Posted by Luciana Lawe Davies 12/07/2022

A bathroom heater can transform a terrible bathroom into a warm paradise, as long as you pick the right one.

Picture this: you step out of a steaming shower, into your glistening clean bathroom, and plant your feet into your soft, plush bathmat. You wrap yourself in your favourite fluffy bath towel and take your time making your way to the mirror, where, despite the steam, you can see your face perfectly, and begin to get ready for the day in absolute comfort.

All this can be achieved with the magic of a bathroom heater. No more cold tiles, freezing feet, or hanging around in the shower just a little too long. With the addition of a bathroom heater, cold shock is gone and your bathroom is a great place to be.

Choosing the right bathroom heater is important, and luckily, it’s easy to do. It’s simply a matter of knowing your options and understanding your needs. Canstar Blue has put together a handy guide to bathroom heaters and even thrown in some options, so you can spend less time searching and more time staying snug.

Bathrooms come in all different shapes and sizes, so it’s important to pick a heater that suits your space. While the options can be endless, Canstar Blue has done the hard yards for you and picked the best bathroom heaters on offer, with units to suit everything from floor to ceiling.

A wall-mounted heater is a great space saver, ideal for those with small bathrooms. The Nobo 1000W slimline panel heater is especially well suited for those who want to bring the heat but don’t want their unit sticking out like a sore thumb. Built at only 5.5cm thick, this heater has concealed air vents to remove visual clutter and can slide in anywhere; it also features a 1000W power output, and operates at decimals quiet enough to be suitable for bathrooms, or living areas.

Key features of the Nobo 1000W Slimline Wall Mount Heater include:

A portable heater is your best friend come winter. Whether you’re chilling out on the couch, working hard in the study, or primping in the bathroom, your warm little mate can go wherever you go. The Olimpia Splendid ceramic heater (CALDOSTILE DT) features a touch screen display, remote control, a tip-over switch, and an anti-ice function. It also has the bonus of coming with a high heat output, an oscillating design to encourage warm airflow, and a timer, so you can heat the bathroom before you even walk in.

Key features of the Olimpia Splendid Ceramic Heater include:

Good light is critical in the bathroom, so if a ceiling heater is what you’re after, make sure you pick one that can light up your life. An exhaust fan is also on the higher end of the priority pick, as it not only allows you to keep your space fresh but also sucks moisture from the air, keeping mould at bay. The Profile Plus Bathroom Heater is a great example of a ceiling heater that brings together all these attributes while looking stylish enough to grace any bathroom space. Keep in mind that ceiling heaters require installation.

Key features of the Profile Plus Bathroom Heater include:

A large bathroom is a luxury – until it comes to winter when it’s suddenly the coldest place in the house! Luckily, there are plenty of options for heating those palatial washrooms. The Ventair Sunset radiant heater can bring a warm, ambient atmosphere to any large space. It has an ultra-slim design that allows it to sit flush with the ceiling, while it radiates up to 1200W of low glare heating from its ceramic glass.

Key features of the Ventair Sunset Radiant Heater include:

A lot happens in the bathroom, which is why sometimes, you need more than a heater. The Ventair Myka 4 is a heater, a light and an exhaust all rolled into one appliance. Its slimline design means it can sit snug in your ceiling, while the four-gang switches mean you can choose when you want light, heat or exhaust. Like other heaters mentioned, it’s good for preventing moisture build-up and the radiant heat produces an ambient vibe for your bathroom.

Key features of the Ventair Myka 4 include:

Sometimes you just want to get warm without splashing the big cash – this is where budget-friendly heaters come in. The Heller 2000W wall heater promises to warm you up while staying out of sight. Its slimline design blends in well into the wall, while its 2000W heating capacity ensures you won’t be feeling that winter chill. This model also comes with a cool function, making it an all-season-friendly model.

Key features of the Heller 2000W Wall Heater include:

Radiant heaters are the most energy-efficient heaters when used for shorter periods. These radiate heat to persons and objects within direct proximity, where heat can linger for longer. Convection heaters are the least energy-efficient as they blow heated air into a room which can be easily lost when doors are open or if windows aren’t sealed properly. They also take longer to heat up.

Most portable electric heaters aren’t suitable to use in rooms with high humidity (like bathrooms) because:

However, they are portable heaters (although very few) that are specifically designed to be used in a bathroom. Electricals and water are never a good mix, so any heater that goes in the bathroom needs to be properly waterproofed and water-resistant, to avoid electrocution and damage to your unit. When in doubt, turn off the heater at the wall before you run any water.

Read more: What’s the best way to heat your bathroom?

