6 Best Garage Heaters, Tested by Experts (2024)

The combination of impressive heat output and a compact and portable user-friendly design makes the Big Buddy our top overall pick for most garages. With its maximum output of 18,000 BTUs, the heater will keep a 450-square-foot garage warm and toasty for up to two hours on its 1-pound propane tank, or up to 10 hours if you keep it on the low, 4,000-BTU setting. Adjustable temperature controls help maintain comfortable heat levels.

Unlike many other garage heaters, the Big Buddy doesn’t have a built-in fan; instead, heat radiates up and out from the unit. That makes for very quiet operation, but it also means it won’t do as good a job in cavernous garages with tall ceilings. In a typical two-car garage, though, our testers give big props to the Big Buddy. The unit is rated for indoor use so it's safe to run in enclosed spaces. For good measure, it will automatically shut off if it tips over, if the pilot light goes out or if its on-board sensor detects low oxygen levels in the space.

This 1,500-watt ceramic heater sells for a fraction of the price of other tested models while still delivering decent heat output. Don’t get us wrong: The Isiler isn’t designed to heat large spaces all winter longer. But parked on a workbench in the corner of your garage, it will generate enough heat to keep your digits warm while you toil away. Plus, the ceramic element starts throwing heat instantly.

Though it uses a fan, its noise level is fairly low, and the plug-in electric power source means constant operation (barring a power outage, of course). The adjustable thermostat control makes it easy to use and saves energy by allowing you to lower the temperature once the space is warm enough. The Isiler is also the smallest garage heater in this roundup, so it stores away neatly when not in use.

The Heat Hog gave our top-rated Mr. Heater a run for the money for its solid heat delivery and space-efficient form factor. The 9,000-BTU heater doesn’t boast quite the capacity, maxing out around 250 square feet. But there’s a 18,000-BTU version that our experts say should perform similarly, generating enough heat for upwards of 500 square feet. There’s also a 4,000-BTU model for smaller spaces.

The compact 9,000-BTU model we tested runs on either a single 1-pound propane tank or a larger propane tank with a separate adapter. We like the tiltable design of the 10-pound heater, good for angling warm air in a particular direction. The Heat Hog’s housing gets warm, but not overly hot, and the unit has the safety features our experts look for, including a safety guard, a tip-over switch and an oxygen depletion sensor.

If you’re looking to heat a three-car garage or the barn out back, you won’t regret paying more for this 65,000-BTU DeWalt. It generated chart-topping heat in our tests, at both floor level and near the ceiling of our test space. And it did so extremely quickly, so you won’t stand around shivering waiting for the heat to kick in.

The DeWalt uses a large, 20-pound propane tank, with a claimed run time of 14 hours. It also needs power from a wall outlet or on-board battery to provide the start-up spark and power its integrated fan. That design is a little more complicated than what we found with other garage heaters, though at least the same 20-volt battery can power other top DeWalt picks from our tests, including its cordless drill and impact wrench.

A couple other notes: The heater itself gets quite hot during operation, so even with its overheat detection system and thermo-electric safety valve, you’ll want to be careful not to come into contact with the housing when it’s running full-tilt. It's also one of the loudest garage heaters we reviewed.

Infrared heaters, the kind used in outdoor restaurants and cafes, are extremely energy-efficient, since they heat up objects and people directly, rather than the air around them. That’s what our testers found with Briza's Infrared Patio Heater, which can be mounted to a wall in your garage or used with the included tripod stand. “The Briza was incredibly effective in keeping us warm when we were in its path,” the Autos Gear Team noted. Since the heater doesn’t use a fan, it's also virtually silent. And it’s rated for outdoor use, in the event you need to take your activity outside (maybe to help your Cub Scout spray-paint their Pinewood derby car in the open air!).

The only downside with the Briza — or any infrared heater, for that matter — is that you won’t feel the heat unless you’re right in front of the heater. So it’s best suited for semi-permanent applications, for example, mounted to the wall above a garage workshop.

