Whatever the weather or season, it’s always a good time to invest in the best conservatory heater you can afford. Unless you’re in the midst of a genuine 40˚C heatwave, temperatures in a conservatory can drop considerably once the sun goes down. And once autumn and winter roll around and outdoor temperatures really plummet, the conservatory is the first place to take a massive temperature hit.
You may not be aware of this, but if you wanted to install an additional wall-mounted radiator in your conservatory and have it connected to your existing central heating system, you will likely fall foul of UK building regulations. This is because, according to experts KLG, “a conservatory is only exempt from regular heat loss regulations if its heating system is isolated from the rest of the house and can be controlled separately”. In a nutshell, a fixed radiator system is a complicated and costly process that might not be worth the hassle if you only use the conservatory in cooler times on an irregular basis.
Thankfully there are no such regulations when it comes to equipping a conservatory with electric heaters, especially those of the portable kind. With this in mind, we’ve curated the following list of excellent contenders that will keep your conservatory warm and habitable during colder periods.
READ NEXT: The best electric radiators
There’s quite a range of heating options from which to choose, but your best method for heating on demand is probably a fan heater that distributes warmth immediately and where it’s needed most – near you. The beauty of fan heaters is that they can be positioned close by so you’re not wasting precious energy heating an entire room that’s covered in glass and has very little in the way of insulation. However, electric fan heaters do chew through more electricity than other heating methods so they’re not the best solution for full-time heating. And although many are equipped with thermostats, in many instances the heaters themselves may not be powerful enough to produce sufficient overall heat for the thermostat to kick in.
If you spend more time in the conservatory than any other room, even in winter, an electric oil-filled heater or wall-mounted panel heater would be the best choice. Granted, you’ll need to turn these types of heaters on in advance because they take some time to warm up. Thankfully, many models are equipped with timers so they won’t be running while you’re at work or in bed.
Another option worth considering is an electric patio heater. These infrared and bar-type models produce plenty of warmth, although they’re not always the most attractive things to look at. Nevertheless, a patio heater provides the best of both worlds because you can also take it outdoors for al fresco entertainment.
Although we aren’t covering wood burners in this feature, there’s nothing to stop you installing one in your conservatory as long as it meets the new 2022 regulations. As of January, all new wood burners must be SIA (Stove Industry Alliance) Ecodesign Ready Stove approved. However, once installed, you’ll always cherish the day you took the leap to install one because nothing beats the warmth and cosiness of a real flickering flame.
READ NEXT: Our pick of the best electric wood burners
Price: £130 | Buy now from Amazon We think an oil-filled heater is the most cost-effective way to heat a conservatory over longer periods, and this model from De’Longhi is a sterling option because it heats up relatively quickly and radiates heat in all directions.
Oil-filled heaters aren’t the most attractive of household appliances, but we’ve seen far worse lookers than the Dragon 4 Pro. At 15kg, it’s quite a weighty beast but at least it comes with little caster wheels to move it around the room. You’ll also need to find some space near a wall that will accommodate its 495 x 160 x 665mm dimensions.
In the world of oil-filled radiators, the Dragon 4 Pro is one of the most advanced on the market. Its unique chimney design really does help radiate heat outwards and upwards so it shouldn’t take long for you to feel the effects – and boy does this thing get hot!
The Dragon 4 Pro comes with an intuitive dial-and-push digital control system, comprising a thermostat, three power settings and a daily timer control. Simply set the thermostat to the temperature you’d like the room to be – say 22˚C – and then select the power output to minimum, medium or maximum. Alternatively, select Eco mode and let the heater choose its most energy-efficient power level so you don’t get hit with too heavy an electricity bill.
If you use your conservatory throughout the year, we have no hesitation in recommending this model. It’s energy efficient, fast to heat up, and produces oodles of radiated warmth that you’ll undoubtedly appreciate when outdoor temperatures plummet.
Key specs – Type: Oil filled; Size (HWD): 49.5 x 16 x 66.5cm; Max power: 2,000 watts; Heat settings: 3; Timer: Yes; Weight: 15kg
Price: £169 | Buy now from Currys We’re going a little off-piste here and including an outdoor heater that can also quite easily and efficiently heat any large conservatory without breaking into sweat – although you might once you feel the level of heat it produces.
