How to warm up a cold bathroom
The coldest room in the house is usually the one you stand in wet. Here is the order to fix it in, from the thing that works this evening to the thing that needs an electrician.
By Sawyer V. · · How we research
The short answer
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Quick picks
Tap any row for the full write-up. Prices are checked against Amazon rather than remembered — where we have no verified figure the button says so.
| # | Product | Best for | Renter | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo yet Lasko 8″ Bathroom Ceramic Heater with ALCI Plug 900 to 1500 W of ceramic heat with an integrated ALCI plug, overheat protection and a cool-touch case, published specifically for bathroom use. | A cold bathroom you use for twenty minutes a day | Safe | |
| 2 |  Vornado VH202 Personal Space Heater Two heat settings, a tip-over switch and a cool-touch case in under 8 in. of footprint, with a long guarantee — and no bathroom rating at all. | Warming a bedroom or landing — not a wet room | Safe | |
| 3 |  WarmlyYours Ibiza Freestanding Towel Warmer 90 W and 307 Btu an hour across six stainless bars, on a normal plug — about $12 a year, and a warm towel instead of a warm room. | The two minutes after the shower, which is when the cold actually registers | Safe | |
| 4 |  WhisperWarm DC Fan with Heater, 50-80-110 CFM A 1,600 W PTC heater built into a quiet DC extractor fan — and a published minimum 20-amp dedicated circuit. | A bathroom that is cold every winter and always will be | Owner-only |
Why bathrooms are colder than the rest of the house
Three reasons, and the heating is only one of them.
Every surface is hard and cold. Tile, porcelain, glass and mirror all pull heat out of you faster than carpet and plaster do. The room can be at the same air temperature as the bedroom and still feel ten degrees colder, because what you are feeling is the surfaces, not the air.
The extractor is doing its job. A fan running at 80 CFM is removing 80 cubic feet of heated air from the house every minute and replacing it with outside air. That is exactly what it should do after a shower — it is also why the room is cold ten minutes later. How fan sizing works is here.
You are wet. Evaporation off bare skin is a cooling system, and a very effective one. This is the reason a warm towel beats a warm room: it stops the evaporation instead of fighting it.
The four fixes, costed
| Fix | Published power | Running cost | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm the towel (Ibiza) | 90 W | About 3 cents a day, $12 a year | An outlet and a patch of floor |
| Heated shower floor mat | 107 W total, 15 W per sq ft | About 4 cents an hour | Tiling work and an electrician |
| Plug-in bathroom heater (Lasko) | 900–1500 W | About 17–28 cents an hour | An outlet, ideally not shared with a hair dryer |
| Fan with a heater (WhisperWarm) | 1,600 W heater, 4.7–12 W fan | About 29 cents an hour with the heater on | A dedicated 20-amp circuit and an electrician |
All four figures use the EIA’s published US residential average of 18.34 cents per kilowatt hour. Do the arithmetic yourself with your own rate: watts, times hours, divided by 1,000, times your rate. The full running-cost page for every warming format is here.
The order to do this in
- Close the gap under the door and check the window. Free, and in an older house it is often most of the problem.
- Put the fan on a timer rather than leaving it running. Twenty minutes after the shower clears the moisture; an hour just exports your heating. Sensor against timer is compared here.
- Warm the towel. The cheapest per-year fix on this page, and the one that targets the actual moment you feel cold.
- Add a bathroom-rated plug-in heater if you want the air warm while you are in there. Rated, not any heater.
- Only then consider the ceiling. A fan-heater or a heated floor is a real improvement and a real project. Whether heated floors are worth it is here.
What not to do
Do not use an ordinary space heater in a wet room. The thing that makes a heater bathroom-safe is published: Lasko states an integrated ALCI plug. A heater without one belongs in a dry room, and that includes the Vornado above.
Do not run an extension lead across a wet floor to reach an outlet. If the socket is in the wrong place, the answer is a different fix, not a longer cord.
