Infrared vs. Convection Heaters: Which is Better for Your Space?

When it comes to heating solutions, selecting the right heater for your space is essential for comfort and efficiency. 

Two common types of heaters are infrared and convection heaters. While both of these heaters aim to warm your environment, they operate in fundamentally different ways, which ultimately affects the environment and your wallet. 

This article explores these differences and highlights the advanced features of our infrared heater, Kelvin, which offers smart controls and energy-saving benefits.

What is a Convection Heater?

Convection heaters work by indirectly heating the air in a room. 

Convection heating is effective in enclosed spaces, where the warmed air can circulate freely. This type of heater is well-suited for heating smaller areas over longer periods of time. 

However, convection heaters may struggle to evenly heat larger or poorly insulated areas, like your living room, as the warm air tends to rise and dissipate before it reaches every corner of the space.

How Do Infrared Heaters Differ?

Infrared heaters operate using infrared heat, which directly provides warmth to objects and people in their path, this warmth then transfers heat into the surrounding air through the exchange of thermal energy. 

This makes infrared heaters highly efficient in both indoor and outdoor environments. They provide fast, targeted heating, ideal for spaces that need warmth quickly and intermittently.

Infrared heaters are also ideal for environments where air quality is a concern, as they do not circulate dust, allergens, or contaminants.

Efficiency Comparison: Infrared vs. Convection Heating

When comparing infrared and convection heaters, infrared models tend to be more efficient. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:

1. Heating Efficiency

By directly targeting objects and people, infrared heaters avoid energy losses typically caused by air circulation or heat rising to the ceiling, which is common with convection heaters.

Since infrared heat is absorbed by objects, the warmth stays where it’s needed. For instance, once a person or surface absorbs the heat, it is transferred back into the room, maintaining warmth even after the heater is turned off. Infrared heaters, like Kelvin, save up to 30% on energy bills. 

Large, open, or poorly insulated areas may cause significant energy loss when using a convection heater, as convection heaters struggle to circulate warm air evenly. 

Convection heaters lose energy primarily because they rely on heating the air, which is less efficient and leads to several forms of energy loss, especially in larger spaces like your living room. 

This takes up more energy and is wasteful to the environment and your hard-earned money.

2. Heat-up Times 

Infrared heaters can warm a space in moments, reducing overall energy consumption. They have quick heat-up and cool-down times because they directly heat objects and people. 

Because convection heaters work by heating the air solely, convection heaters can take longer to reach the desired temperature.

3. Air Circulation

Convection heaters work by warming the air, which then rises, and cooler air moves in to replace it. This creates a constant flow or circulation of air throughout the room. 

As the air moves, it can stir up dust, allergens, and other particles like pet dander, pollen, and mold spores, spreading them around the space. 

Since infrared heaters don’t rely on air circulation, they provide a healthier heating solution, especially for allergy sufferers. Infrared heaters don’t cause any movement of allergens and other dust particles around the room.

Kelvin: The Future of Infrared Heating

Our infrared heater, Kelvin, not only takes advantage of the inherent efficiency of infrared heating but also adds several smart features that enhance its performance and usability, making it an ideal choice for modern homes and workplaces. 

Below are some of the features you can use with Kelvin’s smart app, Boldr Energy:

1. Smart Zoning

Kelvin allows you to control the comfort level in individual rooms, ensuring that heat is only delivered where it’s needed. 

This zoning capability helps reduce energy waste and lowers energy bills by preventing unnecessary heating in unused areas.

2. Remote Access

Ever forget to turn off a heater before leaving the house? With Kelvin’s Remote Access feature, you can control your heater from anywhere using a smartphone or tablet. 

This ensures that you never return to a cold home, and you can turn off Kelvin with a simple click if you accidentally leave it on when you’re away.

3. Cost Monitoring

Kelvin provides real-time tracking of energy consumption, allowing you to monitor your heating costs closely. 

This smart feature is especially useful during the winter months, helping you budget and manage your energy bills more effectively.

4. Smart Scheduling

With Smart Scheduling, you can set a heating schedule for individual rooms, ensuring each space is only heated when necessary. 

This customizable feature minimizes energy consumption and helps cut heating costs by automatically turning the heater on and off based on your routine.

Kelvin’s Smart Home Compatability 

Kelvin is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, enabling you to control the heater with voice commands. 

You can adjust the temperature, turn the unit on or off, or activate preset modes of Kelvin without ever lifting a finger, adding convenience and hands-free control to your heating solution.

Safety and Durability

Kelvin’s commitment to safety is backed by years of research and development, ensuring that the heater meets the highest European safety standards. 

Certified to EN 60335-2-30 and EN 60335-1 standards, Kelvin is designed with IP44 water resistance, making it safe to use in moisture-prone areas like bathrooms and kitchens. 

Additionally, Kelvin complies with EU Lot 20 legislation, meaning it meets modern heating efficiency standards while maintaining environmentally friendly operation.

Conclusion

In the comparison between infrared and convection heaters, infrared heating—especially with advanced models like Kelvin—clearly stands out for its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use. 

Infrared heaters provide quick, targeted heating, minimizing energy waste and offering lower running costs compared to convection heaters.

Kelvin combines the benefits of infrared heating with cutting-edge smart features, such as remote access, cost monitoring, and voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant, making it a perfect choice for those who want efficient, sustainable heating with the convenience of modern technology. 

If you’re looking to cut down on energy bills while enjoying maximum comfort and control, Kelvin is the ideal solution for you.