Best Wall Heaters | 2022 Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide

So, how do wall heaters work? They’re almost entirely electrical, though the method wherein they convert the electricity can vary widely from one to the next. There are standard element heaters, ceramic heaters, UV heaters. Rarely are they ever gas or oil or anything like that.

Sometimes, they’re connected to some ductwork in the room. Sometimes they’re set into a window, sometimes they’re set into a recess cut into the wall. There are really only a few things to consider with these. BTU output does matter, voltage compatibility with your wiring is very important as well.

Also, do you want to have to modify your wall itself, or do you prefer to just use a hole that’s already there via a window? Combination units do exist which provide air conditioning and heat both. They’re rare, but if you’re looking for simplicity, you might want to look into something like this.

I don’t have a wall heater in my garage workshop for the sheer fact that my garage’s walls are all made of cinderblock, and I’m not into trying to modify cinderblock like that.

Aside from these factors, though, there’s not that much else worth worrying about, honestly, there isn’t.

So, what are the ups and downs of using one of these? Well, unlike some other heater technologies, there are some problems with them. The biggest problem is, while they’re not that complex, they’re a little bit of a pain because you have to install them. This means cutting a recess into the wall, building framing around them, assembling them, and I won’t lie, that kind of thing is well outside my own handyman capabilities.

This means that unless you’re particularly handy, you’ll have to have a contractor come in and install the thing, which will incur more expense and just overall be a bigger pain in the ass.

The convenience though is that these, if installed properly, do raise the resale value of your home, and they’re a lot more efficient and effective than space heater approaches. They’re designed to heat a larger space, and they’re better insulated. They’re a lot safer if you install them properly, and if you install them properly.

They tend to be fairly affordable and offer a bit more localized control than other heating systems, which is also nice when you only use the heat occasionally. You may want to consider all the other solutions available before committing to wall heaters because I for one do consider what you have to do in order to install them to be way bigger of a pain than it has any right to be, myself.

Now, you’re understandably asking, “what situations will I encounter where the effort of this is justified?” This is completely forgivable, considering I’ve stated my case for precisely why I don’t have one. I’m not wild about the amount of construction work and handyman stuff this involves – I am a nerd at the end of the day, so while I’m handy with tools, it’s really only when I’m building custom electronics. I’m so not a DIY person with house stuff because it’s a pain in the butt.

There are a few situations where these are ideal though. Chief among these, this is a fairly solid technology to install in individual rooms you rent out, or for apartments. It’s also good for garages, detached buildings and garages and the like as well.

This isn’t too bad of technology for emergencies, and it can actually work for heating all the rooms in a small enough house. I’ve seen this technology used for bungalows and small ranch houses often enough. The benefit is, it allows each person to adjust their own room to their desires, so if someone doesn’t like it as hot as you might, they can dial it back in their own rooms, without causing fights.

As you see, they’re a little more specific, case-wise, than other heater types we’ve looked at.

A big thing to consider here is that you never want to go with one of these if you don’t own the building, because most of them actually require some level of structural modification, and you’ll need permission from your landlord to do that, obviously.

It all comes down to whether or not the benefits they do offer is worth the additional cost of having them installed, and whether or not the walls are going to cooperate with you. If your walls are made of brick or cinderblock, this will be an unholy pain.

If you’re going to do this, it’s going to be for a small professional space, a space you rent out, or something else where you’re not that into space heaters (which are admittedly shabby for such purposes). Just, take time to really be sure that this is going to work with your space, that you have the funds to have it installed (I’m going to say don’t DIY this unless you’ve actually done something like it professionally), and that the benefits really are enough for you to go through with the hassle of putting these in place.

Now, we’re going to look at two of these we’re comfortable with recommending.