Warm up chilly spaces with one of these electric, propane, or natural gas models.
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Garages and unfinished basements are often poorly insulated, making them prone to extreme cold during the fall and winter seasons. A garage heater can take this typically frigid space and turn it into a warm, practical area for woodworking projects, vehicle maintenance, and more. If you plan to spend time in your garage this winter tackling projects at your workbench, raising the ambient air temperature is a must.
Garage heaters come in various styles, though the most popular models are electric and propane. Electric heaters are convenient and easy to install if there’s a power outlet close by. Propane heaters are more portable, and can cover more surface area. Natural gas garage heaters are also powerful options for larger garages and can offer long-term heating solutions.
Not only can heaters be beneficial for comfort, but for safety, too. Cold temps can lead to condensation collecting on tools and stored items, which may cause rust and other damage. Wintry environments can also cause car engines and batteries to wear out faster. A well-heated garage protects your investments and can provide a warmer, safer environment to work in.
If you're ready to get prepped for winter weather, then read on for our in-depth reviews of the best garage heaters, followed by the most important things to know before buying.
Although we haven’t tested the below models ourselves, we applied our previous experience testing space heaters and patio heaters to supplement our search for the best garage heaters. We spent a great deal of time vetting features and specs, looking at manufacturer websites, gauging prices, and consulting user reviews before we decided which ones made the cut. We spoke with experts in mechanical and electrical engineering to understand what makes a great garage heater, and we considered a range of heat types (electricity, propane, or kerosene), as well as whether the heaters are permanent or portable.
This 240-volt compact garage heater is the best all-around choice for most spaces, with 7,500 watts of heating power and the option to mount it on the wall or ceiling.
According to the manufacturer, it warms the typical garage or unheated building to between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and should be installed with a foot of clearance from combustible surfaces.
The garage heater’s adjustable louvers allow you to direct air where you need it most, and there’s a remote-controlled thermostat right on the front of the heater. A wall-mounted thermostat is available for the unit, as well, but it’s sold separately.
Thanks to its wide range of temperature settings, this garage heater from Dyna-Glo is the unit we recommend for all-season use. It has 15 different settings for heating or cooling spaces from 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and it offers a fan-only mode for summer.
There are two power settings—7,500 and 10,000 watts—and it’s capable of heating spaces up to 1,000 square feet. The garage heater also has adjustable angles for horizontal and vertical airflow, and it comes with a convenient remote control.
If it’s been running for a while, there is a caution indicator light to show when the unit is close to overheating to help ensure safety.
For a powerful 5,600-watt portable garage heater, we recommend this model from NewAir. It’s designed to warm spaces up to 600 square feet, plus it has a 6-foot cord that neatly wraps into a coil on top of the unit, with brackets to hold it down.
Its fan has two settings: automatic (which comes on automatically when the heating element is activated) and continuous. You can manually switch between the two.
Use the continuous mode to keep air moving in spaces with high ceilings or if you’re operating an air-cleaning appliance, like a bench-top air filter, as it’ll help push dusty air through to speed up the process.
Thanks to its Wi-Fi capability, you can operate this heater from virtually anywhere to ensure your garage is warm when you get home, or to heat up the space in advance of spending time at your workbench. You can turn the unit on and off and set recurring schedules through the app.
The garage heater is rated as capable of warming a 1,000-square-foot area, with an adjustable output of up to 20,000 BTUs. It can be mounted to the wall or ceiling, and its large digital temperature display is easy to read, even from across the room.
But for the price, it’s a bit disappointing that the garage heater doesn’t include the wiring.
Designed for outdoor areas like patios, this Briza heater can still work great in a garage thanks to its dust-resistant properties. It comes with an adjustable tripod that you can set between 44 and 84 inches tall. And selecting between its three heat settings—900, 1,200, or 1,500 watts—is easy using the unit’s remote control.
The heater has a built-in safety sensor that automatically shuts the appliance off if it tips over. A timer provides additional safety (and energy savings) by shutting the heater off automatically after an operating period of one to nine hours.
For a compact and affordable garage heater that’s ideal for targeted heating, this propane-fueled unit from Mr. Heater is your best bet. It can put out between 4,000 and 9,000 BTUs using a single one-pound liquid propane canister, and can heat up to 250 square feet. It works great on the floor by your workbench or desk.
The heater can run for up to three hours on high, or if you need it to go longer, you can upgrade to a 20-pound tank with an adapter that’s sold separately. The heater’s size and weight makes this unit convenient to reposition, and it’s easy to bring with you out to a shed, campsite, or other workspace.
This heavy-duty, 240-volt garage heater is ideal for climates with major temperature swings, featuring a two-stage high and low heating system.
