- Infrared heating panels are an energy-efficient way to heat your home
- The best infrared panel for reducing your energy use is the Herschel Select XLS
- Other panels that made our top six include the Cürv Elegance and Klarstein Wonderwall Smart
- We chose the best infrared panels after researching criteria including value for money and efficiency
Infrared heating panels are a new low-carbon alternative to gas central heating and electric heaters. As we explain in our in-depth guide to infrared heating, these sleek panels are more efficient and cheaper to run than conventional boilers and radiators.
However, infrared heating panels cost more upfront than standard central heating. A single panel costs £495 on average, and can be as expensive as £1,000. Kitting out a whole house costs thousands.
Such a big investment needs careful planning. To help you, our research team has studied the fast-growing UK market for infrared heating panels and chosen the six best panels currently available.
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Blink and you’d miss the sleek, minimalist heater in this room (credit: Cürv)
The best infrared heating panels at a glance
| Infrared panel model | Best for |
|---|---|
| Cürv Elegance Range | Warranty period |
| Herschel Select XLS | Saving energy |
| Herschel Select Portable | User experience |
| Klarstein Wonderwall Smart | Low budgets |
| Mirrorstone Image Panel | Aesthetics |
| Kiasa Smart Wi-Fi | Eco-friendly materials |
Best for warranty: Cürv Elegance
Elegance by name, elegant by nature. Cürv’s Elegance range includes three panel types – a regular infrared panel, a mirrored panel, and an infrared towel rail (pictured above) – which is fewer than many competitors. But what this collection lacks in size it makes up for in quality.
Not only are these three panels great looking, but they also come with a number of modern features. You can connect your panels to a smart app to easily monitor and manage your heating. The app even lets you add a child lock if you have any curious little ones running around the house.
The best feature of Cürv’s infrared panels? They all come with a 15-year warranty, which is much longer than most rivals. Cürv will cover the maintenance costs if anything goes wrong within that period.
| Price range | Power range | Warranty | Connects to smart tech |
|---|---|---|---|
£324–£549 | 650W–1,000W | 15 years | Yes |
Want to see how much an infrared heating panel system will cost you? Head to our article on infrared heating panel costs.
Best for saving energy: Herschel Select XLS
Herschel has the largest range of infrared heating panels in the UK, which comes as no surprise since they’re one of the longest-serving UK suppliers in this sector.
We’d recommend the Select XLS from Herschel’s extensive range. The panel comes with an ‘EasyFix’ mount for quick installation (including on the ceiling, as in the picture above). It’s also fully recyclable at the end of its life.
Above all, this panel is one the most energy efficient you can buy. That means it will produce more heat than competitors per penny spent on running costs. A welcome advantage in a cost of living crisis.
In fact, this panel – along with the rest of the range – has an efficiency rating of 100%, which means every single Watt of electrical energy it consumes is converted into heat.
As a result, Herschel states that its heaters can deliver energy savings up to 60% over traditional heating units.
| Price range | Power range | Warranty | Connects to smart tech |
|---|---|---|---|
£238–£539 | 300W–1,100W | 5 years | Yes |
Best for ease of use: Herschel Select Portable Infrared Heater
Ease of use is one of the big advantages of infrared panels. They’re even quick and simple to install compared with traditional central heating measures. But Herschel’s Select Portable Infrared Heater takes this simplicity one step further.
This free standing panel can be moved around to any area of your home as long as it’s near a socket. All you have to do is move it to your chosen spot and plug it into the wall. It’s a perfect option for anyone wanting to test the waters of infrared heating, before committing to a full home system.
The portable infrared heater also has a built-in thermostat to provide simple temperature control, as well as safety thermal cut-out sensors. You can also pair it with Herschel’s SMART-R system to control it from your phone.
| Price | Power range | Warranty | Connects to smart tech |
|---|---|---|---|
£359 | 500W | 5 years | Yes |
Best on a budget: Klarstein Wonderwall Smart
Portable infrared heaters are often fairly affordable, but this versatile model from Klarstein costs from little over £100 for a 320W model – and you can even buy from on Amazon.
