Looking for the best wall furnace for your home?
Perfect!
In this proHVACinfo guide, you’ll learn:
- What are wall furnaces?
- What are the different types of wall furnace? (understand this before you buy!)
- How do wall furnaces work?
- What do you look for in the best wall furnaces? (learn what really matters)
- Our reviews of the best wall furnaces
And much more!
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
January 2, 2022
King Electric Wall Furnace
Check on AmazonThere is a lot of variety when it comes to wall furnaces, so choosing a favorite was certainly not easy, but after quite some deliberation, we concluded that the best of the bunch was this wall furnace from heater manufacturer, King.--break--Why?--break--Before we even got to look at the performance of this wall furnace, we were very impressed with the clever design.--break--It’s built to look like any other vent cover in your home, which for many is a big plus compared to boxy wall mounted furnace alternatives.--break--The housing is rock solid, and the fan is surprisingly powerful given the compact size.--break--Whether you’re looking for max performance or max efficiency, you can't go wrong with this model!
In a hurry? Check out our list of the top five wall furnaces! Keep reading to learn more!
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our Top Pick | Our Top Pick | King Electric Wall Furnace
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| View on Amazon |
High End Pick  | High End Pick | Cadet Energy Plus
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| View on Amazon |
Best Budget Pick  | Best Budget Pick | Heat Storm Deluxe Mounted Wall Heater
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| View on Amazon |
 | Stiebel Eltron CK 200-2 Plus Heater
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| View on Amazon | |
 | De'Longhi Mica Thermic Panel Heater
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| View on Amazon |
What's in This Guide?
What Are Wall Furnaces?
Unlike traditional central heating systems, which require duct work throughout your home, a wall furnace is a heater that is fitted directly into, or on to a wall in a room of your choosing, and the hot air that it produces is vented directly into the room in which the furnace is installed.
Because the warm air does not have to travel around your entire home in a ductwork system, it heats the space very quickly and efficiently, and is easily able to maintain that temperature.
Another benefit is that because wall furnaces directly heat the room they’re in, they can make use of all kinds of different energy efficient technologies!
What are the Different Types of Wall Furnaces?
Fan
Fan heaters are the most commonly found type of wall furnace.
They usually contain a heating element such as a metal coil, to warm the surrounding air.
A fan will then blow that warm air out into the room, increasing the temperature.
Infrared
Infrared wall furnaces are a more advanced type of heater that effectively convert electricity into radiant heat.
They create a light that, while invisible to the naked eye, instantly warms any objects (including you!) that it encounters.
Infrared wall furnaces don’t so much warm the room, more so, they warm the items within it!
They provide instant warmth, which is definitely a big advantage.
Micathermic
Like fan based wall furnaces, micathermic wall furnaces have a heating element, but coated in sheets of a material known as mica.
Mica is an extraordinarily effective heat conductor, so rather than have a fan blowing warm air into the room, micathermic wall furnaces transfer heat by radiation.
As the mica is heated, it begins producing electromagnetic energy, which in a similar fashion to infrared light, instantly warms any items it encounters, and the objects in the room then begin to warm the surrounding air.
Ceramic
There are two types of ceramic wall furnace, radiant and convection.
Both types of ceramic wall furnaces use a heating element to heat up a ceramic plate.
This plate becomes extremely hot, and then warms the room by process of radiation in the case of radiant furnaces.
A convection ceramic wall furnace adds a fan into the mix to circulate warm air at a faster pace.
How Do Wall Furnaces Work?
Wall furnaces make use of one of the above methods in order to either warm the air in the space in which you’ve installed them, or to produce energy that warms the objects within the room itself.
Not only do they work without having to be connected to a system of duct work, but they also do not require a chimney or flue – this makes them a low maintenance option.
In addition to requiring almost no maintenance or intervention from the homeowner, they are also an extremely safe option as they don’t require a gas supply.
What Do You Look For In The Best Wall Furnaces?
While the variety of wall furnace types can make it difficult to do a real “apples to apples” comparison, there are some features that the best units have in common so keep an eye out for these when shopping around:
Energy Efficiency
While some opt to install wall furnaces because of the expense, or difficult logistics of installing central heating, many do so because they only need to heat one room.
If you purchase a wall furnace that isn’t energy efficient, this could actually be a false economy, and may end up costing a small fortune to run!
Look for energy efficient options that draw as little power as possible, while reaping the maximum heating benefits.
Safety
Especially when it comes to wall furnaces that have heating elements within them, safety can be a big concern.
Families with pets or young children often worry about burns and other injuries caused by these heating appliances.
Keep an eye out for safe touch wall furnaces, those that do not have exposed hot parts, and have heat shielded casing to prevent injuries caused by accidental contact, or fires caused by items resting on them.
