The best radiators, compared.
Top pick: De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T Best value: De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T – Chimney fins and residual warmth at about £149, with 4.6 from 1,978 reviews, below the electronic Dragon. Updated October 2026.
A radiator is a portable electric room heater on amazon.co.uk, oil-filled or oil-free, not a plumbed panel, a towel rail or a fan booster. You use one when the boiler skips a room, or when one person works from home and the rest of the house can stay cooler. Match wattage to the room, then check for a thermostat, a timer, a tip-over cut-out and a BS 1363 plug. A 2 kW heater at full load is about 53 pence an hour before the thermostat cycles, on 26.32 pence per kWh rate for October to. Wattage, fins and timers are set out in the [radiator buying guide](/hub/heating/radiator/sub/radiator-buying-guide). The set covers oil-filled columns and two oil-free models.
A radiator is a portable electric room heater on amazon.co.uk, oil-filled or oil-free, not a plumbed panel, a towel rail or a fan booster.
38 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +24,100 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Which room are you heating?
De'Longhi's Dragon 4 at 2,000 W scores 4.6 stars from nearly 2,000 UK reviews and is our best-value pick in this comparison on build and residual warmth. The chimney-effect fins and mechanical 24-hour timer suit offices and living rooms where you want heat that feels closer to a plumbed radiator. Listing copy cites up to 24 m²; reviewers in smaller spaces often run mid power and let the thermostat cycle. Weight near 15 kg and bulk are constant complaints, and mechanical timers occasionally fail out of the box—though Amazon returns are commonly reported as straightforward. Packaging dents happen in transit without always damaging the heater. It is not a smart heater; you trade app convenience for a proven fin design.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Buyers who want De'Longhi fin quality and timer scheduling below the newest electronic Dragon price
Less suitable: Tight hallways, frequent moves between rooms by hand, or smart-home-only shoppers
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled, with Dragon 4 chimney fins. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states a mechanical 24-hour timer. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
No. De'Longhi instructions for the Dragon models in this set ban bathroom use. A portable oil-filled radiator is not a bathroom heater without a clear IP rating and install guide.
Dimplex's 2 kW oil-free ECR20TIE combines dry-element technology with a stated built-in timer and 12–25 m² coverage band. Reviewers highlight rapid room warm-up even on the 600 W step, lighter weight than oil-filled rivals, and no oil leak anxiety. Heat retention after switch-off gets positive mentions versus fan heaters. Some owners note the lack of precise degree-C thermostat display and mixed views on efficiency—billing still follows kWh when the element is on. Wheels install by hand without tools, which helps in boiler-breakdown emergencies. It is the main oil-free step-up when 700 W Eco Chico is too small.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Rooms where oil-free warm-up and timer matter and leaks are a worry
Less suitable: Buyers prioritising longest slow cool-down after switch-off
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-free. Dimplex oil-free models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states a built-in timer. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
No IP rating is in the saved spec. Do not treat this oil-free portable radiator as a bathroom heater unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so.
Devola's 2.5 kW eleven-fin unit packs M-shaped fins, LCD thermostat, 24-hour timer, and child lock for just under £100, but only 69 UK reviews at snapshot—treat scores as early signal. North-facing rooms with three external walls are a common success story at low heat settings. Reviewers warn explicitly: tipping upside down for wheel fit can leak oil—keep upright in use and storage. Heat output descriptions are enthusiastic for large living rooms; verify room size against 32 m² marketing. Bedroom use appears for asthma-sensitive sleepers who want steady radiant warmth rather than drying fan blast—still keep bedding clearance per ESF rules. Unplug when not needed if thermostat clicking bothers you.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Hard-to-heat north-facing rooms where 2.5 kW and a timer help
Less suitable: Buyers who need thousands of reviews for confidence, or careless storage orientation
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled, with 11 M-shaped fins. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states a 24-hour timer and an LCD thermostat. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
Portable oil-filled radiators are not bathroom heaters unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so. Keep the unit upright. Tipping it to fit the wheels is linked to leak reports.
