Best Electric Garage Heaters 120V (2022 Reviews Updated)

Finding a good electric heater for a garage isn’t an easy task, but an electric heater for garage would spare you the need of heating a garage with propane, which may be a little dangerous.

With the number of options on the market, it can be a little difficult to separate high-quality garage heaters from defective ones.

For that, I went on an expedition to find the best electric garage heater 120V because that’s the common voltage in the U.S. So, without further ado, here’s everything I came up with.

Best Electric Garage Heater 120V

Dr. Infrared Space Heater
Mr. Heater Big Buddy F274830
Optimus H-9010 Electric Utility Heater
Comfort Zone CZQTV5M Quartz Heater
TPI Corporation OCH46
Lasko Stanley 675919 Utility Heater
Maxx Air HeTR

The 7 Best Electric Garage Heaters 120V in 2021

Now, let’s check out the best heaters for garage with all the pros, cons, and why they may suit some people more than others.

1. Dr. Infrared Space Heater

For your entire garage, you probably need an effective yet portable heater that is incredibly space-saving. For that, the Dr. Infrared Heater might spark your interest, and let me tell you why.

When I first plugged in this portable space heater, I didn’t have high expectations. But let me tell you, the heating power this dual heating system small unit has is unbelievable.

Using 1500 watts, the Dr. Infrared heater can heat up any garage size you can think of, especially considering that it has an electronic digital thermostat ranging from 50 to 85 degrees Celsius (122 to 185 F), so you can adjust it to your desired temperature setting.

Additionally, its power cord is 72 inches (6 feet) in length, so you’ll have no issue moving it and needing electric current around your garage, even if there are no standard outlets and circuit breaker close by.

For the most convenience possible, this electric space heater comes with an IR remote control, so you can readjust or switch it on/off from afar.

My small garage is quite close to the living room, and having a loud electric heater would just leak too much noise into my sitting area. Luckily, when using the Dr. Infrared garage heaters, I couldn’t hear a thing! It’s so quiet; I even contemplated moving this heating element it into my bedroom.

If you’re worried about safety, this 120v electric garage heater has protection from tipping over and overheat protection, and it’s even safe to the touch.

What’s more, this IR electric heater offers three modes: high, low, and auto. When turning auto on, it keeps changing between high and low periodically, so it’s energy efficient and maintains the warmth of the room.

As for the electric heater design, its bright orange color is eye-catching enough that you won’t accidentally run into it. I could see it clearly even when the garage lights are off.

Pros:

Long cord
Low, high, and medium modes
Adjustable thermostat
LED display
Carbon Infrared heater
Tip-over and automatic overheating protection
Quiet operation
Dual heating system
Uses infrared light energy

Cons:

A little difficult to move around

2. Mr. Heater Big Buddy F274830

In contrary to the heater’s name, the Mr. Heater Big Buddy is quite small in size. This liquid indoor propane heater for garage offers portability, energy efficient, and excellent heat production to heat up a large garage with no issues.

It has three heat settings: low, medium, and high heat, so you can adjust it according to how cold the weather outside is. The three settings have 4,000, 9,000, and 18,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) measurements, respectively, to give you a better idea of how much electrical energy this heater consumes.

Let’s talk about safety because that’s usually the biggest concern when it comes to liquid propane electric heaters as a heating element. The Big Buddy offers safety features like the fact that it has oxygen depletion sensors that shut the heater off upon detecting low oxygen levels.

What’s more, these electric heaters has automatic shut off function protection against tipping over, so it’ll shut off if you accidentally knock it while keeping the garage warm.

You can connect it to two 1-lb cylinders at a time or use a hose for a large 20-lb one. If you know you’re in for a cold winter and you’ll be using it for in-door garage heating as well, I recommend going with the 20-lb connection; otherwise, you’d have to replace the 1-lb cylinder every few hours. For a garage, though, you can easily get away with the 1-lb ones because the heater won’t be running for hours on end.

