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Infrared panel vs bar heater

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have settled on about 1,200 W, and the plate and the bar are still different objects. An infrared panel vs bar heater choice is about face, beam and room, because the plug sees the same load either way. This page says when the panel earns the wall, when the bar does, and the condition that picks one. The rows are in the [1200W infrared panel heater comparison](/hub/heating/1200w-infrared-panel-heater). Peter F. compared the amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. There was no lab test of either shape. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have settled on about 1,200 W, and the plate and the bar are still different objects. An infrared panel vs bar heater choice is about face, beam and room, because the plug sees the same load either way.

Our top picks

Mirrorstone Mirrorstone MS-STD

Best overall

Mirrorstone Mirrorstone MS-STD
5.8/10about £243.20
View offer
Mirrorstone Ionis MS-ION

Rank 2

Mirrorstone Ionis MS-ION
3.6/10about £204.35
View offer
Radi8 Radi8 LH12DW

Rank 3

Radi8 Radi8 LH12DW
6.4/10about £180.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Same watts, different face
  2. 2.Where a flat panel fits
  3. 3.Where a bar fits
  4. 4.Running cost does not pick the shape

Same watts, different face

The flat panel is about 60 by 30 by 2.2 cm. The Radi8 bar is about 94 by 20 by 6.3 cm. The Ionis bar is about 124 by 15 by 6.7 cm. All three are sold around 1,200 W, so the plug sees the same order of load. A short plate puts a patch on one seat. A longer bar throws a strip along a bench, a wall, or a conservatory bay. A smaller face at the same power can feel fiercer on whatever it hits. That was not measured here. A BEIS note on electric heating in off-gas homes describes indoor infrared panels with surfaces typically over 80°C. That is the panel type in the note, not a surface test of these bars. Treat every face as too hot to lean on until its manual says otherwise.

Where a flat panel fits

Choose the flat panel for one seat, a desk, or a sofa the plate can see. At about 60 cm wide and a little over 2 cm deep, it reads as a small plate. Sixty centimetres is still a panel: the word means the flat emitter, not a minimum width of a metre. The limit is the beam. The government infrared heating report, from chamber sessions with 114 people, found comfort most sensitive to line of sight. A panel on an armchair warms that person. It does not heat around a corner. Fix the plate beside the monitor, inside the clearances, and your hands sit in the patch. Fix it above a bookcase and you warm the books. Clearances and the plug are on the how to install page.
Mirrorstone Mirrorstone MS-STD

Testsieger

Mirrorstone Mirrorstone MS-STD
5.8/10about £243.20
View offer

Where a bar fits

Choose the bar for a garage, a workshop, or a conservatory. The Ionis bar, about 124 cm, is a long wall-mounted emitter. The Radi8 bar, about 94 cm, has wall or ceiling brackets, so that one can tilt toward a bench. The flat panel does not aim like a spotlight. The Ionis line in this set is wall mount, so do not assume it tilts. A bar about 6 cm deep is obviously a heater, which helps in a garage and usually fights a living-room wall. KIASA’s retailer guide, not a lab test, points bars at less insulated rooms and at a short sit, such as an hour in a conservatory. This set has no square-metre cell for the Radi8, so choose the bar for beam shape and accept cooler corners.

Running cost does not pick the shape

At full output either shape draws 1.2 kW. On the Ofgem Direct Debit average of 26.32 pence per kWh for England, Scotland and Wales from 1 October to 31 December 2026, that is about 31.6 pence an hour for both. Northern Ireland sits outside this cap. A short burst costs less than a long evening because of the hours, not the outline. The Advertising Standards Authority has not treated either shape as a proven substitute for central heating. A thermostat still belongs on both. Choose the flat panel for a seat or a desk it can see. Choose the bracketed bar when you need to angle a long beam in a garage or conservatory. Prices and the thin UK review counts stay on the best page.

Common questions

Panel or bar if both are 1,200 W?
Match the face to where you sit. The 60 by 30 cm panel suits a seat it can see. The Radi8 bar is about 94 cm and can tilt on brackets. The Ionis bar is about 124 cm on a wall mount. Take the panel for one chair, and the bar for a bench or a conservatory. Shared wattage does not fix a face that cannot see you.
Which is better in a conservatory or garage?
The bar fits a long beam in a cold room you use in bursts. The Radi8 listing can tilt on its brackets. A 60 by 30 cm panel still works when it looks straight at one seat. KIASA’s retailer guide draws the same line and is not a lab test. You only feel the heat that can see you.
Which looks better in a living room?
The flat panel, if better means a shallow plate. About 2.2 cm deep and 60 cm wide, it is the discreet object in this set. A bar near a metre long and about 6 cm deep looks like equipment, which suits a garage. The panel only wins while it can see the seat. Hidden behind the sofa, it is tidy and ineffective.
Does a bar cost less to run?
Not because of its shape. Full output is 1.2 kW either way, about 31.6 pence an hour on the Ofgem rate for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland sits outside this cap. Hours change the bill. A working thermostat matters more than the outline of the case.
Will a panel heat the air behind the sofa?
No. Chamber work tied comfort to line of sight, and a panel does not push a useful beam through upholstery or around a corner. If the sofa backs onto the only sensible wall, move the heater to a spot that sees the cushions. A longer bar has the same limit. Length does not see through furniture.
Can I angle a bar and not a panel?
You can angle the bar sold with brackets. In this set that is the Radi8. The Ionis bar is listed as a wall mount, so do not assume it tilts. The flat panel is a plate for a wall or a suspended ceiling. Keep the clearance in front after you tilt.

Related pages

1200W infrared panel heater buying guide

1200W infrared panel heater

1200W infrared panel heater bathroom: IP and zones

Best 1200W infrared panel heater: who should skip it

How to install an infrared panel heater on a UK wall

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these three listings were taken from the listing files read for 20 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK ecodesign of energy-related products (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2015/1188 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Approved Document P (2013) (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Ofgem price cap unit rates and standing charges (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Electrical Safety First, portable heaters (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. SELECT, BS 7671 bathroom zones (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK infrared heating report (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. ASA advice on electric plug-in heaters (retrieved 20 October 2026)