If you’re one of the lucky few that live in a hot climate, you’ll probably only need a grow tent heater every now again for the odd cold night, but for many growers that live in places with changing seasons, temperature control, if not regulated properly, can cause serious problems such as mold (bud rot) or even crop failure.
For these growers, they know winter is coming and they’ll need to think about keeping the plants’ roots at an optimal temperature, so depending on their grow room, plus if the plants are auto-flowering or not, then the solution may be to incorporate a grow tent heater or multiple grow tent heaters.
So in this article, we’re going to try and answer some of your questions about grow tent heaters and save you from the many wasted hours online trawling through sites by highlighting some of the best-reviewed grow tent heaters out there.
VIVOSUN Heat Mat
The name VIVOSUN may ring a bell with some of our readers, as we’ve previously talked about their products in some of our earlier reviews.
But just like their fans, VIVOSUN make a pretty decent and affordable heat mat with the bonus of a thermostat included, the VIVOSUN 10″x20.75″ Seedling Heat Mat and Digital Thermostat to be exact.
Again, ideal for anyone on a budget that would prefer to use heating underneath, rather than a standalone heater.
The VIVOSUN Heat Mat and Digital Thermostat is one of the best-reviewed heat mats out there at present, and cheap to boot and quite often rated at four stars and above.
Making it one of the more popular choices from the big online retailers, although some lower reviews have been known.
One downside of the VIVOSUN 10″x20.75″ Seedling Heat Mat and Digital Thermostat is that it only comes in one size, which isn’t exactly great.
It’s an easy fix though, as multiple heat mats can be attached to achieve the required results.
Safety is high on the list for VIVOSUN, and with this professional heat mat, you should experience little to no problems whatsoever.
If any defects do present themselves, then VIVOSUN has a 1-year warranty that is more than adequate.
Pros
- Programmable thermostat
- Easy portability
- Can be connected if needed
- Space saver
Cons
- Short lifespan in some units
- Only 1 size available
Amazon Basics Oil Filled Radiator
Maintain an evenly consistent temperature for your seedlings with the Amazon Basics Oil Filled Radiator.
Choose from three heating modes and featuring integrated overheat protection alongside automatic anti-freeze protection that will activate if the heater ever falls below a certain temperature, the Amazon Basics Oil Filled radiator is very competitively priced alongside coming with a 1-year warranty.
Portability is achieved with the 4 caster wheels that snap right into place for easy assembly, as well as easy-to-use operation dials for picking your required settings.
Producing little to no noise, whilst being extremely slimline and compact and featuring rust-resistant materials, the Amazon Basics heater is another fine option for the indoor cultivator on a budget.
Pros
- ETL-listed
- No-slip base
- Great price
- Compact, small & space saver
- 1-Year Warranty
Cons
- Only suitable for small spaces
De'Longhi Convector Panel Heater
The De’Longhi Convector Panel Heater is another option for any cannabis cultivator struggling to find adequate growing space. It’s just as safe as the Pelonis oil filled space heater while running at a similar wattage at 1500W.
As the name suggests it’s slightly different in design and comes as one rectangular thin convector panel rather than your fin radiator design.
For anyone with a small to medium grow setup this can be seen as a bonus, as it’s much thinner so can fit into a smaller area without causing to much trouble.
Convector panel heaters can be just as efficient as oil-filled heaters and are amazing at heating up the whole grow room quickly.
It’s claimed convector panel heaters are some of the best for using in cannabis grow rooms and are better for heating multiple plants at once, rather than just a single plant.
The De’Longhi Convector Panel Heater chooses to incorporate an LED display instead of the more simple design of dials, these are normally positioned to the side panel.
It also comes with an adjustable thermostat, which is sufficient enough for most people’s needs. As well as a timer and an energy-saving option.
Safety features of the De’Longhi Convector Panel Heater come in the form of an internal overheat sensor, which will switch of the heater if it ever becomes too hot, an automatic cut off switch if the heater is ever tipped over, as well as caution indicator lights.
