Smart heaters: a complete guide with the best models

Smart heaters

With winter at the door and the electricity bill in the clouds, heating is going to become a matter of state. If you want to be warm and spend as little as possible, smart heaters are a good option . In this complete guide, we tell you what they are, how to choose the best one, and some excellent options for all budgets.

The cold is already beginning to feel and, another year, it catches us without having prepared ourselves. To cope with it in the best way, smart heaters are an excellent choice and, every time, we have more variety on the market.

What is a smart heater and how does it differ from a normal one

Calefactor inteligente

An intelligent heater is a device that is used to heat a room and, in addition, incorporates smart technology to make this process more efficient. The main difference from the usual options is its ability to calibrate the temperature with your thermostat and regulate itself.

That way, it can keep that temperature stable in the degrees you have set (raising or lowering the power itself as required), as well as being programmed in more complex ways than a normal heater.

With an intelligent heater you don’t just heat up, you air-condition a room so that it is, exactly and at all times, as you want.

On the other hand, traditional devices hardly give options. You can make them run at various power levels and they have a basic timer, but little else. When you connect them, they use all the power you tell them and it does not matter if it is forty degrees outside, they will continue to spit the fire of hell regardless of anything else.

What advantages does it have?

Considering how they are and what they bring, the advantages are obvious.

  • You save on the electricity bill . By being able to control the temperature, the smart heater adjusts the power itself, without using a watt more than it needs.
  • Fight against climate change . By not wasting energy.
  • It is much more comfortable . The heater is responsible for maintaining the temperature as you want, nothing from getting up to turn off and then turn on again because everything has cooled down. In addition, you can also control it remotely by mobile or even voice, depending on the model.
  • It allows you to program it in more complex ways . For example, there are models compatible with Alexa and the Google Assistant, which allows you to take advantage of the routines that you can program in those applications.

So when you get home from work, you already have the perfect stay, without having to plug it in all day.

How to choose the best smart heater

Calefactor Xiaomi

To choose the best smart heater, we must take into account 3 things:

  • The power of the heater . It is measured in watts (W) and the more it has, the more it will heat.
  • The dimensions of the room that we want to heat. The bigger it is, the more power we will need, but it is not the only thing to consider.
  • The smart features that we want it to have and its compatibility with other devices. Especially with our “command center” if it is a speaker from Amazon, Google or Apple.

Of those three, the first two are the most essential for being warm.

How to calculate the power I need in a smart heater

For this, we need to know the dimensions of the room to be air-conditioned and the power in watts of the device we want to buy.

There is a formula that allows us to calculate (approximately, of course) the watts of the heater depending on where we are going to put it.

We do not want to get too mathematical, but we are going to give it to those most involved. Anyway, calm down, later we will give a general advice for those of us who were bad in class and we do everything by eye.

The formula for calculating the required watts of a heater

Formula calefactor

The formula is usually expressed like this:

Size in square meters of the room x Orientation of the same with respect to the sun x Climate zone x Insulation level x 100 = Watts of the heater that will be necessary.

Almost nothing. We go in parts.

We have to calculate the size by also counting the height of the ceiling , obviously. So we measure the width, the length and the height of the room and take an approximate square meter, for example, 15.

The other elements of the formula will be used as a coefficient above or below one, to go up or down that number of meters .

This looks like back to school, but it’s actually very easy.

Regarding the orientation to the sun . If you are to the south, it does not need to heat so much, so it gets a 0.9 approximately. The North is colder, so we usually assign a 1.15. The West is more neutral, so it counts 1 and the East a little cooler, so it counts a 1.1. Let’s say I’m facing west, so 1.

Then we take into account the climatic zone in which we find ourselves . That you know that Spain has several, according to the Technical Building Code, because Seville is not the same as Bilbao. They go from A to E and you have them here for each province .

If it is colder and we are in an E, the coefficient is greater than 1, but if you are in Seville, the coefficient will be less than 1 and the need for power will decrease. Let’s say I’m in Seville and we assign a 0.95.

Finally, take into account the insulation you have at home and this is more relative. If the room is more isolated ( climalit and good walls), we use a number below one, for example, 0.95 or 0.9. If it is poorly insulated, we go above 1, for example, 1.15. Let’s say isolation is medium again because I’m lazy, so I put 1.

It would be: 15 x 1 x 0.95 x 1 x 100 = 1,310 watts.

As it is a not very large room, well oriented and well insulated in Seville, with a 1,300 watt room I will not get cold and, in theory, I will air-condition well.

If you have experience, you may think that this formula is somewhat high in watts. Indeed, it is so, but it is on purpose . With a little less power, you will also air conditioning well, but keep in mind that you can always regulate the power down.

Especially if it is a smart heater, you will not regret it because it will calibrate low and you will not spend too much.

The formula for those of us who are bad at math

Formula simple calefactor

A roll, right? They are things of having worked on these issues in the past. Now, the way to do it by eye. As you will see, the meters of the room multiplied x 100 are approximately the watts needed .

If you are in a poorly insulated cold location or orientation, calculate the size and add something to it. For example, for 20 meters, count 2,000 watts and a safety margin of about 200 to 400 watts more.

If you are in the Canary Islands looking south in a stone house, count 2,000 and you subtract something, with which 1,700-1,800 would be worth it.

Again, we are going high , because you can always turn the heater to less power.

There are those who calculate the meters, multiply by 100 and subtract a little if it is in cold weather and subtract more if it is warm. It is less complicated, but it can fall a bit short in very cold winters or specific moments.

The best buying options for smart heaters

Knowing all this, we can now buy our smart heater and, therefore, we have selected a series of very interesting options for you.

Cecotec Ready Warm 8400, the cheap option with fair performance

If you want something cheap and not get too high, the Valencian brand has this 1500 W heater. It is ideal for small / medium rooms or bathrooms and it has smart features, but not many.

It is not compatible with Google Home or Alexa, but it does connect to WiFi and you can manage it from a phone app. You can find it for about 50 euros on sale and, if you want to get wet, but not much, it is a good option to start.

Mellerware Medium WiFi, all sizes with connection to Alexa and Google

If you want heaters of any size, compatible with Google Home and Alexa , Mellerware makes them. From 600 W for tiny rooms, such as bathrooms, up to 2,000 that will make you comfortable in the living room.

We also like efficient consumption, safety and design.

2000W UniversalBlue cheap and smart power

If you want power, but not spend a lot, this mica heater / radiator is interesting, because you can have 2000 W for less than 100 euros and some smart features.

Of course, forget about Google Home or Alexa. You can control it from your mobile via WiFi with its app , but little else.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Space Heater, the best in quality-price

What can we say? Xiaomi is always synonymous with quality-price. In smart heaters it is no exception. For less than 100 euros you have a connection with Alexa and Google Home, in addition to 2,200 watts .

It claims that it heats up to 46 square meters. Let’s see, that is possible in theory, yes, but too maximum. Think that you will need more for that meter.

As you can see, there are many options. The advantage that the heater is intelligent is that it will always be adjusted to what you need, without wasting. In this way, you will be warm this winter, but without spending a penny more than necessary.