    Resistant to scratches or nicks

    Cons

    You need to buy the thermostat separately

    No on/off switch

    Chemical smell when first used

    Not portable – needs to be used in a fixed position

3. Fahrenheat FBE15002 Portable Baseboard Heater

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Key Features

    1500W

    High-impact Lexan end panels

    Built-in handles for portability

    White exterior

    Made in USA

    45 x 6 x 7.5 inches

    100% energy efficient

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Fahrenheat FBE15002 Portable Baseboard Heater
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Fahrenheat FBE15002 Portable Baseboard Heater can easily be moved from room to room, as it doesn’t need to be hardwired and come with a power cord to plug into an outlet. Ideal for bedrooms, dens, and basements, these baseboard heaters are 100% energy efficient and feature high impact end panels. The built-in handles make them easy to move around and – at only 9 pounds – they are relatively lightweight too. The white exterior has a clean, modern look that will look good in whichever room you use it in and operation is almost silent.

    Pros

    Thermostat is built-in

    Easy to move from room to room as needed

    Lightweight

    No installation required – just plug and play!

    Low profile, unobtrusive design

    Cons

    No on/off switch – has to be unplugged

    Can be slow to heat fully

    Can be noisy

    Strong smell when first used

    Its length makes it unsuitable for some rooms

    Edges are sharp before legs are fitted

4. Heat Wave 1,000 Watt Convector Baseboard Heater

Best Value
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Key Features

    2 heat settings: low (500 watts) and high (1,000 watts)

    Adjustable thermostat control

    Designed to provide supplemental heat up to 400 square feet

    25.2 x 8.7 x 5.2 inches

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Heat Wave 1,000 Watt Convector Baseboard Heater
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The best baseboard heater in terms of value, Heat Wave 1,000 Watt Convector Baseboard Heater has 2 heat settings and an adjustable thermostat, allowing you to get your room to the perfect temperature! If the heater happens to overheat, the thermal cut-off safety feature will shut it off- and if it tips over, the tip-over switch automatically cuts off the power. These safety features are good to have, particularly if you have young children or pets who may bump into the heater. It can keep spaces of up to 400 square feet nice and warm, meaning that it’s perfect for small rooms or for personal use. Although it’s advertised as a baseboard heater, this model can safely be used in an elevated position too, so it’s very versatile.

    Pros

    Thermal cut-off protection and tip-over switch

    Very lightweight – only 5 pounds

    Easy to move from room to room

    Very quiet

    Heats quickly

    Even temperature

    Cons

    Can only heat a small area

    Plastic components are fragile

    Only disperses heat from the top, not the sides

5. Marley 2512NW 120V 2′ Baseboard Heater

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Key Features

    Hardwired

    400W

    UL listed baseboard heater

    Ideal for small spaces

    4.8 x 13.2 x 18.1 inches

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Marley 2512NW 120V 2′ Baseboard Heater
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Marley 2512NW 120V 2′ Baseboard Heater works by natural convection, with no blower or fan, and quickly heats the room to an even temperature. It has a large wiring compartment so it can be hardwired quickly and easily, plus it features dual knockouts and a built-in cable clamp. The heater’s overheat protection system gives you peace of mind by shutting off the unit if the air intake becomes blocked for any reason. This is only a small electric baseboard heater, so it is perfect for spaces like bathrooms, small workshops, or small home offices.

    Pros

    Energy efficient

    Large wiring compartment with dual knockouts and built-in cable clamp

    Overheat protection feature

    Very quiet

    Very lightweight – just 4.85 pounds

    Can be installed on wall or directly on flooring

    Durable powder coat finish

    Cons

    Can’t be moved from room to room

    No thermostat

    Only suitable for heating very small spaces

    No pre-drilled holes for mounting

6. Fahrenheat PLF Liquid Filled Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heater

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Key Features

    Hydronic – liquid filled – design

    1000W

    8 x 3 x 46 inches

    Energy efficient

    Stays cool to the touch

    UL-listed unit

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Fahrenheat PLF Liquid Filled Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heater
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Fahrenheat PLF Liquid Filled Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heater is ideal for use around children and animals. Thanks to the safety grille and hydronic design, it stays cool to the touch whilst still radiating warmth to heat the room. And because it’s so cool to the touch, it’s safe to install carpeting around it. Designed with energy efficiency in mind. This baseboard heater doesn’t keep cycling on and off. When a hydronic baseboard heater warms up, the liquid retains its heat for quite some time, cutting down on the amount of electricity you use. This makes hydronic heaters more popular with many people than standard baseboard heating. This unit is also very quiet and doesn’t make the popping noises that people complain about with other electric baseboard heaters. It will shut off if it overheats and also has a mechanism to cut off the power if it gets knocked over.