As you make your way through the guide try to keep in mind what sort of space you are looking to heat. Matching your bathroom size to the right heater is the best way to find the ideal appliance for your house. In addition, always remember whether it’s portable, wall-mounted, or ceiling-installed, it needs to be properly waterproofed to be safe to use.

Bathroom heaters are separated into installed heaters and portable heaters. An installed heater requires a technician to come to your house and put in the appliance for you, while a portable heater can be moved from room to room. Each type of heater has its pros and cons, and these are outlined for you below, along with a brief description of what each type can do. Portable, wall-mounted and ceiling heaters explain where the heaters are installed, while infrared, convection and fan-forced explain the type of heat these technologies produce. It should be noted that oil-filled and ceramic heaters are not mentioned, as they are generally not suitable to use in bathrooms.

Different types of bathroom heaters include:

A portable heater refers to any heating unit that can be moved to different rooms around your house. They have an average power output above 1000W, and are small enough to move around by hand, which makes them highly convenient. They usually have a few different heat settings, a timer and a temperature display and can be operated by a control panel, or via remote control. You can pick up a portable heater from a hardware store, a department store, or even a supermarket.

Wall-mounted heaters are heating units that are attached to the wall, usually via a mount, but they can also be installed into the wall with a vent. They are useful for heating smaller spaces like bathrooms, bedrooms and studios, as they save space by being off the floor, heat up quickly and generate enough warmth to easily keep a smaller room toasty.

You can purchase electric wall heaters, which are the mounted kind, or have a gas wall heater installed. An electric wall heater is usually cheaper, requires less installation, and is suitable for smaller rooms. A gas wall heater is usually more expensive, requires a more involved installation process but is better at heating larger spaces.

Ceiling heaters are, as the name suggests, heaters that are installed onto your ceiling. They can be nestled within the roof, or be suspended from it, and are operated via a switch on the wall or a pull cord. Ceiling heaters are a popular choice for bathrooms, as they usually come with lights and often extraction fans built into the same panel. They save space by combining these features, and their location is unintrusive to a space. Most ceiling heaters operate above 2000W and are good at heating larger spaces, including those with openings.

Infrared heaters work by emitting heat rays that are then absorbed by other objects, similar to the sun. The cumulative heat of the heater and objects gradually increases the temperature in the room. This makes them an energy-efficient alternative to other types of heating. Many bathroom heaters work via infrared heating technology, as they heat up quickly, give off a warm glow and stop heating a space when off – everything you want when you’re dashing in and out of the shower. Most infrared heaters operate at 1500W, and can heat large and smaller spaces.

Convection heaters warm up a room by drawing cool air in at the bottom, and producing warm air at the top, via a heated element. This makes them a good choice for rooms that can be closed off to avoid the heat escaping through windows, doors and floor gaps. This also makes them great at heating up smaller rooms in the house, like bathrooms. Panel heaters are usually pretty cheap to pick up, but they are not the most energy-efficient heater, which can make them more expensive to run. Panel heaters generally operate above 2000W.

Fan forced heaters warm up a room by heating an element inside the unit and using a fan to blow the hot air across the element and out through a vent. They can be quite small and compact, and are good at warming up small spaces quickly, making them a popular choice as a cheap bathroom heater. They can be sold on their own, or as an additional unit with lighting.

If you’re still on the fence as to whether a heater is worth the investment, consider some of the additional benefits of a toasty bathroom.

Benefits of a bathroom heater include:

Heaters sit on the more affordable end of bathroom accessories. They can range from $50 for a small wall-mount unit, right up to $900 for an installed unit with additional features. The price of your heater will fluctuate depending on whether it needs to be installed, how big it is and how much heat it can emit. Interestingly enough, a bigger price tag does not always equate to a better unit. In fact, you are better off considering exactly how and where you’re going to use your heater, and find a unit to match those needs, rather than going off the price.

In general, infrared heaters are the cheapest heaters to run because they use 100% of the heat they produce. Infrared heaters function by adding heat to objects, not the air. This means the heat is more easily retained, and can be more effectively generated to create a warmer environment.

The cost of running a heater depends on a variety of factors including:

Heat is heat, right? When you’re freezing, grabbing any old heater can seem mighty tempting, but taking the time to choose the right unit can save you time, money, and cold toes in the long run. Listed below are some of the most important things to look for when buying a bathroom heater.

A bathroom heater is (quite literally) a small price to pay for a greatly improved bathroom experience. For less than $60 you can transform your bathroom into a toasty oasis, and ban those winter chills for good.

Key things to remember before purchasing a heater

Check out our guides on portable, electric, and panel heaters if you’re looking for more information on how to heat your home.

*Prices taken from respective retailers, correct as of July 2022.

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