This newer De'Longhi Dragon 4 adds an electronic timer to the chimney-fin layout at 2,000 W and 4.5 stars from 634 UK reviews. Buyers compare its heat throw favourably with central heating radiators and mention conservatories and north-facing rooms that stayed unusable in winter. First-use guidance to run on full for a couple of hours to burn off manufacturing smell is echoed in reviews—ventilate the room. Size and weight exceed older Italian-built units some owners expected; manufacturing origin differs from earlier Dragons. Running cost versus whole-house gas on a timer is still debated in reviews—this is point-of-use heat, not a boiler replacement. Premium price buys fin design and timer precision, not extra kilowatts.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Cold conservatories and living rooms where residual oil heat beats fan noise
Less suitable: Budget-first buyers or rooms that only need 1.5 kW intermittent top-up
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled, with Dragon 4 chimney fins and an electronic timer. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states an electronic timer. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
No. De'Longhi instructions for the Dragon models in this set ban bathroom use, extension leads and covering the heater.
Midea's 2,000 W nine-fin radiator enters the set with only about 60 UK reviews at 4.5 stars—promising but thin compared with NETTA or Pro Breeze volume. Early buyers describe even, quiet bedroom and office heat with a few minutes to reach working temperature, then stable comfort on lower steps. Build quality comments are positive for the price band near £68. Timer detail is blank in our captured spec; confirm on the live amazon.co.uk page before you plan pre-warm schedules. Weight still bothers some owners on stairs despite castors. It competes with Russell Hobbs on price but offers 2 kW rather than 1.5 kW.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Shoppers wanting 2 kW oil-filled heat without paying for smart features
Less suitable: Evidence-driven buyers who wait for higher review counts, or timer-mandatory installs without checking live specs
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled, with nine fins. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The saved listing does not state a timer. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
Portable oil-filled radiators are not bathroom heaters unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so. De'Longhi manuals in this set ban bathroom use.
Across roughly 2,679 amazon.co.uk reviews, this 2,500 W Pro Breeze oil-filled unit is the volume leader in our set for lounge and bedroom top-up heat. Owners praise the built-in 24-hour timer, three power steps, and quiet running once the oil is warm. Many describe a ~16 m² studio or spare room reaching a comfortable temperature on medium rather than full 2,500 W. At about 11.3 kg it rolls on castors but several reviewers warn it is awkward to carry upstairs. A recurring negative theme is a burning-plastic smell or early failure on a minority of units, and one buyer reported a noisy second unit compared with a first. Treat the first hours as a monitored burn-in and keep it upright like any sealed oil column.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Medium rooms needing timer-led top-up heat when central heating is off or weak
Less suitable: Frequent stair carrying, very large open-plan spaces on 1.5 kW alone, or buyers who cannot ventilate during first use
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states a built-in 24-hour timer. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
Portable oil-filled radiators are not bathroom heaters unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so. De'Longhi manuals in this set ban bathroom use.
NETTA's 2,500 W black oil column sits in the sub-£70 band with a 24-hour timer and 28 m² claim on the listing. More than 1,700 UK reviewers rate it 4.4 overall, often highlighting simple controls, low noise, and quick warm-up for bedrooms that stay cold when the rest of the flat is warm. Garage and home-office uses appear frequently at lower power steps. The flip side is oversizing: several buyers expected an 11-fin 2.5 kW unit to heat a long narrow room that a smaller fin count would not fix either—physics still limits reach. Long-term owners from 2019 still report reliable heat, though a few note gradual performance change over many winters. Check the live listing for timer details before you depend on a weekly programme.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Cold bedrooms and home offices on a budget with timer needs
Less suitable: Conservatories or open plans where only a heavy 2.5 kW column on full power will do
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states a 24-hour timer. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
Portable oil-filled radiators are not bathroom heaters unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so. De'Longhi manuals in this set ban bathroom use.
Dreo's 2,000 W nine-fin smart column targets buyers who want app, remote, child lock, and digital thermostat in one oil-filled shell. Around 1,024 UK reviews at 4.4 stars mention fast warm-up in roughly 11 m² living rooms and voice control via existing smart-home setups. Digital modes and styling score above traditional high-street looks. Eco mode draws repeated criticism: reviewers say the thermostat reading is inaccurate, so eco cycles feel pointless compared with manual high/low scheduling. App pairing and schedule quirks appear alongside praise, so treat smart features as a bonus, not the sole reason to buy. Residual heat still behaves like oil-filled mass, not instant fan heat.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Tech-friendly households wanting scheduled 2 kW oil heat in a small to mid room
Less suitable: Buyers who will never use an app, or rooms where inaccurate eco logic would waste power
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled, with nine fins. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states a 24-hour timer, plus a Dreo app and a remote. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
Portable oil-filled radiators are not bathroom heaters unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so. De'Longhi manuals in this set ban bathroom use.
