The Best Oil Filled Radiators For Consistent Warmth

The VonHaus wins on choice. It comes in 6, 7, 9 and 11-fin versions, from 800W up to 2,500W, so you buy the heat a room needs rather than making do with one size. The 11-fin model is the one we'd pick for a medium to large living room, while the smaller versions suit bedrooms and offices.

Every size gets three heat settings, an adjustable thermostat and a 24-hour manual timer, so you can have it come on before you get up. Safety is well covered too, with a tip-over switch, overheat protection and a thermal cut-out. Castor wheels and a carry handle make it easy to move between rooms, and VonHaus backs it with a two-year warranty.

The catch is the build. It isn't as well made as the premium radiators further down the list, and that's the trade-off for the lower price.

The Dragon 4 is the best-built radiator in this roundup, and it looks the part. The white finish is smarter than most oil-filled heaters, and De'Longhi backs it with a 10-year guarantee, which says a lot about how long it's expected to last.

According to De'Longhi, a stronger chimney effect and enlarged fins move warm air through it faster, and it has a 25 percent larger radiant surface than the model it replaced. Day to day you get three switchable heat modes and a 24-hour mechanical timer, plus an anti-frost function that keeps a cold room from dropping too far. A safety cut-out, sturdy wheels and a carry handle round it off.

It's the most expensive radiator here, and it only comes in one 2,000W size, so a large room is better off with one of the 2,500W models.

Pro Breeze is better known for its heaters and dehumidifiers for damp homes, but its oil-filled radiator holds its own. With 11 fins and 2,500W it's one of the most powerful here, enough for a medium to large room, and it arrives fully assembled so you can plug it straight in.

There are three heat modes and a 24-hour timer, along with built-in overheat protection and a tip-over switch. The 1.5 metre power lead comes with a cable tidy, so the spare length doesn't trail across the floor when it's tucked against a wall.

The one thing that stood out in our testing was noise, as it was slightly noisier than the other oil-filled radiators we've used. You'll notice that far more in a bedroom than a lounge.

The ANSIO stands out for its remote control and digital display, which let you change the heat without getting up. That's a real help for anyone with limited mobility, or for warming the bedroom while you're still under the covers.

The heater behind the remote is a capable one. Its 11 oil-filled fins and three heat modes run from a gentle 1,000W through 1,300W up to 2,300W for a cold evening, and the adjustable thermostat holds the temperature you set. The safety list covers overheat protection, a child lock and a tip-over switch, and castor wheels make it easy to move. ANSIO backs it with a three-year warranty.

You pay extra for the remote and display, which puts it among the dearer radiators in this roundup.

Warmlite keeps both the price and the controls simple. It comes in 650W, 1,500W, 2,000W and 2,500W versions, each with three power settings, an adjustable thermostat and switch controls that are about as straightforward as heaters get.

The compact model is the one that earns the name. Warmlite lists it at 30 x 25 x 58 cm, small enough to tuck beside a desk or under a window in a box room, and four smooth-running castors make it easy to wheel about. Overheat protection is built in, and Warmlite gives a one-year guarantee that extends to two years if you register it.

The small 650W version won't keep a larger room warm on a cold day, so size up if it's going in a living room.

Daewoo makes everything from household appliances to cars, and its 9-fin radiator is a straightforward heater that does the job at a low price. It comes in one size with a 2,000W output, and Daewoo claims it'll warm a large room in under 30 minutes.

The controls are basic, with three heat settings and a thermostat and little else. It stands upright on four roller wheels, has a built-in cable tidy and switches itself off automatically if it tips over.

That simplicity suits a garage, workshop office or spare room where you just want heat when you switch it on. For a bedroom where you'd like it to come on before you wake up, a model with a built-in timer is the better choice.