What Is An Infrared Heater? (And Why You Should Care)

Have you ever felt chilly while standing in the shade but feel nice and toasty once you step into the sunlight? This is because infrared light from the sun is absorbed by your skin and clothing and, therefore, warms your body.

Infrared heaters work much like the sun. They emit infrared light, invisible to the naked eye, which is absorbed by you and the objects in the room. To product the infrared light they use a series of coils and a reflector to direct the light outward. The absorption of this light warms your body.

The Pros of Using An Infrared Heater

• Instant Heat: Infrared heaters start emitting infrared light as soon as they are turned on and since they are warming bodies and objects and not the air they take almost no time to get you warm.
• Quiet: Since these heaters use light to warm you, they do not have to have a fan and therefore are much quieter than heaters with fans.
• Efficient: There is almost no waste with these heaters as they heat only the objects and people they are directed at and not whole rooms or areas.
• Environmentally Friendly: Infrared heaters are a clean heat source. They do not release any pollutants to the environment. They do not utilize any fossil fuels nor burn any wood to produce their heat.

The Cons of Using An Infrared Heater

• Light-Emitting: An infrared heater will emit an orange glow. Though this may not bother some people, and the brightness will vary between models, this type of portable heater may not be ideal for your bedroom at night if you are sensitive to light while sleeping.
• Limited Warmth Distribution: Infrared heaters only heat things in their direct line of heat distribution so they are not ideal for heating large spaces or spaces where individuals are regularly moving around.
• No Heat When Turned Off: Since infrared heaters do not heat the air and only the objects or bodies the infrared light hits, once the heater is turned off the warmth it once provided quickly fades.