With the shift towards more sustainable and energy-efficient heating solutions, 2024 is set to be a bigger year in the adoption of infrared panels for both residential and commercial properties.
These innovative heating systems present an alternative to traditional gas heaters, with the ability to directly warm up objects and people in a room, rather than simply heating the air. This direct heating approach of infrared is not only efficient but also comes with a lower environmental impact. This makes infrared panels an appealing option for eco-conscious and energy-conscious people just like you.
This article will take a look at what you need to consider to buy high quality panels before letting you in on the best infrared panels for 2024.
What to look for in good quality infrared heating
The quality of infrared (IR) heaters will differ from panel to panel. Although they look simple on the outside, under the slimline housing exists specialised heating equipment to create infrared wavelengths.
The more traditional infrared heaters contain metal coils and wires to create heat via resistance. However, the more modern IR heaters use newer technology, such as PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) and carbon crystal.
PTC heaters use advanced ceramic materials, usually arranged in honeycomb shapes or fins, to produce fantastic heat production and transfer it efficiently. Carbon crystal technology is a step up from the cheaper and less reliable carbon fibre.
The heating elements inside should be housed in an aluminium casing. Aluminium, or sometimes steel, is the material of choice here, as opposed to cheaper PET plastic that’s prone to discolouring.
Of course, with such intricate technology, sub-par manufacturing and lower quality materials will result in a low end product.
Depending on when and where the IR heater is used, a good quality panel heating will tick off most of the following:
- Emit far infrared heat (comfortable type of infrared)
- Fully efficient
- Lightweight
- Digital thermostat
- Smart settings with WiFi control for remote access
- Good, slim design
- Fire-resistant coating
- Overheating protection
- At least one layer of insulation at the back for improved heat efficiency
- 5-10 year warranty
- IP54 rating to protect against accidental water/liquid splashes
Determining the right size and wattage
Selecting the right infrared panels involves matching the wattage of the heater to the room size to ensure that everything is as efficient as can be.
A standard calculation rule of thumb suggests that for every square metre of a room, approximately 100 watts of heating power is needed. With an infrared heater, it’s less than this. Sometimes it can be up to 60% less energy requirement.
For the most accurate way to work out what size and how many infrared panels you need, it’s best to calculate the volume of the space first. With the volume, you can then multiply by a figure depending on how well insulated the room is.
For example, with a not-so-well insulated conservatory, you might want to multiply the volume figure by 40. For a well-insulated modern living room, a multiplication factor of 20 might do the job for you.
This is an important step to get right or you risk under-heating the area and wasting money and energy, or overheating the zone and being inefficient.
The Best Infrared Panels For 2024
So, what are the best infrared panels for 2024? We’ve broken this into helpful categories to make it easier for you to make a more informed choice to suit your needs and circumstances.
Quick list:
Best infrared panel overall: Herschel Inspire
Best value for money infrared panel: Ecostrad Accent IR
Most energy efficient infrared panel: Technotherm ISP
Best infrared panel for home office: Portable Nexus
Smartest infrared panel: Ecostrad Opus iQ
Best infrared panel for conservatories and garden rooms: Herschel Comfort
Best looking infrared panel: Milano Mirrored
Best Infrared Panel Overall: Herschel Inspire
The Herschel Inspire is a precision-engineered infrared panel heater. It’s manufactured in Germany from premium materials, including powder coated aluminium, and an efficient long-life heating element.Â
This frameless panel is white and will fit seamlessly into any room. It also comes in a range of power outputs (from 250W to 1250W) and dimensions to suit the needs of different spaces. The smallest panel weighs just 4kg and the largest 15kg. The lightweight nature means the Herschel Inspire can be installed on walls or ceilings. It features safety measures like overheat protection and cool-touch exteriors.
For control, the Inspire integrates with a choice of thermostats and a useful smartphone app for customisation. The Inspire represents infrared heating at its finest.
