Dr. Infrared Heater Portable Space Heater Review

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The Dr. Infrared Heater is one of the best value space heaters you’ll find. It costs way less than comparable 1500W heaters in the market, but performs just as well, if not better.

The compact and portable Dr. Infrared heater uses dual heating technology and a specially designed blower to heat large rooms efficiently and with minimal noise.

It includes a convenient remote control, an auto-off timer, and caster wheels for easy portability.

Read on for our full review of the Dr. Infrared portable space heater.

Key Features

1. Beautiful Design

It’s unusual to call a space heater beautiful. Most have a practical boxy design that focuses on performance, not aesthetics.

Dr. Infrared has excellent heating performance, but it also looks pretty. The heater is set within a wooden cabinet. Instead of the usual metal or plastic box sitting on your floor, you get a heater that adds to the room’s decor.

The wooden cabinet has another more practical advantage. Since it stays cool to the touch even when the heater is on, it is safe for kids and pets.

The black front with the control panel and the heat vents on top gives the Dr. Infrared heater a vintage-ish look.

Pro tip: If aesthetics are a big deal for you, you may prefer a freestanding electric fireplace heater. In addition to heating the room, they also produce realistic flames and have glowing logs. You can even get one with a wooden cabinet or TV console. If you already have a fireplace, you no longer use, get an electric firebox or fireplace insert like the Puraflame 33″ electric firebox.

2. 1500W Dual Heat Output

Like most plug-in space heaters, the Dr. Infrared heater is rated at 1500W, meaning it produces about 5,200 BTUs of heat.

However, Dr. Infrared warms a larger room than most space heaters for two reasons.

One, it is an infrared heater. Infrared heaters warm objects directly without heating the air. They can warm a larger area, are more energy-efficient, and they work very quietly.

The second reason for Dr. Infrare’s better heating performance is that it contains a second heating element.

In addition to a quartz infrared element, it also has a PTC element. A PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element is a type of ceramic material that heats fast, safely, and efficiently.

The dual heating technology gives the Dr. Infrared heater an edge over other 1500W heaters.

The manufacturer says it can warm rooms up to 1,000 sq. ft. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. As most customers have found out, its ideal coverage is about 500-600 square feet, which is still much better than most space heaters.

Note: Most infrared heaters, including Dr. Infrared, are technically a hybrid of infrared and fan-forced heaters. They use infrared to heat an element, then use a fan to distribute warm air around the room. So the Dr. Infrared heater has a blower, but it’s quieter and doesn’t dry the air than fan-forced heaters.

3. Low Noise

The main source of noise in infrared heaters is the fan. To mitigate this problem, the Dr. Infrared heater has a specially designed high-pressure blower that moves a large air volume with as little noise as possible.

The manufacturer-stated noise level is 39 decibels. We haven’t come across a customer who has measured the actual noise level, but most say it is very quiet.

4. Digital Thermostat + Three Heat Modes

The Dr. Infrared heater has the two basic heat settings you find on most space heaters: a high 1500W setting and a low 1,000W setting.

It also has a third setting called auto. In the auto setting, you set the digital thermostat to your preferred temperature between 50 and 85 degrees. The heater will then cycle between the high and low heat setting to maintain that temperature.

The Dr. Infrared heater has an internal thermometer it uses to monitor room temperature. You can also check the current room temperature on the small display.

5. Remote Control with Timer

The included remote control lets you control the heater without getting up. You can adjust the thermostat, change the heating mode, or set a timer.

You can program the auto-off timer between an hour and twelve hours. So if you want the heater to turn off after you’ve gone to sleep, that’s easy.

6. Safety Features

Here’s how the Dr. Infrared heater keeps you and your family safe.

• Overheat protection- If the heater gets dangerously hot, possibly because of a malfunction, it’ll shut off automatically.
• Inlet overheats protection- if by accident, the air inlet is obstructed and gets too hot, the heater will shut off automatically.
• Tip-over protection- when set on a flat surface, the Dr. Infrared heater is very stable. But just in case someone or a pet accidentally tips it over, it’ll sense and shut off automatically. This eliminates the risk of a fire.

It’s comforting to know that the Dr. Infrared heater is tested and certified by the Underwriters Laboratories in the US and Canada. UL certification guarantees a product’s safety.

7. Easy Room to Room Portability

Weighing 24lbs, you’ll have a hard time lifting and carrying the Dr. Infrared heater on your own. Thankfully, you don’t have to.

The addition of caster wheels makes it super easy to move the heater with you as you go from room to room.

Unfortunately, the casters are not lockable, so there’s a risk of the heater rolling away if pushed or it’s not on a flat surface.

Technical Specs

Wattage: 1500W/1,000W (5,200 BTU)

Type: Dual infrared quartz and PTC heater

Max coverage: 500-600 sq. ft.

Weight: 24lbs

Dimensions: 13″W x 12.5″D x 17″H

Cord length: 6ft

Warranty: 3 years

Limitations

As we mentioned earlier, the Dr. Infrared heater coverage is less than the 1,000 sq. ft. stated by the manufacturer. The true figure is around 500-600 sq. ft.

If you want to use the Dr. Infrared heater in a room larger than that, such as a large basement, we recommend getting two of them. The heater is affordable enough that getting a pair is still a good bargain.

Another issue is the remote control. You cannot use it to turn on the heater unless it is in standby mode. If the power is off, you have to press the heater’s power button; then, now you can use the remote control.

The manufacturer’s explanation for this minor inconvenience is that it’s a safety requirement for the UL certification.

Another complaint from customers is that the thermostat is a tad too sensitive. As a result, it constantly cycles between high and low heat. When it goes from low to high, you can hear the fan get slightly louder. It’s not too loud, but it can get annoying when it keeps happening.

Some customers also complain that the control panel lights are distracting when you are trying to sleep. It would be nice to have a way to dim them or turn them off.

If they bother you, you can always place tape over them. As long as you don’t cover the vents, the heater will work fine.

Warranty

The Dr. Infrared Heater comes with a three-year warranty, much longer than the typical one-year coverage offered with most space heaters.

Dr. Infrared Heater Pros & Cons

Pros

• Heats fast and efficiently.
• Low noise level.
• Includes thermostat temperature control.
• Caster wheels for easy portability.
• The wood cabinet stays cool to the touch.
• Beautiful design.

Cons

• Heats less than the advertised 1,000 sq. ft.
• Frequent cycling of the thermostat in auto mode can be annoying.
• Caster wheels are not lockable.

Conclusion

The Dr. Infrared Heater is a great choice if you are looking for an affordable (under $100) space heater that puts out lots of heat, is quiet, energy-efficient, and easy to move around.

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