Do not switch the extractor off to keep the heat in. You will trade a cold bathroom for a moldy one, and mold is the more expensive problem. Fan against dehumidifier is compared here.
If you rent
Two of the four fixes are available to you and two are not. A plug-in heater and a freestanding towel warmer both rate Safe on our install rating — nothing is drilled, nothing is wired, and both leave with you. A fan-heater and a heated floor are the landlord’s call and the landlord’s electrician. The renter-friendly ventilation options are here, and the renter-friendly heaters are here.
What we have not measured
We have not run a thermometer in anybody’s bathroom. Every wattage, sone figure, circuit requirement and warranty term above is published by the manufacturer and linked under the spec table on each pick; the running costs are arithmetic from those wattages and the EIA’s published rate, shown with their inputs so you can redo them. Where a maker publishes nothing — Vornado on wattage, Lasko on heat-up time — we say so.
Every pick in full
4 we would buy. Each carries its Renter-Safe Install Rating, the published specs behind it, and the honest gap in what we know.
1. The fix that works tonight
Lasko 8″ Bathroom Ceramic Heater with ALCI Plug
Lasko · CD08200 · best for a cold bathroom you use for twenty minutes a day
900 to 1500 W of ceramic heat with an integrated ALCI plug, overheat protection and a cool-touch case, published specifically for bathroom use.
Lasko’s CD08200 is the only heater we cover that Lasko describes for this room. It publishes “an integrated ALCI safety plug, overheat protection, a self-regulating ceramic element, and a cool-touch exterior” that are “designed specifically for bathroom use”.
That ALCI plug is the specification to care about. It is the heater’s own ground-fault protection, built into the plug, which is what makes a mains heater defensible in a room with water in it. The full safety rules for plugged-in bathroom appliances are here.
It publishes “900 W to 1500 W” at “7.5 A to 12.5 A”, coverage up to 100 sq ft, a 1-hour auto-shutoff, a footprint of “8.00 in” high by “6.25 in” square, a weight of “3.35 lb”, ETL listing and a “3 year warranty”. At 1500 W that is about 28 cents an hour on the EIA’s published average rate — the most expensive thing on this page to run, and the only one that warms the air.
Renter-Safe Install Rating
- Drilling
- None
- Tools
- None
- Time to fit
- None — “fully assembled” and “requires no tools”
- Power
- Standard outlet, via the heater’s own ALCI plug
- Reversible on move-out
- Fully
Why: It plugs in and sits on the floor. The ALCI plug is the heater’s own protective device, so it does not need an outlet upgrade to be used as designed.
Read from published documentation, not from fitting one. Lasko, 8″ Bathroom Ceramic Heater CD08200. How the verdict is derived: renter-safe ratings explained.
What it costs to run — Electricity
- Rated power
- 1500 W on high (Lasko’s published maximum)
- Run time
- 15 minutes while you shower and dry off
- Electricity rate
- 18.34 cents per kWh (US residential average, June 2026)
1500 W x 0.25 h / 1000 x $0.1834 = $0.069
About 7 cents a shower — and about 28 cents an hour if you forget the timer
Arithmetic on published specifications, not a measurement. Rate source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A — US residential average 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026.
What’s wrong with it
1500 W is a serious load. On an older circuit shared with a hair dryer it is the thing that trips the breaker.
What we can’t tell you
Lasko publishes no heat-up time and no sound rating, so how quickly and how quietly it fills a room is not stated.
Published specifications
| Wattage | “900 W to 1500 W” |
|---|---|
| Supply | “120 V”, “7.5 A to 12.5 A” |
| Heat settings | Two, high and low |
| Bathroom safety | “an integrated ALCI safety plug, overheat protection, a self-regulating ceramic element, and a cool-touch exterior are designed specifically for bathroom use” |
| Timer | 1-hour auto-shutoff via the Simple Heat button |
| Dimensions | “8.00 in” high, “6.25 in” wide and deep |
| Weight | “3.35 lb” |
| Coverage | Up to 100 sq ft |
| Certification | ETL Listed |
| Warranty | “3 year warranty” |
#ad We have no verified live price for this one right now, so we are not showing a number. How we’re funded.
