Heat Lamps vs Fan Heaters vs Panel Heaters: Which Bathroom Heater Type?

Bathroom heating splits into two fundamentally different approaches, and most disappointment comes from buying one while expecting the other.

Radiant heat — heat lamps and R7s tubes — travels as infrared and warms whatever it lands on. You feel it instantly, you feel it strongly under the fitting, and it does almost nothing to the air temperature. Step out of the beam and it stops.

Convective heat — PTC ceramic and fan heaters — warms the air, which then warms the room. Slower to feel, but the whole room gets there and stays there after switch-off.

Neither is better. They suit different bathrooms and different routines.

Radiant: heat lamps and R7s tubes

275W infrared heat lamps

The classic Australian bathroom fitting: two or four 275W infrared globes behind a fascia, switched independently or in pairs. Two lamps draw 550W, four draw 1,100W.

What they do well. Instant. There is no warm-up — the heat is on your skin within a second, which is exactly what you want stepping out of a shower on a July morning in Melbourne. They are also the cheapest way to get heat into a bathroom, and the globes are a standard part available anywhere.

Where they fall short. The heat is concentrated directly underneath. If the lamps are over the vanity and you are drying off by the shower, you get very little. They also do nothing for the room — walk back in half an hour later and it is exactly as cold as before. And they are a consumable: four globes at a few dollars each, every few years.

1000W R7s linear heat tubes

A single quartz tube instead of multiple globes. Same instant radiant heat, but spread along the fascia rather than pooling under two or four hot spots — so the coverage is more even and there is one consumable instead of four. This is what the better units in the range use.

Watch out: Never touch a new heat lamp or R7s tube with bare fingers. Skin oil creates a hot spot on the quartz and dramatically shortens the lamp's life. Fit it with a tissue or a clean glove — and if you have already handled one, wipe it with methylated spirits before switching on.

Convective: PTC and fan heaters

PTC ceramic elements

PTC stands for Positive Temperature Coefficient: as the ceramic element heats up, its resistance rises and it draws less power. That makes it self-regulating — it cannot run away and overheat the way a coil can, which is why it is the safer technology for an unattended heater and why it can be thermostatically controlled.

What it does well. Warms the whole room evenly, holds the warmth after switch-off, and has no globes to replace. It can hold a set temperature rather than being simply on or off, and it can be timed.

Where it falls short. You will not feel it in the first thirty seconds. For a quick morning shower where you want heat now, radiant wins. PTC suits a bathroom you pre-heat, or a long soak, or a room used by children or older family members where a stable ambient temperature matters more than an instant hit.

Ceiling fan heaters

Some ceiling units blow heated air rather than radiating it, and a few add a cooling mode using the same fan without the element. The Martec Furnace 4-in-1 does exactly this — heat, cool, extract and light in one fitting. In a warm climate that fourth function turns a winter-only appliance into a year-round one.

Side by side

What they cost to run

At an indicative Australian retail rate of 33c/kWh:

Two caveats that matter. A PTC element only draws its full rating while it is coming up to temperature — once the room is at the thermostat setting it cycles down considerably, so the real figure over a long session is well below the table. Conversely, heat lamps draw their full rating the entire time they are on, because there is nothing regulating them.

The broader point: none of these are expensive to run in short bursts. Where the cost appears is in a heater left running — which is exactly why the half-heat function on the four-lamp units and the timer on the PTC wall heater are worth having. Four heat lamps left on for an hour twice a day is $22 a month; the same unit used properly is $5.

Tip: If your unit has a half-heat function, use it. Four lamps is genuinely more heat than a standard bathroom needs for a morning shower, and running two halves the cost for very little loss in comfort.

How to choose

Work through these in order.

1. Do you have ceiling space?

Ceiling units need 200–220 mm of clearance above the plasterboard and a duct path to an external vent. In a concrete-ceiling apartment, under a low pitch, or where the ceiling cavity is already full, a wall heater is the answer rather than a compromise.

2. How do you use the bathroom?

• Quick showers, in and out — radiant. You want heat immediately and you are not there long enough for convective to arrive.
• Long showers, baths, kids being bathed — convective. A stable room temperature matters more than an instant hit, and a thermostat means it is never too hot for a small child.
• Both — a 3-in-1 with four lamps and half-heat gives you a usable middle ground.

