Expert's Rating
Pros
- Small and portable
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Tip-over alerts via the app
Cons
- 1500W, which means it’s expensive to run
- Doesn’t come with a remote
Our Verdict
This compact little heater packs a punch for its size. If you’re looking for something small, light, and well-priced, the GoveeLife space heater could fit the bill. It’s a 1500-watt appliance, so you’ll want to keep an eye on usage. But its smart scheduling and auto mode will help ensure you’re only using it when needed.
Best Prices Today: GoveeLife Smart Portable Space Heater Lite (model H7135)
One of the problems with portable heaters is where to store them during the months you’re not using them. That’s where the little GoveeLife model H7135 space heater could come in handy.
Design & Build
- Light and small
- Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity, with app control
- On-device controls
- Rated to heat up to 200 square feet
At 9.1 x 5.9 x 5.9 inches (HxWxD), this portable smart heater is diminutive enough to stand on a shelf or sit in a cupboard when it’s not needed. It also means you can place it on a bedside table or desk when you are using it.
This little heater looks a lot like a portable speaker. It’s black and cylindrical, with a grille on the front where it vents hot air (there is no fan).
Its top surface is glossy black. It looks good but it’ll pick up fingerprints when you use the touch controls, which are arrayed over it next to their explanatory icons.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Using the control panel, you can switch it on and off, choose from one of three heat settings, fan or auto mode, and set a timer to switch it off in one, two, or four hours.
The control panel is also how you switch on the Wi-Fi capabilities to start pairing, although it’s also Bluetooth-enabled. All the controls are straightforward and easy to use, although the icons are small and not easy to decipher from a distance.
At the back, there’s an inset carry handle and as it only weighs 3.63 pounds, it’s easy to move around. The heater has a long, 5.7-foot power cable, so you have a bit of flexibility about where you use it.
It doesn’t come with a remote control, but Govee has an app and the heater can be connected to Alexa or Google Home for automation, meaning you can use your phone or your voice as a remote, as well as access more advanced features, such as linking the heater to one of Govee’s hygrometers to more accurately measure the room’s ambient temperature.
Performance & Features
- App control
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Home
- 1500W
The heater is easy to set up. To use the smart features, you’ll need to download the Govee Home app, which is available for iOS and Android, and set up an account.
Next, with the heater switched on, hold down the On/Off and Mode keys and an indicator light beside the Wi-Fi icon will illuminate. (If you unplug your heater once it’s set up, you’ll need to do this again to use the smart features, although you won’t have to pair it again.)
You can then pair the heater. When we tested it, pairing was immediate and we were able to use its smart features right away.
You can control any Govee devices via the Govee app, group them into rooms and manage the rooms by setting up tap-to-run automations. This sounds like a handy feature but in reality, unless you have a lot of Govee devices, it’ll be of limited use.
However, you can link the heater to your Alexa or Google Home account and control it using voice commands or via those apps. We linked to it Alexa and the process was easy. Bear in mind that you’ll only be able to turn it on and off using voice control, nothing more complicated.
The Govee Life app will give you much more control over the heater itself compared to the on-device controls. As the heater has a built-in thermostat, you can choose a target temperature so the heater isn’t just blazing away unchecked. You can also set up a day-by-day heating schedule, so if you have the heater in a home office, you can set it to turn on and off at the same time each day.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
You can choose the heating mode for scheduling as well, so you can run it on a high setting for 15 minutes to warm up your office quickly before you start work, then run it in auto mode later in the day to maintain the temperature.
The app can also send you alerts, one of which is a great safety feature: a tip-over alert.
It’s a powerful little heater that blasts out a lot of hot air. Govee says that it can comfortably heat a 200-square-foot room, which is around the size of a large double bedroom. Given its power consumption, which will vary according to the ambient temperature and your desired temperature, the most economical way to use it is at close quarters, to keep you warm in a smaller room. The only way to tell exactly how much power it’s consuming is to plug it into a smart plug with energy-monitoring capabilities. You can see some of the best in our smart plugs round-up.
Still, if you use the Govee’s auto and scheduling features, it’ll help you keep an eye on your energy use.
It’s quiet in use as well. In low mode, it’s virtually silent but even in high mode, it’s not very noisy at all.
Should you buy the GoveeLife Smart Portable Space Heater Lite?
If you’re looking for a small and portable space heater, the GoveeLife model H7135 is a very good option: it’s compact, powerful, and quiet. You’ll need to keep an eye on its power consumption, but using the scheduling and auto features will help.
If this isn’t the right heater for you, have a look at Tech Advisor’s round-up of the best heaters for their top recommendations.
Specs
- 1500W
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Dimensions: 9.1×5.9×5.9 inches (HxWxD)
- Weight: 3.63 pounds
Editors’ note: This review was originally published by TechHive’s sibling publication, Tech Advisor.