Vornado has built a reputation for making high quality, quiet heaters and fans. Vornado calls their units “whisper quiet” and as soon as you turn the unit on, you will know what they mean. The heating unit is quiet to the point that you almost need to place your hand in front to be sure that it is turned on. It is that quiet!
Best Vortex Heater
Using a unique blade design, the vornado company has grown through the years from producing airplane propellers, to household fans to space heaters. This patented design uses more steeply pitched blades which they combine with a spiral shaped grill on the front of the unit. Spinning the blades in the opposite direction of the grill produces what they call “vortex” action. The result is that warm air from the heater disburses in different directions in order to send heat to the entire room. In other words, you will feel heat throughout the room and not just directly in front of the unit.
For those who prefer to purchase products made in the USA, Vornado MVH Vortex Heaters are made in Andover, Kansas. The word Vornado is a combination of two words: vortex and tornado. Both words describe the rapid rotational movement of air.
Vornado MVH Whole Room Vortex Heater Specs
The unit stands 11” tall and is roughly 10” wide by 9” deep. It weighs in at just under four pounds. Like many space heaters, the back of the unit is shaped to allow you to pick-up the unit pick-up the unit to move it around. With a five year warranty, you can feel even better about your purchase. The heater runs at three power settings: 1500 watts, 1125 watts and 750 watts. The unit is available in both black and white.
For even more features, including timer and fan only options, consider the Vornado TVH 500. You can read my review here.
Operation
The Vornado MVH should be placed facing out from the corner of your room with a clear path to the room’s other corner. This is important to the successful operation. There is no oscillation option with this unit. With no furniture obstacles, the vortex heater directs heat outward far beyond the area in front of the heater providing even heat throughout the entire room.
Operation of the machine could not be any easier. There are two buttons and a dial at the top of the Vornado MVH 
machine. One button is for on/off; while the other controls the wattage. There are three settings which help to control energy consumption while finding the right comfort level for the room. At high heat the unit uses 1500 watts, medium heat uses 1125 and low heat is 750.
The dial provides thermostat control. With heat settings that range from 1-7, you can fine tune the operation of the machine to achieve maximum comfort. The directions suggest that you run the machine at its highest level (7). Once you are comfortable with that room temperature, move the dial down until the fan turns off. From here the machine will cycle on and off to keep the room at that approximate temperature.
There are a few usage restrictions suggested by the manufacturer. The instructions also state that the Vornado MVH should be placed on the floor only and not on an elevated surface, such as a desk or table. Also, this unit is not intended for use in an RV, boat or any application where a DC/AC converter is converting battery power to AC power. Also, it should not be plugged into a GFI circuit or a surge protector circuit.
The unit can be easily cleaned using the brush attachment for a vacuum cleaner. This will eliminate the problem of dust building up in the vent areas.
Click the link below to learn more about the Vornado Vortex Heater.
Vornado MVH Whole Room Vortex Heater
Performance
The Vornado MVH will do a terrific job heating a mid-sized room using 1500 watts of power. In circulating the warm
air throughout the room, the vortex design delivers as promised. And it does so almost silently.
Unlike most compact space heaters which have a metal grill on the front, the grill on this unit is hard plastic. And since the warm air exits the unit at a maximum temperature of 120 degrees, you can place your hand right on the grill and not feel the immediate impulse to take it away. This makes it even safer to use around pets and children as the risk of burn is practically non-existent. Also, the tight spiral of the grill makes much more difficult to have something accidently probe to the fan area within. But it could still happen, so be aware of the fluffy tails and the curious fingers.
Another important safety feature is the tip-over protection button at the bottom of the unit. If the unit tips by more than 10 degrees the button will pop and immediately turn the unit off. It will turn on again as soon as the machine returns to its upright position. This also makes it impossible to move the unit while it is operating as this will trigger the turn-off button as well. Also, there is an internal safety feature which will shut-off the power to both the fan and the heating element if overheating occurs due to a blockage in the airflow.
Cleaning
Because the Vornado MVH moves such a large amount of air, regular cleaning (2x per week) is recommended. To clean, simply use a vacuum brush to remove any dust or impediments within the front grill and the side vents. A clean machine will insure safe operation.
Pros
The Vornado MVH Whole Room Heater has a lot going for it including: quiet operation, entire room heat circulation, plastic front grill which stays cool to the touch, safety shut off, three power settings and built in thermostat. And all this comes with a five year warranty.
Cons
The only cons that I can see are that the unit does not come with a fan only option. This unit is made for whole room
heating only. Vornado makes other units which do offer this option. Beyond that, at an Amazon price of about $60, it is pricier than other models in its class. Are the extra heating and safety features worth the extra money? I guess that’s the $20 question.
Summary
Vornado makes a fine heater with top quality components. In its literature the company promises: “Complete satisfactions, no exceptions. If you are not satisfied for any reason, please contact us.” These are confident claims from a company known to produce and stand behind a high quality product.
Vornado Personal Heater
Many of the features of the MVH model are also available in the Vornado VH202 Personal Space Heater.
With a small 7” x 7” footprint, this unit is ideal for heating you in your own space. It is commonly used on or under a desk or a table. And since it is so quiet, it won’t distract you from your job at hand. It also comes with a three year warranty.
While its high setting (750 watts) is equal to the low setting on the MVH model, it can also be set to 375 watts just to fight off the chill. With more colors available (black, red, orange & green) the VH202 has a few more style options. It also comes with a tip over protection at the bottom of the heater. And being cool to the touch, you don’t have to worry about having it too close to whatever you might be working on.
Finally, the Vornado VH202 offers a fan only feature, making it versatile enough to use year round.