I
F WINTER WERE JUST A
matter of fewer daylight
hours, most people could
probably manage it okay. But
it’s cold, too, making it both
a psychological and physical
battle. Many people respond
by using a portable heater—a
cheerful gadget that radiates
June in the middle of January—
in drafty rooms, home work areas,
chilly entryways, or the office
cubicle. These appliances are also
perfect for lowering the thermo-
stat elsewhere (saving you money)
and heating only a select room. We
called in a big batch—nearly two
dozen heaters in all—and tested
them to see how well and how
safely they work. Our test appli-
ances were divided into two broad
categories: electric and fuel-fired.
Some are fan-equipped, meaning
they push heated air toward you
and into the living space. Others
are passive: They lack a fan and
instead project infrared energy
toward you to conduct heat into
the air.
Read on to find a heater that
will see you through the cold
months ahead. Winter won’t seem
as long with one at your side.Tools
// BY ROY BERENDSOHN //14
HEAT STORM
HS-1500-TTPrice: $132 Ty p e : Carbon-
filament infrared Watts: 1,500
Highest grill temperature:
323°F Highest
recorded amps: 12.2
Weight: 16.9 lbThis no-frills appliance has pre-cisely one control: the on/off
switch. Flip it, and the 16-inch
carbon-fiber heating element
glows to nearly cherry red in
seconds. Its parabolic reflector
bounces the infrared ray quite
effectively. Don’t stand too
close, though; optimal distance
is several feet, and we could
feel the warmth out to 12. This
Heat Storm is rated for outdoor
and indoor use, but you don’twant this thing in your living
room. Really, it’s best used at
a construction site, on a patio,
or in a workshop. Its tripod
allows you to adjust the height
from three feet to a bit higher
than six feet. The HS-1500-TT
would benefit from a cord
wrap—its heavy 13-foot cable
is fairly stiff and flops around
without some means to keep it
under control.PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVOR RAABThe 9
Best
Portable
Heaters
for Every
Space
80 December 2019