Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater review

The Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater is designed to mount on the wall so it’s out of the way. While it’s great at warming up a room, it looks like it belongs in a hotel rather than a home. 

It’s not the prettiest of space heaters, but it still brings a lot to the table which is why it makes the list as one of the best space heaters. To learn all of its advantages and disadvantages in depth, see our complete Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater review.

Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater review: Price and availability

The Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater is available at The Home Depot for $102. It’s available in gray and white colorways.

Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater review: Design

Overall, the Heat Storm Phoenix has an institutional appearance, and with its slim profile and glossy plastic finish, it looks more like an air conditioner than a space heater. It can be mounted flush on a wall — in which case it will protrude 4 inches — or on small feet that come with the unit. While you might appreciate the convenience of hanging it up and having it permanently installed, if it’s far from the outlet bear in mind you will see the cord trailing across the wall. There is a space on the back to store any excess cord to help with this though. The brand name is prominently displayed on the front, which can be particularly unappealing if the heater is wall mounted.  

The Phoenix has a touch screen to control and display the settings. The brightness of the screen can be adjusted, which is useful. You can select a high or low heat setting, or use the auto setting which is similar to what other manufacturers call an eco mode; it allows you to select a temperature of your choice and the unit controls the heat level to maintain it. You can also set it to automatically turn on or off.

A remote control is included with the unit so you don’t have to get up to turn it on or off or adjust the heat.

If you have the unit mounted on the feet, you can move it fairly easily as it only weighs 8.5 pounds. Because it has a slim profile, it won’t require much space in a closet either.

In addition to the tip over and overheat protection found on other heaters, this one has a child lock to prevent little fingers from accidentally turning it on or fiddling with the settings.

Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater review: Heating performance

In a 15 x10-foot room, the Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater evenly raised the temperature by 5°F on its high setting. When we sat in front of it, it took longer than others to warm us up initially, but we’re talking a minute or so rather than seconds. Its energy use is typical for a space heater at 0.27 kWh. 

We tested this space heater using the included feet and we noticed that the floor temperature was raised by 6°F directly beneath, which is a waste of energy. The effects of this would likely not be so strong if it were wall mounted though.

While it’s operating, the surfaces of the heater become slightly warmer than room temperature — between 77 and 82°F — but it’s still comfortable to touch. When it was running on its highest setting, we measured a noise level of 52.1 decibels; that’s pretty average for a space heater.

Set to its lowest temperature setting, 40°F, our test room cooled down and we felt the air moving effectively.

Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater review: Ease of use

Before you use the Phoenix you have to snap in the two filters, which need to be removed and either washed or vacuumed about once a month. We found it easy to install them, take them out and reinstall them.   

You have the choice of mounting the Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater on the wall or on the small feet that come with it. To install it on the wall, you’ll need a drill and a Philips screwdriver. To attach the feet, you have to use the wingnuts that are provided with the unit and it was fairly easy to do.

We had to review the manual the first few times we used the Phoenix as it wasn’t intuitive. The display is extremely sensitive; if you press too hard, it won’t activate. Plus, the remote is so tiny, it could easily get lost in the crevices of the sofa, so you will need to keep an eye on it.

Heat Storm Phoenix Infrared Space Heater review: Verdict

If you like the idea of installing a space heater on the wall so it’s not cluttering up the floor, the Heat Storm Phoenix 1500 Watt Heater is a great choice for evenly warming up a chilly room. Just keep in mind that it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing space heater. Fortunately, you can also stand it on the floor, where its slim profile will keep it from protruding too much. 

It's fairly straightforward to operate either with the touch screen or the accompanying remote, plus it comes at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for an effective space heater that isn’t too intrusive consider our top choice, the Lasko FH500, which is only about $25 more expensive.