Winter: cold weather, snow, and ice. You may hate it, or you may love it—but in the end, countermeasures need to be done against all types of weather. Just like in the summer where we air-condition our homes to stay cool, the cold weather that comes with the winter entails a proper heating system to help us stay comfortable.
More...
In the garage, it is more difficult to stay comfortably warm. Why? Most garages are made of cemented floors that are prone to staying cold, and are disconnected from the rest of the house’s heating system.
An efficient garage heating system can help you stay toasty during the days of winter, like a well-working dryer keeps your clothes dry and warm. However, with this comes the choice of a practical, proficient product that can deliver your needs.
Thus, in this article, I’ll be giving you the best garage heaters that you need to buy before the weather starts getting chilly, but before that—how do you know which one to buy?
How to Choose the Best Garage Heater for You Garage
Size and BTU
The first thing you want to consider is the size of the garage you’ll be heating. Of course, a bigger garage requires a more efficient, heavy-duty heater that has the capacity to heat the entire space. On the other hand, a smaller garage (one-car) can be warmed with a smaller unit, but not necessarily a cheaper or lower-quality one.
Via Family Handyman
If you want your garage heated to satisfactory levels, select a heater that has the corresponding capacity. The Modine HD75AS0111 Garage Heater is a great ceiling-mounted, gas-fired, forced-air garage heating unit to permanently heat the whole garage area and the system can be mounted from the ceiling to free floor space.
For this, you want to determine the BTU or British Thermal Unit that would heat your home to your desired temperature. BTU depends on the size of the garage and the optimal temperature you want. Here’s how to calculate how much BTU you need.
All devices have specific BTUs, and some of them are adjustable, so do not dive in and buy the first one you see: make sure the BTU is enough for your garage.
Type of Heater
Secondly, consider the type of heater you will be buying. The most common types of heaters can either work through radiant heat, forced air, and infrared heat. This article can help you determine the pros and cons of each of these systems, in order to make the most optimal choice for your individual needs.
Moreover, these types of heaters can either be fueled by gas, electricity, or both. The difference of the two fuel sources can play a hand in the ease of maintenance and cost of use in the long run.
To illustrate, gas-fueled heaters require tedious maintenance (unblocking of air vents, cleaning the motor, cleaning the burner) but can produce more heat through combustion. On the other hand, electric heaters are easy to maintain and have high efficiency heating, but can produce less intense heat than gas-fueled heaters.
Quality and Features
Quality of the product does not equate to its price, so don’t go buying the most expensive heater out there and expect it to be the best for you. High-quality items are considered as such if they heat the garage efficiently, and possess good durability even with constant use.
A high-quality product also has useful, no-nonsense features that come with it. When choosing a product, do not be blinded by the long list of features and decide right then that that is what you’re going to buy. Consider if these features are beneficial to you; if you can use them on a regular basis, and if, overall, the product’s features are worth the price.
Safety
Garage heaters need to have standard safety features to ensure that it won’t overheat, set on fire, or break down unexpectedly. When looking at your product, it is best to seek the one with the best safety features with it.
Best Garage Heaters for Your Home
Product name | Price | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
$ | ||
$$ | ||
$$ | ||
$$$ |
If it’s your first time buying a new garage heater, then you may be reaching out in the dark here. Thus, I found it a good idea to help first-time buyers out there and review the best garage heaters that I believe can help you out:
1. DeLonghi HMP1500 Mica Panel Heater
The DeLonghi wall-mounted radiant heater is a modern approach to garage heating. It’s compact, stylish, and great to use in any room.
Pros
- Lightweight & non-bulky
- Easy to install
- Two heat settings (1500-watt & 750-watt)
- Micathermic technology for fast, consistent heating
- Adjustable thermostat
- Thermal cutoff function to prevent overheating
- Contains power and caution lights
- Automatic shut-off mechanism if unit is disturbed
- Easy maintenance
- Cheaper cost than gas heaters
Cons
- More ideal for small spaces
- Heat stratifies (heated air on the top of room, cold air at bottom)
A small-sized garage workshop can make use of this heater, as it won’t add any clutter to your workspace whatsoever. It also uses electricity as an energy source so your cost may be lower compared to gas-fueled units, even with round-the-clock use.
2. Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Radiant Heater
This Mr. Heater unit makes use of radiant heat to keep you warm both indoors and outdoors, which is a great feature if you spend a lot of time in your garage and would like to go camping
Pros
- 4,000-9,000 BTU
- Portable, for both indoor and outdoor use
- Fold-down handle
- Efficient heating with gas-fueled production
- Tip-over, low-oxygen and overheating safety shut-off
- Lightweight
- Durable
Cons
- Can heat only up to 200 sq. feet
- Needs to be hooked up to a propane tank
- Needs good ventilation
If you have a small garage but with multiple workspaces, and don’t spend all the time in one area, you can use this Mr. Heater unit to keep you warm wherever you go, even outdoors.
3. Dyna-Glo RMC-FA60DGD 30,000 - 60,000 BTU Liquid Propane Forced Air Heater
This particular unit is a little bulky, but it will heat your 2-car garage quite comfortably. It makes use of gas-fuel and forced air to circulate heat around the room.
Pros
- Adjustable angle
- Portable, compact
- Easy to install, easy to use
- Can heat a large area
- Continuously variable heat control
- Auto-shut off safety features
- No carbon-monoxide hazards
- Can produce instant heat
- Heavy-duty
Cons
- Not ideal for people working with sawdust
- Noisy
- Can be high-cost with constant use (eats up propane fast)
- Needs good ventilation
If you have a bigger garage and work with anything but sawdust, this forced air heater would be suitable for you—it can heat bigger spaces for a very long time without giving out thanks to its durability and heavy-duty design.
4. Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Propane Heater
This is another Mr. Heater candidate in our list, but this time, the unit I’m featuring makes use of propane to fuel its radiant and convection heat system.
Pros
- Portable, easy to carry
- Low oxygen, tip-off, and overheating automatic-shut off
- Can heat up to 400 sq. ft. of space
- Three adjustable heat levels
- Radiant-convection heat system for efficiency
- Heavy-duty wire guard
- Easy to store
Cons
- Low heat retention
- Can overheat the floor underneath it (on high)
- Needs good ventilation
- Can use a lot of gas fuel with constant use (added expense)
Got a 2-car garage that needs heating? This variant of Mr. Heater may be the best, most efficient option with its combined radiant heat and convection mechanism. However, it may not heat anything bigger than a 2-car garage in the coldest of days.
Conclusion
In the past, I’ve had a lot of experiences on different types of garage heaters, whether it be my own garage or a friend’s. The qualities I look for in a heater remain the same: durability, efficiency, and cost.
I always choose a durable product that is sturdy enough to survive through many years of constant use (I work a lot in my garage), as well as an efficient product that produces heat without wasting any resources. Of course, the cost will also matter; my garage heater needs to produce ample heat without burning up my wallet as well.
Accordingly, the product that meets these requirements is Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Propane Heater. I deem this product the best because: this heater can provide enough heat for most sizes of garages, while being portable so you can use it both indoors and outdoors.
Other qualities that make it the best of this list are its durable material and relatively low-cost operation (with the right gas and smart heating), as well as its neat, compact design that doesn’t make it an eyesore nor clutter.
To end, these are the best garage heaters that I recommend and deem suitable for most homeowners. But if you're still not sure, here's an article that may help you find the best heating system for your garage.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, leave a comment below and tell me what you think. Don’t forget to also share this article with your friends and help them be prepared for winter. Thanks for reading!