Pros:

Three settings
Small and portable
Tip-over protection
Auto shut off feature

Cons:

Uses a lot of propane

3. Optimus H-9010 Electric Utility Heater

Third on the list for the best electric heater is no other than Optimus electric heater. The Optimus H-9010 electric heater is an excellent choice if you’re running low on storage space. It can be ceiling or wall-mounted, so it stays out of your way and doesn’t take up any precious garage space.

It has two energy settings: 600 and 1,200 watts that you can choose from dispensing on how cold the garage is and how fast you want it to warm air up. However, keep in mind that setting it to the 1,200 watts configurations means more power consumption, and therefore adds a significant amount to your electricity bills.

This utility heater comes with a pull cord that you can use to switch it on and off and switch between the two heating settings. Additionally, the heater has halogen lights to provide your garage with a soft orange light that adds to the warm garage feeling.

However, if you’re not a fan of the light, you, unfortunately, can’t turn it off. So, keep that in mind when purchasing this heater.

For safety, the heater has overheating protection. And, considering that it’s a mountable heater, it doesn’t need the protection from tipping over.

If you’ll be spending a long time working in your garage, this one of the best garage heater will be your new best friend. It’s incredibly silent, so it won’t bother you or cause headaches even after hours of usage.

Pros:

Affordable
Wall or ceiling mounted
Two heating settings
Overheat protection

Cons:

Not the most powerful heater out there
Lights can’t be switched off

4. Comfort Zone CZQTV5M Quartz Heater

Call me a wizard, but I know your garage is filled with tools and other stuff that there’s just no floor space for another device. The Comfort Zone Quartz heater is another mountable one that’s perfect for saving storage space.

Mounting your heater to a ceiling or a wall is incredibly convenient when it comes to garage heaters, in particular. Not only that, but the heater is also adjustable up to 90 degrees, so you can direct it to cover the largest area possible.

Because safety is always a priority, the heater automatically shut-off function when it overheats. Also, the heating bulbs are protected with metal, so that you won’t come in contact with hot parts of the heater.

Speaking of bulbs, the heater has halogen lights, much like the Optimus H-9010 one. The lights cast a warm orange tone to your working space and indicate that the heater is on.

The Comfort Zone quartz heating elements has two settings: 750 and 1,500 watts. Both rapid warm up time settings are more than enough to heat your garage; choosing between them depends on how big the garage is, how fast you want it to warm air up, and how cold the temperature is.

It also has a pull cord that you can use to switch it on and off as well as switch between heat settings. Lastly, it has an overall similar look and design to the Optimus H-9010 heater.

Pros:

Mountable to ceilings or walls
Two heat settings
Adjustable up to 90 degrees direct heat
Affordable

Cons:

The cord is a little short (need close outlets or extension cord)

5. TPI Corporation OCH46

The TPI Corporation quartz infrared heater is the most storage-friendly option, in my opinion. It has a slim design that looks modern and would fit right into any garage.

The slim space unit has a BTU rating of 5120 and 1500 watts, meaning it’s powerful enough to keep your garage stay warm without consuming too much power.

However, if your garage is on the larger side, this may not be the one for you. It’s a low wattage heater at the end of the day, so you might have to invest in a couple of units if you want to cover large areas.

In terms of durability, it’s made from stainless steel that is corrosion-resistant, meaning this heater will last you years if you take good care of it. All you need to do is wipe it clean to remove dust build-up as often as you can. Also, make sure it’s turned off and fully cooled down before you start the cleaning process.

If you have a garage that’s full of tools and stored items, like I do, you’ll love the TPI Corporation portable space heater. You can mount this electric heater onto a wall or the ceiling with no installation needed, and then you can adjust it to blast warm air in whatever direction you’d like, up to 45 degrees horizontally.

Since you’re looking for the best 120V garage heaters, make sure you double-check the specifications of the model you’re buying because the TPI Corporation heater is also available in 240V and 480V configurations.

