Halogen vs. Quartz Heaters: Best Budget Heaters for This Winter

Winter is here! Although global warming has done a great deal of damage to the planet that should ultimately result in fewer winters we are yet to get there. The months of December and January still make our fingers and nose chill.

The first week of December has brought freezing nights in northern India. People here are already figuring out which heater would suit their needs best. So, I thought why not use this opportunity and write a useful guide that would help my readers?

If you are on a budget and want a room heater, the choice is quite limited. Upon doing research, I found only two categories of heaters out there i.e. Halogen and Quartz. Prices of convection room heaters have come down in recent years but still, a durable one will cost you more than 1500 rupees.

I spent a great amount of time in research both halogen and quartz heaters. However, after this research the facts I found changed how I used to think about these types of heaters.

► How does A Heater Work?

Broadly speaking, there are two types of heaters in the market- radiation heaters and convection heaters. Radiation heaters are the ones that radiate infrared waves while convection heaters heat up the surrounding air in the room.

Both quartz and halogen heaters are radiation-based devices. The more surprising thing is the technology used behind these types of heaters is exactly the same. This sounds weird, right? Why would brands call the same technology with two names? Well, that was the question I asked after finding out about this fact.

To understand how a heater works we will first have to understand how a normal incandescent bulb works. At the center of these bulbs hangs a tungsten filament through which current passes. This current ultimately heats up the filament forcing it to emit light. Tungsten is a highly reactive element and can deplete really fast in oxygen-rich air. So, to extend its life, manufacturers enclose bulbs using a glass filled with halogen gas.

A room heater is the next level of electric incandescent bulbs. Heaters have to push a lot of electricity into the system in order to generate more heat. This increase in heat can easily melt normal glass, which is why manufacturers instead use quartz for enclosing the tungsten filament. So, in the end, it really does not matter if companies name their radiation heaters as halogen or quartz because they are all same.

Best Budget Heaters: Now that we have discussed what halogen/quartz heaters are and how they work, let us check some of the good options available out there. In my research, I found these two products really interesting.

► Bajaj Halogen Room Heater

Bajaj has a really great name in the Indian market when it comes to home appliances. Its RHX-2 Halogen Room Heater hails with a price tag of around 1500 rupees and has also got great reviews from customers.

Although the product comes in a plastic body, the manufacturer has made sure to use only quality products. No matter for how long you keep it on, the enclosure will never get uncomfortably hot.

There are two quartz/halogen tubes on this heater and each of them consumes 500 Watts of electricity. Two switches at the bottom-right side give users separate controls for both tubes, which is really impressive as it will help customers save electricity by only using one tube in case of moderate winters.

This Bajaj heater is a perfect solution for rooms that are up to 400 sq. ft. in size. It offers powerful heating and can warm a room up within minutes.

One issue I would like to talk about is the reflective sheet. It is not good at resisting high temperatures and will damage over time.

► Turbo Quartz Room Heater

This particular heater is a perfect option for those who have a really tight budget. I cannot think of a better room heater than this one. It offers everything you will need at just 990 rupees.

Its Compact body makes the Turbo heater great for small rooms. It has a safety system that cuts the power supply if it happens to tip over during the usage. Like the Bajaj heater, this model also sports two heating rods. However, its heating power is not that impressive. These rods consume a total of 800 Watts of electricity, which would be good for power bill but not for heating big rooms. I would only recommend this product if you have a room smaller than 200 sq. ft.

While the Turbo heater does come with a 1-year warranty, it would be quite hard for people to get repair service from the company because of its limited service centers.