Customer Reviews

Vornado EH1-0039-06 225-Watt SoleAire Foot Rest and Personal Space Heater

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Length:: 4:07 Mins

The Vornado SoleAire has a gentle, fan-driven heat that blows warmed air through the foot rest from a series of small holes. This warm air will keep your feet warm. Operation of the device is controlled by two rocker switches, one controls on/off, the other controls the level of heat. The heat can be set to Low, High or Fan Only. The unit conveniently shuts off after 4 hours of operation as a safety precaution. After turning the unit off and waiting for at least 30 seconds before turning the unit back on will reset the auto shut-off for another 4-hour period.

The unit, if placed under a typical metal office desk, will keep your feet warm and also provide a modest amount of heat for your legs but with its miserly power consumption of only 225 watts, don't expect it to warm an entire room... it is not designed for that.

The knobby footrest does feel good when you move your feet over its bumps. The rubber base pads keep the unit from sliding and the rocker switches can be operated by dexterous toes. The biggest complaint I have is with the smell that comes out of the unit when operating. The company claims that this will dissipate as time goes on. The fan is also a bit noisy. Although the noise generated by the fan is not that loud, it is something you will hear (and probably get used to in short order).

I had a problem with my initial unit that required a warranty replacement. Vornado customer support was extremely courteous and handled the problem perfectly with no hassle whatsoever.

Pros
-It keeps your feet warm and can also just blow room temperature air during hot days to keep your feet cooler.
-It has a convenient auto shut-off after 4 hours
-Bumps on foot rest feel good to your feet
-Excellent customer service

Cons
-Fan is a bit noisy
-Odor from operation

Sitting on my cold feet was doing nothing for my circulation or my posture. My husband gave me this heated footrest for a birthday present and it's one of the best gifts I've gotten (well, except for the kitten that one year) to keep my feet warm.

The angled footrest insures good posture at your desk, which also helps with back and body fatigue. The nubby, bumpy surface helps with a passive massage and I think may even help with circulation.

The heater doesn't get precisely hot even on the warmest temps, but used while wearing socks, it does keep my feet warm and comfortable even on the coldest days.

One feature I really like is the 4 hour safety shut-off. No worries about whether I turned the heater off or not and that makes me feel better about using it.

One thing about Vornado products overall is that they last. We have fans still in use that we purchased 10 years ago. A space heater from last year is still giving good service when another more powerful model from another manufacturer has not held up. Vornado does not make throw-away products. Bless them for that in this economy!

Rebecca Kyle, January 2009

If I had rated this when it first arrived, it would have been a three star item. After having warm feet for a while, four stars seems reasonable as there really is only one negative to the Vornado SoleAire. That negative - the fan in the heater is much louder than it needs to be. My computer sits on top of the desk (away from dust bunnies) and is MUCH quieter than the SoleAire sitting under the desk despite the computer having 6 fans and multiple hard drives running all the time. If Vornado had chosen a slightly larger, slower running blower fan, the SoleAire could have been very nearly silent. At least the noise from their smaller, faster fan is white noise instead of mechanical racket.

I've not used the SoleAire on the fan only mode since it's still chilly but if you are not warm enough sitting at your desk, you should give this product a try (especially if you can get it for half price - that's where it really shines).

I work in a small office with the worst climate control; parts of the office will easily be freezing while others are incredibly hot. Unfortunately, I sit in an area that is always cold. I was looking for a compact, low-powered heater to help in my area and after much searching, I decided on this product.

At first I had reservations about the Vornado Soleaire because I didn't want a footrest...I wanted a heater, but since I wasn't able to find anything else that met my needs, I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did. The Soleaire provides a nice, low-powered heat right underneath my desk that keeps me warm, without making other areas of the office uncomfortable. In fact, most people don't even know I have it on underneath my desk.

It's relatively quiet and with all the hustle and bustle doing on the in the office you barely notice it (although it is noticeable when I'm the only one in the office, but I don't mind).

The biggest complaint I have is that the on/off switch and heat controls aren't as convenient as I'd like. It'd be great if you could turn it on/off easily with you foot instead of having to crawl under your desk to look. I've also noticed a few times that I've accidentally hit the heat switch with my foot and the air came out cold.

Overall, I think this is a great product for anything needing temperature control over their personal space.

I heated my home office with a ceramic space heater. The space heater usage increased our monthly electric bill from $65 to $100. Decided on this heater, because of the low power consumption, passive massage and cooling fan functions. Very quick delivery, started using it immediately at my computer desk. In a cold room the LOW setting is barely noticeable. However the HIGH setting is wonderful. It takes about five minutes to feel the full impact of the HIGH setting. Rubbing my feet across the massage bumps relieves my foot and leg tension. It does give out an electrical odor when first used but that goes away after one hour. The fan noise is miniumum, and does not disturb phone conversations. Only suggestion is a small temperature increase on the LOW and HIGH settings. I recommend the heater and would purchase it again.

11/16/10

Safety issue?