- Power range: 250W – 1250W
- Price range: £379 – £979
- Dimensions: 30cm x 60cm – 60cm x 160cm
- Weight: 4kg – 15kg
- Features: Full app control, WiFi or wired thermostat, made to order in Germany, 10 year warranty
- Installation: Wall or ceiling mounted
- Wired/plug: Wired in only
Best Value For Money Infrared Panel: Ecostrad Accent IR
https://www.electricradiatorsdirect.co.uk/ecostrad-accent-ir-infrared-wall-panels-with-remote/
The Ecostrad Accent IR infrared panel combines efficiency, quality design and easy self-installation at an affordable price point. This slim, wall-mounted only heater uses a carbon crystal film element to distribute heat smoothly and means the panel is super lightweight.
The Accent IR comes with a multifunctional remote control that acts as a thermostat and programmer for customising your own heating schedules. Additional smart features, like open window detection and an adaptive start function to pre-heat rooms, demonstrate thoughtful design from the engineers.
With advanced infrared heating technology, great features and budget-friendly pricing, the Accent IR is a winner.
- Power range: 350W – 1100W
- Price range: £200 – £310
- Dimensions: 60.5cm x 60.5cm – 90.5cm x 120.5cm
- Weight: 4.2kg – 10.8kg
- Features: Slimline (22mm depth), overheat protection, digital thermostat, remote control, 5 year warranty
- Installation: Wall mounted only
- Wired/plug: Plug in or wired
Most Energy Efficient Infrared Panel: Technotherm ISP
The Technotherm ISP Frameless infrared panel sets the new standard for efficient, high class infrared panels. This super slim panel, which can be wall or ceiling mounted, is beautifully designed with German engineering.
Technotherm uses an advanced Matrix Heat Mat with high-density carbon fibre wiring (up to 10 times more wiring than conventional methods) to distribute the heat and maximise transfer efficiency. The panel also features rock insulation at the rear to prevent heat loss for maximum energy efficiency.
The Technotherm ISP must be paired with a TPF-Eco Radio Frequency Thermostat to operate as normal. This thermostat allows you to create your own heating schedule, which can be adjusted using the Smart Homehub, from your phone or tablet.
- Power range: 350W – 1200W
- Price range: £150 – £580
- Dimensions: 60cm x 60cm – 180cm x 605cm
- Weight: 9kg – 19kg
- Features: Ulta slim (15mm depth), safety glass finish, matrix heat mat, Wifi control and smart home hub compatible, rear rock wool insulation, 5 year warranty
- Installation: Wall or ceiling mounted
- Wired/plug: Plug in or wired
Best Infrared Panel For Home Office: Portable Nexus
The Portable Nexus, manufactured by Mirrorstone Heating, brings convenient warmth and excellent control to keep your office space as comfortable as can be. The Nexus ranges from a power output of 350W to 700W, making it perfect for small to medium spaces.
This lightweight portable model is easy to move around and features two sturdy feet. The panel is made from toughened aluminium and is coated with FIR, a type of carbon composite material for durable heat emission and non-yellowing across years of use.
For smart functionality, the Portable Nexus connects directly to WiFi for full app control – so even busy professionals who forget to turn the heater off can simply access it remotely. The panel also includes a traditional remote control for manual operation. The flexibility of control here is great.Â
- Power range: 350W – 700W
- Price range: £208 – £274
- Dimensions: 59.5cm x 59.5cm – 59.5cm x 119.5cm
- Features: A slim 22m depth, white aluminium, remote control and WiFi smartphone connectivity, 2 year standard warranty
- Installation: Free standing (1.7m cable)
- Wired/plug: Plug in
Smartest Infrared Panel: Ecostrad Opus iQ
https://www.electricradiatorsdirect.co.uk/ecostrad-opus-iq-wifi-controlled-infrared-wall-panels/
The Ecostrad Opus iQ is a future-thinking infrared panel heater packing in efficiency with a seamless smart home integration right out of the box. This frameless aluminium panel, which is wall mounted only, uses a carbon crystal film for trusted operation, which has a fire-resistant coating, has overheat protection features and is PU insulation at the back to prevent heat loss.
While the panel looks sleek, the magic lies in the smart control features. The Opus iQ has a built-in WiFi receiver to link up with the Smart Life app and is voice assistant compatible for super convenient management. The wireless sensor in the panel communicates with the app and can be scheduled with a heating routine individually or as a group. If you prefer more manual control, you can pair the Opus iQ with a physical remote.
