Holmes HCH4953-U Ultra-Quiet Dual Ceramic Heater with 1-Touch Thermostat Review

I spend a lot of time in a poorly insulated office on the side of my house, so for the past winter my Holmes Ultra-Quiet Dual Ceramic Heater with 1-Touch Electronic Thermostat has been my best friend. It’s a fan forced heater with twin heating elements that does a great job of evenly heating my office. The thermostat lets me choose my preferred temperature from a variety of options. I can also choose to have the heater blow at the more general low and high settings.  The tower shape makes sure it doesn’t make a very big footprint.  The outside stays cool to the touch, and there’s an auto-shut off that kicks in if the machine gets tipped over.  An integrated handle makes it easy to carry from room to room, although I usually end up just keeping it in my office. This heater has everything I’m looking for to keep my office warm, and I like it so much I’m thinking of getting another one for my kitchen next year.

Pros:

• Thermostat: For the most part I’ve been really impressed with the built-in thermostat that comes with this heater.  At the push of a button I can choose from five different temperature settings (between 60 and 80 degrees with five degree increments).  The thermostat is very easy to read, and even lights up in the dark for late-night adjustments.
• Low and High Options: If you’re concerned about energy efficiency (like me), you’ll like that there are low and high wattage options included in this heater.  The low setting is very efficient but heats a room slowly, while the high setting is much quicker but not quite so efficient.  Depending on your needs you’ll definitely find a setting that works.
• Small and Easy to Move: My office is not very large, so when I was shopping I made sure to stay away from anything that takes up a large amount of space.  The tower shapes gives it a very small footprint, which is nice.  It’s also very light, and with the integrated handle moving it is very easy.
• Safe: Thermostat options and size are nice, but what I’m really interested in is safety.  I have two rambunctious dogs that like to check out anything that makes noise, so a cool casing is a huge plus.  I also like that it will shut itself off if it gets tipped over, saving me from worries about fires or marks on the rug.

Cons:

• Thermostat Settings: It would have been nice if the temperature settings on the thermostat were a little less spread out.  I like to work in a room that’s 68 degrees, but there’s no way to get the heater to run at exactly that temperature.  Don’t get me wrong – the thermostat works very well and is quite accurate, I just wish there was a little more variation in the temperature options.
• Makes a Little Noise: From the description I was expecting a machine that was virtually silent.  That’s not quite what I got.  It does make a little bit of noise, but when I really think about it I don’t think I could have expected anything else.  The noise certainly isn’t enough to interrupt my life, so I’m not too worried about it.

I’m really happy with how my Holmes stood up over the winter.  While it’s in no way something I’d use as a sole source of heat (at least not in my neck of the woods), it did a great job of keeping my office livable.  It’s compact but powerful, has an accurate and useful thermostat, and on the lower setting can be very efficient.  It’s safe to use around dogs and kids and is easy to move if you need to.  If you’re looking for a simple but reliable heater, I really don’t think you could go wrong with this one.

Click here to buy Holmes HCH4953-U Ultra-Quiet Dual Ceramic Heater with 1-Touch Thermostat from Amazon.com