Best Garage Heaters: Hot, Hot, Heat

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

Top 8 Best Garage Heaters

Hey, you. Yeah, you with the frostbitten ears and far too many pairs of gloves in their hallway closet. A garage heater is definitely something that should be on your wish list. After all, if you have the opportunity to work on your rig out of the weather, it might as well be warm as well, right?

We’ll take this opportunity to recommend approved heaters such as these, noting that that should still be placed far away from any sort of flammable items. While our very own Murilee has rigged up a contraption made from a junkyard RV furnace, it’s worth noting that his musings are getting more and more hazy and difficult to understand. He does, however, retain his eyebrows. For now.

Here are a few heaters we found on Amazon. Now go donate most of those gloves to Goodwill.

Table of Contents

1. Editor's Choice: Heat Storm WIFI Infrared Heater

This thing isn’t the hottest unit on the list, nor is it the cheapest, but it is the most professional-looking, making it a good choice for a garage-mahal. It’s rated as suitable for an auxiliary heating source for rooms up to 750 square feet, meaning it should take the chill out of a 20 x 20 attached garage with some ease.

This is a wall-mounted heater, controlled by either the LCD panel or a smartphone app. Yes, you Luddites, this is convenient for some of us in the room. A space-saving wall design means it doesn’t eat up floor space. Install it over an outlet so the cord disappears.

Pros

  • Clean look, cool to the touch

Cons

  • Not the most powerful heater

Bottom Line

  • Great for the clean freak gearhead

2. Fahrenheat FUH54 Unit Heater

Here’s the brute you see in the corners of busy shops and that garage down the street that fixes old Volkswagens. This is a rugged, heavy-duty industrial type heater with a built-in single pole thermostat that adjusts from 45 degrees all the way up to to 135 degrees F.

A built-in ceiling mount bracket for easy vertical or horizontal mounting while adjustable louvers (your author loves that word) can direct heat to the desired area in your garage. There is a fan blower which, according to real-world customers, is not intrusive in terms of noise.

Pros

  • Charbroil-level heat

Cons

  • Heavy as heck

Bottom Line

  • Not super-efficient but reliable

3. ISILER 1500W Space Heater

Space heaters might not rank too high on anyone’s top 40 for heating up an entire 24 x 24 garage but sometimes they’re just the ticket for warming one’s small workspace without wasting heat on other parts of the shop. This one’s apparently made from fire-retardant materials so it shouldn’t go boom while being operated.

Its seller says the space heater only measures about seven inches square and weighs in at just 38.8 oz which is lighter than some steaks your author has consumed. Still, it’s a good idea to keep this thing at least three feet away from anything that can burn.

Pros

  • Small size, light weight

Cons

  • Only good for small spaces

Bottom Line

  • Sometimes, downsizing is the way to go

4. DeLonghi Oil-Filled Radiator Heater

The oil-filled unit might cause visions of the Exxon Valdez and its messy cargo but, in actuality, is made of high-quality steel with a permanently-sealed oil reservoir that allegedly never needs refilling. A unique thermal slot design maximizes heat flow into the room while maintaining a low surface temperature and will look familiar to anyone who’s lived in an old apartment building.

An anti-freeze setting allows the unit to automatically turn on when the temperature drops below 44 degrees F. It plugs into a standard household outlet and heaves out enough heat to warm a 250-ish sq. ft. area. Customer feedback reports no unusual odors or sounds from the sealed oil tank.

Pros

  • Unique shape and appearance, low maintenance

Cons

  • This won’t heat your entire garage

Bottom Line

  • Get this if you long for your old NYC pad

5. Dr. Infrared Heater DR-988 Garage Shop Heater

This red cube, unlike a couple of other cheaper options here, should make your entire garage nice and toasty, assuming it is less than 600 square feet. That means, in rough numbers, anything in smaller dimensions than 30 x 30. It even says “not recommended for general residential use” which is how you know it’s good.

It will require a clothes dryer style plug from which it can draw power, so a call to your friendly neighborhood electrician might be in order. Heat settings range from 45 to 95 degrees and an overheat protector is said to be in place. It weighs about 10 pounds so carrying it over to your buddy’s house to work on his derby car is not out of the question.

Pros

  • Nearly hotter than the sun

Cons

  • Not technically for us layfolk, needs a special outlet

Bottom Line

  • This thing brings the heat

6. Multifun 1500W Portable Ceramic Space Heater

Winning the award for the strangest off-brand name in this week’s list, the Multifun heater is not unlike the Ilsler space heater listed above but is cheaper. Like with the Ilsler, heating an entire room isn’t in the cards but does make a dandy argument for warming up a corner of one’s workspace.

All this beats the days when your author would draw heat from a hot-as-fire work lamp placed with him under the car. In fact, that light was hot enough on which one could light a cigarette. This heater gets hot - so keep flammables away. It’s unlikely you can light yer duMaurier off it, though.

Pros

  • Cheapo heat

Cons

  • Not overly powerful

Bottom Line

  • Good in a pinch

7. Comfort Zone Ceiling Mounted Radiant Quartz Heater

Why should outdoor drinking areas and sauna spaces have all the fun? This ceiling-mounted radiant quartz heater reflects heat onto nearby objects - just like the sun does - providing gentle and efficient warmth great workshops and garages. The quartz heater can be angled up to 90 degrees, helping to direct its output to the area of your space where it’s needed most.

The radiant heater is designed to mount on the ceiling, which helps to save valuable floor space in a crowded garage. A handy halogen light is built into the heater, allowing you to view items on your worktable more clearly and to read battered service manuals with ease.

Pros

  • Mounts out of the way, has a handy lamp

Cons

  • You might need two of them

Bottom Line

  • Affordable and comfortable heat

8. Mr. Heater 60,000 BTU Portable Propane Forced Air Heater

These cannons are sometimes found on job sites or construction areas. Fuelled by propane, it’s a good idea to deploy this forced air heater in a ventilated area. On its lowest setting, this thing should provide about 14 hours of heat from a 20 lb. propane tank like the one you’d find on a backyard grill.

Weighing about 20 pounds, the manufacturer says this particular Mr. Heater is capable of providing warmth to an astounding 1,250 square feet, a dimension that easily outstrips your author’s first apartment. One customer reports they heated their workspace to a comfortable 60 degrees in 45 minutes while the outside temperature sat just below freezing.

Pros

  • Heats like a blast furnace

Cons

  • Get a carbon monoxide monitor just in case

Bottom Line

  • Use it carefully for good results

From time to time, TTAC will highlight automotive products we think may be of interest to our community. Plus, posts like this help to keep the lights on around here. Learn more about how this works.

(Editor’s note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products but also to pay for our ‘90s sedan shopping habits operating expenses. Some of you don’t find these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Piston Slaps, and whatever else. Thanks for reading.)

[Product images provided by the manufacturer.]

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

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