How to choose the best radiator for your home

Choosing the best radiator can be somewhat daunting for many of us. UK Bathrooms have put together this little buying guide to help you decide which radiator you need.

We all like to be warm and cosy in our homes, no matter which room or space we spend time in – and one thing that we need to get right is the heating. Room temperature settings are very much a personal choice – according to the World Health Organisation 18 degrees is the comfortable setting for healthy adults! A little cool perhaps for some!

This simple guide looks at the best brands, designs, colours, functions, styles etc so that you can easily find the best radiator for any of the rooms in your home, whatever their size and shape!

There is a plethora of radiators available which as I say can be somewhat daunting but the good news is this massive choice means if you get it right you’ll end up with the best radiator for your home. Consider best type of fuel, location for your new radiator, heat output required for the space, finish and style.

One of the first questions you should ask is where is the radiator going, which room and where inside the room.

Best radiator for your living room

Your living room/lounge is the room where you most want to be warm, cosy and be able to relax and feel comfortable. It may well be one of the rooms where you need a radiator to fit in with your décor and style more. As your living room is usually one of the larger rooms in your house you’ll need to consider BTU Rating of suitable radiators, 5000 or higher being the most favoured. When narrowing down the choice think about your style, traditional or contemporary? Traditional column radiators look amazing in a more traditional setting and vertical flat panels look great in a contemporary styled room. Check out the Zehnder Charleston Horizontal Column Radiator for that more traditional look or the Apollo Milano Horizontal Flat Panel Radiator for a more contemporary style.

Best radiator for your bedroom

A small – medium sized bedroom will need a radiator with a BTU rating of 1000-3000, larger bedrooms will need more. Radiator designs can be matched to your style easily. Opt for a designer radiator from leading brand Bisque. Arteplano is a real eye-catcher and a work of art. Available in a copper or brass finish this ultra-modern minimalist wall hung radiator is available in 3 sizes with a BTU of up to 3548.

Best radiator for your bathroom

Heated towel rails are by far our biggest sellers for bathroom heating.  And again there is a great choice of these available on our website. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to not check the heat output of their towel radiator. Believing this will be good enough to heat the room. Check your BTU rating to make sure the heat output is sufficient. Or include underfloor heating in your bathroom makeover and so only using your heated towel warmer to do what it says on the tin!

What radiator fuel type should I opt for?

When you have decided where your radiator is to be located in your home and what style of radiator you want then you need to think about what is the best radiator fuel type. Central heating radiators use water heated by the central heating system. Electric radiators obviously need an electrical feed and you can also buy dual fuel radiators which use both. Especially useful in the summer months when your central heating may be switched off but still need to dry towels.

Heat output and BTU rating

Usually the bigger the radiator the higher the BTU rating. Meaning that the larger radiators give more heat output. If the BTU rating is high enough to heat the room you can be more flexible on where you actually position your new radiator. As a rule the best place would be in a central location so that heat is more evenly distributed.

What are the best radiator brands?

When it comes to radiator brands then UK Bathrooms offers the best of the best. With leading radiator brands such as Zehnder Bisque, SBH, JIS or Apollo. All are renowned names within the radiator industry. Many of the leading bathroom brands also produce great radiators that can be used in rooms other than the bathroom too. Burlington, Crosswater and Abacus included. UK Bathrooms have our own Essentials range of radiators at great prices.

Best colour for radiators

If you intend for your radiator to be part of your room design and style then the colour and finish is going to be important. Nowadays there is a vast choice in radiator colours. Some brands such as Zehnder offer a personalised colour service where you can match the colour of your radiator perfectly to your colour scheme. Popular with customers are the moment are the coloured radiators in brushed brass, gold, pink and blue finishes.

Buy the best radiator you can afford. It needs to last and to perform as well as look good!