Pros
- Compact, thin space saver
- Good price
- Easy to use
- Can be fitted to the wall
- Energy saving & cheap to run
Cons
- Some reports of heat produced not as advertized
4-1 Portable Air Conditioner Heater
Manage your cannabis plants in the cooler months with the Black and Decker dual compact air conditioner & heater. This unit is portable enough to be moved around easily but powerful enough to keep up to 350 sq ft of space cool or warm for hours on end.
The Black and Decker 4-1 Portable Air Conditioner Heater is the perfect tool for any aspiring cannabis grower wishing to have complete control over their growing environment.
The included hose, window adapter, remote control, and LED display make controlling your environment a breeze. Simply plug into an outlet, and sit back while this powerhouse works its magic!
Pros
- Small & Compact, Ideal for Small Spaces
- Plug & Play
- Well-known Brand
- Highly Rated
- All-in-one
Cons
- May not be the best option for very small grows
Dimplex Tube Heater
The Dimplex tube heater is an ideal heater for growers that require safe, low-wattage background heating. It can be used within small grow rooms and comes with thermostatic control, a full range of 6 sizes/outputs with discreet mounting brackets for use on walls or floors that are reversible for left or right-hand cable entry.
There’s also a low output with adjustable heat source auto reset thermal overload cut out for safety in case of overheating. Unobtrusive yet powerful the Dimplex tubular heater is an ideal low-cost heating source for your grow tent during the winter months or if growing in an outdoor utility room or outhouse that has no heating source.
The Dimplex tubular heater has a splash-proof rating of IPX4 which means it works well in all settings, even the most humid. It comes with 1.5M of cable and an attached plug for easy use anywhere around your grow room.
Pros
- Well-known UK Brand
- Highly Rated
- Small and Compact Enough for Grow Tents
- Budget Friendly
- Available in Both 1FT and 2Ft Lengths
Cons
- May not be Suitable for Larger Grow Setups
Heat Wave Baseboard Heater
Next, we have the Heat-Wave 1,000 Watt Convection Baseboard Heater.
A great alternative to both the Dimplex and Lasko baseboard heater, the Heat-Wave 1,000 Watt Convection Baseboard Heater comes with 2 heat settings. The lowest running at 500W and the highest at 1000W.
Once again, just like the Lasko, the Heat-Wave Baseboard Heater is plug and play right out of the box, so no hardwiring will be needed, which is always a bonus.
Small, compact, and sleek. The Heat-Wave 1,000 Watt Convection Baseboard Heater will fit in most grow tents. An added bonus is the inbuilt thermostat, as well as some safety features to give you peace of mind (thermal cut-off protection & tip-over switch)
Priced well, with a heat coverage of upto 400Sq Ft, the Heat-Wave 1,000 Watt Convection Baseboard Heater offers cannabis cultivators another great heater option.
Pros
- Multiple heat options
- Plug & play
- Safety features
- In-built thermostat
- Small & compact
- Priced well
Cons
- Build quality not the best
Honeywell 360 Heater
The Honeywell 360 Heater is mini in design but packs enough of a punch. Consistently rated four stars and above, the consumers that have bought this little powerhouse have not been disappointed.
It doesn’t come with as many heating options as some other heaters but is becoming ever more popular among the growing community for the heat they produce whilst also saving on space.
The smaller Honeywell 360 Heater models are an ideal solution for those with smaller grow tent setups and do the job of keeping your roots at an optimal temperature considerably well.
With fan forced technology, adjustable thermostat, 2 heat settings, alongside an overheat sensor and back-up cut off fuse. The Honeywell 360 Heater is another popular option for cannabis cultivators.
Pros
- Small, compact with easy portability
- Handle
- Well priced
- Highly rated
- Ideal heater for small spaces
Cons
- Short lifespan in some units
- Not the quietest
What Grow Tent Heater Should You Buy?
