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Handy Heater Pure Warmth vs Turbo 800 vs Heatwave
| ⭐ Best Overall ⭐ | 🔥 Warmest 🔥 | 💵 Best Value 💵 |
|---|---|---|
  |   |   |
| Handy Heater Pure Warmth | Handy Heater Heatwave | Handy Heater Turbo 800 |
Handy Heater is a popular ‘As Seen on TV’ brand. They’re touted as great personal heaters, but do they really work?
We reviewed and compared the Pure Warmth, the Turbo 800, and the Heatwave to see how they stack up against each other.
Comparison Table
| ⭐ Pure Warmth ⭐ | 🔥 Heatwave 🔥 | 💵 Turbo 800 💵 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product |   |   |   |
| Power | 1200W | 350W | 800W |
| Size | 7″ x 7″ x 7″ | 15″ x 15″ x 8″ | 5.5″ x 5″ X 2.5″ |
| Heat Settings | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Heating Element | Ceramic | Ceramic | Ceramic |
| Filter | Yes | No | No |
| Weight | 2.8 lbs | 6.2 lbs | 1.2 lbs |
| Connection | Cord | Cord | Direct Plug |
| Programmable Timer | No | No | Yes |
| Temperature Display | No | No | Yes |
| Auto Shut-off | No | No | Yes |
| Anti-tip | Yes | Yes | N/A |
⭐ BEST OVERALL ⭐
Handy Heater Pure Warmth
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Anti-tip safety feature | ❌ LED only comes on when heater is on |
| ✅ Multi-color LED light panel | ❌ No thermostat |
| ✅ 3 heat settings | |
| ✅ Cool to the touch | |
| ✅ Quiet |
📐 Design
If you’re into gaming, browsing your computer in the dark, or just like the vaporwave aesthetic, then the Handy Heater Pure Warmth is the space heater you’d want for your desk.
It comes in the shape of a small cube and has customizable LED lights to set the mood.
There are 8 light settings (orange, green, blue, yellow, purple, teal, white, and alternating) that illuminate the top panel and the inside of the heater, which is visible through the front metal grate.
On the bottom of the heater is an anti-tip button that will automatically shut the Pure Warmth off when it’s lifted up or knocked over. Putting the heater back into position will not automatically turn it back on – you’ll need to turn it on again by pressing the power button.
🔨 Construction
The outer casing is made of a light gray plastic that remains cool to the touch while the heater is running. It has rounded corners, a contrasting metal grate, and a clear plastic LED panel on top.
On top of the unit, near the back, is where you’ll find the power button and the button for the lights. Unfortunately, the lights won’t work unless the heater is on.
The back of the heater has a built-in True Shield filter to help distribute clean air. You’ll need to keep an eye on the filter, though, as it can suck up toilet paper lint, dust, and anything else when it’s used in the bathroom.
🔥 Heat Output
The Handy Heater Pure Warmth is a powerful 1200W heater. It uses ceramic heating technology and distributes heat with a variable 3-speed fan.
While it’s meant as a personal heater, it does have the capability of heating a small room. It can raise the temperature of a standard 10’ x 12’ room by about five degrees Fahrenheit in an hour, and a small bathroom in half that time.
It’s a great choice for RVs, small boat cabins, and even vehicles like vans or semi-trucks.
🔥 WARMEST 🔥
Handy Heater Heatwave
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Anti-tip safety feature with audible alarm | ❌ Does not oscillate |
| ✅ Very warm | ❌ Not cool to the touch |
| ✅ Emits a soft orange glow | ❌ Claims to have a digital temperature display and timer but does not |
| ❌ Bulky |
📐 Design
The Handy Heater Heatwave is fairly large and comes in the shape of a 15” reflective metal dish. It sits on a stand and looks like a fan, but, unfortunately, it does not oscillate.
It does, however, emit a nice orange glow which is best seen in the dark.
It also features and anti-tip mechanism with an audible alarm. If the heater gets knocked over then it will automatically shut off and will beep to let you know that there was a problem.
