This was posted 2 years 2 months 23 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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Vornado Whole Room Heater VMH300 $129.97 Delivered (RRP $299) @ Costco Online (Membership Requried)

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Costco have reduced their clearance price for the Vornado Whole Room Heater. Looks to be the cheapest price yet? Can get it for $149 from both Amazon AU and David Jones. I made a mistake in a previous post when I thought they were clearing the VMH350. I believe the two are very similar but the VMH350 has a "12 hr timer, two digital LED displays, and remote control!" whereas the VMH300 just has 2 dials and no timer. Not having a timer could be a deal breaker for some.

I'm only posting for people who are interested in this type of heater. Please be nice and don't be too harsh on people who are interested. I have seen some spicy comments in previous deals.

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closed Comments

  • +6

    🔥 spicy

    • +2

      Thanks for that! Didn't know how people did that, but I do now 😊

      🌶️🌶️🌶️💃💃💃

      • how is it done?

        • I thought it would be like something where you type in a code (ASCII) that changes into special characters. I just went here and copied and pasted them straight into my message. 🉐🈹💰🤑

          • @ozbs25: ah ok. I was expecting some ascii magic as well

          • +6

            @ozbs25: When you're typing (on Windows at least), do a windows key + . (full stop).

            You'll get an emoji pop up. You can start typing words and it'll search for you - or just use your mouse and scroll through.

            😃

            • @whitey1212: Oh yeah. I do remember accidently doing that a few times. Never knew how I brought it up. Thanks. Probably easier 😎

              • @ozbs25: Haha yeah I think that's how I first figured it out - an accidental keypress

            • +3

              @whitey1212: Also ctrl+command+space on MacOS for the equivalent emoji menu 👍

      • +1

        Why are emojis not used much on OzBargain?? It kind of blows my mind a little.

        Edit: 🤯

      • +1

        or press "Windows" + "."

        • Or press Windows + ";"

  • Patchy reviews on Amazon?

    • +3

      Yeah, there is a bit of conjecture whether it's any better than other (much) cheaper heaters. FWIW, Choice don't recommend it and gave it a pretty poor score. Having said that, 3 out of 4 community reviewers really liked it. 🤷

      • Would you mind letting us know which heaters Choice recommend? Cheers.

        • +9

          Out of the 48 products they reviewed, only these 3 were recommended DeLonghi HCX3220FTS, Dimplex DHCERA20E, Goldair GPCH230. These weren't the highest rated ones but I guess price is factored in? I don't really want to give more info than that. Choice do a good job and you really should support them if you can.

        • Column oil heaters are by far my favourite. A softer radient heat which still gets plenty toasty. And mildly more efficient than other ways because it holds the head for a while once off.

          • +3

            @gakko: Not really any more efficient than a fan heater, just time delay of heating the oil, vs the oil then heating the room. A fan heater is instant, and oil heater takes 10-15 minutes to warm up, so once off, that initial 10-15 mins of electricity used to warm up the oil, is then 'given back' at the end when the oil is cooled down.

            I won't deny they are a 'nicer' heat than a fan heater. Feels less stuffy and more stable temp fluctuations compared to a fan heater, but no more/less efficient.

            • @placard: Plus hot air rises, so column heaters without a fan will heat the room from the ceiling down - not great if you have a high ceiling. With a fan heater, you can direct the hot air to the target and also encourage general air/heat circulation.

              Column heaters are probably safer with kids (mine's not too hot to touch) and better overnight (low noise, not dry heat).

              Here's the Choice guide and review. As previous poster said - they are worth subscribing.

              • @Dinjay: Well I can accept that heating the oil acts as a delay roughly equivalent to the extension once power is off, but why is the oil column heater scoring the lowest cost for same/higher power input in the tables in the choice guide?

                • @gakko: 1KW of electric makes 1KW of heat in the room.

                  This cost is identical for every resistive electric heater. It doesn't matter one bit if you insulate the element with oil or you blast air over it with a fan.

