Dreo Space Heater 1500W PTC

I’ve purchased and tested several small, 1500 watt heaters recently, and am posting mostly the same review with all four of them. To my surprise the Lasko Ellipse was my *least* favorite. I wanted the Lasko to be the best, since it has the best warranty of those I tested (3 years vs 1 year), but I really didn’t like the way it operated, so much that I returned it. Overall, the three Dreo models and the Lasko performed very similarly, with the Lasko being *slightly* louder, but still what I would be considered to be quiet – much quieter than my older Amazon Basics heater and a couple of other older, analog-control heaters. My problem was with the controls on the Lasko: • If you turn it off, it always comes on in the highest (H3) mode, not the last-used mode (i.e. Eco mode, which is the only thermostatically controlled mode). In comparison, the Dreo’s not only remember when powered off, they remember if they lose power / are unplugged. • Because it starts in the highest mode, that is a surge of power (potentially over 1875 watts briefly). • It consumes the most power when off (1.1 watts). On the other hand, it’s the only one of the 4 I tested with illuminated buttons, which dim so you can still see them in the dark to turn the heater on, etc. Possibly a small plus for Lasko is that the oscillation is a little faster than the Dreo. As for ALL of the digital temperature control models I tried, the all have these issues: • ALL use considerable power (near 1000 W) even at their lowest (H1) setting. At that setting it puts out a lot of heat. For some that may be good, but for one of the applications I had in mind, which was near my feet in my office, it’s simply too much heat. It’s fine if you’re at least several feet away from the heater, but not when too near.. • NONE allow you to use the thermostat only at the lowest (i.e. H1) setting. H1, H2, H3 are all CONSTANT ON heat. “Eco” mode is when the thermostat comes into play. They do seem to reduce the power used (to produce less heat) as it nears the threshold you set for it to turn off. This does seem to work well on all models. • NONE seem to have an accurate thermostat, HOWEVER they’re accurate “enough”. For example, if you want it 70, you might need to set it for 73, but that’s not a big deal to me. I just adjust to whatever is comfortable, and let it take it from there. Also, they all have what I believe is a reasonable amount of hysteresis, where they allow the temperature to fluctuate between a bit above to a bit below the set-temperature, much like your home thermostat does. If you’re expecting it to maintain a perfectly constant temperature, good luck finding anything that will do that. (Comparing them to the much less expensive, older, analog Amazon Basics model I have, all of these digital models have less temperature swing.) I would consider all 4 tested models to be quiet. When in the thermostatically controlled mode, they all seem to speed up the fan (and crank up the heat) if the set temperature is well above the room temperature, then slow the fan down (and crank out less heat) as the room temperature approaches the set temperature. This Dreo model is the only one without oscillation that I bought. I don't need that where I intend to use it. I was, however, hoping that on its lowest setting it wouldn't put out so much heat, because I wanted to use it under my desk. As a result, I need to have it further away. I really wish they'd allow these to put out less heat, but it seems to be a common trait across all the digitally controlled heaters. Notable features of each heater: Lasko Ellipse CD12950 • Oscillating • Illuminated top control buttons, which remain on (but dim after a brief period) • Control lock (great if you have toddlers or pets) • 2 fan-only speeds • Timer has 30-minute increments (vs. 1hr on others) • Does NOT remember last state when powered off and back on! (Always powers on to H3. This was my main reason for returning it.) • Single button to cycle through H3, H2, H1, eco (thermostat), F2, F1 modes, +/- button to change temperature setting when in that mode. • I do not recall if front display stays on bright, dims or turns off after awhile, and I’ve already sent it back so I cannot check. Dreo Atom 316 DR-HSH006 (THIS ITEM) • Round design is somewhat unique. • Control lock (great if you have toddlers or pets) • Powers on to last mode. • Single button to cycle between H (always on), “eco” (thermostat controlled) and fan-only, with +/- buttons to change temperature in eco mode or cycle between H3, H2, H1 when in always-on mode. • Front panel (temperature setting, H1,H2,etc.) is always on and bright when heater is on. This may be bad for some if intended use is in a bedroom. • Least expensive of the 4 I bought. Dreo Atom One DR-HSH004 • Oscillating • Electrostatic filter (see photo), which is easily removable for cleaning. IMO, all heaters should have this to keep out dust and extend their lifespan. • No control lock! • Powers on to last mode. • Single button to cycle between H (always on), “eco” (thermostat controlled) and fan-only, with +/- buttons to change temperature in eco mode or cycle between H3, H2, H1 when in always-on mode. • Front panel (temperature setting, H1,H2,etc.) turns off after 1 minute, leaving a tiny white icon indicating either fan, “eco” or constant-on, and a tiny red icon indicating the heater is plugged in. Dreo Quiet Space DR-HSH007 • Oscillating • Control lock (great if you have toddlers or pets) • Can turn off beep (so is silent when pressing controls) • Single button to cycle between H3, H2, H1, Fan modes, while touching the +/- buttons switches to eco mode or adjusts temperature while in eco mode. • Front panel (temperature setting, H1,H2,etc.) turns off after 1 minute, leaving a tiny white icon indicating either fan, “eco” or constant-on, and a tiny red icon indicating the heater is plugged in. Of the Dreo models, I'd have to say my least favorite is the round Dreo DR-HSH006. Since I've only used it to test it, I may send it back and get another Dreo DR-HSH004 if it goes on sale again before my return window closes, even though it's a bit more expensive since it oscillates. I definitely like that the DR-HSH-004 has an electrostatic filter to keep dust from being sucked through it and that the display mostly turns off after a minute, unlike the DR-HSH006 Aesthetically, however, IMO, the round DR-HSH006 is a little nicer looking. I’m attaching a picture showing the power consumption of each, which I measured with a Kill-a-watt meter. The chart also includes an older analog model just as a reference.