2. The one to use outside the bathroom
Vornado VH202 Personal Space Heater
Vornado · VH202 · best for warming a bedroom or landing — not a wet room
Two heat settings, a tip-over switch and a cool-touch case in under 8 in. of footprint, with a long guarantee — and no bathroom rating at all.
The Vornado VH202 is a good small heater and it is on this page with a caveat attached. Vornado publishes “2 heat settings (Low/High) giving you control of your heat. A ‘fan only’ mode”, “a tipover switch that immediately cuts the heat and fan if the heater tips”, “a cool touch case” and a footprint that “occupies less than 8″ in any direction”.
What it does not publish is an ALCI plug or any bathroom rating — Vornado does not market this as a bathroom heater, and we are not going to imply it is one. Used on the landing with the bathroom door open before a shower it is excellent, and that is how we would use it.
The guarantee is unusually long: a “3-Year Satisfaction Guarantee”, and if defects appear “within 5 years of the purchase date, Vornado will replace the product”.
Renter-Safe Install Rating
- Drilling
- None
- Tools
- None
- Time to fit
- None
- Power
- Standard outlet
- Reversible on move-out
- Fully
Why: Nothing is fitted — it stands on the floor and plugs in. The renter question is settled; the bathroom question is not, and we say so in the write-up.
Read from published documentation, not from fitting one. Vornado, VH202 Personal Space Heater. How the verdict is derived: renter-safe ratings explained.
What’s wrong with it
No published ALCI plug and no bathroom rating. In a wet room that is the difference that matters.
What we can’t tell you
Vornado publishes no wattage for it on the product page, so its running cost cannot be calculated at all.
Published specifications
| Heat settings | “2 heat settings (Low/High) giving you control of your heat. A ‘fan only’ mode” |
|---|---|
| Tip-over protection | “a tipover switch that immediately cuts the heat and fan if the heater tips” |
| Case | “a cool touch case that doesn’t get hot even after extended operation” |
| Size | “occupies less than 8″ in any direction” |
| Warranty | “3-Year Satisfaction Guarantee”; “If any product defects are discovered within 5 years of the purchase date, Vornado will replace the product” |
| Wattage | Not published on the product page |
| ALCI / bathroom rating | Not published — Vornado does not market this as a bathroom heater |
#ad Price $34.99 as of October 18, 2026. Prices change; Amazon’s listing is the one that counts. How we’re funded.
3. The fix that solves the real problem
WarmlyYours Ibiza Freestanding Towel Warmer
WarmlyYours · TWS5-IBZ06PP · best for the two minutes after the shower, which is when the cold actually registers
90 W and 307 Btu an hour across six stainless bars, on a normal plug — about $12 a year, and a warm towel instead of a warm room.
Most people asking this question are not cold all day. They are cold for ninety seconds, wet, reaching for a cold towel. Heating the air to fix that is the expensive way round.
The WarmlyYours Ibiza publishes “90 W” and “307 Btu” an hour across six bars of “304-stainless steel”, on a “71″” cord and a standard plug, with “built-in TempSmart overheat protection” below “149°F (65°C)” and a “5-year limited warranty”.
Ninety watts on a two-hour daily timer is about 3 cents a day, roughly $12 a year. Compare that with running a 1500 W heater for the same two hours: about $200 a year. The warm towel is the cheap answer by a factor of sixteen. The freestanding rails are ranked here.
Renter-Safe Install Rating
- Drilling
- None
- Tools
- None
- Time to fit
- Not published
- Power
- Standard outlet
- Reversible on move-out
- Fully
Why: WarmlyYours publishes this one as freestanding with a NEMA 5-15 plug: it stands on the floor, plugs into a normal outlet, and leaves with you.
