Heating a whole room for a few hours or more
For this, you should use a convector heater. These work by warming the air immediately next to them which then naturally circulates relatively evenly around the room. Convector heaters are a good choice if you need a supplementary heating source to warm up a room for a few hours at a time. They take a little longer to work, but this type of heater can be easily controlled with a timer and thermostat, so you don’t overheat the room and you save money.
Heating a room for a short period of time
For a quick blast of warmth, or for more directional heating, you should use radiant heaters. These work quickly and are useful if you want to warm up only part of a room for a short period, as they tend to heat only what is in front of them. Unlike convector heaters, they don’t achieve an even level of heat throughout the room, so often don’t bring the same level of comfort over time. They rarely have thermostats or timers, which can make their running costs more expensive over long periods.