If you experience super-cold winters, or simply enjoy your home to be on the warmer side, a radiant floor heating has many benefits.
This luxurious facility allows you to step into your home and step right onto the comfort of a warm and toasted floor. Few things feel quite as good! You can choose either an electric system or a hydronic system.
The HeatWave 25 Sq. Ft. Electric Floor Heating takes the top spot in our radiant floor heating reviews thanks to its thin profile and powerful heating system.
Our Picks for Best Radiant Floor Heating System
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Electric Radiant Floor Heating Reviews
As we mentioned above, there are two main types of radiant floor heating systems, but what we reviewed here are electric ones.
1. HeatWave 25 Sq. Ft. Electric Floor Heating—Best Overall
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This HeatWave option is a 25 square-foot heating mat that’s 20 inches in width and 15 feet long, making it larger than an average model.
It comes with a seven-day 120V programmable thermostat, providing complete automation and a powerful thermostat.
One of the most striking parts of this model is its ultra-thin profile. This makes it ideal for various types of floors, especially tile or stone. The thin profile also prevents protrusions. This is due to the easy-to-attach sticky backing that’s as simple to detach and reposition.
Apart from this, one of its other best features is that it’s extremely easy to install. You only need to apply pressure from your palm to firmly secure the mat onto any flooring.
Additionally, this model takes less than 30 minutes to heat most spaces, making it one of the most efficient models featured on our list.
Despite the positives, customers mention that the thermostat can be tricky to use.
Pros
- Ultra-thin profile.
- High-quality heating cables.
- Compatible with wet locations.
- 20-year limited lifetime warranty.
Cons
- Customers mention that the thermostat isn’t straightforward.
2. HeatWave 120V 20 Sq. Ft. Mat Kit Electric Radiant Floor Heat Heating System—Best Thin Profile Option
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This 20 square-foot flooring kit has a 1/8th-of-an-inch profile, making it one of the thinnest profiles available.
Thanks to this profile, it prevents the floor from rising, keeping your flooring within normal parameters. You won’t experience abnormal elevation as you switch between rooms with the floor warming system and those that don’t.
Attaching the mats is also extremely easy, thanks to the adhesive on the back panel. Normally, you’d have to staple them together.
You’ll also find an AUBE sensor and thermostat included, making it programmable and providing floor-sensing capabilities. This is a one-time setup system that perfectly manages the floor’s heating.
The one drawback of this model is that the adhesive only sticks to thoroughly clean floors. Make sure to do this before you install it.
Pros
- Lays flat and stays stuck to the floor.
- AUBE floor-sensing thermostat and sensor.
- Heats a 150 square-foot space with a single thermostat.
- 25-year warranty.
Cons
- Adhesive on the back panel only works well with clean surfaces.
3. SunTouch WarmWire (120V) Floor Heat Kit—Best Premium System
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Our electric radiant floor heating reviews wouldn’t be complete without this state-of-the-art selection. It’s a high-tech premium heating system that features a programmable thermostat with touchscreen operation for ease of use.
It also uses dual wire technology to reduce the electromagnetic fields to ultra-low levels. This makes it an energy-efficient unit, capable of heating your floors in double-quick time.
Also, the use of high-quality copper as the core component is ideal for this product. It makes it inexpensive to maintain in the long run, highly durable and tough.
On top of this, it has a single-point power connection, allowing you to create the layout and wiring with relative ease.
Note that this product is available in 70 square foot cables that can fit most flooring types and dimensions.
One drawback worth considering is that the adhesive only works well on floors that have been thoroughly vacuumed. The slightest bit of dirt makes the adhesive ineffective, so remember this before installation.
Pros
- Energy-efficient model.
- UL listed.
- Includes a touchscreen thermostat.
- Single-point power connection.
- 25-year warranty.
Cons
- Adhesive only works on surfaces that have been well-vacuumed.
4. Seal 70 Sq. Ft. 120V Radiant Floor Heating Mat—Best for Ceramic and Tiles
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This 70 square-foot Seal model is a 120-volt variant, making it ideal for mid-sized to large rooms. The self-adhesive feature makes it compatible with a wide range of flooring options, including ceramic, tiles and mortar flooring.
It’s a high-quality model with shockproof heating elements. This means you won’t have to worry about any stray bits of electricity finding their way towards your children or pets when the heating is on.
It’s also compatible with wet flooring, thanks to the Teflon coating. Further, the entire unit is in a fire-retardant sheathing to remain safe when wet and improve safety.
The thin-profile 1/8th of an inch mat is compatible with multiple flooring configurations and is easy to install. This is due to the user-friendly self-adhesive underfloor heating mat, which has simple installation instructions.
It also has twin conductors encased in a Teflon coating and includes a braided armor design. This improves the product’s long-term durability and longevity.
In contrast, the 10-year warranty is a pretty big drawback worth considering.
Pros
- Ultra-thin profile.
- Ideal for retrofitting and new constructions.
- Shockproof and fire retardant.
- Self-adhesive mat.
Cons
- No compatible thermostat included.
- Only a 10-year warranty.
5. QuietWarmth 30 Sq. Ft. Electric Floor System—Best for Floating Floors
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This is yet another high-quality product that’s available at an affordable price range. It certainly deserves a spot on our radiant floor heating reviews owing to this factor.
The advanced ink technology design makes it ideal for all floating floors, such as engineered wood, floating laminate, floating tile floors, cork, bamboo and vinyl.
Additionally, this is one of the easiest models to install; it just takes four simple steps.
It’s also one of the most energy-efficient models out of the ones we’ve reviewed, utilizing just 12 Watts to heat the floor.
Aside from the positives, customers pick out the thermostat is an issue—it certainly needs an upgrade.