Klarstein’s Wonderwall Smart panels come in a range of sizes and power ratings, ranging from 300W to 720W.
If you find that these panels aren’t for you, the company also offers a 60-day cooling off period during which you can return them for free.
However, it’s worth noting that these panels have an efficiency rating of 95%, whilst many others on the market are around 98%–100% efficient. There also doesn’t appear to be any warranty on this product, other than your basic statutory rights. Check with your retailer, but be aware that you may not be covered for a replacement if your panel stops working.
| Price | Power range | Warranty | Connects to smart tech |
|---|---|---|---|
£105–£165 | 300W–720W | No | Yes |
Best looking: Mirrorstone Image Panel
Mirrorstone’s infrared heating panel range includes regular white panels, mirrored panels, panels with set images, and custom-image photo panels. If you want your heater to look like a TV or a giant framed photo, this is the one to go for.
By printing images onto an infrared panel, you could also design a heating system that blends seamlessly into the background of your room – or go to the opposite extreme and use it as a statement piece.
Mirrorstone currently has over 500 Image Panels for customers to choose from, all with unique appearances, suited for different tastes.
| Price range | Power range | Warranty | Connects to smart tech |
|---|---|---|---|
£227–£466 | 350W–1,200W | 5 years | No |
Best eco-friendly: Kiasa Smart Wi-Fi Infrared Heating Panel
Swapping an old oil or gas boiler for an infrared heater will help shrink your carbon footprint, since you won’t be reliant on fossil fuels anymore. But you might be able to cut back emissions even further by opting for a Kiasa panel.
This infrared heater supplier has a keen focus on making its panels from sustainable materials that go easy on the planet.
One of the key materials used in Kiasa’s infrared panels is aluminium, which can be easily recycled and reused. This means that once an infrared panel comes to the end of its life, users can send it to a local recycling facility to make sure it doesn’t get sent to landfill. We’re also happy to note that Kiasa’s packaging is 100% recyclable.
| Price range | Power range | Warranty | Connects to smart tech |
|---|---|---|---|
£119–£190 | 350W–720W | 3 years | Yes |
How did we choose the best infrared panels?
Since the infrared heating industry is still pretty new to the UK, there aren’t as many suppliers to sift through compared to other home appliances.
Once we had researched the top suppliers in the game, it all came down to what they’re offering customers. To find out the features of each panel, we spoke with suppliers, checked out websites, and looked at product specifications.
We then decided to break this analysis into six areas that we believe users value the most when it comes to buying an infrared panel:
- Warranty period
- Saving energy
- User experience
- Value for money
- Aesthetics
- Eco-friendly materials
Cheap infrared heating panels: are they worth it?
Cheap infrared panels are a good option for people who don’t want to fork out for a high-end product. But as so often, you get what you pay for.
You’ll often find that cheap infrared panels aren’t made from good-quality materials, don’t offer modern features (such as smart controls), and have a much smaller wattage (which won’t have the capacity to heat a large room).
If you can afford to set aside more money for a set of top-quality infrared heating panels, it’s worth doing so.
Summary
The infrared industry is still pretty new in the UK – currently, only 17% of the UK is aware of this green tech. This means there’s still a limited number of suppliers out there. However we expect this number to grow rapidly over the coming years, once more manufacturers cotton on to how effective infrared can be for UK homes.
For now, we hope this list has shown you the different types of infrared panel you can buy, and helped you narrow down the right one for you. Whichever you choose, you are on your way to a warmer home and a smaller carbon footprint.
Think infrared panels would be perfect for your home? Find the perfect set of panels using our easy-to-navigate tool. All you have to do is provide a few quick details, and our expert installers will be in touch with free quotes.
