Comparison · Lasko vs Vornado
The cleanest brand contrast in the category: one tells you the numbers and commits less, the other commits more and will not tell you the numbers.
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Lasko publishes wattages, coverage figures and an ETL mark, and warrants its heaters for three years. Vornado publishes no wattage, no coverage and no listing mark, and warrants its heaters for five with better safety hardware. Buy Lasko if you want to compute things; buy Vornado if you want it to last.
These two brands fail and succeed at almost exactly opposite things, which makes the comparison unusually clean. Everything below is from each maker's own product pages or the retail listing, cited on the individual pick cards.
| Lasko | Vornado | |
|---|---|---|
| Units we track | 4 | 2 |
| Rated wattage published | Yes — including low settings on 3 of 4 | No — Vornado publishes settings, not watts |
| Coverage claim published | Yes — 150 sq ft on two units | No — none on either unit |
| Safety listing named | ETL on 3 of 4 | No — neither unit names a mark |
| Thermostat set-point in degrees | No — dials on all 4 | No — knob or “Auto-Climate” |
| Tip-over switch published | On some units, not all | Yes, on both |
| Warranty | 3 years | 5 years |
| Typical price | Lower | Higher |
Counted across the four purchasable units we track from these two brands. “Publishes” means the figure appears on the maker's own page or the retail listing, not that we inferred it.
Four of those eight rows are a Lasko win and four are a Vornado win, and they are not the same kind of win. Lasko's are all disclosure: it tells you what the thing does, which is what lets you compute a cost, check a coverage claim against the sizing rule, and confirm a safety listing before you buy. Vornado's are all commitment: longer warranty, tip-over protection published on every unit, and a cool-touch metal cabinet.
It sounds like a quibble. It is not, because wattage is the only input to every number that matters. Running cost is watts × hours × rate. Coverage is watts ÷ 10 per square foot. Circuit fit is watts ÷ 120 volts. With no published wattage, all three of those are unavailable from the manufacturer, and the 1,500 W figure we use for both Vornado units on this site comes from the retail listings rather than from Vornado.
Vornado's position is that it sells air circulation rather than watts, and there is something to that — a Vortex heater genuinely distributes heat more evenly than a unit that aims a hot jet at your shins. But evenness is a comfort property, not an output one. The heat is still 1,500 W and about 5,118 BTU/h, exactly like everything else in the category, and no amount of circulation changes the total.
The low settings are published, so the cheap mode is costable. Three of the four Lasko units publish a 900 W step alongside the 1,500 W maximum. That means 16.5 cents an hour instead of 27.5, and 7.5 A instead of 12.5 — the second figure matters because it is the difference between fitting on a shared circuit and not. Vornado publishes "3 heat settings" and no wattages, so only the maximum can be costed and only by taking the retailer's number for it.
The coverage claim is checkable and it checks out. Lasko publishes 150 sq ft for the 755320 and the 751320. At 10 W per square foot, 1,500 W is 150 sq ft. The claim and the arithmetic agree exactly, which is rarer in this category than it should be — several makers publish coverage figures 1.7 times our own.
And ETL is named rather than left to the rating plate. Three of four Lasko units state the mark on Lasko's own product page. ETL and UL test to the same standard, so this is not a quality claim — it is a disclosure one, and Vornado names nothing on either unit.
Tip-over protection on both units, published. Lasko's coverage of this is inconsistent: the 754201 and the Ellipse units publish a tip-over switch, the 751320 does not — and at 5.67 lb and 22.5 inches tall, the 751320 is the shape that most wants one. Vornado publishes tip-over protection plus an automatic shut-off on both units we track. Why the cutoffs matter and which is which.
Auto-Climate Control is a better thermostat than a dial, even without a published set-point. The VMHi500 adjusts output to hold a temperature rather than running flat out until a bimetallic strip opens, and it pairs that with a 1–12 hour timer. Neither brand lets you set an actual number — if that is what you want, Dreo publishes 41–95°F in 1°F steps and neither of these two does.
The metal cabinet is a real difference in a shared room. Cool-touch powder-coated metal on the VMHi500 against moulded plastic on the Laskos is the one build distinction visible without a lab, and in a living room with children or animals it is the kind of thing that justifies the price gap on its own.