Pros
- Advanced ink technology makes it ideal for floating floors.
- Energy-efficient.
- Excellent value for money.
- Easy to install.
- 25-year limited warranty.
Cons
- Thermostat needs updating to be more user-friendly.
6. Warming Systems 120V Electric Tile Radiant Floor Heating—Good Budget Option
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This is an excellent 25 square-foot mat option if you’re looking for a powerful and inexpensive electric radiant floor heating system.
It only takes 20 minutes to warm up your floors to comfortable levels thanks to the high-quality single-cold lead.
It also has plastic cable guides instead of stickers to make the installation process easy. This means pretty much anyone can put this unit together.
Also included is an easy-to-install and operate AUBE thermostat. This is a high-precision thermostat that offers unparalleled control, allowing you to precisely monitor your floor’s heating levels.
The fact that this model has a less-than-ideal quarter-of-an-inch profile should be on your radar. Customers find this tricky to use.
On top of this, note that this product will raise your flooring by a quarter of an inch, so bear this in mind in planning.
Pros
- Reasonably priced.
- Includes compatible thermostat.
- Comes with plastic cable guides.
- 25-year warranty.
Cons
- Will raise your floor by ¼ of an inch.
7. HeatWave Floor Heating Cable—Easy to Install
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This HeatWave floor heating system is a highly reliable unit packed with tons of features for your home.
For instance, it has a pre-programmable thermostat for up to four events in advance. This system has a simple user interface and features a quick setup option to get your heating up and running in no time.
You also have the option of either automatic, manual or comfort modes based on your preferences. On top of this, two built-in sensors include an air sensor and a floor sensor thermostat to improve accuracy and efficiency.
It also has a wide temperature control range, varying between 41 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, to help you find the ideal setting for your home.
Customers comment on how it’s easy to install and offers plenty of room for custom configurations based on its design.
You can pick this model up in 8 to 15 square-foot mats, so it offers versatility for different home spaces.
An unconventional drawback is that customers find the thermostat hard to read, which can be frustrating.
Pros
- Available as a pre-configured mat or free-roll cables.
- Programmable thermostat.
- Up to four event programming.
- Simple user interface.
- Wide temperature control range.
- 20-year limited lifetime warranty.
Cons
- The digital display can be hard to read.
Radiant Floor Heating System Buyers’ Guide
Keep these factors in mind when deciding on an electric radiant floor heating system:
Size of Your Space
You’ll need to cover your flooring’s entirety to make sure the floor heaters work efficiently.
This can be a lot of work, not to mention being expensive. Thus, it’s crucial to take your time and only choose an option covering your exact area.
Too large, and you’ll be overheating and overpaying. Too small, your space won’t be efficiently heated.
All the products featured on our list belong to three major ranges:
- 70 square feet.
- 25 to 30 square feet.
- 8 to 15 square feet.
The SunTouch WarmWire is a prime example of the 70 square-foot wiring. The HeatWave Floor Heating Cable is a great product in the 8 to 15 square-foot range.
System Types
There are two primary types of radiating heating systems based on design and function:
- Hydronic.
- Electric.
Hydronic systems are far less expensive than electric floor heaters. They’re also far easier to install. If your house is also running on a hydronic system, it makes sense to pick up another heating system in the same category. (You may also like to know more about hydronic baseboard heater.)
However, if you’re looking to upgrade to your current system, go for electric floor heaters. They can be far more consistent in the long run as electricity is better for consistent heating than water.
Even the heating is superior to hydronic heaters as water doesn’t compare to the proficiency of electricity. This makes these products more expensive, which is something worth considering before making a purchase.
Heat Controllers
The device’s heat controller directly dictates the quality and consistency of your heating.
It’s quite common to find thermostats included in the mat so that you can control the heating and ensure it turns off automatically.
We suggest you pick an electric floor heating system with a programmable thermostat so that you can set varying temperatures based on different family comfort levels.
An example of a quality thermostat is the AUBE thermostat and sensor found in the HeatWave 20 Sq. Ft. Mat Kit.
Warranty Period
It’s no secret that floor heater can be challenging to maintain. Therefore, it makes sense to grab a heating system with a hefty warranty period—preferably of a decade or more.
This will save you a lot of trouble and expenses in the long run. Such systems may be more expensive than models with two to three years of warranty, but they’ll cut down on operational and maintenance costs over time.
Most of the products featured on our list come with a 20 or 25-year warranty, including the QuietWarmth 30 Sq. Ft. Electric Floor System. Only the Seal 70 Sq. Ft. 120V Radiant Floor Heating Mat comes with a 10-year warranty.
FAQs
Do Heated Floors Use a Lot of Electricity?
No, heated floors do not use a lot of electricity. On average, electric floor heating systems use 12 Watts per hour per square foot. Thus, a 100 square-foot home would utilize 1200 Watts of power each hour. This is less than the power consumed by your average radiant space heater.
What Is a Good Temp Setting for Electric Radiant Heat Floor?
A good temperature setting for electric radiant heat floor is between 85 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a reference range, and it changes from to home and individual to individual.
How Long Do Heated Floors Last?
A high-quality heated floor system can last more than a couple of decades, easily. They’re far more reliable than normal furnace heaters.
The Floor is Lava
When it comes to examining the best in floor heating systems, it makes sense to not compromise on quality. This is why we recommend the HeatWave 25 Sq. Ft. Electric Floor Heating. It’s a high-quality system built by a reliable brand that’s powerful and competent enough to last a considerable period.
If our top-rated product doesn’t suit you, have a look at the HeatWave 20 Sq. Ft. Heating System or the SunTouch WarmWire (120V) Floor Heat Kit. Both feature high-quality, state-of-the-art systems and provide you with essential features, such as a programmable thermostat.
