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10 Oct 2024

Best oil filled radiators 2024

See the best oil filled radiators we think are worth buying, with DeLonghi, Dimplex and more expert-tested

Sam MorrisPrincipal researcher & writer

Couple sat on sofa in front of electric heater

Oil filled radiators might not be quite as popular as other heater types, but the best oil filled radiators can still pack an impressive heating punch.

They look like (and sometimes weigh as much as) a classic radiator. They heat a reservoir of oil, which gives out heat at a more gradual but longer-lasting rate.

You can also get oil-free models, which work in the same way but use a different material to act as the reservoir.

We've tested more than 40 electric heaters over the past three years, including small oil filled radiators and large ones from DeLonghi, Dimplex and more.

We've found one oil filled radiator that is a cut above the rest, giving it our Best Buy recommendation.

Discover the best oil filled radiators and how much each costs to run below.

Best oil filled radiators

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Cost per hour	Heating performance	Ease of use
53p	Good	Easy
52p	Good	Easy
43p	Good	Average
22p	Average	Easy
32p	Average	Easy
59p	Good	Average
18p	Poor	Easy

Dates tested: August 2024, December 2023, August 2023, November 2022. Pricing and availability last checked: September 2024.

Cost per hour is based on using the heater on its highest setting as, following our testing, we think this is the setting you're more likely to use. Calculated using the unit price under the current energy price cap (24.5p/kwh). We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.

Heating performance based on how quickly the heater raised the temperature of the room in half an hour, and how evenly it heated the room.

Oil filled radiators tested

All the oil filled radiator heaters we've tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

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Challenge 2kW Contemporary Digital Oil Filled Radiator

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 64 x 39.3 x 28cm (HxWxD); 9.7kg

Maximum power output (kW) 2kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, temperature programmable from 7-35°C

Need to know Three power settings, 198cm cable, digital display, remote control, has wheels, programmable timer (24 hours), one lip handle at one end on the top, integrated cable storage, overheating protection

Daewoo Mini Oil Filled Radiator

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 38 x 29 x 14cm (HxWxD); 3.3kg

Maximum power output (kW) 800W

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Variable thermostat Yes, but you can't set specific temperatures in °C

Need to know One power setting, 150cm cable, one handle on top at one end

DeLonghi Dragon 4 Oil Filled Radiator TRDX41025E

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 22.6 x 26.2 x 6.3cm (HxWxD); 18.8kg

Maximum power output (kW) 2.5kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, temperature programmable from 5-28°C

Need to know Four power settings, 130cm cable, digital display, has wheels, programmable timer (24 hours/seven days a week), two lip handles on top at both ends, integrated cable storage, automatically switches off if tips over and overheating protection

DeLonghi Radia-S 2kW Oil Filled Radiator

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 65 x 47.2 x 16cm (HxWxD); 11.8kg

Maximum power output (kW) 2kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, temperature programmable from 10-28°C

Need to know Three power settings, eco mode, delay timer, freeze setting (turns on if room temperature drops below 5°C), 137cm cable, digital display, has wheels, programmable timer (24 hours), integrated cable storage

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Dimplex 2.0kW Rapid Eco Oil Free Radiator

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 65 x 57.5 x 17cm (HxWxD); 10.2kg

Maximum power output (kW) 2kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, but you can't set specific temperatures in °C

Need to know Three power settings, 180cm cable, digital display, has wheels, programmable timer (24 hours), integrated cable storage, automatically switches off if tips over and overheating protection

Dimplex EvoRad EVO2BTA Oil-Free Radiator

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Type Oil-free radiator

Size and weight 63 x 47 x 28cm (HxWxD); 11.8kg

Maximum power output (kW) 2kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, temperature programmable from 5-30°C

Need to know Two power settings, Eco-mode, boost mode (30 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours), 150cm cable, digital display, has wheels, programmable timer (24 hours, 7 days), integrated cable storage, lip handle on the top at one end, smartphone application to control radiator by Bluetooth, automatically switches off if tips over and overheating protection

John Lewis Digital Oil Radiator

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 31.5 x 64 x 28cm (HxWxD); 8kg

Maximum power output (kW) 1.5kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, temperature programmable from 5-35°C

Need to know Three power settings, 170cm cable, digital display, has wheels, programmable timer (24 hours), integrated cable storage, lip handle on the top at one end, remote control, automatically switches off if tips over and overheating protection

Logik L09MOR23 Portable Oil-Filled Radiator

Available from Currys (Out of stock)

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 38 x 38.5 x 14cm (HxWxD); 4.9kg

Maximum power output (kW) 0.95kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, but you can't set specific temperatures in °C

Need to know One power setting, remote control, wheels, 152cm cable, one lip handle at one end on the top, automatically switches off if tips over and overheating protection

Russell Hobbs RHOFR5002B Portable Oil Filled Radiator

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 62.5 x 24 x 40.5cm (HxWxD); 9.5kg

Maximum power output (kW) 2kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, but you can't set specific temperatures in °C

Need to know Three power settings, 145cm cable, one handle on the side near the top, has wheels, integrated cable storage, automatically switches off if tips over and overheating protection

Zanussi ZOFR5005 Portable Oil Filled Radiator

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Type Oil filled radiator

Size and weight 66.5 x 14.3 x 56.3cm (HxWxD); 11.2kg

Maximum power output (kW) 2.3kW

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Variable thermostat Yes, temperature programmable from 5-35°C

Need to know Three power settings, digital display, remote control, wheels, 180cm cable, programmable timer (1-24 hours), one lip handle at one end on the top, automatically switches off if tips over and overheating protection

See the top 10 best heaters from our tests, and all of our reviews of the best fan heaters, best convector heaters and best halogen heaters

Do oil filled heaters use a lot of electricity?

Like electric heaters, the more energy an oil filled one uses, the faster it heats up the room.

While we all want to save pennies, our tests find time and time again that if you want fast heating it'll simply cost more to run.

Typically, we've found oil filled heaters heat up our test room slower than fan and convector heaters, but they cost less to run: 32p per hour on average compared to 57p per hour for fan heaters, and 46p per hour for convector heaters on average.

But oil filled heaters have the advantage of continuing to put heat out after you've turned them off, allowing you to keep getting a bit of warmth without using more electricity.

In our tests we found the temperature will increase much slower when you turn it off, but the reservoir of oil is still hot.

We typically got about half an hour more of heating before the temperature started to drop again (albeit slowly).