    Pros

    Very safe around children and pets

    Can be mounted to any wall, or directly on wood or tile floor

    Carpet can be installed around it

    Durable

    Overheat protection feature

    Puts out plenty of heat

    Very quiet

    Cons

    Hardwired so can’t be moved from room to room

    Control dials can be stiff

    Installation can be time-consuming

    Numbers on control dials may wear off

    Electrical connection knock-outs may be hard to remove

7. Lasko 5622 Low Profile Silent Room Baseboard Heater

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Key Features

    Hydronic design

    Digital display with thermostat and timer

    1500W

    39.7 x 5.4 x 9 inches

    Thermostat

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Lasko 5622 Low Profile Silent Room Baseboard Heater
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Lasko 5622 Low Profile Silent Room Baseboard Heater will blend easily into any room, warming it slowly but surely using convection heat. This unit has lots of great features, including an auto-off timer (1 to 8 hours) and a thermostat that can be adjusted from 60 to 85 degrees F, so can heat the room to the temperature you want, when you want. Unlike some of the other baseboard heaters in our review, this unit is not hardwired so it’s perfectly portable. It’s also reasonably lightweight and has carry handles, so moving it around your home is a breeze. An automatic overheat and tip-over safety mechanism means that you can use this heater with complete confidence, and it runs nice and quietly, circulating the warm air via convention instead of with a fan.

    Pros

    Overheat and tip-over safety mechanisms

    Auto-off timer

    Carry handles for portability

    Heats evenly and radiates from both sides

    Runs quietly

    Works well in larger spaces

    Cons

    Can take a while to fully warm a room

    Setting the unit can be complicated

    Red light by the controls can be annoying at night

    Can get hot to the touch on top

8. Comfort Zone Thermal Digital Baseboard Heater

Energy Efficient
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Key Features

    Will heat up to 1,000 square feet

    Built-in adjustable digital thermostat

    2 heat settings – 1,500 watts (high heat) and 750 watts (low heat)

    Energy-efficient heating element

    28.5 x 5.5 x 9 inches

    1-year limited manufacturer’s warranty

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Comfort Zone Thermal Digital Baseboard Heater
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A built-in, adjustable digital thermostat and two heat settings make it easy to warm your room just the way you like it with Comfort Zone Thermal Digital Baseboard Heater. It has good safety features, including a tip-over mechanism to stop it working if it’s knocked over, automatic shut off if it overheats and cool-touch housing, making it safe to use around children and pets. At under 9 pounds, this baseboard heater is reasonably lightweight and easy to move from room to room and the 6-foot cord makes it easy to place it in the best spot in your room. It also has a sleek, polished look that complements your decor.

You May Also Like: Best Electric Fireplace

    Pros

    Works quietly

    Includes a timer

    Compact size so fits in most rooms

    Long 6′ cord

    Heats up quickly

    Lightweight enough to move around

    Cons

    Cannot be used on carpets or rugs

    Temperature control can be confusing

    No carry handle

9. King Electric KP1215-ECO Dual-Wattage Baseboard Heater

Premium Pick
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Key Features

    Dual Wattage 750/1500W Element

    Portable

    60 x 5 x 7 inches

    UL listed baseboard heater

    1-year warranty

    ECO-indicating lights

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King Electric KP1215-ECO Dual-Wattage Baseboard Heater
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The best baseboard heater in the premium category is the King Electric KP1215-ECO Portable Baseboard Heater with its dual wattage element. It comes with a 6-foot power cord so you can move it around your home as needed and pick the perfect position to place it in your room. At 12 pounds it’s relatively lightweight for portability, and a convenient carry handle on the back makes it even easier to move around. This baseboard heater uses EcoStat technology, which means that it will automatically use the lowest amount of wattage it needs to warm up your room. This is a great feature, designed to save you money and cut down on energy consumption. The EcoStat feature also stops the temperature of the room from fluctuating too widely. It does this by heating a cold room rapidly, using full power. Once the room is warm enough, it then drops to the lower wattage to maintain a consistently comfortable temperature.