The Swan Column Patio Heater is 140cm tall, but thankfully the main column is only 14cm wide. Mind, you would need to figure in the weighted base, which has a 40cm diameter. Given that it uses two glass-enclosed carbon heating elements that radiate heat on two sides, correct placement is vital if used indoors since the immense heat this thing generates could damage any wall or furniture surfaces very easily. And don’t let any kids near it, either. On the plus side, you wouldn’t need to have it on for long because its 1kW and 2kW heat settings are more than capable of heating up a large indoor area in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea.
Assembly was a bit tricky because the weighted plinth’s screw holes didn’t align correctly with the silver cover. Also, after carefully reading the instructions, we still failed to mount the top column to the bottom in the correct orientation. For some reason, the bottom silver colour now faces backwards instead of to the front as in the image.
Design foibles aside, this is an outstanding heater that’s hot enough to toast marshmallows. And when it’s time to move outdoors for some al fresco evening entertainment, you can simply take it with you.
Key specs – Type: Carbon elements; Size (HWD): 140 x 14 x 14cm; Max power: 2,000 watts; Heat settings: 2; Timer: No; Weight: 13.6kg
Price: £125 | Buy now from Amazon If you want a conservatory heater that looks a bit more stylish, consider a digitally controlled convection panel heater such as this model from Devola, which can be free-standing or mounted to a wall. If mounted to a wall, guests may mistakenly think it’s a flatscreen TV when viewed from the front. However, it’s only when viewed from the side that you notice how deep it is because it sticks out from the wall by about three inches. This writer would personally go for the floor-mounting option, which looks far less incongruous and doesn’t involve making holes in the wall.
Available in black or white, the Devola Designer is Wi-Fi-enabled, so you can control it from the Tuya Smart App or by shouting commands at Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Alternatively, you can use the on-board touchscreen controls and forget about all that remote operation malarky.
This model comes with a raft of features, including two heat settings (1kW and 2kW), an IP24 rating for Zone 2 bathroom use, a 24-hour and seven-day timer, and the aforementioned touch, app and voice control options.
Users rate the heat output of this model very highly, so if you want a heater that doesn’t look like a heater, this is the one to go for.
Key specs – Type: Convection panel; Size (HWD): 78 x 47 x 8cm; Max power: 2,000 watts; Heat settings: 2; Timer: Yes; Weight: 8.45kg
Price: £100 | Buy now from Amazon For immediate close-quarters warmth, the small but efficient MeacoHeat is an excellent choice. The great thing about this small-bodied 2kW ceramic model is that it comes equipped with a front-mounted motion detector, so it switches itself off when you leave the conservatory and turns itself on again when you return. Obviously you can set it to stay on permanently, but having a motion sensor on board really does help keep the electricity bill lower. This model is also equipped with an oscillating feature to help distribute heat over a wider arc.
Available in black, red or white, the MeacoHeat is equipped with two main control settings: a two-stage fan and two levels of output that boots out 1,000W of heat (at a cost of around 28p/hour) and 2,000W (57p/hour). For some unfathomable reason, the control panel lists three heat settings (L, M, H) but the low setting doesn’t do anything at all, which is a strange anomaly for a Meaco product.
That foible aside, this is a cracking blow heater that’s as quiet as a mouse and surprisingly powerful for its size (it’s just 39cm tall). But it’s the energy-efficient motion detection that really clinches it.
Key specs – Type: Ceramic fan; Size (HWD): 38.7 x 17 x 15cm; Power: 2,000 watts; Heat settings: 2; Timer: Yes; Weight: 2.45kg
Price: £115 | Buy now from Amazon If you’d rather not have a large heating appliance taking up precious floorspace in the conservatory, consider this efficient skirting board model from Mylek. At 140 x 20 x 15cm, the inconspicuous Mylek is an excellent heating alternative that is both energy efficient and highly effective at keeping temperatures steady in any small-to-medium sized conservatory.
Granted, at 1kW, its power output is 1,000 Watts less than most other models, but the benefit in the long term is lower running costs. This heater is also equipped with an intelligent thermostat that monitors room temperature, turning itself on and off when required. You can program it – and set a timer – via its intuitive touch-screen interface or the included remote control. It comes with three main heat settings – 350W, 700W and 1,000W.
The Mylek can be wall mounted if required, but you’re probably better off just using the supplied feet. These are tucked away in the polystyrene packaging, so be careful to check before throwing anything away.
In the arena of conservatory heaters, this is a commendable little model that doesn’t get in the way, is easy to operate and efficient for the task it was designed to do.
Key specs – Type: Skirting board; Size: 140 x 20 x 15cm; Power: 1,000 watts; Heat settings: 3; Timer: Yes; Weight: 5kg
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