Dimplex's 700 W Eco Chico is the compact oil-free option for 5–10 m² on the listing—a different technology from the oil-filled majority. Owners with five-year runs describe warming a radiator-less hall or keeping a small bedroom comfortable for an elderly relative with COPD, where fast warm-up matters. It heats quickly for its size and stays warm for a while after switch-off compared with a fan heater, though it is not a 2 kW replacement. The rotary thermostat's click when cycling can disturb light sleepers. At 5.25 kg it is easy to move but easy to underestimate for a primary double bedroom. No timer is listed; pair with an external timer if you schedule heat.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Box rooms, halls, and small spaces needing quick supplementary heat
Less suitable: Double bedrooms as sole heat source, or buyers who need 2 kW output
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-free, the Dimplex Eco Chico. It heats a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
No timer is listed. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
No IP rating is in the saved spec. Do not treat this compact oil-free radiator as a bathroom heater unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so.
Russell Hobbs' 1,500 W seven-fin model is the lightest full-size oil column here at under £45, aimed at about 15 m² on the listing. Reviewers like the 600 / 900 / 1,500 W steps for holding a small room without always running at maximum. Victorian bedroom and flat use cases dominate—warming a daughter's room on medium before winter or topping up when central heating is too costly to leave on. There is no timer in the saved title, so schedules need a plug timer or smart plug if you accept ESF guidance on loads. Cosmetic dents on fins and enamel scratches show up in delivery photos. It will not match a 2.5 kW unit in a large lounge, which reviewers state plainly.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small bedrooms and studies where 1.5 kW matches the floor area
Less suitable: Large lounges, timer-only buyers who refuse external programmers, or primary heat in poorly insulated big spaces
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled, with seven fins. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
No timer is named in the saved title. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
Portable oil-filled radiators are not bathroom heaters unless a clear IP rating and install guide say so. De'Longhi manuals in this set ban bathroom use.
Pro Breeze's smart 2,500 W eleven-fin variant adds Wi-Fi, touch panel, digital display, and child lock over the mechanical-timer bestseller, but only 36 UK reviews at 4.2 stars. Positive feedback centres on app control and solid heat for small rooms. Leak reports after the first day appear in negative reviews—rare for oil columns but serious when they occur; inspect under the unit during burn-in. Open-box delivery mentions suggest checking packaging on arrival. Listing bullets reference bathroom use without a clear IP rating in our table—do not treat it as a bathroom heater. Choose it for smart scheduling at 2.5 kW, not as a silent replacement for the higher-review non-smart Pro Breeze if app reliability is uncertain.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small rooms where app-led 2.5 kW scheduling matters and you will monitor first week
Less suitable: Leak-averse buyers prioritising review volume, or any wet-room install without fixed IP-rated heat
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an oil-filled or oil-free portable radiator?
The listing groups this as oil-filled, with 11 fins, Wi-Fi and a touch panel. Oil-free Dimplex models heat a dry element rather than circulating oil.
Does the saved listing describe a timer?
The listing states a 24-hour digital timer. Check the live amazon.co.uk page before you rely on a weekly schedule. App control is a bonus, not the safety layer.
Can you use it in a bathroom?
The bullets mention a bathroom, but the spec table has no IP rating. Do not treat this as a bathroom heater.
Eleven amazon.co.uk listings are kept, from cards saved on 20 October 2026. The score uses the star line (up to 80 points), review volume (up to 20), whether wattage, timer, thermostat and safety lines agree with the title (up to 15), and the shelf-price band (up to 12). Those 127 points are scaled to the 1–10 rating on each row. There is no lab test. A printed wattage or a coverage line is the seller's text. The top pick is the Pro Breeze PB-H. Best value is the De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T, on fin design and residual warmth, not on the lowest shelf price.
Amazon stars
63%The star line comes from the amazon.co.uk file for that ASIN. The De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T and the Dimplex ECR20TIE are 4.6. The classic Pro Breeze is 4.4 from 2,679 reviews. The smart Pro Breeze is 4.2 from 36. A higher average on a small file is not the same evidence as a large file.