Identically, at the same wattage — which is the point. The only reason the two columns can differ at all is that Lasko publishes a 900 W setting and Vornado does not publish any setting's wattage.
| Wattage | Per hour | 2 h | 4 h | 8 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900 W | 16.5¢ | $0.33 | $0.66 | $1.32 |
| 1,500 W | 27.5¢ | $0.55 | $1.10 | $2.20 |
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh — the U.S. residential average for June 2026 (EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, released August 26, 2026). Your rate is on your own bill; substitute it and the arithmetic still holds. Figures assume full output for the whole period.
The rate behind every figure on this site
18.34¢per kilowatt-hour
U.S. residential average for June 2026. EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, released August 26, 2026.
This is the most recent month EIA has published. Residential rates move seasonally and vary enormously by state — from roughly a dime per kilowatt-hour in parts of the South to more than 40¢ in Hawaii — so treat it as a national reference point, not as your rate.
Ranked for fit, not for hype. Coverage and current draw are computed from each unit’s published wattage. Tap a row for the full write-up, or go straight to the listing.
| # | Product | Best for | Covers | Draw | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lasko 755320A 23-inch digital tower with a thermostat, an 8-hour timer and a remote — and the only heater here whose published coverage figure lands exactly where our own sizing rule puts it. | The maker's coverage claim that matches the arithmetic | 150 sq ft | 12.5 A | $59.99 · Check on Amazon−25% |
| 2 |  Lasko 754201The 900 W low setting is the whole point: it is the rare listing that publishes both settings, so you can compute what the cheap mode actually costs instead of guessing. | One person at one desk | 150 sq ft | 12.5 A | $44.99 · Check on Amazon−10% |
| 3 |  Vornado VMHi500The current top of Vornado's metal line: auto-climate control, two LED displays and a 1-12 hour timer in a cool-touch metal box, backed by five years. | A metal cabinet that stops on its own | 150 sq ft | 12.5 A | $135.99 · Check on Amazon |
| 4 |  Vornado VMHi300The in-stock Vornado: a powder-coated metal cabinet, vortex circulation and a five-year guarantee, with mechanical dials instead of a screen. | A metal cabinet and a five-year warranty | 150 sq ft | 12.5 A | $92.99 · Check on Amazon |
Coverage computed at 10 W/sq ft, average insulation, 8 ft ceiling. Draw computed as watts ÷ volts. Neither figure is a manufacturer claim.
Top pick · The maker's coverage claim that matches the arithmetic
A 23-inch digital tower with a thermostat, an 8-hour timer and a remote — and the only heater here whose published coverage figure lands exactly where our own sizing rule puts it.
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 900 W to 1,500 W (Lasko's published range) |
| Heat settings | Two |
| Thermostat | Adjustable, with a digital display |
| Oscillation | Yes |
| Timer | 8 hours |
| Remote | Included, with onboard storage |
| Size | 23" H x 7.25" D x 7.00" W, 7.29 lb |
| Safety | Cool-touch housing, automatic overheat protection |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Heat type | Ceramic (PTC) |
| Maker’s coverage claim | 150 sq ft |
| Safety listing | ETL listed, stated on Lasko's own product page. |
Who it is for
A home office, family room or bedroom at or under 150 sq ft where you want a real thermostat and a timer without paying for a metal cabinet.
What it is not for
A nursery, or a room where a curious pet or toddler can reach it. No child lock and no published tip-over switch is the wrong combination at floor height.
2 · One person at one desk
The 900 W low setting is the whole point: it is the rare listing that publishes both settings, so you can compute what the cheap mode actually costs instead of guessing.
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W high / 900 W low, at 120 V |
| Thermostat | Adjustable dial; 2 heat settings plus fan-only |
| Size | 9.2 x 7 x 6 in, 2.93 lb |
| Cord | 6 ft (Lasko's published figure) |
| Safety | Tip-over switch, overheat protection, cool-touch housing |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Heat type | Ceramic (PTC) |
| Maker’s coverage claim | 100 sq ft |
| Safety listing | ETL listed, per Lasko's published specification — one of the few in this roundup that names a mark rather than leaving it to the rating plate. |
Who it is for
A desk, a small office, a dorm room — somewhere you want heat on a person rather than in a room.
What it is not for
A nursery, and not unattended use. It publishes a tip-over switch and overheat protection, but no child lock — and the USFA's advice to switch a heater off when you leave the room applies to every unit on this site, listed or not.
3 · A metal cabinet that stops on its own
The current top of Vornado's metal line: auto-climate control, two LED displays and a 1-12 hour timer in a cool-touch metal box, backed by five years.