    Pros

    EcoStat feature, saving money and energy

    Generous 6-foot power cord

    Sleek design

    Easy to move around your home

    Safety tip-over switch

    Safety cutout if heater becomes too hot

    Cons

    Slow to warm up

    No digital display to tell you the exact temperature the heater is running at

    Indicator light can be annoying at night time

    May produce a chemical odor when first used

Features To Consider With Baseboard Heaters

Cleaning

Electric baseboard heaters can easily become clogged up with everything from dust to pet hair, so it is important to make sure you can clean them properly. A dirty baseboard heater may become unsafe and will also operate less efficiently - costing more to run and sometimes failing to heat the room effectively. To clean a baseboard heater, make sure you first shut off the power and let the heating element cool down completely. Once cool, you can remove any debris you can see and use a handheld vacuum cleaner with a soft brush to clean inside the heater.

Installation

There are two main kinds of electric baseboard heaters - those that need to be hardwired into an electrical circuit and those that have their own power cord that you simply plug into an outlet. If you are not comfortable with hardwiring an electric baseboard heater, you may need to hire an electrician to do it for you, so the extra cost of that is something to consider. That being said, an experienced electrician should be able to install baseboard heating very quickly. Something else to think about with a hardwired heater is the fact that it will need to stay in a fixed position - you won't easily be able to move it to another room. If you are looking for a more portable option - a heater that you can move around your home as needed - then you need to look for baseboard heaters that you can simply plug in. These don't require any installation at all and are ready for use. They often have other features that make them more suitable for moving around - they tend to be lighter in weight, for example, and will often come with a convenient carry handle.

Size

When it comes to baseboard heaters, size is very important. First, you need to make sure that the heater is adequate for the size of your room. The specifications of your baseboard heater will often state the square footage for which the heater is suitable. The only problem with baseboard heating is that it can take up a fair bit of wall space. The more heat you need, the longer the unit will need to be. This is something to take into account when you think about what room you will be using it in. Something else to consider is that electric baseboard heaters need a minimum of a foot of clearance in front of them to work safely and efficiently. This means that the heater can't be too close to drapes, beds, or other furniture or objects.

Minimum/Maximum Temperature

Most electric baseboard heaters are controlled by a thermostat or dial on the heater itself, although some baseboard heaters don't come with a thermostat and you would need to buy it separately. Sometimes using a separate, wall-mounted thermostat is a good idea anyway, because it can be far more accurate and quicker to respond than a thermostat located directly on the heater. The minimum and maximum temperatures of many baseboard heaters are listed in their specifications and it's a good idea, once you've chosen your heater, to set the thermostat so that it runs as economically as possible. Although you may require maximum temperatures during the day, experts say that you can save up to 10% on your energy bills by setting your baseboard heaters to 16°C at night and when you're out. That might sound cold, but you will probably find it's an adequate heat level at night when you are wrapped up in bed!

space heater installed

Baseboard Heater FAQ

Q: Are baseboard heaters energy efficient?

A:

Baseboard heaters are a form of electric resistance heating. This type of heating is considered to be 100% energy efficient, which means that all the incoming electric power is turned into heat. That being said, the majority of electricity is made from oil, gas, or coal generators that only convert around 30% of the fuel's energy into electricity. In that sense, electric heat- like that used by baseboard heaters - can be more expensive than heaters that use fuels like gas or propane. To make electric baseboard heaters more efficient, you need to locate them under windows to counteract the cool air as it descends. You also need to set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature to save on energy costs.

Q: Can baseboard heaters cause fires?

A:

Baseboard heaters are generally safe and the best units have safety features to prevent fires, such as an overheat cut-out or a mechanism that shuts the heater off if it gets knocked over. But any source of heat can be a fire hazard, so there are a few precautions you can take if you choose to use an electric baseboard heater. You should make sure that no flammable objects are placed near your heater and that everyone in the house knows not to place objects on top of the heater. Regular cleaning to remove bits of debris is an important part of minimizing the fire risk from baseboard heaters and you also need to keep the heater clear of loose fabrics like drapes.

An outlet timer is most helpful in this department, you simply plug in a baseboard heater in an outlet timer and set the time when you want it to be shut off.

Q: Can you put furniture against baseboard heaters?

A:

No - you should make sure your baseboard heater is at least a foot away from any furniture. There are two reasons for this - one is to minimize the risk from fire and the other is to ensure that your heater operates efficiently.

Sources

    How to Install a Baseboard Heater - SF Gate

    How to Adjust Baseboard Heaters - Hunker

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