How to use an infrared heater
Updated: 22 October 2026
You have just plugged in a heater in a British living room or under a covered terrace, and the front is already hot while the far corner is still cold. How to use an infrared heater is mostly about aim, clearance and switching off, because the heat travels in a line. Reviewers feel a glowing unit on our [infrared heater comparison](/hub/heating/infrared-heater) within about a minute on the person in front of it. This page is the first evening with a heater you already own. Peter F. checked the amazon.co.uk listings saved on 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have just plugged in a heater in a British living room or under a covered terrace, and the front is already hot while the far corner is still cold.
You have just plugged in a heater in a British living room or under a covered terrace, and the front is already hot while the far corner is still cold. How to use an infrared heater is mostly about aim, clearance and switching off, because the heat travels in a line. Reviewers feel a glowing unit on our infrared heater comparison within about a minute on the person in front of it. This page is the first evening with a heater you already own. Peter F. checked the amazon.co.uk listings saved on 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Type | Safety named | Control | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Warmlite Warmlite WL42013 | Carbon tower, 500–1000 W | Overheat cut-out | Two steps, no timer saved | 9.0 | about £56.46 | View offer |
| Best value |  SONBION SONBION LSG13 | Quartz box, 800 W | Tip-over switch | Two steps, no timer saved | 8.5 | about £39.95 | View offer |
 Könighaus Könighaus Smart Dual 450 W | Panel, 450 W | Overheat claimed | Wi-Fi schedule claimed | 7.9 | about £99.90 | View offer |
On this page
Put it where the heat can arrive
Infrared warms what the beam meets, so a chair can feel fine while the hallway stays cool. Energy Saving Trust notes you can feel warm while air elsewhere stays cooler, and cold spots can collect condensation if this is the only heat. Point the face at the seat you use. A panel behind a sofa heats the sofa. Herschel’s 400 mm in front and 200 mm at the sides belongs to their panels. Use the manual in your box.
The Warmlite WL42013 oscillates about 70° at 500 W or 1,000 W. That arc is not whole-house heat, and reviews call the stand wobbly, so use a flat floor. The SONBION LSG13 has no oscillation. You aim that 800 W box by where you place it. A Könighaus 450 W panel suits a small area, not a large room. On a covered terrace, bracket heights sit on the outdoor infrared patio heater page.
Keep fabric and children off the hot face
One SONBION buyer reported that a blanket on the front grille caught fire. The listing names overheat protection and a tip-over switch. Neither makes a throw safe, and neither cools the metal. The Warmlite names overheat protection and does not name a tip-over switch, so do not assume the tower cuts out if it is knocked. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue says not to move a portable heater while it is on, and to use a fireguard where children or pets can reach it.
Harrier reviews say the body gets very hot if the 1.8 m lead pulls it toward a chair. A Könighaus towel holder is a rail, not a cover for the face. One reviewer reported a sensor reading above 100 °C. Bathroom zones under BS 7671 are an electrician’s decision. An IP44 bullet does not place the panel for you. Panel or glowing tube is the split on infrared panel vs halogen heater.
First switch-on, then switch-off
A new glowing element can smell. Surya describes protective oil burning off on first use, and says that smell should fade. Unplug if it is plastic, burning electrics or smoke. A smell that stays, or a warm socket, is a fault. These listings were not lab-tested.
The Warmlite and the SONBION have two settings and no timer in the saved specs, so they run until you switch them off. The Könighaus bullets claim a Wi-Fi schedule. That is not a reason to leave a portable glowing heater on while you sleep. Energy Saving Trust says to unplug portable heaters when you leave or go to bed. A fixed panel can be a longer duty if the manual and the installation say so. Electrical Safety First says not to run a portable heater from an extension lead. If you are still choosing a type, use the infrared heater buying guide.
When to stop using it
Stop when the plug, the socket or the lead gets hot, when the breaker trips, or when the casing is damaged. A burnt plug or a breaker that trips again needs an electrician, not a tighter fuse. In England, Part P makes a new circuit, a consumer-unit change, or bathroom special-location work notifiable. Plugging into an existing socket is not. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building rules.
A SOUTHEATIC 3,000 W bar with a 13 A plug can fill the socket at 230 V. Do not add another heater on an adaptor beside it. If a Pro Breeze booklet says indoor only, stop using it where the title suggested outdoor. A wobbly stand, scorched fabric, or an extension reel as the only way to the chairs means take the heater out of service.
Common questions
How far from the curtains should an infrared heater sit?
Electrical Safety First wants at least one metre between a portable heater and curtains, paper and furniture. That gap is public fire guidance, not a measurement taken on these amazon.co.uk units. A panel maker’s own millimetres, such as Herschel’s 400 mm to the front, apply to that maker’s manual. If your booklet states a larger gap, use the booklet. If the only socket puts the heater inside one metre of a curtain, move the curtain or the heater before you switch on.
Can I dry a towel on it?
Not across the hot face. GOV.UK and Electrical Safety First both say not to dry clothes on a heater. The Könighaus listings include a towel holder, which is a rail beside the panel, not a cover for the whole surface. One reviewer reported the Könighaus face above 100 °C. A SONBION review says a blanket on the grille caught fire. A hand towel on a listed rail, clear of the glowing element or the full panel face, is the limit of what those listings describe.
Can I leave an infrared heater on overnight?
Unplug a portable glowing heater when you go to bed. Energy Saving Trust, Electrical Safety First and GOV.UK fire guidance all point that way: off, unplugged, not left running while you sleep, and not left on when you leave the house. A fixed panel with a thermostat can be a different product if the manual and the installation say so. The Warmlite and SONBION specs in this set do not include a timer, so nothing in the listing will turn them off for you at midnight.
Why does a new heater smell?
A short oily smell on a new glowing bar can be protective oil burning off the element. Surya describes that on its troubleshooting page and expects it to fade. Open a window, stay with the heater, and keep fabric away while you find out which smell you have. Plastic, fishy electrics or smoke is a stop, not a running-in period. Unplug it and do not keep testing the smell overnight.
Does a tip-over switch mean the grille is safe to touch?
No. The SONBION bullets name a tip-over switch and overheat protection. Reviewers mention a cut-out near objects. The grille in one of those reviews was still hot enough to set a blanket alight. The Warmlite names overheat protection and does not name a tip-over switch at all. A cut-out reduces one way of starting a fire. It does not cool the metal, and it does not make the heater safe to leave against a curtain.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest. Listing prices were saved on 19 October 2026.
- Ofgem, changes to the energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Regulation (EU) 2015/1188 on legislation.gov.uk (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- BSI, BS EN 60335-2-30:2009+A13:2022, room heaters (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Electrical Safety First, portable heaters (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Electrical Safety First, patio heaters (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- GOV.UK, fire safety in the winter (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Electric Radiators Direct, what size infrared heater do I need (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Infrared Heaters Direct, infrared heating buying guide (retrieved 21.10.2026)