🔨 Construction
The 15” radiant dish is made from stainless steel and has a screw-in mesh grate to protect from the fan blades.
The dish is attached to the black plastic housing on the back which extends down to form the base. At the rear of the base is a 6’ power cord.
The Handy Heater Heatwave claims to be cool to the touch, but we didn’t find this to be the case. The plastic was warm to the touch and the metal dish gets extremely hot and will cause burns if touched.
🔥 Heat Output
The Handy Heater Heatwave is a parabolic heater, meaning that it heats in one direction. In order to feel the benefits of the heater, you’ll need to sit directly in its heat path. A distance of 3 to 10 feet is recommended.
Just because it’s a parabolic heater doesn’t mean that it won’t heat up a room – it most certainly will. But like the other Handy Heaters, it’s designed to be a personal heater that pushes heat in one direction.
The Heatwave is able to get so warm because the ceramic heating element is in the middle of the giant reflective dish. The entire dish conducts the heat and it’s pushed out by a large two-speed fan.
We wish it had more fan speeds but it’s a minor complaint.
💵 BEST VALUE 💵
Handy Heater Turbo 800
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Adjustable thermostat | ❌ May have slight odor upon first use |
| ✅ Programmable timer | ❌ Can be noisy |
| ✅ Frees up floor space | ❌ Thermostat is not the quickest way to heat a room |
| ✅ Swivel plug |
📐 Design
The Handy Heater Turbo 800 is a juiced-up version of the original Handy Heater (check out our review).
Like the original, it plugs directly into the wall and features a swivel plug on back, which is great if your outlets are installed upside down or if you’re trying to fit it into a tight space.
Plugging directly into the wall eliminates the need for a cord and frees up shelf space and floor space, giving it a clean, modern look. It even has an orange LED near the heating element that lights up when the heater is on.
🔨 Construction
The Turbo 800 is built like most space heaters – durable two-tone plastic that stays cool to the touch.
It has a metal grate in front and a touch-sensitive digital thermostat on top with timer and temperature controls.
The heater measures less than 5.5” on either side and it sits flush against the wall instead of jutting out like the original one did.
🔥 Heat Output
The Handy Heater Turbo 800 uses a ceramic heating element with a single speed fan. Some customers had issues with a noisy, rattling fan, but that seems to be a manufacturing issue and not the norm.
It’s important to note that the Turbo 800 is marketed as a personal heater, not a room heater. It’s meant to heat up the immediate area where it’s plugged in. That being said, it’s still capable of heating a small room or bathroom under the right conditions.
We found that setting the desired temperature on the thermostat didn’t make a noticeable difference in room temperature. The most effective way was to crank it to its highest setting (90°F) and manually turn it off when it got warm enough.
The timer setting is still useful, however. You can set a timer in one-hour increments for up to 12 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why is my Handy Heater Pure Warmth blowing cold air?
The number one cause of the Pure Warmth not heating is due to a clogged filter. Remove the filter, clean it with water, then reinstall it once it’s dry.
How hot does the Handy Heater get?
Handy Heater products use ceramic heating technology with directional heating. As long as you’re in front of the heater, you’ll feel plenty of warmth.
Does the Handy Heater use a lot of electricity?
The electricity use depends on the wattage. The higher the wattage, the more electricity it will use. The Pure Warmth is 1200W, the Turbo 800 is 800W, and the Heatwave is 300W.
Conclusion
So there you have it.
Although it’s not the absolute warmest, the Handy Heater Pure Warmth is the best overall. It’s small, looks nice on your desk, and does a great job of producing enough heat to keep you warm.
The title of warmest Handy Heater goes to the Heatwave. If you can get past its bulkiness, it does an amazing job at blowing a strong breeze of heat clear across the room.
The Turbo 800 is a great choice if you’re looking for something affordable with a direct plug. It’s great for bathrooms and tight spaces where there’s not a lot of shelf space.
I hope this comparison of the best Handy Heaters made your buying decision a little easier. Thanks for reading and stay warm out there!