How to Use a Space Heater Safely

Jul 19, 2023

Follow these safety tips if you use a portable space heater. Plus, the safest space heaters from CR's tests.

Space heaters can provide extra warmth in a drafty room or chilly home office. But they can also pose a safety risk—no matter where you use them. Portable space heaters are responsible for 1,700 house fires a year, on average, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Fires started by portable space heaters result in about 80 deaths annually.

If you rely on a portable heater for supplemental heat, it's important to make space heater safety a priority. Following are tips for safe space-heater operation, along with safety features to look for when choosing a space heater. In our space heater ratings, we evaluate space heater on several safety measures including whether it gets hot enough to ignite nearby materials, whether the surface gets so hot it can cause a burn and whether or not it has a tipover switch that turns the heater off when it is knocked over.

Half of all home heating fires happen during the months of December, January, and February—they’re mostly caused when a heater (typically an electric one) is placed too close to curtains, bedding, or upholstered furniture. Our experts, as well as the pros at the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and the National Fire Protection Agency offer the following safety tips:

Safety is a critical aspect of our space heater tests. Each model undergoes a series of three tests to determine its potential for causing a fire. Results of those three tests—tip-over, overheat, and drape—are combined for our overall fire safety score.

For the tip-over test, a unit gets a perfect score if it turns off less than 10 seconds after being tilted on its face (many shut off instantly). For the overheat test, the heater is wrapped in fabric, causing heat to build up in the unit. Models that shut off in under 2 minutes without scorching the fabric earn a perfect score. In the drape test, a portion of the heater's outlet is covered with cloth. Models that shut off in 2 minutes, or run for 30 minutes without scorching the fabric, gain a perfect score in that test.

Although some heaters rate better than others in our fire safety tests, it has been several years since a space heater failed it completely. (In 2012, we identified the Optimus H-5210 as a safety risk after it ignited the terry cloth we use. The heater was later recalled by the CPSC.) "We don't recommend buying a space heater that gets a rating of Poor in our fire safety test, but no space heater should ever be left unattended," says Chris Regan, who oversees our space heater ratings.

A second safety-related test is our hot-surface score, which focuses on how likely the unit is to cause accidental burns based on the temperature and location of hot surfaces. Models that earn a Poor rating in our hot-surface test can get hot enough on the highest setting to cause burns. Heaters with a rating of Very Good or Excellent in that test stay cool enough to touch safely.

Certification: Make sure the heater you buy carries a safety certification label from an independent testing organization, such as the UL mark, the ETL label from Intertek, or certification from CSA International.

Shutoff features: A smart sensor that automatically shuts off a heater when it overheats is a must. You’ll also want a tip-over switch that does the same if the heater is knocked over.

A ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) plug: Most space heaters don't come equipped with a GFCI plug, which prevents electric shock. Heaters without one should not be used around water, manufacturers advise.

A sturdy cord: Most space heaters come with a cord that's 6 feet long. To prevent overheating, never use an extension cord or a power strip with an electric heater.

Mary H.J. Farrell

Mary H.J. Farrell is a senior editor at Consumer Reports whose real passion is for cooking and all that entails. She has expanded CR's cookware category to include not only more pots and pans but also other essentials like stand mixer attachments, sheet pans, and vacuum sealers. Mary also covers vacuums but finds cooking way more fun than cleaning. Since the mid-1990s, Mary has held senior positions at People.com, MSNBC, and Ladies’ Home Journal. One of her earliest jobs was at Good Housekeeping.