This portable Dimplex heater warmed my room so quickly I didn't even need its turbo mode

Like any remote worker, the winter heating dilemma arrives for me without fail every autumn. How to stay warm while working without having to heat the whole house, which seems such a waste when there's only me (and the dog) in it during the day.

I'm loathe to turn the central heating on all day, particularly as I live in a single-glazed listed building. My flat heats up relatively well during the morning and evening, but my work hours are spent sat in my home office bedroom and I don't turn the heating on in there – ever.

Looking for a quick solution to take the edge off chilly moments, the Dimplex HeatLite Convector Heater - 2kW Smart Turbo caught my eye as the turbo function offers fast heat. Its smart and simple design also appealed, as did the fact it could be app controlled. Would it be the best portable heater for me? I put it to the test.

Specification

First impressions and set-up

The Dimplex HeatLite 2kW Electric Smart WiFi Convector Heater arrived when the weather hadn't yet warranted turning any central heating on, so for a few days, I left it tucked away on the landing as I didn't want to open it all, read the instructions and then forget how to use it when I did need it.

I had chosen the heater to test in two situations. Firstly in my living room to delay the big central heating switch on, and secondly for heating my home office to avoid scheduling the heating to run all day when it's only me at home.

It wasn't long before the early mornings were proving to be getting cooler, so it was time to unpack and set up the heater.

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The heater was well packaged, without too much waste. Set up was easy with just two leg attachments that you pop into place and secure with screws that are provided. When you see 'plug-and-play' offered, it's sometimes misleading, but with the Dimplex HeatLite 2kW Electric Smart WiFi Convector Heater it was true to its word.

The cable length isn't great at just 1.5m, but I was able to plug it into an extension lead in my open-plan kitchen-diner-living room so that the heat could spread throughout the room. Although it doesn't move, or have oscillation like the Dreo Smart Whole Room Heater I have previously tested, the heat is pushed out of the top of the heater, and the unit itself gets warm and radiates heat outwards.

Once plugged in, you have two options. Use the side panel to switch it on and off, adjust temperature, choose between normal and turbo modes, and so on.

Or, you can download the GlenDimplex Connect app and control the heater via your phone or tablet. For me, this was my preferred option, not least of all as it meant I could start the heater from a different room if needed.

With the app downloaded, you have to pair the heater to the app and then you can either use the app to switch it on or off and set up schedules and timed operation so you don't even have to think about it.

As I was testing the heater mainly for speed and heat distribution, I didn't set up schedules, although it is easy to do so. Clicking on the calendar icon opens up a weekly view whereby you can click on blocks of one hour for when you want heat.

For a simple on and off function, it's a case of pressing the on button, adjusting the temperature slider to your chosen heat, selecting a heat strength mode (1-3) and then pressing the fan symbol if you want to use the turbo function.

It also has an open window setting, which will make it automatically switch off if it feels the room temperature has dropped suddenly, along with an overheat auto-switch off and tip-over protection.

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Performance

When the heater was located in my main living space for a couple of weeks, it did exactly what I wanted it to do. I switched it on when I returned from an early dog walk, and by the time anyone else was getting up for breakfast the chill was gone. And, equally importantly, I wasn't on the receiving end of multiple questions as to when the central heating would be switched on. It wasn't even running constantly, just in the odd short burst when the temperature fell below the 20°C I'd set it to.

In the evenings, I took a similar approach, simply switching it on via my phone when the room got a bit colder. With the door pulled to, it would only run for a few minutes and then the new ambient temperature would be far more acceptable.

I'd say it probably bought me around two weeks delay on turning the central heating on, without even needing to have the Dimplex HeatLite 2kW Electric Smart WiFi Convector Heater on permanently.

Heating my home office

With the central heating reluctantly turned on, it was time to move the heater upstairs. An easy task given how light it is. It has two handles either side at the top, but it's light enough to carry in one hand.

My bedroom has two large double single-glazed sash windows and two external walls, which means it isn't always the warmest space when there's no heating on in the rest of the flat. So, when the central heating switches off at 9am in the morning, by 10am, the chill is starting to hit.

In a similar way to how I used the Dimplex HeatLite 2kW Electric Smart WiFi Convector Heater downstairs, in my bedroom I placed it next to my desk and chair, turned it on via the app and set the temperature to 20°C.

The starting temperature in the morning has generally been around 17°C when I first use it, but it literally takes minutes to bring it up to 20°C. Once at temperature, it then just intermittently clicks on and off as needed.

As with downstairs, I've not had to use the turbo function as on highest fan mode, it works quickly enough. I can also confirm that the 'whisper-quiet' sound level is true as well. A slight click, low level whirr and that's it. On turbo mode it's obviously louder, but certainly quieter than some of the dehumidifiers I've tested, for example.

One issue with portable heaters can sometimes be the smell that they emit. As with other heaters our reviewers have tested, such as the Meaco Grisos Smart 2kW PTC Fan Heater, there is a slight smell on first use of the Dimplex HeatLite 2kW Electric Smart WiFi Convector Heater, but not one that lasts or lingers.

In terms of running costs, then were I to run it at full heat for 60 minutes, then it would cost 50.1p per hour to run. However, I'd estimate that I'm running it for less than two hours a day in total at the moment which will still work out cheaper than having the central heating on all day while it's still only late autumn.

Final verdict

If you're looking for a heat boost this winter, then I'd seriously consider the Dimplex HeatLite 2kW Electric Smart WiFi Convector Heater. Hopefully it'll feature in the Black Friday sales popping up everywhere, although it's already down in price on various sites such as B&Q where it's £75 (see below) as opposed to £85 in Argos, or £94.99 on the Dimplex site.

It does everything it says it will and for now, is keeping me warm while I work, and will continue to do so for some time. In the depths of winter, given the cost of gas vs electricity, then I may choose to revert to a longer central heating schedule as I probably would need to run the electric heater for longer, making it less economical. Plus there's the fact that keeping my home at the right minimum temperature will help prevent issues with damp, mould and condensation.

In terms of negatives, then I'd say if you're hoping to heat a larger space, this probably isn't the heater for you. And, if you're planning on using it in a home with younger children, it does get hotter to touch than I expected, so you'd need to carefully consider where you place it and make sure children understand that like different types of radiators, this portable heater also gets hot.

But, if you're looking for a reasonably priced portable heater that will warm up somewhere like a home office, or even a kitchen on winter mornings, then this one is worth adding to your wishlist.