                  You're still putting 1KW into the room and paying for 1KW…

                • @gakko: Yes, that is interesting. I presume it has to do with the electricity used for running the fan (minor component) plus efficiency of converting electricity to heat (major component).

                  There may also be sampling and averaging issues. Many more fan heaters were reviewed than column heaters, and the Choice review shows large differences in running cost between just the fan heaters. So even if the most efficient fan heater is better than the least efficient column heater - on average, column heaters in the sample were more efficient than fan heaters.

                  I have bought a few heaters over the years based on the Choice reviews. The running cost was never a major consideration because I don't even come close to running any portable heater 6 hours every day over winter, so my actually running costs would be much lower. The heater functionality, safety, price and availability (devices highly rated by Choice seems to sell out) tend to be the major considerations.

  • +10

    "whole room"? It is a "fan heater". It has a resistive heat element, a thermostat and a fan.

    This one is more powerful and cost $9: https://www.target.com.au/p/celsius-2-w-fan-heater/64480251
    If you want to circulate the air better, a ceiling fan in reverse mode is ideal. Failing that, get a pedestal fan.
    Basically, bigger and slower is better. Not this little thing.

    • I have this it's good at heating small room 3x3m. My only issue with it is the thermostat is not the best. It's either on all night which suffercate's me or its too low and I freeze at night.

      I have it set a little lower, so Im not sweating at night. Usually in the morning it will turn on for 5-10mins which is enough to get me out of bed.

      I am looking to get something better but most I've looked at, reviews are up & down

      • Go for the $9 Target heater, the thermostat works on those

        • +1

          That's the one I'm talking about, I've had it for 2 years now.

    • -1

      oh i remember these ones. they have been selling the same model for like 15 years (i say that because i remember buying 1 15 years ago when i lived with my parents). These things don't last long, in my parents house we use to have 4 of them throughout the house (big house with different family members in each room), we would have atleast 2 of them die on us each season.

      fortunately i now have my own place with decent ducted AC & heating.

      but i would probably stay away from these target ones just because i consider them straight out e-waste.

    • +2

      This one is more powerful and cost $9

      But it doesn't have a cool name and large marketing budget behind it. I think I'll wait til Dyson come out with an $800 version that does the exact same thing and then buy that 🤣

  • +4

    I have 2 Vornado heaters and I love them. I found them heating up a whole room fast. I would pay more to get the 350 version with remote control and digital temperature control though. I actually bought this 300 version from Amazon then returned because it was difficult to adjust temperature.

    • Thanks for the insight. 😊

      • Depending on the price difference between the two models, you could just hook up a smart plug and be able to set timers and have a remotish function.

  • +5

    just in time for summer

  • +1

    Are these more energy efficient compared to cheapo you get from Kmart/Target?

    • +11

      All resistive heaters are the same efficiency. 100%
      The only way to get more heat out of electricity than 100% is to use a heat pump. Some fancier air conditioners have this function.

      • +1

        It's just every reverse cycle air con isn't it, nothing super fancy? Then you're getting up around 300-500% efficiency

        • Yep, I've found people in cold climates call them heat pumps moreso, given they don't really use them for cooling, which the term 'air conditioning' is usually associated with cooling.

          Heat pump is just what people refer to as reverse cycle air conditioning.

          • @placard: This too. Almost all A/C system you can buy are reverse cycle but not all - there are still some splits out there which are cooling only, great for warmer climes etc so you save some money.

            Also, I can't state broadly but I suspect many of the cheaper portable A/C units are resistive only for heating. I know mine was but then it only cost $300.

      • Heat Pump is just the name of the technology of reverse cycle airconditioning. Most A/Cs now are reverse cycle, it simply reverses the hot/cold sides, so the warm side is inside the house and cold side outside the house.

    • +2

      All plug in heaters are the same - will use the same amount of electricity for the same amount of heat. Nothing more to it.

