The 8 Best Kerosene Heaters
Updated by · How we research
Eight wick and forced-air kerosene heaters compared by room size, run time, shutoffs and indoor rules. The Sengoku KeroHeat CTN-110 leads for most homes. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A kerosene heater has no chimney, so everything it burns ends up in the air you breathe. So the type matters as much as the size. Wick models run without power and suit a cold room or a long outage, while fan-driven ones belong in a garage or shop. Every one needs fresh air and a carbon monoxide alarm.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
Our pick for most homes is the Sengoku KeroHeat CTN-110. It is still made, it needs no power, and Sengoku publishes a full manual with clear rules on fuel, clearance and fresh air. Most of the old picks had to go: the Dyna Glo Delux, the Dyna-Glo radiant and RMC-95C6B models, the Dura Heat stove and the DeWalt, Stanley, Remington and big Mr. Heater MH175KTR heaters are either gone or show no price. The Mr. Heater MH75KTR stays. The page now leads with wick heaters for homes and outages, then covers fan-driven heaters for garages and shops. We worked from Sengoku's manual, the CPSC's kerosene heater safety guide and World Marketing's Reddy Heater spec pages, and a recall search found two 2026 fuel-jug recalls but none for these heaters.
November 09, 2020:
Whether you're looking for a kerosene heater for a job site or for emergency use in the home, you'll find options here to select from. No matter which you opt for, though, remember to follow all safety instructions to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. In fact, if you'll be using an indoor model, you should go ahead and install a high-quality carbon monoxide detector.
With that said, the Stanley ST-80T-KFA and the Dyna Glo Delux remain strong choices for those who need the power to heat a large space. Offering up to 80,000 and 180,000 BTUs, respectively, these high-powered units will make a job site or ventilated garage a much more comfortable place to work. In case these are not powerful enough, we added the Remington 215, which is rated for up to 215,000 BTUs and can heat a space of nearly 5,500 square feet.
Smaller, in-home models to consider are led by the Dura Heat Indoor and the Dyna-Glo RMC-95C6B, which are efficient and user-friendly. Just like a good stash of survival food, having one of these around the home could help you stay comfortable in an emergency. We kept the Sengoku KeroHeat, as well, which comes in both 10,000 and 23,500 BTU versions, but we removed the Protemp Sun Stream. Although its small size is admirable, its long-term durability is suspect, especially when compared to most other models.
October 31, 2019:
There are a couple different kinds of kerosene heaters. The more common type forces large amounts of air over a powerful element using a direct blower and these are generally used outdoors or in well-ventilated garages. The Mr. Heater F270270 and Mr. Heater F270370 are two of the most popular and largest of these, though the Dyna Glo Delux may be even more effective than those two for large areas. The Stanley ST-80T-KFA and DeWalt DXH75KT are two excellent options for mid-size garages and small construction sites, and they're considerably less expensive than their larger counterparts.
Then there are smaller versions that use radiators rather than forced air. The Sengoku CTN-110 KeroHeat and Dyna-Glo RMC-55R7B are two of the best, and they're even suitable for indoor use, whereas the larger and more powerful ones listed earlier may not be ideal inside. Meanwhile, the Dura Heat DH2304 and Dyna-Glo RMC-95C6B provide 360 degrees of radiant heat, so while they're not quite as focused, their results can be more consistent and comfortable.
Whichever you choose, be absolutely certain that it's safe to use indoors if that's where you're using it, and be sure to keep flammable materials far away from it. Also remember to let it cool down completely before refilling and do not, under any circumstances, use gasoline or even an old gasoline container to refill them -- that can easily cause dangerous flareups.
If you want something that burns a little cleaner, there are quite a few freestanding propane heaters and tabletop models worth checking out as well.
Special Honors
Sengoku Manuals Library Sengoku, which makes the KeroHeat and HeatMate lines, posts free manuals for its kerosene heaters on its own site. They cover first lighting, wick height, burning off carbon, and the replacement wick each model takes, which is the part owners most often need. sengokula.com
Wick Or Fan: Two Very Different Heaters
Those area ratings are generous, so size up for an old or leaky house.
Two machines share the name. A wick heater draws kerosene up a cotton or glass-fiber wick from a tank of about one to two gallons, needs no electricity, and lights from a battery spark. It is the kind people mean by an indoor or emergency heater. A forced-air heater, often called a torpedo, blows air past a burner with an electric fan. It puts out 50,000 BTU or more, needs a 120-volt outlet, and its makers sell it for garages, barns and job sites, not living areas.
Wick heaters come in two shapes. A box-style radiant heater, like the Sengoku KeroHeat CTN-110, uses a reflector to aim about 10,000 BTU forward; Sengoku rates it for up to 400 square feet. A round convection stove warms in a full circle at about 23,000 BTU and suits open or drafty rooms of up to about 1,000 square feet, by the makers' numbers. Those area ratings are generous, so size up for an old or leaky house.
Room size also sets how much fresh air you need. The CTN-110 manual says that if a room has less than 200 cubic feet of air for every 1,000 BTU per hour, you must open a door to another room or a window at least an inch. For a 10,000 BTU heater that is 2,000 cubic feet, roughly a 15 by 15 foot room with a 9-foot ceiling.