Need serious heat? This Remington packs it. Powered by diesel or kerosene, “the heater quite literally spits fire and smells as though you're standing next to an idling semi,” testers noted. The rugged 80,000-BTU behemoth sent the temperature in our test garage from 53° F to 61° F in 15 minutes flat, and that was with the garage door slightly ajar on a brisk, 38° F winter day.

Before you pull the trigger, make sure the Remington won’t overwhelm your space. Any combustible materials will need to be at least 10 feet from the heater, and you won’t want to be within 3 or 4 feet of it for more than a few seconds. That might be fine in a well-ventilated country barn or sprawling workshop. But for a two-car garage in the burbs? Best to check out one of our other picks.

Our partners at the Hearst Autos Gear Team conducted a thorough testing process to ensure our information about garage heaters is accurate and reliable. On a cold Michigan day, they opened the garage door to allow the temperature to drop to a consistent starting point of 50° F. This ensured that each heater began its test under similar conditions. After closing the garage door, they positioned the heaters in the same locations and let them run for 15 minutes. Then they monitored the increase in temperature inside the garage using a thermostat to determine the effectiveness of each heater.

To evaluate the heat distribution, they used a thermal camera to visualize the heat output of each heater. This allowed them to better understand how the heaters warmed up the space and whether they distributed heat evenly. Following the 15-minute testing period, they took temperature readings at various locations around the heater. Specifically, they measured the temperature 10 feet in front of the heater, the temperature of the ceiling directly above the heater and the outside of the heater. This provided a comprehensive view of the heater's performance and potential safety concerns.

The one heater where they had to make a compromise was the Remington. Specifically, they tested this heater with the garage door cracked open to allow for proper ventilation of the exhaust. This was necessary due to the safety requirements of this type of heater. Even with the garage door open, however, it managed to, unsurprisingly, beat all of the other heaters in terms of raw output.

Weigh the following factors to figure out which garage heater makes the most sense for your space and budget.

✔️ Heating capacity: This tells you what size space the unit is designed to heat. Larger garages naturally require a heater with a higher output (18,000 BTUs or 1,500 watts, for example), while smaller spaces can be sufficiently heated with lower-capacity models (4,000 to 9,000 BTUs or 750 to 1,000 watts).

✔️ Energy source: Garage heaters are powered by electricity or gas (the latter can be in the form of natural gas, propane, diesel, or kerosene). Electric heaters tend to be more convenient and energy-efficient, while gas heaters have the most powerful heat output. Take into account the power sources in your garage and long-term operating costs when deciding which fuel source is best for your needs.

✔️ Energy efficiency: This factor directly impacts your energy bills. Choose a heater with a high energy efficiency rating to save on utility costs. Features like adjustable thermostats, timers, and eco modes can also help you maintain a comfortable temperature while reducing energy consumption.

✔️ Safety features: All space heaters are potential fire hazards, so it’s important to look for models with built-in safety features, such as overheat protection, tip-over shut-off and cool-to-touch exteriors. And make sure the heater you choose is certified by a reputable testing organization like UL, CSA, or ETL.

✔️ Portability: Think about whether you want the heater to be permanently installed or if you want the freedom to move it about the space or even to other locations. Permanent options like wall- or ceiling-mounted heaters might require professional installation. Portable space heaters offer greater flexibility and can be easily moved or stored when not in use.

✔️ Noise level: Usually listed in decibels (dBA), this factor could be important if you’re using the garage for quiet activities, like artwork or meditation. Heaters that don’t have an internal fan usually have the lowest noise levels.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab provides expert reviews and advice on all things home- and auto-related. In his role as director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab, Dan DiClerico brings 25 years of experience to the Institute, having reviewed thousands of products for Good Housekeeping, as well as brands like Consumer Reports and This Old House.

For this report, we partnered with the Hearst Autos Gear Team, which combines the talent, resources and expertise of three of the largest, most influential automotive magazines in the world: Autoweek, Car and Driver and Road & Track. The Gear Team has tested a wide variety of automotive products, parts, accessories and gear, such as GPS trackers, car ramps and mechanics creepers. They get hands-on with every product they test. Most are purchased; some are supplied by manufacturers. To read more about their product testing and evaluation process, visit their Tested & Trusted page.