Review volume
16%Review count is scored separately from the star average. The classic Pro Breeze has 2,679 reviews, the mechanical Dragon 1,978, NETTA 1,728 and Russell Hobbs 1,366. Devola has 69, Midea 60 and the smart Pro Breeze 36. A thin file cannot take the full volume block.
Listing fit
12%Wattage, heater type, timer, thermostat and the safety lines should match the title. A timer missing from the saved title, a coverage line that mixes m² and m³, or a bathroom mention without an IP rating loses points. Smart control is a bonus, not the safety layer.
Shelf price
9%The GBP shelf price is read against a page you could act on, from about £42.95 to about £171. The lowest price does not win best value. That badge is the De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T at about £149, for chimney fins and residual heat below the newer electronic Dragon.
A portable radiator heats one room. The decision is the wattage for that room, then oil-filled or oil-free, then the timer and the safety lines on the listing. Prices and stars here are amazon.co.uk cards saved on 20 October 2026. This is not a lab test, and a sentence about a bathroom is not an IP rating.
A radiator in this comparison is a portable electric room heater on amazon.co.uk. The set covers oil-filled columns and two oil-free Dimplex models. It does not cover a plumbed central-heating radiator, a towel rail or a radiator fan booster. You use one to heat a single room the boiler skips, to top up a bedroom or a home office, or to leave the rest of the house cooler when one person works from home. The first check is room size and wattage.
The mechanical Dragon cites 24 m² and 60 m³ in the same bullets. Volume is not floor area. A long narrow room will not match a fin-count slogan either.
The Eco Chico is listed for 5–10 m². It is a box room or hall heater. A lounge on that rule of thumb needs about 2 kW or 2.5 kW.
No listing here is a bathroom heater. The smart Pro Breeze mentions a bathroom without an IP rating. De'Longhi bans bathroom use on the Dragon models. Do not dry washing on the heater, and do not use an extension lead.
Start with floor area, not the marketing line. A rule of thumb used by UK retailers is about 100 W per square metre in a typical insulated room. That puts 1.5 kW on a small bedroom, 2 kW on a medium room, and 2.5 kW on a larger or draughty space. The Russell Hobbs is 1,500 W, listed for about 15 m², at about £42.95. The Eco Chico is 700 W, listed for 5–10 m², and is the wrong primary heater for a lounge. NETTA, the classic Pro Breeze and the Devola are 2,500 W.
Oil-filled fins stay warm after switch-off. First use can smell until the oil settles. Ventilate, and keep the column upright. Tipping a Devola to fit the wheels is linked to leak reports. If oil appears, stop and contact the maker. Oil-free Dimplex models warm up faster and have no oil path. At the same nameplate watts they are not cheaper to run. The ECR20TIE is the 2 kW oil-free step. The Eco Chico is 700 W. A 24-hour timer suits a work-from-home day.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You heat one study and leave the rest of the heating off. The Pro Breeze PB-H is the top pick at about £79.99: 2,500 W, three heat settings, a built-in 24-hour timer, and 4.4 from 2,679 reviews. It weighs about 11.3 kg, so the castors matter more than a daily carry upstairs.
You lower the central heating at night and want local warmth in a small bedroom. The Russell Hobbs RHOFR5001B is about £42.95, 1,500 W, listed for about 15 m², with 4.3 from 1,366 reviews. The saved title has no timer. Keep clear space. Overnight use is not what Electrical Safety First advises.
You roll a heater in for winter weeks in a cold conservatory or a north-facing room. The De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRDSX40820E is about £171, 2,000 W, with an electronic timer and 4.5 from 634 reviews. It weighs 15.6 kg. It is point-of-use heat, not a boiler replacement, and a large glazed space still warms slowly.
The top pick is the Pro Breeze PB-H at about £79.99. It is the 2,500 W eleven-fin oil-filled radiator with the largest review file in this set, 4.4 from 2,679 reviews, three heat settings and a built-in 24-hour timer. Best value is the De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T at about £149, with 4.6 from 1,978 reviews, chimney fins and a mechanical 24-hour timer. Skip the Pro Breeze if you need the lightest carry or a box room. Skip the Dragon if you want the lowest shelf price or app control.
De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T
Chimney fins and residual warmth at about £149, with 4.6 from 1,978 reviews, below the electronic Dragon.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these eleven listings were taken from the listing files read on 20 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
