Pelonis WM-HO202C Oil Filled Radiator Heater Review

The Pelonis looks like one of the old fashioned radiators you'd find in an older home and when it comes to the way it functions, it really follows that model.  There's an electrical element inside the radiator that heats up the oil inside.  The oil in turn warms the radiator itself and that lets Pelonis gives off a steady stream of heat and provides some warmth after you've turned it off, since the radiator coils and the oil stay warm for a bit.

There's a standard plug with the Pelonis and the cord is about 6 feet long.  That's enough to move your unit around in most rooms.  In addition, the wheels on the bottom of the unit make it even easier to move around.  There are really only four settings on the Pelonis and adjusting them is easy.  The upper dial on the unit offers you the opportunity to set the unit at off, low, medium and high.  The initial setting determines how much energy the Pelonis uses and how quickly it generates its heat.  The second dial below that is the thermostat.  There's no numbers or temperatures on the dial though, all you have to do is turn on the Pelonis and let the room warm up to the temperature that you want.  When it gets there, just turn the thermostat dial until you hear a ‘click' and the Pelonis will maintain that temperature by cycling on and off.  If you want it to be cooler, turn it down a bit from there or if you want it to be warmer, just turn it up a bit and the heater will then heat up until that new point.

There is a plastic guard on the top of the unit so you can't rest your hands on the hot radiator coils.  However the sides of the radiator are still open, so there is some chance to touch the hot coils.  They are hot, but not hot enough to really burn you if you touch them.  The Pelonis will shut itself off if it's overheating.

Using my Pelonis

You have to realize that you won't get the instant heat of the ceramic heaters with the Pelonis.  Instead you get a slow and steady heat that takes a little while to really build up.  In place of that instant heat though, you get a heater that I think is safer.  That's because there isn't anything on the exterior of the unit that could be a fire hazard.  The exterior does gets hot, but even if it were to fall over, it would be unlikely to be hot enough to cause any real damage.  I also really like that it's quiet.  Since all you are doing is heating the oil inside with an electric coil, there are no fans running and besides the occasional click or gurgle, the Pelonis is silent.

I haven't found the Pelonis to use all that much electricity and haven't noticed a huge different in electric bills over the years.  Of course, it does depend on the setting you use, since the higher the power setting, the more electricity you are going to use.  I generally just keep it on the low setting.  If I know I'm going to be in a room that I want warmer, I'll go in about 15 minutes before hand, turn the thermostat up and turn the heater on low. 

My Take

The Pelonis Oil Filled Radiator Heater has been a heater in our home for several years now and I haven't had a problem with it since I've purchased it.  I would definitely consider another one of these units in the future since they are energy efficient, provide a steady source of heat and work in almost complete silence.  In my book, all of that makes for a great room heater.