Heat lamps in a bathroom are wonderful in winter - but if you can’t install a ducted/ceiling-mounted version because you’re a renter, what can you do?
I assumed it would be easy enough to find a free-standing version to plug in as needed but apparently, no, not so much.
I can find infrared heaters intended for outdoor use with a narrow field of effect but nothing quite like a heat lamp.
Does anyone know why this might be or have an idea for options?
I assume you want a radiant heater not a fan. You can get a strip heater for $40 that will plug in and go on the floor or wall. There are more choices for fans. Most lamps are wired in.
Pre-renovation, our bathroom had a wall-mounted strip heater. Although of lower wattage overall, it was much more effective than the IXL Tastic with four infrared lamps that we have now.
Installing anything on the wall is not an option (renter). Also, the orange glow/bar collecting dust is unpleasant. I was really hoping for just a countertop heat lamp that can be plugged in, aimed at the rest of the room and maybe comes with a timer switch.
The weird thing is, you can get countertop heat lamps… for keeping food warm. 
But not for bathrooms. (Unless you get a regular strip radiant heater on the wall, or a fan-heater.)
So strange.
As illogical as it might sound there may be a safety or liability concern that the heat from the lamps can cause serious injury or a fire if used in a free standing mount. They may also be more fragile and subject to breakage than the quartz tube type electric radiant heaters that are used in some floor mounted heaters.
Note there are a number of floor mounted vertical standing radiant and forced fan (Dyson one option) heaters. In a wet area situation EG bathroom there are restrictions on where a mains powered fixed appliance can be installed (restricted/protected zones). Using a portable appliance in any wet area can also present a risk, notably electric shock. No one is going to be there to stop one making a tragic mistake. Hopefully the user instructions provide appropriate advice as to where not to use each type.
You can get the same burnt dust smell with anything that gets hot enough including fan heaters that are more difficult to clean. If you get a strip heater with a quartz element you can easily dust it (while cold and unplugged of course).
Have you seen a bench top lamp heater bathroom advertised? Have you had one before?
A single heat lamp such as in therapeutic/massage lamps will be a maximum of about 300 w (some are much less), single bulb portable food heat lamps will be something similar in power. They are not going to get you warm very quickly. Compare these to 1200-2000 w for a strip heater.
Bathrooms often have very little bench space, what happens if you have a bench heater and knock it down or rest your elbow on it while it is hot?
Have you seen a bench top lamp heater bathroom advertised? Have you had one before?
No, looking for the first time now, hence the post.
Although - this is meant for food but it’s two heat lamps, 500w, on flexible heads. This might be a workable option.
I’ve had bathrooms with heat lamps in the ceiling before and they’ve been just fine. I don’t need the place to be hot - just to have warmth when it’s freezing in winter.
Bathrooms often have very little bench space, what happens if you have a bench heater and knock it down or rest your elbow on it while it is hot?
What happens if anything bad happens? All normal common sense should apply to all actions. But when drilling something to the wall or ceiling up and out of reach is not an option, you have benchtop or floor and I have more unused/well positioned benchtop than I have floor.
That add is unclear if it is a total of 500w or two 500w lamps I would check before buying.
If you are prepared to pay $717 for a lamp put a strip heater on the wall, pay to have the fastening holes filled and painted before you leave (or DIY) and save $500.
There are some floor standing heat lamps on ebay, obviously imported touting ‘Australian Plugs’. You could ask the sellers if they meet Australian standards, CE, or whatever they might. There is always a danger importing anything electrical, but.
Mydeal, a Woolies company, might provide more confidence?
Definitely willing to pay for something that looks good.
Sorry I am no use to you then.
I use a small fan heater. I made a cover to go over it when it’s not in use to keep dust off and out of it.
I have been trying to find a safe, suitable and effective ceiling mounted strip heater for my bathroom. I don’t like those heat lamps and I have seen rectangular strip heaters online that could be good, but stores don’t sell them, except outdoor alfresco style not bathrooms. Does anyone know where they are available and whether they work efficiently?
You don’t need a special bathroom strip heater, if mounted up where they will not be splashed or kicked all will do. The electrical efficiency will all be the same in that they are resistance heaters that turn electric power directly into heat. The power will vary and the thermal efficiency, how well they reflect radiant heat, may vary a little also but I would not think very much.
I haven’t used one but something like this is what I had in mind. You can pay five times as much for essentially the same thing if you like.
Not what you are looking for but worth a consideration. Not expensive and effective.
