De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater Review
A very versatile heater
Verdict
Better-looking than most fan heaters, the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater can be stood vertically or horizontally, making it more versatile than its rivals. It’s powerful, too, as it’s able to heat large rooms. But thanks to its three heat settings, you can also dial down the power for when you need a more gentle heat. This heater’s analogue thermometer is a little fiddly to get right, but at this price, it’s an acceptable compromise.
Pros
- Looks great
- Powerful
- Three heat settings
Cons
- Basic thermostat
- Fan-only mode not that useful
Availability
- UKRRP: £59.99
Key Features
- TypeThis is a PTC fan heater, which has a fan-only mode as well.
- Power consumptionThere are three power modes, which cost, at 34p per kWh, 79p per hour (high), 47p per hour (medium) and 33p per hour (low).
Introduction
If there’s one problem with most fan heaters, it’s that they’re ugly and bulky. This is not the case with the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater, which has a cool, futuristic design and can stand horizontally or vertically.
Three heat settings, support for larger rooms and an analogue thermostat make this a neat choice for any room where you need direct heat.
Design and Features
- Sleek exterior
- Three heat settings
- Analogue thermostat
While most fan heaters can only be placed in one position, the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater can be stood horizontally or vertically, making it easier to place around the home. It’s best suited for being stood on a table or sideboard, where its sleek exterior will fit in with your decor.
As a result of this design, there’s no tip-over protection on this model. However, the design means that if it’s knocked from a vertical position, the heater will fall onto its horizontal feet. Should the fan intake get blocked as a result, then the overheating protection will shut the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater down.
This is quite a basic fan heater. It has three heat settings, selectable via a dial, and an analogue thermostat. Setting the thermostat to the * position will see the heater come on if the temperature drops below 5°C; the rest of the scale on the thermostat isn’t marked.
There’s also a fan-only mode, for use in the summer. Oddly, the fan-only mode requires the thermostat to be set past the current ambient temperature: I found it easier to whack the thermostat to max.
De’Longhi recommends setting the thermostat to maximum, and when the room feels like it’s at the correct temperature, turning it down until it clicks off. I found that I needed a few attempts to get the thermostat just right for my office.
When the target temperature has been reached, the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater shuts down, only starting the heater again when the temperature drops. This helps save power.
De’Longhi says this heater can cope with rooms up to 72m³, which is around a 30m² room, based on average ceiling heights. In other words, this fan should cope with most average-sized rooms.
Performance
- Heats quickly
- Cool-only mode is not that useful
Running at maximum power, the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater drew 2.32kW, which, at electricity prices of 34p per kW/h, would cost 79p per hour to run. On medium power, it draws 1.37kW (47p per hour), and at its lowest setting, it’s 982W (33p per hour).
That’s a good range of options. I found that maximum heat was useful for getting my garden office up to temperature: it took around 20mins to go from a chilly 14°C to a more comfortable 19°C. After that, I changed the power mode to the medium setting, which was enough to top up the temperature when it dropped throughout the day.
Even so, the fan only needed to run for a couple of hours per day in total, as I used it in a well-insulated room.
The fan-only mode wasn’t much cop: I measured air speed at just 0.8m/s from a 15cm distance, which is only enough to feel a gentle breeze. If you want something you can use in the summer as well as winter, then a larger fan heater, such as the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde is a better choice.
I measured the fan on maximum at 44.8dB, which is loud enough to hear, but still quiet enough that I could hold a conversation or listen to music next to it.
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Should you buy it?
If you want a stylish fan heater that’s powerful enough for larger rooms, then this is a good and well-priced model.
If you want smart features, a digital thermostat or better cooling options in warm months, this model is not for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’re after a cheap yet powerful fan heater that looks good, the De’Longhi Capsule Fit Fan Heater is a neat choice. Able to sit vertically or horizontally, it will fit where you want it. Three power modes let me balance power consumption against heating performance, and the thermostat, as fiddly as it is to set correctly, helps save cash by turning the heater off when it’s warm enough. If you want more control over the level of heating, try something from my list of the best electric heaters.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every heater we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main heater for the review period
We measure the fan speed (if available) using an anemometer so that we can accurately compare performance between models
We measure the heat output of the fan and its effect on our test lab.
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FAQs
Yes, it has an analogue thermostat that doesn’t have temperatures marked on it.
No, this model is controlled via the dials on top alone.
Full specs
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
