The Princess smart glass panel heater looks a little like a radiator and a lot like the sort of screen you probably spend most of the day staring at – if you opt for the black version, at least. It’s a glossy, dark mirror, with rounded corners and a touchscreen display on one side.
The panel heater is also available in white, which looks equally modern and minimalist, albeit less like a 2001-style monolith.
When you take it out of the box, you’ll need a screwdriver to attach feet to it, although it also comes with the fixings you need to attach it more permanently to a wall. This latter option is probably the ideal one for this appliance, as being glass, it’s heavy and possibly breakable. Your best option is to find a spot for it and leave it there to do what it does best.
Note that we’re testing the 1,500W model but there are also 1,000W and 2,000W models available for approximately £90 and £120 respectively. You can buy them all from Amazon.
Performance
The touchscreen controls on the heater itself let you switch it off and on, choose from two heat settings, set a timer in hourly increments for up to 24 hours, and – thanks to its integral thermostat – set a target temperature for the heater to reach. When it hits this threshold, it’ll switch off until the temperature around it falls again.
There’s also a lock among the touch controls (and in the app), so you can prevent little fingers from switching it on when you’re not supervising.
To really make the most of its features, you should download the HomeWizrd Climate app, which is free for both Android and Apple users and easy to use. Once it’s connected via your home Wi-Fi network, which in our test happened instantly and without fuss, you can control your heater using your phone.
This means that if you’re using it to heat a chilly bedroom, you can switch it on remotely from the sitting room sofa, so the room is cosy by the time you go up to bed.
You can also switch it on and off via the app (so no need to panic if you’re heading out the front door and can’t remember if it’s still on upstairs), lock it, set a target temperature and timer.
Rather than using on an ad hoc basis, you can opt to set a schedule via the app – and even specify different schedules for weekdays and weekends.
The heater is also compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri, so you can switch it on and off using voice commands, although the functionality ends there.
Our only reservation is that any remote operation of devices or appliances that heat up comes with an added risk. In this case, the app will deliver a warning pop-up when you switch the heater on, reminding you that you should check that the heater is uncovered before you do so.
Price and availability
The Princess smart glass panel heater is good value considering its power, design and smart features.
The heater comes in two colours and three wattage options. There’s not much difference in price between the black and white variants but the wattage options cost about £90, £100 and £120. You can browse them all on Amazon.
Verdict
The smart panel would be a perfect addition to a garden office as it’s neat, silent and space saving. Plus, the smart features mean you can set it remotely to warm up your space before you begin work or have it come on every day before you start.
The scheduling and remote functionality will help you to ensure that rooms you use less often are warm when you need them and that no heat is otherwise wasted. If you’re looking for an alternative to central heating for an extension or spare bedroom, this panel heater’s competitive price means you could buy more than one and not be too out of pocket.
We’d only sound a couple of notes of caution: first, always take care when using a heater remotely, and second, keep an eye on how long you’re running the heater for. No one needs a surprise addition to their bills at the moment.
For more portable heater options, have a look at our round-up of the best heaters we’ve tested.
Specs
Princess Smart Glass Panel Heater: Specs
Power: 1,500W
Heat settings: 2
Safety lock
Dimensions: 76x38x9cm
Maximum temperature: 35°C
Timer: 24-hour timer
Voice assistant compatible
Wi-Fi: Single band 2.4GHz
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