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The best panel heater in NZ for most homes is the De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX4324EG, which combines full 2400W output, a digital thermostat and timer, and an Eco Plus mode that trims power once the room is warm. Below we compare five panel and convector heaters you can buy in New Zealand for 2026, with a clear best-for pick for every kind of room and budget.
Panel heaters are slim electric heaters that warm a room mostly by convection, drawing cool air in low, heating it over an element and letting it rise. They are quiet, safe around children and pets, and easy to move or wall-mount, which makes them a popular backup to a heat pump or the main heater in a bedroom. For a wider look at every heater type, see our guide to the best heaters.
Quick comparison
| Pick | Best for | Power | Suits room up to | Controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX4324EG | Best overall | 2400W | ~60 m3 (medium-large) | Digital + 24h timer |
| 2. Dimplex HeatLite | Best quiet budget pick | 2000W | 20 m2 | Rotary dial |
| 3. De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX3324FTS | Best wall-mountable | 2400W | ~70 m3 (large) | Rotary dials + 24h timer |
| 4. Olimpia Splendid NDM-15WT | Best smart / silent | 1500W | Medium rooms | Wi-Fi app + 24h timer |
| 5. Devola DVNDM10 | Best for small rooms | 1000W | 12 m2 | Thermostat + 24/7 timer |
1. De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX4324EG
Best overall panel heater for most NZ homes. The De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX4324EG is the pick most Kiwi households should look at first, because it pairs full 2400W output with proper digital control and a genuine energy-saving mode.
This is the digital member of De’Longhi’s SlimStyle convector range, finished in black. It runs at up to 2400W and De’Longhi rates it for spot and background heating in small to medium rooms, roughly up to 60 cubic metres, so it suits a typical lounge, bedroom or open study rather than a large draughty hall.
The controls are where it pulls ahead of dial-only heaters. A digital thermostat holds the room at your set temperature instead of cycling between blast and off, and a digital timer programmes it on or off in half-hour steps out to 24 hours. The Eco Plus setting trims the wattage once the room is warm, which owners point to as the main reason they leave it on longer.
A lateral fan gives a quicker warm-up when you first switch on, then convection takes over for quiet, even heat. An electronic tip-over cut-off switches it off if it is knocked over. In New Zealand it is stocked by De’Longhi NZ, PB Tech and Heathcotes, and it carries a 24-month warranty, longer cover than several rivals here.
Pros:
- Digital thermostat plus 24-hour timer for set-and-forget heating
- Eco Plus mode reduces power draw once the room is warm
- Fan boost speeds up the initial warm-up
- Longer 24-month NZ warranty
Cons:
- The fan boost makes a little noise, unlike fully fanless panels
- Sits at the top of the range
- No built-in Wi-Fi or app control
Key specs: Model HSX4324EG; 2400W; digital thermostat + 24h timer; Eco Plus; lateral fan boost; tip-over cut-off; suits rooms up to ~60 m3; black; 24-month NZ warranty.
2. Dimplex HeatLite Panel Heater
Best quiet pick for a bedroom on a budget. If near-silent running matters more than gadgets, the Dimplex HeatLite is the standout, since its fanless convection makes almost no noise and its safety package is unusually thorough for a simple heater.
The HeatLite is Dimplex’s compact 2kW convector (sold elsewhere as the ML2T) in white. It heats by natural convection with no fan, which is why Dimplex calls it near-silent and recommends it for bedrooms and quiet spaces. Dimplex rates it for rooms up to about 20 square metres.
Controls are deliberately simple: three heat settings and one large rotary thermostat dial that is easy to read and turn, plus a frost-protection setting for cold snaps. There is no digital timer, so this is a heater you turn on and adjust by hand. Two integrated carry handles and a 360-degree finish mean it moves easily between rooms and looks tidy from any angle.
Safety is a real strength. It uses triple overheat protection including fire-resistant materials, a tilt shut-off and a child-lock, and is BEAB approved to European safety standards with a three-year guarantee on registration. One honesty note for NZ buyers: this is a UK-market model, so confirm the plug and local availability first, and Dimplex notes it is best for well-insulated spaces or occasional use.
Pros:
- Fanless design runs almost silently, ideal for bedrooms
- Large rotary dial is simple and fuss-free
- Triple overheat protection plus child-lock
- Light with dual carry handles for room-to-room use
Cons:
- Dial only, with no digital timer or programming
- UK-market model, so check plug and NZ availability first
- Dimplex rates it for well-insulated spaces or occasional use
Key specs: Dimplex HeatLite (ML2T); 2000W; 3 heat settings; rotary thermostat with frost setting; near-silent fanless convection; triple overheat protection + child-lock; suits rooms up to 20 m2; white; 3-year guarantee (registration).