Pros:

Mountable infrared heater
Slim and modern design
Durable heater and easy to maintain
Adjustable up to 45 degrees

Cons:

Needs to be hardwired
Not for large areas

6. Lasko Stanley 675919 Utility Heater

If you’re on the lookout for a small ceramic heater, look no further than the Lasko Stanley. This small portable space heater is incredibly easy to move around your garage or even around your entire house with its rubber handle.

With 1,500 watts, this heavy duty heater is a lot more powerful than it looks. Don’t let its incredibly small size fool you; this unit can warm your entire garage in a few minutes. However, you might want to opt for one with higher wattage or multiple units if you’re looking to warm up a spacey garage.

The Lasko Stanley electrical heater comes with an adjustable thermostat, so you can set it to whichever temperature you need. Additionally, it has three settings: low, high, or fan only.

What’s more, if you want more directed heat distribution, this heater has pivot features, so you can adjust it to your preferred direction.

The little unit is one that’ll last you for years. Its steel base provides it with enough durability that it didn’t even suffer a scratch when I accidentally knocked it down with my car, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a light pump.

Regarding safety features, this electric utility heater has overheat protection, meaning it’ll shut off if it reaches a certain temperature to prevent accidents. Besides, it’s bright yellow color is there for a reason. It’ll easily catch your eye from a mile away so that you won’t accidentally run into it.

Pros:

Durable construction
Small, portable, and lightweight
Overheat procession and bright yellow color
Fan-only, high heat and low heat settings
Adjustable thermostat

Cons:

Not for heating large areas

7. Maxx Air HeTR

I’m finishing off tis list with yet another excellent infrared radiation heater. The Maxx Air HeTR is a mountable garage heater that looks and feels premium.

The infrared garage heater uses 1,500 watts of energy, which you know by now is the perfect wattage for smaller garages. If you want to cover a big space, you might want to opt for a couple of units.

Being made from aluminum alloy, the heater is quite durable and corrosion-resistant, so you can mount it on your wall and forget all about it. It requires minimal maintenance, and it’s durable enough to last you a while.

It has tip-over safety measures, even though it’s a mountable heater, so if it falls off or gets unmounted for any reason, it’ll shut off immediately to avoid accidents.

Additionally, it’s adjustable so that you can redirect it to blast direct hot air in any direction you want.

You can turn on and off your heater with a remote control, so you don’t have to worry about mounting it on a reachable spot; you can just control it from a distance.

When purchasing this electric garage heater, keep in mind that it’s marketed as an outdoor heater rather than an indoor one. In other words, if your garage is not well-ventilated, this might not be the best option for you.

Pros:

Purchased with included remote control
Wall and ceiling mountable
Durable and long-lasting

Cons:

Not for large sized garages

8. Other models we looked at include

We also looked at the following heat efficient 120-Volt electric garage heaters with different watts of power to ensure enough heat output with area of 500 sq ft to 1000 sq ft or more in our review rating:

AirNmore Comfort Deluxe with Copper PTC, Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX-WIFI Infrared Heater, Fahrenheat FUH Electric Heater, Broan-NuTone 9815WH Grille Heater, Stiebel Eltron Wall Mounted Electric Fan Heater, DONYER POWER Electric Radiant Heater, NewAir Portable Garage Heater, De'Longhi Panel Heater, Heat Storm Deluxe Mounted Space Infrared Heater, Heat Storm HS-6000-GC Heater, TPI Corporation 198TMC Fan Forced Portable Electric Heater, ISILER Space Heater, Portable Ceramic 120v Electric Garage Heater, Homegear Electric Portable Space Infrared Heater, Patton PUH680-N-U Milk-House Utility Heater, MagicHeater Infrared Heater, Homeleader ETL Portable Radiant Heater, Lasko 755320 Ceramic Space Heater, Aikoper Space Heater and Buyplus Electric Garage Heater.

Some of these types of heaters, for example, radiant heaters, compact heaters, conventional heaters, convection heaters, ceramic heating elements and fan-forced air heaters (other calls it forced fan heater) require additional installation for better performance and heat output.