Read from published documentation, not from fitting one. WarmlyYours, Ibiza Freestanding Towel Warmer (TWS5-IBZ06PP). How the verdict is derived: renter-safe ratings explained.
What it costs to run — Electricity
- Rated power
- 90 W (WarmlyYours’s published figure)
- Run time
- 2 hours a day on a plug-in timer
- Electricity rate
- 18.34 cents per kWh (US residential average, June 2026)
90 W x 2 h / 1000 x $0.1834 = $0.033 a day
About 3 cents a day, or roughly $12 a year on a two-hour daily timer
Arithmetic on published specifications, not a measurement. Rate source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A — US residential average 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026.
What’s wrong with it
It does not warm the room. 307 Btu an hour is a rounding error against a bathroom's heat loss, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
What we can’t tell you
No published heat-up time, so how early to set the timer is a matter of experiment.
Published specifications
| Wattage | “90 W” |
|---|---|
| Supply | “120 V”, “0.75 A” |
| Heat output | “307 Btu” per hour |
| Bars | “6” heated bars |
| Dimensions | “34.84″ (885 mm) H x 21.85″ (555 mm) W x 13.97″ (355 mm) D” |
| Material | “304-stainless steel”, published in “Polished Stainless Steel” and “Matte Black” finishes |
| Cord and plug | “71″” cord, “NEMA 5-15 (Type B)” |
| Mounting | “Freestanding” — no wall mounting or drilling |
| Safety | “built-in TempSmart overheat protection” preventing surface temperatures above “149°F (65°C)” |
| Certification | “cULus Listed” |
| Warranty | “5-year limited warranty” |
Source: WarmlyYours, Ibiza Freestanding Towel Warmer (TWS5-IBZ06PP)
#ad Price $351.00 as of October 18, 2026. Prices change; Amazon’s listing is the one that counts. How we’re funded.
4. The permanent fix, if you own the place
WhisperWarm DC Fan with Heater, 50-80-110 CFM
Panasonic · FV-0511VH1 · best for a bathroom that is cold every winter and always will be
A 1,600 W PTC heater built into a quiet DC extractor fan — and a published minimum 20-amp dedicated circuit.
Panasonic’s WhisperWarm DC puts the heater where the heat is lost. It publishes a “1600W Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater” alongside a Pick-A-Flow fan at 50, 80 or 110 CFM running at “0.7, under 0.3 and under 0.3” sones and 4.7 to 12 watts.
Read the circuit line before you fall in love with it: “Minimum 20 Amp dedicated circuit required”. That is an electrician, a breaker and a cable run, and it is why this rates Owner-only. The mounting opening is “10-1/4 in. x 16 in.”, which is a bigger hole than a plain fan needs.
Panasonic publishes “6 years ECM Motor, 5 years LED, 3 years all other parts” and, honestly, ENERGY STAR: “No” — a 1,600 W heater is not an efficiency product. The fan-heater options are ranked here.
Renter-Safe Install Rating
- Drilling
- Required
- Tools
- Not published
- Time to fit
- Not published
- Power
- Hardwired
- Reversible on move-out
- No
Why: A 1,600-watt heater on its own 20-amp circuit, in a ceiling opening, on a duct. That is an electrician's job on a building you own.
Read from published documentation, not from fitting one. Panasonic — WhisperWarm DC Fan with Heater FV-0511VH1, published airflow, sones, heater and circuit. How the verdict is derived: renter-safe ratings explained.
What it costs to run — Electricity (heater)
- Heater power
- 1,600 W (published)
- Run time
- 20 minutes (our example)
- Rate
- 18.34 cents per kWh
1,600 W x 0.333 h / 1000 x $0.1834 = $0.098
About 10 cents per 20-minute run
Arithmetic on published specifications, not a measurement. Rate source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A — US residential average 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026.