      If you want more energy efficiency you need to install a reverse cycle A/C - these are actually very efficient and will use 4-5 times LESS power than a plug in heater due to the nature of how they work.

  • +7

    All electric heaters are 100% efficient. They turn 100% of the electricity into heat (excluding negligible losses for motor etc). This will be no different in performance or efficiency to a $10 electric heater

    • +4

      Exactly. I find it astounding that people will pay a lot of money for what is essentially no different to a cheap Kmart/Target unit. Those $500 Dyson heaters - I mean they will do the exact same thing as a Kmart one. Won't save any electricity, won't heat the room any better. Just successful marketing that convinces people to part with their money for what is still at the end of the day a fan heater.

      Better to put that $500 towards the cost of a reverse cycle A/C.

      • I came here to concur with the "all electrik heaters are 100% efficient" comment. Science is power!!! Learn it and save money.

        • Some of the expensive ones have lcd screen so are <100%

          • @Tleyx:

            Some of the expensive ones have lcd screen so are <100%

            Heat is just energy in motion. If you are using energy, you are producing heat.

            • @1st-Amendment: Led also.produce light which is some of 100%

              Actually so do bar heater so its not 100 percent anyway

              • @Tleyx:

                Led also.produce light which is some of 100%

                Heat is just energy in motion. If you are using energy, you are producing heat.

          • @Tleyx: Maybe if the LCD screen is on a remote control which you leave outside. Remember, as someone once said - "Science is power!!!".

      • +1

        won't heat the room any better

        That's why I just heat my house by leaving my radiant cooktop on.

        • wait till you get a gas cooktop, it'll blow your mind!

    • Even those frictional losses from the motor are converted to heat!

  • +1

    These are nice subwoofers, they really pump the bass

  • I read pretty deeply into these, my verdict was that they're no good. I bought a delonghi ceramic fan heater instead

    • +2

      Same here, I looked into these when a deal was posted some months ago. Decided against it.

      Based on another OzBer's recommendation, I got one of these Dimplex Heat + Cool instead, love it (it's like a combination pedestal fan / air circulator / heater). A nice touch is the head is brought back to neutral position when you turn it off.

      Not bad for $150….also I didn't know westfield had a marketplace until just now.

      EDIT: This is a fantastic deal for the Dimplex, just created a separate post.

  • +2

    I thought this was a toaster + subwoofer combo device.

  • Buy out the stock and export them to the EU :-)

  • This vs the same square shape i got from target which has lasted me 4 years now for $30. I use it to heat the garage in winter. Why anyone would pay over $100 is beyond me

    • brand perception is a powerful thing.

      • -3

        Vornado? Im sure the wife will go off like a tornado if they found out i bought this.

        • +3

          Name does not check out.

          They??? Do they need to reach a consensus with each other first?

  • +2

    Whole room heater

    Power
    H 1500W & L 750W

    Hopefully your rooms are not very large.

  • I suppose a more expensive model will have a quieter more efficient fan that circulates the warm air better than a cheapy. Therefore it would heat up the whole room more quickly.

    Having said that, is there any evidence this Vornado has a quieter more efficient fan than the Target one?

  • You sure this thing doesn't drop a sick beat instead?

  • +1
    • They must have price matched. Back order only at this stage.

  • +1

    Things we learn as we go through life… like radiant/conduction/convection electric heaters are all equally as horribly (in) efficient.
    If you are in a circumstance where you can install a reverse cycle split system do it! You'll love your savings.
    If you have to buy an electric heater, don't be fooled into thinking spending more money will give you something better. The purchase cost is only a tiny portion of the overall cost (unless you get conned by an expensive electric heater).
    Better off putting an electric blanket on the couch by a bazillion dollars a year if you have to.

    • Those heated throws are amazing!

  • I purchased mine from costco last year.
    Waste of money and time. Air wasn't that warm coming out of it and didn't really feel like it did much at all. Ended up buying a heated throw and the cat and I were both much warmer.

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