Trotec convector buying guide
Updated: October 2026
You have four Trotec TCH convectors open on amazon.co.uk, and the photographs all show a low box on feet. A Trotec convector buying guide only helps if it tells you which line to trust. Start with watts for the room you actually heat, then the plug, then whether a timer and a tip-over switch are described. The [Trotec convector comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/trotec-convector) sets the listing fields side by side. This page is the order of the checks. The Products Compared editorial team read the amazon.co.uk listings and the Trotec manuals on 16 October 2026. There is no lab test behind the advice.
You have four Trotec TCH convectors open on amazon.co.uk, and the photographs all show a low box on feet. A Trotec convector buying guide only helps if it tells you which line to trust.
You have four Trotec TCH convectors open on amazon.co.uk, and the photographs all show a low box on feet. A Trotec convector buying guide only helps if it tells you which line to trust. Start with watts for the room you actually heat, then the plug, then whether a timer and a tip-over switch are described. The Trotec convector comparison sets the listing fields side by side. This page is the order of the checks. The Products Compared editorial team read the amazon.co.uk listings and the Trotec manuals on 16 October 2026. There is no lab test behind the advice.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Output | Tip-over | Timer | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Trotec Trotec TCH 23 E 2,000 W convector | 1,000 / 2,000 W | Listed | Not listed | 8.6 | about £78.79 | View offer |
| Best value |  Trotec Trotec TCH 18 E 2,000 W convector | 750 / 1,250 / 2,000 W | Not listed | No | 8.4 | about £36.76 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Trotec Trotec TCH 1 E convector | 450 / 520 W | Not listed | Not listed | 7.2 | about £25.20 | View offer |
On this page
Watts against the room
The TCH 1 E is the small one. The Trotec UK shop prints 450 W and pairs it with up to 10 m² or 25 m³. On amazon.co.uk the heat field also says 450 W, while the description says 520 W, so treat the output as unsettled until the page agrees with itself. The TCH 18 E has three stages, 750 W, 1,250 W and 2,000 W. The TCH 23 E has 1,000 W and 2,000 W. The TCH 25 E title says three levels, without printing the wattage of each level.
The shop pairs the TCH 18 E with up to 24 m² or 60 m³. That is a manufacturer line, not a measurement of your lounge. A UK rule of thumb is about 100 W per square metre, which puts 2,000 W nearer 20 m², and less if the room is large, damp, or has several outside walls. Drop the expectation before you drop the price.
Plug and voltage
Electrical Safety First says every portable heater needs a UK three-pin plug. UK mains are nominally 230 V, and the plug is BS 1363. The TCH 18 E English manual specifies 220–240 V and a Schuko CEE 7/7 plug. That plug does not go into a UK socket. Look at the photograph of the plug before you order.
The TCH 1 E listing prints 240 V and 1.88 A. The TCH 18 E listing does not print a voltage, and the current line is 8.7 A. About 8.7 A at 2,000 W belongs in a 13 A fused plug in a wall socket, not a coiled reel. The TCH 25 E voltage field says 100 V and the weight field says 500 g. The manual says 220–240 V and 3.5 kg. Do not buy through that conflict.
Dial, timer and tip-over
All four listings claim a mechanical thermostat. Which?, in its September 2026 convector guide, notes that cheaper dials rarely show degrees Celsius. Trotec is not in that test. You are choosing a position on a knob, not typing 21 °C. That is not a frost stat.
Only the TCH 25 E manual describes a timer. The TCH 18 E fiche has no electronic time control. Tip-over is not listed on the TCH 1 E or the TCH 18 E. The TCH 23 E lists tilt protection, and one review says it stayed on until it overheated. IP20 and IPX0 are not bathroom ratings. The TCH 18 E title says fan heater, and the manual does not describe a fan. That noise question belongs on the convector heater versus fan heater page.
What this guide will not decide
This page will not crown a winner. The best Trotec convector page names a best-value pick and a top pick, each with a reason to skip it. Feet and the cut-out are on the how to use a Trotec convector page.
If the room needs more than a small top-up, the 450 W box is out. If you cannot confirm a BS 1363 plug, every model is out until the listing shows one. If you need a timer today, only the TCH 25 E manual describes one, and that listing's voltage field blocks the buy. If you need a described tip-over switch, only the TCH 23 E prints one, and a single review disputes it.
Common questions
How many watts do I need for the room?
Use about 100 W per square metre as a rule of thumb, then lower it for a damp room or several outside walls. The TCH 1 E shop line is 450 W and up to 10 m². The 2,000 W models are the TCH 18 E, TCH 23 E and TCH 25 E. A bedroom of about 9 m² can use a lower stage. A large lounge may still feel cool at 2,000 W.
Does a Trotec TCH come with a UK three-pin plug?
The TCH 18 E English manual specifies a Schuko CEE 7/7 plug on 220–240 V. That plug does not fit a BS 1363 UK socket. Electrical Safety First expects a UK three-pin plug. Confirm the plug in the listing photographs before you order. The TCH 1 E page prints 240 V. One TCH 23 E review mentions a Schuko plug.
Is the 24 m² claim on the TCH 18 E a measured figure?
No. It is the Trotec UK shop's coverage line, written as 24 m² or 60 m³, next to 2,000 W. Treat it as the manufacturer's claim. About 100 W per square metre makes 24 m² generous, and you should drop it further if the room is damp or has several outside walls.
Which model has a timer, and which only has a dial?
All four claim a mechanical thermostat. Which? says cheaper dials rarely show degrees, and that point is about the control, not a Trotec score. Only the TCH 25 E manual describes a timer. The TCH 18 E fiche has no electronic time control. The TCH 25 E listing also prints a voltage that conflicts with the manual, so the timer is not a reason to ignore that clash.
Which listings describe a tip-over switch?
The TCH 23 E lists tilt protection and says the heater switches off if it is knocked over. One review says it stayed on until it overheated. Tip-over is not listed on the TCH 1 E, the TCH 18 E or the TCH 25 E. Overheat protection does not replace a tip-over line.
Can I use one of these in a bathroom?
The manuals say not beside a bath or shower. IP20 and IPX0 do not give useful water protection. A room-type field that includes Bathroom is not an ingress rating. A fixed bathroom heater is a job for a qualified electrician and a product rated for the zone.
Is the TCH 25 E a 100 V heater?
The amazon.co.uk voltage field says 100 V and the weight field says 500 g. The manual says 220–240 V and 3.5 kg. Do not buy on either document until they agree, and do not treat the 100 V line as the specification. Confirm the plug before you rely on the timer the manual describes.
Related pages
Sources
Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 16 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
- Trotec TCH 18 E / 19 E English manual (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Trotec UK shop: TCH 18 E convector (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Trotec UK shop: TCH 1 E convector (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Trotec TCH 23 E English manual (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Trotec TCH 25 E / 26 E manual (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Ofgem: energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First: portable heaters (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Water Regs UK: protection against freezing (retrieved 16 October 2026)