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V (retail listings; Vornado publishes settings, not watts) |
| Heat settings | 2, plus fan-only |
| Thermostat | Auto-Climate Control, digital |
| Timer | 1–12 hours |
| Display | Two LED displays, for reading it from across the room |
| Housing | Cool-touch, powder-coated gloss metal cabinet with cord storage |
| Safety | Tip-over protection and a 2-stage auto shutoff |
| Warranty | 5-year satisfaction guarantee |
| Heat type | Fan-forced |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the coverage figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | Vornado publishes tip-over protection and a 2-stage auto shutoff but does not name a listing mark; check the rating plate. |
Who it is for
A living room or bedroom where the heater is permanent and visible, and where a real thermostat, a timer and a cool metal shell are worth paying for over a plastic tower.
What it is not for
A nursery, because no child lock is published; and not silence, which means an oil-filled radiator instead.
Sources for this entry
4 · A metal cabinet and a five-year warranty
The in-stock Vornado: a powder-coated metal cabinet, vortex circulation and a five-year guarantee, with mechanical dials instead of a screen.
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V (retail listings; Vornado publishes settings, not watts) |
| Heat settings | 2, plus fan-only |
| Thermostat | Adjustable, mechanical |
| Housing | Cool-touch powder-coated metal cabinet with a metal inlet grille |
| Safety | Automatic safety shut-off system, tip-over protection |
| Warranty | 5-year satisfaction guarantee |
| Heat type | Fan-forced |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the coverage figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | Vornado publishes an automatic safety shut-off system and tip-over protection but does not name a listing mark; check the rating plate. |
Who it is for
A living room or bedroom where the complaint is that one end is warm and the other is not, and where a metal cabinet and a long warranty are worth the price over a plastic tower.
What it is not for
Silent operation, or anyone who wants to dial in a number. For a set temperature look at a digital unit; for silence look at an oil-filled radiator.
Sources for this entry
Buy Lasko if you want to know what you are getting: a published low setting you can cost, a coverage claim that survives checking, a named ETL mark, and the lowest price in the category. It is the better choice for a desk, a small bedroom or any situation where you want the cheap mode to be a real, computable operating point.
Buy Vornado if you want the thing to survive: five years of warranty, tip-over protection and an auto shut-off published on every unit, a metal cabinet and a thermostat that cycles rather than slams. It is the better choice for a living room, a shared space, or anywhere it will run unattended for long stretches — and you will pay more and have to take the retailer's word for the wattage.
If neither trade-off appeals, the brand that publishes a numeric set-point and an ETL mark on its flagship is Dreo, which publishes no warranty at all — the same trade in a third arrangement. All 15 brands, scored on what they publish.
They are better at opposite things. Lasko publishes wattages, coverage and an ETL mark and costs less, with a 3-year warranty. Vornado publishes none of those three but gives you 5 years, tip-over protection on every unit and a cool-touch metal cabinet. Pick on which gap you mind more.
Vornado's product pages describe heat settings rather than watts, positioning the heaters on air circulation instead of output. The practical effect is that running cost, coverage and circuit fit cannot be computed from the manufacturer's own information — the 1,500 W figure used on this site comes from the retail listings.
Yes. Vornado publishes 5 years on both units we track; Lasko publishes 3 years on three of its four. Since no manufacturer publishes a service life for a portable heater, the warranty is the only durability commitment in the category.
Lasko names ETL on three of the four units we track, on its own product pages. ETL and UL test to the same standard, so neither mark is better than the other. Vornado names no listing mark on either unit, which does not mean the heaters are unlisted — only that the mark is left to the rating plate.
Neither publishes a decibel figure, so there is no sourced answer. Both are fan heaters, so both make noise as a condition of working. If silence is the requirement, the answer is a fanless design — an oil-filled radiator or a mica panel — rather than either of these brands.
15 brands scored on three things they either publish or do not: a warranty, a safety listing, a thermostat set-point.
Published numbers against a five-year warranty. Two philosophies of selling a heater, compared honestly.
Dreo has the better feature list and a 300 sq ft claim. Lasko has fewer features and a 150 sq ft claim that checks out.
900-1,500 W, digital thermostat, 8-hour timer, ETL listed — and a 150 sq ft claim that matches the math exactly.
Auto-climate control, two LED displays, a 1-12 hour timer and five years — in a cool-touch metal box.
Tip-over, overheat, cool-touch and child lock — four mechanisms, four different failures prevented.