6 Alternatives To Space Heaters That'll Keep You Warm This Winter

During the winter season it can be a struggle to keep heating costs down, especially if you live in a home with many rooms or poor insulation. Thankfully, there are tons of gadgets that can help keep you warm, like space heaters. Designed to be relatively portable, space heaters can warm up rooms quickly. However, space heaters can pose safety risks, especially when exposed to moisture or flammable materials, like carpets or curtains. 

Although you can follow a few safety tips to avoid trouble with your space heater, the reality is that it's not always the best solution for your needs. However, there are other options for warming yourself up, which can not only save you money in the long-term but also introduce added health benefits. For this article, we narrowed down several top-rated space heater alternatives which are closer to your body or work fixed to furniture like beds and chairs. You can learn more about how we've selected these items below, but if you're ready to start warming up, let's go.

We all spend a good chunk of our day in bed. So it makes sense to prioritize adding some warmth to these quarters, with gadgets like the Sunbeam electric heated mattress pad. On Amazon, over 14,000 people have rated this popular electric mattress pad, resulting in an average of 4.5 stars, as many praise its value for money. Starting at $47.05 for its 39" x 75" size — which fits a standard Twin bed — Sunbeam's electric mattress pad has a controller with a digital display that can help you select your preference from a dozen heat settings, as well as enable the auto shut off feature.

On the other hand, if you and your partner have diverging ideas of what the perfect sleeping temperature is, Reaks offers electric mattress pads that lets you customize the temperature for two people. With dual control settings, the two sides of the bed can have different temperatures with each mattress pad offering ten available settings. This product can accommodate a variety of bed sizes from Mini Twin to King, with prices from $59.99 to $119.95 respectively. Over 4,500 Amazon customers have rated the Reaks product, giving it 4.5 stars on average.

Unlike heated mattress pads, you can easily transfer electric blankets from one part of your house to another. With an average rating of 4.2 stars from over 23,000 Amazon reviews, the Sunbeam Royal Luxe heated blanket is one of the top-rated electric blanket options in the market. Prices for this product range from $39.80 for the throw blanket (50" x 60") to $107.35 for the King size blanket (90" x 100"), but all variants have different heat settings, and an auto shut off feature.

Alternatively, if you prefer a more quirky design, the VENTIMI heated electric blanket in throw size retails for a slightly higher price of $59.99. Designed for naps, this heated blanket's auto shut off feature caps at three hours. This blanket is ETL certified, machine-washable, plus has a 8.5 ft power cord. On Amazon, it has an average user rating of 4.4 stars from nearly 3,000 buyers. Several reviewers praise its softness, and how quickly it gets to the desired temperature.

When it comes to managing the cold, your feet play a crucial role in your body's temperature regulation. If you want to ensure your toes are toasty, you can opt for Sharper Image's Sherpa Wrap with electric heating, which has a heated massaging foot bed, and you can buy for $89.99. A cheaper option is the Sunbeam electric sherpa blanket, which has a foot pocket, and retails for only $59.99.

Starting at $25.99, iCasso offers large heated mouse pads with three heating levels (100.4℉, 107.6℉, 114.8℉) to warm you up at your desk. The auto shut off feature can be set for one, two, or four hours, while the product is also waterproof and available in eight designs. So far, it has an average of 4.5 stars from over 1,000 Amazon reviewers. 

If you want the top of your hands covered too, the WOLVIO mouse pad might be for you. Powered via USB, it an average of 4.2 stars from more than 900 Amazon customers. The highest of its three temperature settings is 145℉, and it measures only 11" x 9", so is better suited to small workspaces. That said, as the hand is enclosed, this product might not suit people who spend a lot of time typing.

For a product that heats your hand from above, Nauttxon's desk hand warmer is sleek, foldable, and can generate up to 140℉ of heat. For $42.99, it is available in black or white, and more than one hundred Amazon users have given it an average rating of 4.4 stars.

For some people the cold triggers chronic pain around the body, and a heated massage cushion can be a saving grace providing relief. The Snailax Shiatsu massage cushion is one of the best out there and retails for $129.99, with an average user rating of 4.3 stars from over 19,000 customers. With its portable design, you can easily move this massage cushion from your work chair in the morning to living room couch in the evening when you're trying to wind down. However, it's important to note that the heated massage nodes are limited to the back, with the seat area only offering vibration.

For people that find Shiatsu-focused massage cushions a little too intense, there are also massage cushion models that just have a combination of heat and vibration, like the Comfier massage cushion with heat. Priced at $69.99, over 10,000 Amazon users have given it an average rating of 4.1 stars. Alongside the heating mechanism, it has ten vibration motors to cover everything from the back to the buttocks.

If you deal with recurring neck, shoulder, and back pain, Snailax's heating pad has a high collar to provide relief from the neck downwards. With six heating settings up to 150°F, it's perfect for people who need heat therapy to loosen tight muscles. Plus, its soft flannel fabric cover can easily be thrown in the washing machine for quick cleaning. The product has a 4.5 star average rating from more than 700 people on Amazon, and is priced at only $39.99. 

Alternatively, Snailax also has a heating pad with an adjustable strap that can be utilized for various areas of the body. It is marketed to women who experience menstrual cramps, but it can also cover the neck, shoulders, and back at once, or lie over the thighs. Priced at $49.99, over 600 people have given it an average rating of 4.5 stars.

For a more affordable heating pad, Deepsoon's comes in 40 colors and four sizes, with prices starting at $20.91. Despite its simple appearance, almost 5,000 Amazon buyers have given it an average rating of 4.5 stars, which means you, and maybe even your pets, are likely to be satisfied with it. 

Apart from your feet, your hands also play a crucial role in regulating your internal body temperature. One solution is to get a rechargeable hand warmer, like the UNIHAND AI hand warmer. With each hand warmer weighing only 0.15 lbs, you can easily shove them inside your pockets for long periods. Unlike other hand warmers in the market, these use artificial intelligence to optimize the warmth to a comfortable temperature, up to 130℉. With its 6000 mAh battery, the UNIHAND AI hand warmer can last up to 20 hours and be easily charged via USB-C. With an average rating of 4.6 stars from over 4,000 customers, it would also be a great gadget for winter camping for only $29.99.

Alternatively, the AUIIAH hand warmers have an impressive 36-hour usage time with a 14,000 mAh battery, but they also have a built-in bright LED light, and work as a power bank. With an average user rating of 4.5 stars from over 3,000 buyers on Amazon, the hand warmers offer eight heating modes, up to 131℉, and come in four different colors.

We sought to compile a list of products that would be helpful alternatives to a space heater. Looking at items on Amazon, we selected products that have an average rating of four stars or more, from at least one hundred users. This shows the manufacturer's commitment to providing products that are consistent in quality. 

As the products in this list are heat-generating, we looked for products with ETL certifications that provide peace of mind when it comes to fire safety. Items that have passed certification include the Sunbeam sherpa with foot pocket, Sunbeam Royal Luxe heated blanket, and the VENTIMI heated electric blanket. For the electric blankets, we opted for products that are machine-washable and dryer-safe for easier cleaning.