Lifesmart 6-Element Infrared Heater Review

Lifesmart makes a range of infrared cabinet heaters and the 6-element is the sweet spot: enough quartz tubes to spread the heat across a wide grille, a fan quiet enough to ignore, and a full control set. Side by side with the DR-968 in the same room, the temperature rise is within a degree — they're both 1,500W heaters — and the radiant warmth on your legs from across a sofa is comparable. What's different is how it's built and finished.

The cabinet is steel and plastic rather than wood veneer, which looks fine in a den and a little utilitarian in a living room. The remote and the control panel are basic but complete: modes, thermostat, timer. ECO mode holds a fixed comfortable setpoint and is the mode most people will leave it in. Casters make it easy to roll from the living room to the bedroom door (keep it out of the bedroom itself unless the room is large enough that the fan won't bother you).

Safety coverage is the full list — overheat, tip-over, cool exterior — and like every heater in this class it must go straight into a wall outlet with three feet of clearance. The value proposition is straightforward: you get ninety percent of the best cabinet infrared heater for noticeably less money. If the heater is going in plain view and you care about the wood-cabinet look, spend up; if it's going in the den, save.