Searching for Dura Heat or Dyna-Glo? The Dura Heat round stoves came from World Marketing of America, the company behind Kero World, Comfort Glow and Reddy Heater, and the Dura Heat model on the old version of this page is no longer sold. Dyna-Glo still sells round and box wick heaters through GHP Group, but the one we checked had a thin record. For heat without combustion in a bedroom or office, see our space heater picks.
Fuel, Smell And Wick Care
Burn only 1-K kerosene, the low-sulfur grade made for unvented heaters. The CPSC's kerosene heater guide says to buy certified 1-K, keep it in a blue container marked for kerosene, never a red gasoline can, and never put gasoline in a kerosene heater, even a little. Old or contaminated fuel is the most common reason a heater smokes or smells.
Buy fuel in a proper container. In 2026 the CPSC announced recalls of two brands of 1-K fuel jugs, including Alliance Chemical's, because they lacked the flame barrier federal rules require.
Wick heaters smell for a minute when you light them and when you shut them off; that is normal. A strong smell while running usually means a dirty wick, a flame turned too low, or bad fuel. Sengoku's manual says to let a new wick soak in fuel before the first lighting, to burn off carbon once it builds up, and to replace the wick when burning off no longer helps. Each model takes its own wick, so note the part number when you buy the heater.
Run time depends on the tank and the flame. Sengoku lists about 14 hours for the CTN-110 on 1.2 gallons. Round 23,000 BTU stoves empty a 1.9-gallon tank in about 12 hours, and a forced-air heater like the Reddy Heater RFA80T-V3 uses about half a gallon an hour.
Safety, Ventilation And Local Rules
Every kerosene heater releases its exhaust into the room, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. The CPSC guide says to keep a door open to the rest of the house, or open a window about an inch in a closed room, and to keep the heater at least 3 feet from furniture, bedding and curtains. Put a carbon monoxide alarm and a smoke alarm on every level of the home. People with breathing or heart problems are most at risk from the fumes.
Refuel outdoors, only when the heater is off and cool, and never fill above the full mark. If the flame flares up, don't carry the heater or throw anything on it: use the shutoff, and if that fails, leave and call the fire department. Sengoku's manual adds that the heater must never be left running unattended or used in a bathroom or closet, and nothing should be set on top of it.
Rules vary. Some states and cities restrict or ban unvented kerosene heaters in homes; World Marketing's own notice names California and Massachusetts as examples. Check with your state fire marshal or local building department before you buy one for indoor use. Forced-air models are sold as work-space heaters, and the same notice says local limits can apply to them too.
How we researched this
We compared 20 kerosene heaters, including every pick from the old version of this page, read Sengoku's CTN-110 manual and the makers' spec pages where they exist, used the sellers' data where they don't, looked for patterns in owner feedback on fuel, smell and wicks, and checked each brand against CPSC recall records. No independent lab tests of kerosene heaters turned up.
Sources (8)
- Sengoku: KeroHeat CTN-110
- Sengoku: CTN-110 owner's manual (PDF)
- Sengoku: manuals and instructions
- CPSC: What You Should Know About Kerosene Heaters (pub. 5052)
- CPSC: Alliance Chemical 1-K kerosene container recall (2026)
- CPSC: Enerco DeWalt cordless kerosene heater recall (2021)
- World Marketing: Reddy Heater RFA80T
- World Marketing: important information
Frequently asked questions
Do they still make kerosene heaters?
Yes. Sengoku and World Marketing (Kero World, Comfort Glow, Reddy Heater) still sell wick and forced-air models, and Dyna-Glo and Mr. Heater still sell shop heaters. Several older models, including the Dura Heat DH2400S, are no longer sold.
Dura Heat or Dyna-Glo: which is better?
Dura Heat came from World Marketing, which now sells its round stoves as Comfort Glow and Kero World; the Dura Heat model we listed before is gone. Dyna-Glo still sells wick heaters, but the one we checked had little owner history. A Sengoku KeroHeat or the Comfort Glow KW-24J is the safer choice today.
Can you use a kerosene heater indoors?
Wick heaters are sold for indoor use, but only with fresh air, 3 feet of clearance, 1-K fuel, and carbon monoxide and smoke alarms on every level. Forced-air heaters are for garages and work sites, not living areas. Some states and cities restrict indoor use, so check local rules.
How long does a kerosene heater run on a tank?
About 12 to 15 hours for most wick heaters, by the makers' numbers, and about 8 to 14 hours for forced-air heaters on a 5-gallon tank. A well-kept wick heater lasts for years; the wick is the part that wears out and gets replaced.
What is the best kerosene heater for a garage?
A forced-air heater such as the Reddy Heater RFA80T-V3 heats a two-car garage quickly, with a thermostat to hold the temperature. It needs an outlet and ventilation. For a small garage with no power, a round wick stove like the Sengoku KeroHeat CV-23K works.
Is it safe to sleep with a kerosene heater on?
No. Sengoku's manual says never to leave the heater running unattended, and the CPSC advises keeping it away from bedding. Turn it off and make sure the flame is out before bed.
