Convection vs. radiant heating

Electric and gas-combustion space heaters can be either of convection or radiant type. Most modern small electric heaters combine the two types of heating: they are convection-radiant heaters.

The importance of each type of heating varies. Some space heaters are mainly convection heaters (80%/20%), others are mainly radiant heaters, while others combine both types of heating in somewhat equal parts.

Convection Heating

Convection heaters provide warmth by blowing heated air into the entire room, with people taking comfort from the heated air (and not directly from the warmth coming from the heater).

Oil-filled electric heaters/radiators are a good example of mainly convection heaters.

Radiant Heaters

With radiant heaters people are directly heated by a stream of warmth. They are "personal" space heaters; their immediate goal is to heat the people in the room directly, not the air around them. They heat like the sun, and most of them use fans and reflectors to radiate the heat outward and around.

Radiant heating vs. convection heating prices and running costs

Prices of radiant and convection heaters aren't very different and you can find models of both types of heaters at very similar prices. Anyway, typical convection units - like electric oil-filled heaters - are more expensive.

And most of all, convection heating involves higher running costs. Heating an entire room (the goal of space convection heaters) is more expensive than heating one or two people in a room (the basic goal of radiant heaters).

Radiant heating vs. convection heating uses

Convection Space Heater Radiant Space Heaters As said before, radiant heating is mainly directional, spot and personal. Its goal is to heat one or two stationary people. That’s not the goal of convection heating; the goal of convection heaters is to heat the entire room, providing people in it with comfortable warmth.

These features make radiant heating an efficient solution for cases when people seek heat when performing a task, and when they are going to be in the room for short periods, while convection heating is more advantageous when there is more than just one person in the room or when they stay longer in it or aren't stationary.

Radiant heating vs. convection heating safety

The safety of small electric heaters – either of radiant of convection type – varies a lot with models and features, but some electric radiant heaters are more prone to safety hazards, namely burns.