Ease Of Use
Ideally, your wall furnace will be as easy to use, or perhaps even easier, than your TV. Simple on/off and temperature up, or down.
If it has timer functions, or as some do, cool color changing flames, these should also be frustration free.
You should always read the manual before operating any wall furnace, but the gold standard when it comes to ease of use, would be understanding fully how to use the unit without having to read it.
Maintenance
The best wall furnaces will be pretty much maintenance free.
Those with heating elements will need to have any dust blown out of them at regular intervals, but shouldn’t need much more than that.
If there are moving parts to replace, or that require preventative maintenance like lubrication, we suggest avoiding those models.
Our Reviews of the Best Wall Furnaces
King Electric Wall Furnace (Our Top Pick)
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Our best overall recommendation is this cleverly designed recessed electric wall heater from King.--break--If you don’t like the look of a traditional wall furnace, or if your wall space is limited, this could be a great option for you.--break--It’s fan driven, but rather than a typical heating system, it uses a novel fin style heating element which allows you to customize the heating power you want during the installation process.--break--Installation is surprisingly simple.--break--Once the wall recess is available, it only requires a single screw.--break--It’s controlled by one of the available King thermostats which can be bought with a simple dial or LCD displays and advanced features.--break--Safety features include smart limit protection, which in the event of abnormal voltage being detected, will shut down the system, requiring a manual restart.
Pros
- Great safety features--break--Rapid heating--break--Efficient fin element
Cons
- May require cutting into walls--break--Thermostat is sold separately--break--Noisy considering the smaller size
Cadet Energy Plus (High End Pick)
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Our best high end choice, the Cadet Energy Plus, is a feature packed electric wall furnace that’s designed to last.--break--Boasting a corrosion resistant heating element, and a smooth operating variable speed fan.--break--As you might expect of a premium furnace, it boasts advanced safety features including a thermal safeguard to shut down the system in case of overheating.--break--If noise is a concern for you, this furnace features an ultra-quiet fan, making this a great choice! If this is to be a replacement for an existing wall furnace, the Cadet Energy Plus is universal fit, so installation should be straight forward.--break--If you like to see what’s happening with the room temperature directly, you’ll love the large LED display and single button operation, too.
Pros
- Quiet fan--break--Corrosion resistant components--break--Great safety features
Cons
- Price--break--Auto mode struggles to heat evenly--break--No backlight on display
Heat Storm Deluxe Mounted Wall Heater (Best Budget Pick)
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This infrared wall furnace from Heat Storm gives you a lot of bang for your buck.--break--It has Wi-Fi control, making it easy to control from your smart phone, a feature not often found at this price point.--break--It has a convenient recess on the back, allowing you to completely hide the cord when it’s mounted directly over the outlet.--break--Because it’s an infrared wall furnace, the unit itself does not heat up, making it completely touch safe.--break--It has precision temperature control, and features a temp display on the front of the unit.
Pros
- ETL Listed--break--Rapid heating--break--Excellent build quality
Cons
- Some users reported a high pitched humming noise--break--Lights cannot be dimmed
Stiebel Eltron CK 200-2 Plus Heater
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This model from Stiebel was a close contender for our number one pick.--break--It’s a fan type wall furnace, boasting ultra quiet operation (just 48 dB), and a down draft design for efficient and even room heating.--break--We also liked the safety features. This model's design has thick aluminum on the exterior, keeping it cool to the touch.--break--What's more, if you live in a cold region you’ll appreciate the frost protection setting - this allows you to maintain the temperature of an appropriately sized room at a temperature just above freezing.
Pros
- Feature packed--break--Appealing Design--break--Physical on/off switch
Cons
- Analog thermostat--break--Not supplied with a power cord (requires hard wiring)
De'Longhi Mica Thermic Panel Heater
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If you’re looking for a wall furnace from a household name brand, this micathermic option from De’Longhi could be a great choice for you.--break--This 1500 watt unit is unobtrusive, and allows you to choose between full power (1500 watts) or low power (750 watts).--break--What’s more, this model can easily be wall-mounted; no heavy duty installation required!--break--It features a safety cut off to prevent overheating, and boasts silent operation.--break--It is best suited to smaller spaces, although it can capably heat rooms up to 300 square feet with no issues.--break--Should you want to take it down from the wall and move it to another room, that’s absolutely possible thanks to the included stand, too.
Pros
- Easy to mount--break--Cheap to run
Cons
- No remote control--break--Basic design
Final Thoughts On The Best Wall Furnaces
All in all, wall furnaces are an extremely cost effective way to provide warmth within a single room in your home, office, cabin, or wherever else you’d like to install one.
They are versatile appliances that don’t require an HVAC engineer or technician to install.
We hope you’ve found this proHVACinfo guide to wall furnaces to be helpful – which is your favorite model from the list?