3. Do you also need extraction?

Almost certainly yes, and combining it into one cut-out and one switch plate is cheaper and tidier than two separate fittings. See our exhaust fan sizing guide for the m³/hr your room needs, then check that the 3-in-1 you are considering actually meets it — several popular models do not.

4. Are you replacing an existing unit?

Measure the existing cut-out first. Cut-outs in this category range from 155 mm round to 435 × 275 mm, and a smaller replacement means patching a waterproofed ceiling.

What we stock

R7s tube units — the best radiant coverage

• Martec Linux DC — 1000W R7s, 600 m³/hr DC extraction at ≤40 dB, 4 × GU10 tri-colour at 2,400 lm — $407
• Martec Linux Mini DC — 1000W R7s, 480 m³/hr, 1,800 lm — $397
• Martec Phoenix — 1000W R7s, 500 m³/hr, 1,695 lm, all-metal build — from $278
• Martec Phoenix Mini — 1000W R7s, 420 m³/hr, 800 lm — from $278

Heat lamp units — instant heat, lower price

• Martec Striker 4 — 4 × 275W with half-heat, 360 m³/hr at ≤40 dB, IPX4 — $146. Best value in the category.
• Martec Profile Panel 4 — 4 × 275W with half-heat, 460 m³/hr — $289
• Martec Profile Plus DC 4 — 4 × 275W plus 4 GU10 downlights, 460 m³/hr — $238
• Martec Forme 4 — 4 × 275W, 300 m³/hr, ducting included — $145
• Martec Contour 4 — 4 × 275W, 250 m³/hr — $114.25
• Martec Uno — a single 275W lamp, 155 mm cut-out, heat only — $60.49

Replacement globes: Martec 275W E27 heat lamp globe, 2700K — $14.50.

Convective — PTC and heat/cool

• Martec Thermo 2200W PTC wall heater with towel rail — $196
  Touch controls with a live temperature readout, thermostat 20–45°C, 5–90 minute timer, half-heat, oscillating outlet, ≤45 dB, integrated towel rail. The answer where there is no ceiling space — and warm towels are a genuine upgrade.
• Martec Furnace 4-in-1 — $258
  Heat, cool, extract and light. The cooling mode makes it a year-round fitting in a warm climate.
• Martec Aspire II — $350
  1000W heating, 500 m³/hr, 20W tri-colour LED, low-profile.

For the full model-by-model comparison, including extraction figures and cut-out sizes, see our guide to the best 3-in-1 bathroom heaters.

In Australia, hard-wired ceiling fittings, heaters and fans must be installed by a licensed electrician. Nothing on this page is a substitute for the installation instructions supplied with the product or for AS/NZS 3000.

Frequently asked questions

Are heat lamps or a fan heater better for a bathroom?

Heat lamps for quick showers — the radiant heat is on your skin instantly. A fan or PTC heater for longer use, baths, or bathing children, because it warms the whole room and holds the temperature after switch-off. If you want both, a four-lamp unit with a half-heat function is the practical middle ground.

How much does it cost to run a bathroom heater?

At around 33c/kWh, a 15-minute run costs roughly 4.5c for two heat lamps, 9c for four, and 8c for a 1000W R7s tube. Used twice a day that is $3–$5 a month. The cost only becomes significant if the heater is left running.

What is PTC heating?

Positive Temperature Coefficient — a ceramic element whose resistance rises as it heats, so it self-regulates and cannot run away. That makes it safe to leave running, allows thermostatic control, and means there are no globes to replace.

How long do bathroom heat lamps last?

Typically a few years of normal use. They fail sooner if handled with bare hands during fitting, or if the unit is switched on and off very frequently. Standard 275W E27 replacements are inexpensive and widely available.

Can I use a bathroom heater without an exhaust fan?

You can, but you should not want to. Heating a bathroom without extracting the moisture raises the humidity and accelerates condensation on cold surfaces. Mechanical ventilation is also required in a bathroom under the NCC — a combined 3-in-1 handles both from one fitting.

Which bathroom heater is best for a small ensuite?

A compact unit with genuine extraction — the Phoenix Mini (420 m³/hr) or the Striker 4 (360 m³/hr, ≤40 dB) both suit small rooms. Avoid the very cheapest units at 240–250 m³/hr unless the room is genuinely tiny, and check the cut-out size against your ceiling first.

Keep reading

• Best 3-in-1 bathroom heaters in Australia
• What size exhaust fan do I need?
• How many downlights do I need?
• 3000K vs 4000K vs 5000K: choosing colour temperature

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