What is the Safest Space Heater?

This very question was asked of me today on Twitter - a fellow Tweeter was looking for a recommendation for a heater to be used in her daughter's room. The mandate: The SAFEST heater we offer.

In actuality, this is a bit of a challenging question. Every Vornado heater is painstakingly designed to protect the owner like a mama bear defending her cubs. Here are a few examples of safety features that are standard on our heaters:


Tip Over Protection: Vornado heaters automatically shut off if they are tipped over - preventing carpet, flooring or any other surface from becoming dangerously hot. (Plus, a tipped over heater just makes your room look messy.)

Obstruction Protection: Growing up I heard stories of curtains or area rugs interfering with a space heater's operation, causing fires. This is a non-issue with Vornado heaters because they are designed to cut off all heat if the airflow somehow becomes obstructed.

It's a No Glow: My other childhood memory of heaters is that mesmerizing red glow of the coils, and the knowledge that getting close to that heater meant I was inches away from a burnt finger. Sorry to disappoint those who like the "red glow" but Vornado heating elements don't glow - because Vornado has figured out the exact balance of heat from the coils needed to warm the room - and guess what- it isn't "boiling lava hot" (thanks Jim Gaffigan for the reference. Hot Pockets!) Sure... the Vornado coils are hot, and I wouldn't try to go touching them - because you can't. They are completely shielded safely inside the product - so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Not a Hot Potato: Speaking of hot - the amazing thing about Vornado heaters is that the exterior casing does not get hot to the touch - even after hours - nay - days - at full operation. It comes back to striking that balance of heat output that allows a Vornado to heat the air in your room quickly and effectively, but not become a safety risk. If you're one of those people that thinks you need to feel a little pain to be getting "enough heat" - you're probably not a Vornado customer. We're all about keeping you comfortable, not toasting bread.

A Backup Backup Plan: In the instance all these other safety measures somehow fail to catch a potential issue with the heater's operation, yet another backup provision has been taken. A special fuse inside the Vornado detects any heat or operational irregularities, and will blow before anything get's dicey. If this fuse blows, unfortunately, the heater is heading to the warm little pearly gates of heater heaven. Rest assured that our 5 Year Warranty will make sure you'll enjoy a long life with any Vornado heater - because we completely replace any unit during that timeframe.

The Verdict: Back to the original question - which Vornado is the safest? The only criteria I could come up with to answer this was to look at the casing itself. With the TVH 500 the entire product is made of metal. I'm no science guru, but I believe metal doesn't burn. We know that every Vornado (metal or plastic) has everything short of airbags relative to safety features - but I suppose the metal construct of the TVH 500 makes it my pick. Thanks to @wichitacindy for the great question!