Garage Heater Brands To Steer Clear Of (And Better Alternatives To Consider)

Depending on the climate in your region, your garage may drop to an uncomfortably cold temperature during the winter months. This is obviously a major issue for those who use the space to complete beginner-friendly woodworking projects or car repairs. However, a freezing cold garage can lead to even more concerning problems, such as frozen pipes and equipment or vehicle damage. Using a garage heater to make the space warmer is the perfect solution. The problem is that it can seem impossible to figure out which garage heater brands to avoid. This is why we rounded up a few of the garage heater brands you should steer clear of, including Vornado and Dyna-Glo. Garage heaters sold by NewAir and Comfort Zone are better alternatives to consider. 

Customers reported issues about Vornado and Dyna-Glo garage heaters that might give you a bit of trouble. Comparatively, options sold by NewAir and Comfort Zone will thoroughly heat your garage and operate smoothly. We took a look at customer reviews for popular garage heaters sold by these brands to determine our rankings. Taking note of customer experiences gives you insight into how these garage heaters actually function, independent of what brands advertise. Once you read through the following list, you'll become more informed about some of the garage heaters on the market.

Heating ability and safety are key when it comes to garage heaters. Unfortunately, customer reviews suggest that the VIVOSUN 8500W Garage Heater, which is priced at $129.99, does not meet either of those requirements. It has an Amazon rating of only 3.5 stars. As a result, VIVOSUN is a garage heater brand you may want to avoid. One Amazon reviewer claimed that this machine emitted a concerning burning smell and caused their breaker to trip. "Installed correctly using #10 wire and 40 amp breaker, ran for about an hour and started smelling like something was burning," they penned in part. "After a few minutes the breaker tripped. Let cool off for a while and then turned the breaker back on, tripped immediatly." This customer theorized that the malfunctioning might be the result of an electrical issue. If this is truly the case, the faulty product's issues could result in an electrical fire.

Another Amazon review detailed complaints about the VIVOSUN Garage Heater's ability to actually provide enough warmth. "I have it in my shop and the only are it will heat is right in front of it," the review reads. "Buy a different heater. I have 220 wired to it. My wife's oven can heat an area larger than this heater. This one can't even heat 100 sq. ft." If you have a larger garage, this might be particularly concerning. It's best to go with a heater option with a large number of reviews that confirm it can provide warmth throughout the entire room.  

Dyna-Glo sells the most expensive garage heater option on this list, the Dyna-Glo 10000-Watt Electric Garage Heater. Amazon lists it for $383.11. However, this product's many poor reviews suggest that its performance might not justify that pricing. This Dyna-Glo received a super low 2.7-star review on the Lowe's website and a 3.4-star review on Amazon. Multiple reviews on both websites claim that the garage heater's fan does not power off. "The fan stopped shutting off about a month or two ago, but since I have no alternative heat source in the garage, I left it until now as the weather is warming up," one Amazon user wrote in part.

A separate review on the Lowe's website detailed a similar story. "Installed, worked great for a week, then fan would not shut off," it reads. The customer then explained that they finally got the fan to shut off when the thermostat was turned all the way down. However, they ran into the same problem when using the garage heater again. Ultimately, the customer was forced to turn off a breaker to get the fan to stop running.

These are only two of the many reviews that outline the same fan malfunction. Since a vital component within the Dyna-Glo 10000-Watt Electric Garage Heater seemingly does not work as intended, and reviews claim customer service doesn't provide adequate support to solve the problem, you may want to avoid Dyna-Glo brand garage heaters. Cons aside, it's worth noting that this heater can be mounted to the ceiling to save space and emit heat high up.

Now, let's dive into garage heater brands with products that are more promising. The NewAir Portable Electric Garage Heater is worth considering, given its overall review above 4 stars on Amazon, the Home Depot website, and the NewAir website. It costs $137.62 on Amazon. You should have less to worry about when it comes to warming up a large garage during winter with this brand because countless customer reviews on the Portable Electric Garage Heater praise its heating abilities. "This is honestly one of the best additions to my shop in a long time," one customer penned as part of a review shared on the Home Depot website. They then explained that the product heats their garage in only 20 minutes. If you need to blast cold air out of your space fast, this might be the best option for you.

A separate Amazon review also praised the heater's performance. "I Have about a 22x22 insulated garage," it reads. "When its -10 Celsius or so, I can run this for about an hour and it will bring it up to about 15-20 degrees Celsius or so, which is more than warm enough for me in the garage." This insight suggests that NewAir makes garage heaters worth purchasing. If you are interested in buying the brand's Portable Electric Garage Heater, you probably want to know a bit about its features. The heater can warm up spaces up to 800 square feet, includes a 6-foot power cord, and can be transported easily thanks to a handle at the top.

If you would prefer a highly rated, hard-wired garage heater, check out what Comfort Zone has to offer. The Comfort Zone Ceiling Mount Garage Space Heater can be hard-wired into your ceiling to help keep your garage decluttered and organized. More importantly, this product has a 4.3-star overall rating on Amazon. Customers had lots of great things to say about its performance. "Excellent HOT heat coming out, and 12 feet away the fan is clearly doing its job," one reviewer wrote. "The fan power is fine, the heat is HOT just set on 2, and the only potential drawback for some is the thermostat is not as accurate in function as your whole house furnace is. Who cares?" A separate Amazon review claims that the product operates quietly and does a great job of keeping a garage warm.

If you are interested in buying this garage heater for yourself, keep in mind that it comes in three different wattage options at three different prices. The 7,500-watt heater is $151.91, the 5,000-watt heater is $97.99, and the 10,000-watt heater is $289.99. This gives you the option to select the right wattage for the size of your garage. Features vary depending on which wattage option you select. A similar Comfort Zone heater also has a 4.3-star rating on the Home Depot website, so it might be safe to say that this brand sells reliable products.