It broke last night. My fault. The wheels beneath my office chair rolled forward, pushing the front of the heater, where the fan is located, into the desk's foot rest which is about 4 inches above the floor. The fan was on at the time. One of the blades must have come in contact with the vent assembly because it broke off and became wedged between another fan blade and the assembly, forcing the fan to an abrupt stop.

The heating element apparently did not turn off, a surprising safety lapse, and very shortly afterward I smelled burning wires or plastic. I switched it off immediately and there were no flames. I tried switching it on again for a short period and it got very hot, very fast. No thermal fuse seemed to cut it off.

Would it have caught fire? I'm fairly sure it would have. This is not necessarily a product failure, because I did break it after all. But it is certainly product weakness. After all, it's under foot. It's going to be kicked and bumped occasionally, as it has many times before. I must have bumped it just right this time, and with more force than I would have expected. Yes, I broke it, no question.

It almost looks repairable, or at least accessible, with Phillips screws holding it together, but the cost in time and parts would be greater than simply replacing it.

I still think the noise was a little annoying, though it warmed very well and it's gotten plenty of use. I may try a heated mat the next time. I hear they have the "smell" issues too, but you almost can't get around that with the cheaper plastics used in manufacturing today.


--

Out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the smell of a soldering iron. It was so strong I put it outside my door and let it run for a couple of hours. It is still strong, and smells either like electrical, or burning dust, but it seems to be diminishing somewhat with use. I really hope so. It's not a malfunction, as far as I can tell - nothing is burning. I'm wondering if it's really new, as described.

Noise - I just bought a quieter fan for my PC to deal with the excessive fan noise, and now this heater is much louder than the old PC fan. I wouldn't expect it to be exactly quiet, but the combination of motor noise and air movement noise reminds me of one of those little cube ceramic heaters. Not quite, but noisier than necessary, I think. The noise makes me think the design of this thing was not bottom up, but rather borrowed from other products, put into a new shape.

Some people say the heater is not hot enough. I disagree there, because I take off my shoes. It's a foot-warmer, not a space heater, and the bumps are clearly not designed to massage your feet through the soles of your shoes. I think it gets too hot on the high setting, and my feet get uncomfortably hot. As I get more used to it, I can turn the heat up and down with the hi/lo switch. Too bad there is no dial control, where we can find our own best setting. The low setting, on the other hand should be called the "no-heat" setting, or maybe the cold draft setting.

The on/off and high/low switches are easy to operate wearing socks, if you know where they are. The easiest way is to move one foot to the top and you can feel one switch (hi/lo) on the left, the other (power) on the right.

One of the best things about this heater is the power consumption. Most heaters are 1000 or 1500 watts. This one is only 225 watts, not much more than two light bulbs. If I can keep my feet warm, I am comfortable in a much cooler room, so I can keep the thermostat lower and put away the space heaters.

Doesn't get hot but over time its plenty warm. The switches cold be little easier to operate with the feet. the breeze under the desk is a little strange. Over all worth getting.

Update: The High setting broke rather quickly and only works on low. Not sure thats just the one I bought or a general issue. I saw another review today with the same problem.

My mother bought me this heater back in 1995. It finally just died today and I am already ordering a new one. I love this thing. I keep it under my desk at all times. In the winter I use a blanket over my legs to keep my whole body warm while I am working at my desk. In the summer, I use the cool air function to keep me cool. It also sits at just the right level as a foot rest. I'm just sad that I have to wait for the shipping time to get my new one!!

I'll echo some of the other reviews here on Amazon that the thing smells pretty funky when you first open it up. If you're able, I'd set on your porch or basement and let it run for awhile before using it for the first time. It's not intolerable, but no reason to deal with it if you don't have to.

This is a very handy little unit. I live in an old house in Pittsburgh and it's very drafty and I have roommates that like to save money by keeping the heat down. So, this little thing is perfect for keeping me going. No need to turn up the heat to stay warm. It cranks out a good bit of heat on high, quite enough to keep your feet good and toasty even in a cold room. The massage nubs are also quite a joy, you'll find yourself rubbing your feet over the thing without noticing (I recommend socks). Also, the rubber feet are good for keeping it in place wherever you put it and so you can push against it to roll your desk chair back.

I can't speak to the cold air side of things as I've only used it in the winter so far. But, I'm more than happy with the purchase.

If you're looking for something to keep your feet warm in a cold room, you can't go wrong with this device.

I used a Vornado footrest/heater a dozen years ago that looks a lot like the one in the current picture. However, the old one was better -- a bit bigger, with surface balls that rolled, for extra sole stimulation. The balls on the EH-0039-06 are really just immovable molded plastic nubs. The newer heater is also noisier. I feel forced to put some music on to drown out the fan noise. Heat isn't particularly toasty but the unit does keep your stockinged feet warm. If you're wearing shoes with thick soles, the warming effect from the Vornado is negligible. Construction seems so-so, it's very light and gives off the impression that it's cheaply made. The old one lasted a decade. I have my doubts about the longevity of the newer model.