These garage heaters keeps your garage warm and are available on Amazon. Also, these products are backed up with a 1-year warranty, 5-year warranty, or more limited warranty.

How to Pick an Electric Garage Heater

Picking a 120V electric garage heaters isn’t a stroll in the park. Electric garage heaters aren’t just a regular electronic device that you can forget about; you need one with appropriate safety features to avoid any accidents such as gas leak. So, here’s everything you need to know before buying your next electric garage heater.

Safety Features

There’s no doubt that your heater’s safety features could make or break it. Most electric garage heaters on the market come with overheat protection function, which is exactly what you need.

At the end of the day, a heater is a unit that keeps emitting heated air and heat energy for hours on end, so having an overheat shut-off function safety feature could be lifesaving.

Also, if you’re going for a standing garage heater, make sure it has tip-over protection, which means the heater will shut off when it gets knocked down. What’s more, for standing heaters, try to opt for one with a bright color like yellow or orange so that you could see it clearly in dim light, so you don’t accidentally run into it.

You should never take risks when it comes to your own safety, even if it means spending extra money on the best garage heaters with an abundance of safety features rather than settling for a cheap garage heaters that provides good heat level but could put your life in danger.

Wattage

Your heater’s wattage is the measuring unit of how much energy it uses. A general rule of thumb indicates that more wattage means more power, more heat produced and more cost.

While going for the highest wattage possible seems tempting, beware that it comes at a price. Running a high wattage heater will add a decent number to your electricity bill.

So, make sure your heater is running on high settings only when you absolutely need it and not all day long.

Size

The fact that you’re looking for a 120v electric garage heaters is enough to tell me that you need a compact heater option.

My entire garage space is where I spend most of my time, and I usually have plenty of things just lying around me, in addition to my car, of course. If you’re anything like me, you know what it’s like having to deal with a chaotic workspace, so adding a large heater to the mixture is a recipe for disaster. Large heater also means larger maintenance costs and needs more price for installation.

Try to opt for a small 120v electric garage heater that doesn’t take up too much space, or even better, go for a ceiling-mounted heater option, which is the perfect transition into my next point. Also you should know how much heat do you need for better options.

Mountable vs. Standing Heaters

If you’re running low on space, going for a mountable space heaters is your best bet. There’s something so convenient about just mounting your infrared heaters to the wall, saving valuable floor space and calling it a day.

While that sounds so tempting, it can be quite limiting if the heater isn’t the most powerful one out there. If you have a specific workbench that you spend most of your time in the garage around, mounting your heater above it is a safe bet.

However, if you like walking around and moving from one corner to the other, mounting your heater then using standard outlet for power source would result in having some areas warmer than others.

Sometimes going for traditional standing heaters is the better bet because you can just move it around with you wherever you go with the use of carrying handle.

Heat Settings

When possible, opt for electric heaters that has a built-in thermostat and led display for temperature control so that you can adjust it to any ambient temperature you’d like rather than just having on and off settings.

However, such a heater might be pricey. The alternative is to go for one that has multiple settings for radiant heat like low and high, for example. While you don’t get to choose the exact temperature, you do get to choose roughly how it produce heat.

Lastly, the cheapest alternative is to go for electric heaters that has two settings: on and off. While that doesn’t give you any control of how the heater operates, it’s the most budget-friendly option.

Final Words

Now that you’ve seen all my picks for the best 120v electric garage heater and you’ve seen what features to be on the lookout for, you should have a clear idea of which heater you’re going to opt for.

In case you need a little more guidance, my top pick is the Dr. Infrared heater. Not only does it have an adjustable thermostat ranging from 50 to 85 degrees Celsius, but it also comes with a remote control for the most convenience possible.

Even though it’s not a mountable garage heater, its small size is compact enough to fit in any garage without taking up too much space. In addition, it has tip-over and overheat protection, so even if you knock it down despite its bright orange color, it’ll just shut off.

Best Electric Garage Heaters 120V (2022 Reviews Updated)