3. De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX3324FTS
Best wall-mountable panel heater. For anyone who wants to get the heater off the floor, the white De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX3324FTS is the easy call, thanks to a 9 cm-slim body, an included wall-mount kit and the biggest room rating in this line-up.
At just 9 cm deep and about 683 mm wide, this white SlimStyle is designed to sit flat against a wall using the supplied bracket kit, or to stand on the included feet if you would rather keep it portable. That slimness is the point: it disappears in a hallway or bedroom where a bulky column heater would be in the way.
It runs at up to 2400W and De’Longhi rates it for large rooms, up to around 70 cubic metres, the most generous figure here. Three rotary dials handle the six thermostat levels, the fan speed and a 24-hour manual timer, and a lateral fan pushes warm air out faster. There is a room thermostat, a separate safety thermostat and an anti-frost function, plus carry handles and a standard NZ/AU plug on a 1.8 m lead.
Owner reviews on AU retailer listings average around four out of five across roughly 60 ratings, praising quiet, quick heat and value. The recurring criticism is worth flagging honestly: a minority report the overheat sensor tripping and the unit needing to cool before it restarts, and the warranty is a shorter 12 months. For most rooms it is a strong, tidy performer, but it is a manual heater, not a programmable one.
Pros:
- Very slim 9 cm body, wall-mountable with the included kit
- Largest room rating here, up to ~70 m3
- 24-hour timer, room thermostat, safety thermostat and anti-frost
- Standard NZ/AU plug and carry handles
Cons:
- Manual dials rather than digital control
- Some owners report the overheat cut-off tripping in use
- Shorter 12-month warranty
Key specs: Model HSX3324FTS; 2400W; 460 x 683 x 90 mm; wall-mount kit + feet; 3 power settings / 6 thermostat levels; 24h manual timer; lateral fan; safety thermostat + anti-frost; tip-over switch; white; 1.8 m cord.
4. Olimpia Splendid Panel Heater
Best smart and silent panel heater. The Olimpia Splendid NDM-15WT is the one to choose if you want phone control and true silence, because its built-in Wi-Fi lets you run it from an app and its fanless design has no moving parts to hum.
Part of Olimpia Splendid’s Caldo NDM (Levante) line, this 1500W panel measures 595 x 400 x 90 mm and weighs about 4.7 kg. It heats by natural convection with no fan, which Olimpia promotes as silent and friendly for allergy and asthma sufferers since it is not blowing dust around.
The headline feature is the built-in Wi-Fi, letting you switch it on, set a schedule and adjust the temperature from your phone before you get home. It also has a 24-hour timer, child-lock and open-window detection that pauses heating if it senses a sudden temperature drop, handy in rentals and student flats. It ships with both a wall bracket and castors, so you can fix it in place or wheel it between rooms.
At 1500W it draws less than the 2400W De’Longhi units, which keeps running costs down but also means it is better matched to bedrooms and medium rooms than to a large, draughty living area. A few owners find the app pairing fiddly to set up, and there is no fan boost for a fast initial blast. Against that, Olimpia backs it with a generous five-year warranty, the longest here.
Pros:
- Built-in Wi-Fi with app scheduling and remote control
- Fanless, so it runs silently with no dust blow-around
- Open-window detection, child-lock and 24-hour timer
- Wall bracket and castors both included; five-year warranty
Cons:
- 1500W suits medium rooms more than large, draughty ones
- App setup can be fiddly for some owners
- No fan boost for a fast warm-up
Key specs: Model NDM-15WT (Caldo NDM / Levante); 1500W; 595 x 400 x 90 mm; 4.7 kg; built-in Wi-Fi + app; 24h timer; child-lock; open-window detection; tip-over; fanless; wall bracket + castors; 5-year warranty.
5. Devola Eco Electric Panel Heater
Best for small rooms and low-wattage top-up heat. For a small room, home office or nursery where you only need gentle top-up warmth, the 1000W Devola DVNDM10 is the sensible low-draw choice, and its half-wattage eco mode lets you trim consumption even further.
This is the entry point of Devola’s eco panel range, a slim white aluminium heater rated at 1000W for rooms up to about 12 square metres. It measures 400 mm tall, 460 mm wide and just 107 mm deep, weighs only 3.3 kg and comes with both feet and a fixing kit, so it can stand on castors or mount on the wall.
