ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Dreo Smart Wall Heater normally retails for $130 on Amazon. 
• This little 1500W heater pumps out warmth and has just the right amount of features to set it above the competition.
• The vertical oscillation fin can be paused, but only in three positions – pointing upward, straight out, or downward (there’s no way to stop it between those marks).

The Dreo Smart Wall heater is on sale for $117 (save $13) ahead of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. These aren’t significant savings, but is about the usual amount I see this heater discounted for. It was on sale for $115 during Presidents’ Day. 

With cold temperatures arriving, access to a reliable space heater can mean the difference between being cold and comfortable in your home, basement, or garage — and this little heater packs the necessary punch.

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In my home, we have two furnaces that do a remarkable job of keeping me and my wife nice and toasty. However, the basement — where I work out — doesn’t enjoy the same warmth as the rest of the house. I’ve always been hesitant to use a space heater in the basement, because the room isn’t finished, it can get quite messy, and there’s not always room on the floor for a space heater among all the exercise equipment.

So, when Dreo sent me its wall-mounted space heater to test, I was happy to give it a try.   

The specs

• 120-degree vertical oscillation to evenly distribute heat
• 89% air-heating volume
• Smart control, which allows you to schedule heating hours, access heater settings, and even use voice control through Alexa
• PTC ceramics brings instant and steady heat
• Automatic LED panel light adjustment so the heater doesn’t interrupt your sleep
• Simple installation using the included template
• Remote control from anywhere in the room
• Detachable filter
• Convenient cable recess
• Sound level — 41dB
• ELT-listed
• 120 volts
• 3 speeds
• Dimensions — 4.52″ D x 20.15″ W x 13.18″ H
• Weight — 9.15 pounds

My experience

First off, I did not bother with the smart aspect of the Dreo space heater. The reason is that we’ve decommissioned our Alexa devices in favor of Google Home speakers. We’d recently switched network providers and I couldn’t get Alexa to connect to the new network, no matter how much I tried. I’d always found Alexa devices to be problematic when it comes to connectivity and the Google Home speakers were absolutely painless to deploy.

That being said, after using the heater for a few weeks, I found I did not miss the smart features because the heater does a spectacular job without the addition of Alexa or the mobile app.

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Our basement gets cold this time of year. Normally, when I’m working out, I have to dress as if I’m exercising outside. Thanks to the Dreo, that is not the case. I cranked the heater to its highest setting and enjoyed the warmth. 

Now, I’ve tried to do the same thing with other space heaters, of which I have two — a radiator and a traditional heater. Neither of my other heaters could pull their weight in the basement. The Dreo, however, had me feeling nice and cozy as I sweated it out. That feature alone sold me on the heater.

The addition of the well-designed remote was also a plus. When things got too warm, I could lower the heat or turn off the device without missing a beat on either the rower or treadmill. 

One thing you should know is that our basement is 900 square feet, so a space heater isn’t going to warm the entire area. However, I placed the heater to focus on my exercise equipment, and that part of the basement was considerably warmer than the other side of the room. If you were to use the Dreo in a bedroom, living room, TV room, or any other location that isn’t a giant unfinished space, I’m confident this heater would have you feeling perfectly comfy all winter long.

A nit to pick

The only issue I had with the Dreo heater was that the oscillating fin can only be paused in three specific locations. When you stop the oscillations, the fin either rests at the top-most, center-most, or bottom-most location. That’s fine if you don’t need to have it pumping out heat to a specific plane on its vertical trajectory. But if you want to get specific, you’re out of luck.

Also: This smart humidifier is the solution to my dry winter skin (and it’s on sale for $60)

Besides that small issue, I found the Dreo Smart Wall Heater to be the best space heater I’ve ever used. And at its sale price of $117, it’s worth every penny if you hate being cold.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you need to warm up a room and are tired of traditional space heaters that tend to be in the way and fail to perform, this little heater is an absolute winner. Not only will it keep you warm, but the heater gives you complete control over how it functions.