The choice of what grow tent heater to buy for your grow room, again just like grow tent fans will come down to the growers’ personal preference, the size needed, the price of the grow tent heater, and what’s commonly recommended and used by other cannabis cultivators.
But to be honest, there’s not really a definitive right answer to the question, “what heater should I buy for my grow tent or grow room?
Some cannabis growers will incorporate a heater inside of the grow tent, obviously, this isn’t ideal, but does work and can produce the required results.
Bear in mind though, the heater would need to be of a smaller size and there’s also the real possibility of it being a fire hazard.
The best practice is to place your chosen heater on the outside of the grow tent, or if you have a full-sized grow room opt for a 4-1 heat pump/air conditioner system, multiple oil-filled, panel, or baseboard heaters.
Heat mats and heat tubes are other affordable options that many growers incorporate into their grow rooms with varying results. Obviously, heat mats are more commonly used for seedlings.
But by connecting several heat mats together along with inkbird controller and placing them underneath your plants you can achieve similar results to the more conventional heater.
Some growers have even used outside heat mats as a sort of underfloor heating method/technique. These would normally be used for melting snow and ice outside, so again there’s a safety issue here. So consider every aspect carefully before going ahead.
Tube heaters can/are used, but are a bit hit and miss depending on what brand you choose to purchase. The Dimplex tube heater is one of the more popular among indoor growers.
A great technique for underplant heating is to place one or more tube heaters inside of a wooden pallet and place them underneath your cannabis grow, you should see some good results from this method.
Again, use common sense to any heating options you choose to use. Safety is paramount, the last thing anyone wants is a potential fire situation.
Some of the most popular and recommended grow tent heaters are:
Oil-filled radiators
Are a great choice for the cultivator. Unlike other forms of heating, oil-fill radiators convert nearly all the energy they consume into heat. What’s more, even after you turn off an oil radiator unit it will continue to radiate warmth for some time. Oil-filled radiators are a great way to heat your crop without creating any noise. They also present less of a fire hazard than other types of heating sources.
Fan and forced air heaters
The fast-acting and portable nature of a fan heater makes installation easy, so you never have to worry about not being able to keep your cannabis plants comfortable during certain months or seasons. They also provide features like oscillating functionality that helps distribute heat more evenly throughout all areas of your grow space.
Ceramic Heaters
Are equipped with metal coils that get heated up as electricity passes through them and then those hot metals transfer their energy onto plates made out of ceramic material. Once these materials absorb all this extra heat from the coil itself, it gets released back into the air for maximum warming effects.
Micathermic heaters
Mica is a mineral that can be used as an efficient conductor of both heat and electricity. Micathermic heaters use mica to create radiant heating through electromagnetic rays which are emitted when the element heats up due to passing an electric current through it.
Infrared heaters
Infrared heaters are highly efficient, cost-saving, and emit Infrared waves from the element providing your grow space with warmth.
4-1 Portable Air Conditioners
You can never go wrong with a space-saving all-in-one option. Especially If you’re trying to have complete control over your grow space. Opting for 4 functions instead of one may be the smart choice. 4-1 conditioners are not like the old air con unit that only has cool and heat options, they also include features such as dehumidifier and fan modes too! Which is perfect when looking at things from a space-saving standpoint. So next time you are wondering about how best to keep your plants happy during these long winter months – look no further than a 4-1 heat pump.
Recap
Grow tent heaters play an important role in most grow rooms, this can be especially true when growing in the winter.
More than likely you’ll be growing in a confined area as well, and will need a grow tent heater that fits the requirements of being small enough for your grow tent, but also producing enough heat to keep your plant roots at an optimal temperature.
There are a plethora of choices in the grow tent heater market at present, and we’ve written about some of the better-reviewed ones that are currently available, and by doing so hopefully made the decision of what grow tent heater to buy that little bit easier.
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