What’s wrong with it
1,600 W on its own 20-amp circuit, in the least accessible place in the room. This is a project, not an evening.
What we can’t tell you
Panasonic publishes no heat output in Btu for the heater element, so it cannot be compared directly with a towel rail or a radiator.
Published specifications
| Airflow | Pick-A-Flow selectable 50, 80 or 110 CFM |
|---|---|
| Sones | 0.7, under 0.3 and under 0.3 across the three speeds at 0.1 in. static pressure |
| Fan power | 4.7 to 12 watts across the three speeds at 0.1 in. static pressure; up to 26 watts at 0.375 in. |
| Heater | “1600W Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater” |
| Circuit | “Minimum 20 Amp dedicated circuit required” |
| Duct | 4 in. or 6 in. |
| Mounting opening | 10-1/4 in. x 16 in.; grille 13-1/4 in. x 18-1/4 in. |
| ENERGY STAR | “No” |
| Warranty | “6 years ECM Motor, 5 years LED, 3 years all other parts” |
| Light | None on this model |
Source: Panasonic — WhisperWarm DC Fan with Heater FV-0511VH1, published airflow, sones, heater and circuit
#ad Price $314.99 as of October 18, 2026. Prices change; Amazon’s listing is the one that counts. How we’re funded.
Where to buy
Everything recommended on this page, in one place. Each link is an Amazon Associates link — we earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never decides a pick.
- Check price on Amazon
Lasko 8″ Bathroom Ceramic Heater with ALCI Plug
Lasko · CD08200 · Renter verdict: Safe
- $34.99View on Amazon
Vornado VH202 Personal Space Heater
Vornado · VH202 · Renter verdict: Safe
- $351.00View on Amazon
WarmlyYours Ibiza Freestanding Towel Warmer
WarmlyYours · TWS5-IBZ06PP · Renter verdict: Safe
- $314.99View on Amazon
WhisperWarm DC Fan with Heater, 50-80-110 CFM
Panasonic · FV-0511VH1 · Renter verdict: Owner-only
#ad Prices are not shown because we only publish figures we have verified on the day. How we’re funded.
Questions people actually ask
how do i warm up a cold bathroom
In order: close the door gap, put the extractor on a timer, warm the towel rather than the air, then add a bathroom-rated plug-in heater. A 90 W towel warmer costs about $12 a year; a 1500 W heater costs about 28 cents an hour.
can you use a space heater in a bathroom
Only one with its own ground-fault protection. Lasko publishes an integrated ALCI safety plug, overheat protection and a cool-touch exterior as designed specifically for bathroom use. Heaters without a published bathroom rating belong in a dry room.
why is my bathroom always so cold
Hard surfaces pull heat out of you faster than soft ones, the extractor removes heated air by design, and evaporation off wet skin cools you further. The room can match the rest of the house on air temperature and still feel much colder.
is a towel warmer cheaper than a heater
Far cheaper. A 90 W towel warmer on a two-hour daily timer is about $12 a year; a 1500 W heater run the same two hours a day is roughly $200 a year at the same rate. One warms the towel, the other warms the air.
what can renters do about a cold bathroom
A plug-in bathroom-rated heater and a freestanding towel warmer, both of which rate Safe on our install rating — nothing drilled, nothing wired, and both leave with you. Fan-heaters and heated floors need the landlord and an electrician.
Sources
- Lasko — CD08200 bathroom ceramic heater, published wattage, ALCI plug, overheat protection, dimensions and warranty
- Vornado — VH202 personal space heater, published heat settings, tipover switch, size and guarantee
- WarmlyYours, Ibiza Freestanding Towel Warmer (TWS5-IBZ06PP) — published 90 W, 307 Btu, cord, cutout and warranty
- Panasonic — WhisperWarm DC 50-80-110 CFM, published 1600 W PTC heater, sones, fan watts, circuit requirement and warranty
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A — US residential average 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026
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