This panel is great for residential use or for use in an office environment – we now have 5 x 1100W Ecostrad Opus iQ panels in our own office and have been very happy with their performance. This panel has an IP54 rating, meaning it can handle the odd water splash and spillage, and is suitable for bathrooms.
- Power range: 350W – 1100W
- Price range: £210 – £420
- Dimensions: 59.5cm x 59.5cm – 120.5cm x 90.5cm
- Weight: 5.7kg – 15.9kg
- Features: 25mm in depth, Polyurethane insulation at the rear, Alexa/Google voice control compatible, WiFi smartphone control, 5 year warranty,
- Installation: Wall mounted only
- Wired/plug: Wired
Best Infrared Panel For Conservatories/Garden Rooms: Herschel Comfort
The Herschel Comfort is up there as one of the best and most eco-friendly infrared heating panels.
This panel is put together in the UK with British and European materials, including a German heating element. The front is made from British steel coated with a specialist high-temperature resistant powder. Underneath is a type of basalt wool insulation made in Wales, which has a low environmental impact and is 100% recyclable.
So, what makes it good for garden rooms and conservatories?
It’s one of the quickest panels to heat up on the market, getting up to temperature in a brisk 5 minutes. This is thanks to the Swift Comfort Plus technology that speeds up warming and increases infrared efficiency at 20% over earlier generations. The Herschel Comfort comes in a wide range of power outputs, from a small 215W, ideal for small sheds, up to 1250W for large rooms.Â
Alongside the range of panel sizes, including long and narrow, plus wall or ceiling mounting options, the Comfort looks great and comes with native integration into Herschel’s advanced smart thermostats with advanced app control.
- Power range: 215W – 1250W
- Price range: £309 – £839
- Dimensions: 30cm x 60cm – 60cm x 160cm
- Weight: 4kg – 21kg
- Features: 5 min warm up time, UK made, basalt wool insulation, Smartphone/App control, 10 year warranty
- Installation: Wall or ceiling mounted
- Wired/plug: Wired only
Best Looking Infrared Panel: Milano Mirrored
https://www.suryaheating.co.uk/700w-milano-mirrored-infrared-heating-panel.html
For those valuing aesthetics as well as energy efficient warmth, we think the Mirrorstone Milano is the one for you. This super svelte (just 11mm depth), mirrored glass wall panel disguises infrared technology with a sleek reflective surface that doubles as both a heat source and mirror. Placed in the bathroom, it will resist steaming up when active and is IP54 water resistant.
Beyond its elegant looks, the Milano panel can be integrated with your WiFi network so you can manage all features remotely from the Smart Life app, including schedules and automatic switching on when the temperature drops below a certain level. It’s also fully compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control.
The Milano is really simple to install and can be plugged into a mains socket, meaning no need for electricians. However, if you’re installing into a bathroom, it’s best to hard-wire the panel in.
- Power range: 320W – 700W
- Price range: £235 – £357
- Dimensions: 60cm x 60cm – 60cm x 120cm
- Weight: 4kg – 21kg
- Features: Super slim 11mm depth, mirrored surface with anti-foging, WiFi controlled, 5 year warranty
- Installation: Wall mounted only
- Wired/plug: Plug in or wired
Should you upgrade to infrared panels?
When weighing up whether to upgrade to modern infrared heating panels, the answer depends greatly on the current set up of your home, features and budget.
In well-insulated contemporary spaces, infrared can provide highly targeted warmth which exceeds outdated radiators for comfort and elegance. Smart-enabled options also pair well with an energy-efficient home that’s set up for the future.
However, costs still run high when buying en-mass, and without sufficient insulation infrared alone may still struggle warming very large rooms, making panels costly to run. You can learn more on how much do infrared panels cost to run here. However, it’s clear that IR panels can work brilliantly in certain circumstances.
Ultimately, infrared panel advantages like direct heating, efficiency, low emissions and no impacts on air quality make them enticing upgrades over time as the technology continues dropping in price. More often than not, they serve best by supplementing existing systems in key living zones initially before potentially expanding coverage.
