Heating my uninsulated 1970s extension can be quite the chore and pretty expensive using our 30 year-old oil boiler. I work from home through the week, so I always feel especially bad using radiators that are linked together to heat the open plan space I call my temporary office (the dining table) during the day and my bedroom at night.
While it’s wise to use the best electric heaters in a well-insulated space if you want to use it for long periods, the fact that part of my home is currently uninsulated actually means I need all the help I can get keeping warm. And so I put the extremely affordable Abode Horizontal and Vertical Fan Heater through it’s paces.
In a nutshell
One of the most affordable electric heaters on the market, Abode’s Horizontal and Vertical Fan Heater has a basic design and control panel, which is to be expected with a sub-£15 price point.
It has a simple dial to turn between off, fan, low and high, which means it’s incredibly quick to set up and simple to use. In terms of heat output, it did manage to keep it a pretty consistent temperature once it was going, although I found it look a little longer to heat up than I anticipated.
While I appreciate how budget friendly it is, I did find that is was a little unstable when positioned in vertical mode, and so preferred to use it in horizontal mode instead, especially with a curious dog around.
Specification
- Type of heater: Fan heater
- RRP: £14.99
- Weight: 1.15kg
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 24.5 x 24.4 x 11.5cm
- Wattage: 1000-2000W
- Running costs per hour (based on current energy price cap): 28-56p
- Room size suitability: 20m2 (although after testing, I would say it’s better in rooms less than 15m2)
- Smart features: N/A
- Dual functionality: Fan
- Oscillation: None
Unboxing, setting up and first impressions
The Abode Horizontal and Vertical Fan Heater arrived in a fairly basic, compact package with simple polystyrene mould to keep it in place and a plastic bag (that can be recycled at supermarkets) to protect the cord and heater. It was extremely easy to set up, I simply unpackaged, plugged in and turned it on. As there are no special features or remotes to get to grips with, the instructions were clear.
The only thing I was slightly confused about was how to stand the heater up. The heater is marketed to be horizontal and vertical standing – the instructions also have a diagram showing the heater standing vertically – but when stood vertically I felt it was a little unstable. After a few times knocking it over, I found having it flat on the floor was much sturdier.
What’s it like to use?
Something I really appreciated about this heater is it’s ease of use. I don’t think it’s possible to mess up using this heater, after all the control dial offers only three settings, fan, low and high. I used it in a room slightly smaller (17m2) than the recommended maximum room size of 20m2 and after three hours the room temperature had increased by around 4°C (15.1°C to 18.3°C). For the very affordable price tag, you don’t get a lot of nuance when it comes to temperature control, but the different settings do allow you to customise the heat output to an extent.
While switching between the modes on the appliance itself was not a problem for me, it may not be suitable for someone with accessibility concerns.
As there is no oscillating function, the position of the heater is fairly crucial to optimise warmth. For instant heat, I found that you do need the fan heater pointed directly at you, otherwise you’re waiting for the whole room to warm gradually, which means it’ll take longer for you to feel the benefits. Fortunately the heater’s design is compact enough to position exactly where I need it.
As this is a fan heater, I was expecting a bit of noise as the fan works to push the heat out. I measured this at 49dB, which is comparable with the hum of a fridge. Whether this bothers you will depend on your tolerance of and sensitivity to noise. I found it a bit distracting as I was trying to work, but you’d definitely still be able to hold a conversation with someone else while this fan heater is whirring in the background without having to raise your voice.
With any electric heater or oil-filled radiator, you can expect a bit of a strange smell when you first use it, and that normally disappears after 10 minutes or so, but I felt that I still noticed it even after a week of daily use.
Running costs
This Abode fan heater has two settings 1000W and 2000W that will impact how much it costs to run it. Given the current energy price cap at 27.69p per kWh, it will cost approximately 28p an hour to run on the lowest setting and 56p on the highest.
With no eco mode or efficiency features available, it definitely isn’t the cheapest heating solution when running for hours on end, so it’s definitely best used as a complement to a central heating system, for a burst of heat when needed rather than as a primary heat source.
Cleaning and maintenance
When I first turned on the heater I could smell burning dust for a few hours so I switched it off and used a dry microfibre cloth to clean these slots and dampened it a little for the surface of the heater and let it dry before using it again.
Fortunately this should be all that’s needed to keep this little heater running properly. In order to keep it running properly. Long-term, I could see the white plastic design showing the dust, but it does also come in black which may disguise any potential discolouration.
Who should buy this electric heater?
If you are looking to for an extremely affordable electric heater for a small home office or sitting room used during the day in more temperate seasons, I would say this is suitable buy that does exactly what you would expect from a traditional fan heater.
However, if you are willing to spend a little bit more, you could get some increased functionality that is well worth the spend. For example, with a slightly higher RRP of £49.99, the Dreo Atom 316 heater, also has a compact and portable design but offers much more accurate temperature control, can heat larger spaces (up to 30m2), and comes with a remote control that means it’s much better suited to those who may have mobility issues.
Another space-saving option would be the Morphy Richards Heatflux Ultra Thin 2kW tower fan heater. It has a RRP of £99.99, but you can get it at multiple retailers for a good £20 cheaper. While this is a step up in price point from the £15 Abode model, that additional investment gets you an sleek oscillating design, eco mode, temperature control and quick heat up of spaces up to 20m2.
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