Its lower heat output satisfies mildly cool days, whereas a higher stage can handle warming up garages in single-digit temperatures. There’s a fan mode that’s ideal for increasing airflow in a potentially stuffy garage, plus an energy-saving setting that automatically defaults to the lowest wattage to maintain the desired temperature.
A universal bracket is included for easy mounting to a ceiling or wall, and this heater has a remote-controlled thermostat. The only drawback is that it doesn’t offer a ton of coverage for the price.
If you have an uninsulated wood garage or an otherwise minimally insulated space, this large ceiling-mountable garage heater is worth a look.
It runs on natural gas (a propane conversion kit is included) and, with the help of a built-in electric fan, it can warm areas up to 2,000 square feet, thanks to its impressive 80,000-BTU output. It also has a powered exhaust that allows for vertical or horizontal venting.
Note that the Big Maxx does not come ready to install; you’ll have to purchase a thermostat, gas hose, fittings, and regulator separately. For all but the most mechanically advanced, it’s best to have a licensed heating-cooling contractor install this garage heater.
There’s a lot to account for when using a heater to make your garage a safe and comfortable environment. So we picked the brain of Pat Porzio, a mechanical engineer and multi-licensed tradesman (electrical, plumbing, HVAC). He’s also HVAC manager for Russo Brothers in East Hanover, New Jersey. We also spoke with David Shapiro, an electrician, author, and expert on old house wiring who contributes to electrical product and installation standards.
Both agree on one thing: Your overarching concern in heating a garage is safety. The first words out of both their mouths were identical: “Pull a permit.” That is, if you plan to use a permanently installed electric or gas-fired garage heater, you need to file a building permit for the work—whether you do the work yourself or hire a contractor. Permitted installations are inspected by the town or whatever authority has jurisdiction over this work where you live, and this increases the likelihood of a safe installation.
Aside from pulling a building permit for the electrical work, Shapiro steers homeowners away from any heater without a UL (or other safety-related U.S. testing agency) listing.
Using a 120-volt space heater is simpler; same goes for small propane-fired and kerosene heaters. There’s no need for a building permit to use one of these in a garage. Still, there are safe and unsafe ways to use these heaters. For more on that topic, check out our garage heater safety tips below.
As we mentioned earlier, there are a couple different types of garage heaters. Electric heaters are easier to install and don't require a need for a vent, and they are generally safer. But depending on your local electricity rates, they can be more expensive to run. Gas heaters use natural gas or propane, and they can be a more cost-effective option for heating larger garages. They do require ventilation, which can be a pain if you don't already have accommodations.
Infrared heaters are designed to heat objects rather than the air, so they can be a good companion for localized projects at your workbench. Forced air heaters use a fan to distribute heat quickly and can work well for large spaces, but they require good insulation to work efficiently and may kick up dust around your workshop.
For most garages, an electric heater is often the most viable option because of its ease of installation, safety, and its effectiveness. But if you have a larger or poorly insulated garage, a gas heater might be the way to go.
“A bigger heater is not necessarily better,” Porzio says. “An oversized heater will short cycle. That is, it will turn on and off too frequently. It satisfies heating demand very quickly and abruptly turns off. A heater that is too small will do just the opposite. It will run and run and never fulfill the heating demand, eventually wearing itself out.”
Before contractors install a boiler or furnace, they perform a series of calculations, called a Manual J, to determine the correct size. While homeowners can get a rough estimation of that figure by multiplying the square footage of the area by 50 to get the correct BTU, Porzio recommends using simplified Manual J forms online or a sizing tool like those on Garage-Heaters.com and Newair.com.
For a frame of reference, a two-car garage will need a heater ranging between at least 30,o00-50,000 BTUs to reach a consistent, comfortable temperature.
Regardless of whether you attempt the electrical work or hire it out, Shapiro has two more recommendations. First, don’t install the heater in a manner such that a power cord leading to a machine or tool could be draped directly in front of the heater. The heat can damage the cord.
Second, consider installing a CO alarm in the garage. A CO alarm can make the garage a safer place to work, especially if you’re heating it with gas, and safer for the occupants of the house.
Amber is a Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics with a focus on home, appliances, tech, and gaming. She also occasionally contributes lifestyle content to Best Products, Runner's World, and Bicycling. In her free time you can likely find her trading trinkets at an EDM festival, watching bad reality TV shows, or cuddling with her two cats.
Rachel is the Deputy Editor of Reviews for Hearst's Enthusiast and Wellness Group where she supports Popular Mechanics, Runner's World, and Best Products. Her background is in service journalism and earlier in her career she worked as a daily newspaper reporter and book editor. She spent more than a decade as a staff editor and writer at TripAdvisor and Penguin Random House and her byline has appeared in Time Out New York, the New York Daily News, and New York Magazine. Outside of work, Rachel can be found planning her next trip, visiting museums and galleries, and walking her wirehaired dachshund Leopold in Central Park.
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
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