Customer Reviews

Optimus H-5210 Infrared Quartz Radiant Heater

5 star:		(230)
4 star:		(104)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

very warm even at 400w , low at 400watts, hi at 800 watts, easy to find and easy to use controls at top right side, warms up very very quickly about 1 and a half minutes, about 1 and a half pounds, about 14 inches wide, by 13 inches tall, by 4 inches thick , no fan , SUPER QUIET, as advertised, hope it lasts, will buy another one soon, does not suck up oxygen, gives no odor, excellent, no humming noise nor crackling noise, i suggest you keep objects 2 feet from front and maybe 3 inches from objects [on the back and sides], had it a couple days.

UPdAtE: had it over a year, the heater is excellent.
[bought a 2nd one, which also still works after a year !!]
just bought my fourth one in february 2009..excellent..lasts.!

This is a good deal. Mine has worked fine for the 8 months or so I have had it. I like quartz heaters for when I am working in one place, like at the computer. They don't heat the room air very well--they only heat what they are pointed at. This one has 2 heat settings, and the low setting is 400 watts, which is lower than other brands. I keep it 3 feet away and it keeps me warm for 4-5 cents an hour. There is no fan--something almost all the others have. I like this. The unit works silently.

Two things to consider: The safety switch on the bottom is a push button that turns off the heater if it falls over. It only needs to be extended very slightly, however, to break the circuit. This means that if it is on an uneven surface the heater may not come on. I wrapped a little tape on mine to make the plunger a bit longer so it would sit on an uneven stool. Make sure if you do this you do not defeat the switch. It is there for a reason.

Also, the control wheel on the side cannot be read from in front of the heater (Design team!). I used a magic marker on the edge of the wheel: dash, double dash, and zero--for low, high and off.

OK, I am a bit anal....

This heater sits in my computer room and quietly heats me and the room. No fan, just radiant heat. This heater is not for a large room. 8X10 is probably the most to expect. I have another heater that I used, but the noise from the fan got to me, hence I bought the Optimus. Another advantage is the long electrical cord. The outside temperature is 40° and my room is a very comfortable 70° and I will now set the heater to low setting.

We live in a draftier-than-we'd-like-to-admit old house, a 100+ year old mansion that has been converted to apartments. Beyond merely trying to "spot heat" rooms we're using rather than the whole house at once, we have become increasingly aware of the wattage of our space heaters, as two heaters running at 1500W each on a single breaker overloads it.

That said, this little heater, possible the cheapest of any we've picked up, performed the best.

GOOD - near-instant, radiant heat; a high setting that is equal to the low on most other heaters, and a low that's half that (at 800W & 400W); no fan so no draft; quiet; very reliable safety switch in base; lightweight and portable; stay-cool case; mechanical (instead of electronic) switch

BAD - radiant heat can be TOO hot; has melted a plastic mug; will set the dog on fire if she lays too close; don't trust this one left alone; fugly (mine came in brown, not white); use for "contact" heat aimed at you rather than heating a full sized room.

That said, using other electric, ceramic, oil filled radiant, baseboard radiant and mica heaters, this little guy puts out the most heat for the least dollars (at 800W, this costs less than .10 cents an hour to operate). Highly recommend this over more expensive and far less efficient.

Some of the reviews give the impression that this little heater will heat a small room but I disagree. I ordered one because of the positive reviews and the low price and I am happy with it but please get real. Using the 400 Watt setting and putting it on the floor directly in front of you creates a silent lower leg warming device that's very compact and looks to be fairly well built considering the low price. It's less effective up higher and using both bulbs(800 Watt Setting) will spin your electric meter around arousing the attention of your landlord as would a device that had a fan and made noise. So in that regard this is a very handy unit. According to the directions there are no user serviceable parts so when it fails or one of the bulbs burns out, you'll have to send it back to the factory with a $15.00 dollar check for handling(if the failure occurs in the 1st year but not in the 1st 30 days). Keep in mind that that does not include your shipping charges which should be in the ten dollar range. If the failure occurs in the 1st 30 days all you have to do is ship it to the store you bought from for a refund or replacement(you'll still be out the shipping). If the failure occurs between years two and three then the handling charge goes up to 20 dollars. For all practical purposes this means that when the product fails, it's history. This includes a bulb burning out.

Just got 3 of these and haven't used them for long, but I'm generally satisfied. Throws off a fair amount of heat at the low setting; at the 800 watt setting it feels like it produces much more heat than my 1500 watt heater. I'd rate it higher except that: There's no thermostat. Assembly construction is sloppy; the plastic case is OK but the metal components don't line up, especially the grill which is not very secure and does little for safety considering how hot it gets. The grill keeps things from contacting the tubes and that's all. I was surprised how easily it comes off when I tried to straighten it. The point is I'd be very, very careful with this unit around kids or pets. Considering how hot it gets I'd think twice before using it under a desk or some other confined space. Given the criticisms, I think it's a bit overpriced. I do like that: It's quiet since there's no fan, seems to produce as much heat as units using twice the wattage, has hooks on the back for storing the cord, and the overall design doesn't look bad in a room.

May 2010 update: Used them almost daily all winter as effective supplemental heating with no problems, tho they can be easily tipped over. Overcame the lack of a thermostat with a (appropriately rated) timer. They're kind of like small portable fireplaces! Would definitely buy them again if I needed to, so I changed rating from 3 to 4 stars (assembly quality could be better).

I bought this for my son's room. He's a baby, and therefore doesn't use blankets. I have loved it as far as heating his room, very quiet, etc... HOWEVER... My father-in-law cautioned me (as do most loving parents) about unplugging it between uses. I have started doing this the last two days, and today I noticed the plug was almost too hot to touch when unplugging it. I examined the plug, and the metal has a charred look to it, like it was melting. The plastic areas around the metal prongs is shiny and some small bubbles, like it was starting to melt. I felt like I needed to come on here and caution anyone who has it to be careful and check your plugs... and for people looking to buy this to be careful too! I had this in my infant son's room, so I am grateful I listened to my father-in-laws advice and started unplugging it, so I noticed the plug was going. Because of this major hazard, I am giving the product 1 star.

It is a good thing I waited well over a month to give my review for this product... because it will be much different now. I was very happy with how the heater performed at first, especially given the low cost. Seemed well worth it, and I am sure for most future customers it will be.

However, it lasted me all of 2-3 weeks before literally dying on me OUT OF NOWHERE. I cannot stress this enough. I am very careful and meticulous person, and I am 100% positive that the heater was never dropped, exposed to water, or anything of the sort. It worked one day, and the next it simply wouldn't turn on.

I tried using almost every outlet in my house. Nothin doing. Thankfully this happened within a month's time so I could still return it. I bet some others may not have been so lucky.

Like I said, I was initially happy with the purchase. It seems I just happened to get a "bad egg" so to speak. Given all the other positive reviews, I feel like the odds are if you buy this heater you will be satisfied (for the price).... but I have to give it one star due to my own personal experience.

This little heater was great while it lasted. We used it for about 6 months for 30 minutes per day. Then one day it just stopped working.

I'm not sure but I think the thermal cut-off switch was triggerd and then didn't reset after cooling down.

Why is it so hard to find good quality stuff that lasts? I remember a little electric heater my parents bought when I was a kid.... it lasted 15 years.

Used it for 3 times in 9 days for about 40 minutes, the fourth time it would not heat at all. Could not return it because I got rid of the box. When it did work, it worked well.