Why the cost difference in electric heaters?

[jives]

Hi all:
A brief scan of Amazon or other online marketplace shows a huge difference
in price among electric garage heaters, even if they have the same wattage.
Certainly some have a stronger fan, some have mounting brackets, some
have variable voltages, and some come with a cord. But I cannot imagine
that this would be the difference between a Profusion 5.6 K watt portable
heater ($114) and a Cadet 5K watt portable ($329).

What do the expensive heaters have that the cheaper ones do not? It is only
features, or is it quality?

 

[nieuport17]

Wattage is not everything.
For the oil filled design some have more surface area than others.
For the fan heater, theres ceremic ones that cost more.
This is just scratching the surface of electric heating technology : )

 

[IOWNJUNK]

Of the two you listed.
The cheaper one has one setting, on/off
Is single voltage, 240

The more expensive one has dual voltage, and an adjustable thermostat. Maybe a few more features that I don't remember, not sure that justifies triple the price, as they were pretty much the same other that those features.

At least thats all I could tell from a 30 second google search.

 

[Showkey]

It's amazing what "marketing" has done to electric space heaters for the home.

As far as electric garage heaters a quality heater that will last years is hard to judge on the Internet. Watts/BTUs will tell you the heat output. Fans, noise, long life bearing. thermostat accuracy, build quality etc are the variables.

5600 watts heater is not going to be 120 volt. That would be 46 amps.
1500 watt heater are the typical 120 volt heaters.

Generally speaking electric heaters are not cheap to run, of course that depends on your cost per KW. My area electric is three times more than nat gas even when considering the heater efficiency.