As the nights started getting chilly, I thought a small plug-in heater might be a simple way to stay warm without blasting my AC. The Helion Heater, with ads claiming it’s a “revolutionary Swedish heater” that could warm a whole room quickly, seemed like a promising budget-friendly option. I bought it hoping for cozy evenings and here’s how that turned out.
What Is the Helion Heater?
The Helion Heater is marketed as a compact, plug-in electric heater with the promise of heating a room, cutting electric bills, and delivering “space-age” heating technology. On paper, the idea is appealing: a small, portable device you plug into a wall that delivers warmth fast.
Why I Bought It
My goal was simply to have a portable supplementary heat source, something I could plug into a bedroom or small living space when it gets cold, without relying on heavy heaters or central heating. If it worked even modestly, I figured it could be a useful little device for occasional cold days.
My Experience Using It
When the unit arrived, I plugged it into the power and switched it on. Immediately, I felt a gentle wave of warm air… close to the heater. For the first few minutes, it did make the air around me feel a bit warmer and more comfortable, especially when I sat near it. That felt nice after a cold evening outside.
But over the next few uses, the limitations became clear. The warm zone was tiny, like basically a small radius around and slightly in front of the heater. The moment I moved a meter or two away, the ambient temperature barely changed. In a moderately sized room, the heater did not make any noticeable difference: the room stayed just as cold.
Even when I set it to maximum, the result was underwhelming, and the warming effect was more like a gentle fan-heater than a device capable of heating a room. Over a full evening, the heater barely made a dent in the room’s chill.
In short, it worked, but only for very localized warmth. It’s fine if you want to warm your feet or a small part of your body nearby, but as a room heater, it fails.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very affordable (cheaper than standard portable heaters)
- Easy to plug and play, and no installation or setup is required
- Provides a small, local warm air stream, which is only useful if you’re sitting close by (desk, bed, etc.)
- Compact and easy to carry or store
Cons
- Does not heat rooms, and the warm air is limited to a small zone close to the heater
- Overhyped marketing. The claims of “room-warming”, “Swedish tech”, “big savings” are false
- Likely the same as generic cheap plug-in heaters sold elsewhere for far less
- Has a burning smell after using for a few days, so durability and safety are major concerns
- May give false sense of “heating” while only warming skin or nearby air
Is It a Scam?
I don’t believe it’s a scam in the sense of “you get nothing” … yes, you get a working unit that emits warm air when plugged in. But it is a misleading product: the promotional claims (“heats whole rooms,” “Swedish advanced heater,” “lowers electricity bills”) don’t match reality. For anyone expecting a proper room heater, it feels like a waste.
Alternatives to Consider
- Lasko Ceramic Tower Heater
- Honeywell HCE200W UberHeat
- Vornado VH202 Personal Heater
- De’Longhi Capsule Compact Heater
Conclusion — Would I Recommend It?
Only if your expectation is modest: a small personal heater to warm your immediate surroundings (desk area, bedside, feet), but not if you’re expecting it to heat a room. For that purpose, it’s too weak and overhyped. As a budget plug-in warmer it’s okay, but I wouldn’t rely on it for real heating.
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