Despite the budget positioning it is well specified. There is an adjustable thermostat, a 24/7 timer with a shutdown memory, open-window detection and a child-lock, and it is Lot 20 compliant for energy efficiency. Usefully, it can run at half its wattage to save power, and it is IP24 rated, meaning it is protected against water spray and safe for bathroom zone 3, which most panel heaters are not.
The obvious limit is output: at 1000W it will warm a small space but will struggle in anything large or poorly insulated, so treat it as a targeted or supplementary heater rather than a whole-home solution. Like the Dimplex, it is a UK-market model, so confirm the plug and local availability before buying. There is no Wi-Fi or remote, and frost protection is built in for cold months.
Pros:
- Low 1000W draw, with a half-wattage eco mode to save more
- Compact and light at 3.3 kg, wall or floor mounting
- IP24 rated, so it is safe for bathroom zone 3
- Thermostat, 24/7 timer, open-window detection and child-lock
Cons:
- 1000W only heats small rooms, not large or draughty spaces
- UK-market model, so check plug and NZ availability first
- No Wi-Fi or remote control
Key specs: Model DVNDM10; 1000W (with half-wattage eco mode); 400 x 460 x 107 mm; 3.3 kg; aluminium; IP24; Lot 20 compliant; adjustable thermostat; 24/7 timer; open-window detection; child-lock; frost protection; castors + fixing kit; white.
How we chose Panel Heater
This is a research-based guide. The team did not physically test these heaters. Instead we compared each model against manufacturer specifications and New Zealand and Australian retailer listings, cross-checked verified owner reviews, and weighed the factors that matter most for a Kiwi winter: heat output for the room size, how the controls work, running efficiency and, above all, safety features.
We confirmed each model is a current, listed product rather than a discontinued one, and flagged where a model is a UK-market unit so you can check the plug and local availability first. Every electric heater turns close to 100 percent of the power it uses into heat, so the real differences come down to output, controls and how efficiently each holds a set temperature. If damp is part of your problem, a heater alone will not fix it, so it is worth pairing one with a good dehumidifier.
Panel heaters are not the only option. For steady all-night warmth some people prefer oil column heaters, the cheapest way to heat a whole home long-term is usually a heat pump, and for cheap bed warmth on a cold night an electric blanket is hard to beat.
Verdict
The De’Longhi SlimStyle HSX4324EG is our overall pick, for its blend of 2400W output, digital control, Eco Plus efficiency and a longer NZ warranty. Choose the Dimplex HeatLite if silence in a bedroom is the priority, the wall-mountable De’Longhi HSX3324FTS for a large room where floor space is tight, the Olimpia Splendid NDM-15WT if you want app control, and the Devola DVNDM10 for gentle, low-draw heat in a small room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a panel heater and a convector heater?
Both warm a room by convection, and the terms overlap. A convector usually stands on the floor and pushes warm air out the top, while a panel heater is a slim, often wall-mountable version. In practice most slim convectors are sold as panel heaters, so judge them on output, controls and safety rather than the label.
Are panel heaters cheap to run in NZ?
Panel heaters turn nearly all their power into heat, but running cost depends on wattage and time. A 2400W heater draws 2.4 units of power an hour, so the cost is that figure times your power plan’s per-unit rate. Using a thermostat, timer and eco mode, and heating only the room you are in, keeps bills down.
Can you leave a panel heater on overnight?
Yes. Panel heaters have low surface temperatures and built-in overheat protection, and models with a thermostat and timer can hold a comfortable temperature overnight while avoiding waste. Use the timer or a night setting, keep the heater clear of curtains and bedding, and never cover it, as covering any heater is a fire risk.
What size or wattage panel heater do I need?
Match wattage to room size. As a rough guide, around 1000W suits a small room up to about 12 square metres, 1500W a medium room, and 2000 to 2400W a larger or less insulated living area. Better-insulated rooms need less, and running a slightly larger heater on a thermostat beats an undersized one at full power.
Do panel heaters have to be mounted on the wall?
No. Most panel heaters, including the De’Longhi, Olimpia Splendid and Devola models here, ship with both feet or castors and a wall-mount kit, so you can stand them on the floor or fix them to the wall. Wall-mounting saves floor space and keeps the heater out of reach; feet or castors let you move it between rooms.
Are panel heaters good for bedrooms?
Panel heaters suit bedrooms well because they are quiet, especially fanless models like the Dimplex HeatLite and Olimpia Splendid, and they run at a low surface temperature. Choose one with a thermostat and timer so it can hold a gentle temperature through the night rather than running at full power, which is cheaper and more comfortable.
