Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower 755320 Review

Room Heating

When it comes to heating a room thoroughly, a space heater must have a few different mechanisms working in unison — fan size and speed, heating element power, and the strength and speed of airflow. This metric accounts for 40% of the total score.

To test each product's relative room heating score, we strategically placed lab-grade temperature sensors along eight different data stations in our large tool room at GearLab. We then put each heater into the same spot in our 14'x10'x12' (tall) control room and sealed it for an hour while taking readings both before, during, and after starting the test from 64 degrees Fahrenheit. After collecting, crunching, and analyzing all eight sensors' rising heat data, we were finally able to calculate the Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower's Room Heating score at 5.6.

Unfortunately, as this is a tower unit, it meant that the fan wasn't all that powerful, and the Lasko didn't do a particularly swift job at heating up the test room. Our eight sensors even went down in temperature for a while before beginning to heat up throughout our hour-long test. By the end, we found that the Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower's weaker fan barely did the job of heating anything substantial. We finally did some fine-tuning to the Lasko's settings after feeling somewhat disheartened by the results.

After moving into a smaller office room for real-life tests, we turned on the Lasko Tower's oscillating function and were delightfully surprised to discover that this once-weak heater became more efficient and functional at spreading air into corners and crags, increasing its effectiveness and practicality for heating a small room. It also has a remote that tucks onto the back of the heater, and we again found this feature useful. We set the room temperature and timer in hopes of transforming our small test space into a tropical island. The Lasko finally did well in our smaller office rooms, paired with the previous oscillating mode — we found a very happy environment when it came to evenly moving warm air throughout an moderate amount of space.

Direct Heat

Direct heat can be important for someone who may work in a large drafty workshop or anyone who needs high, consistent heat in a cold garage or office space. At 25% of the total score, this metric is imperative to understand and test thoroughly.
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To tabulate a direct heat score, we begin by setting a heater three feet away from a hanging sheet and a horizontal set of five industrial-grade temperature sensors — one directly in front of the unit, two on the mid-left and right of the center, and two additional sensors on the far left and right. To observe how each heater produces direct heat, we also set up a thermal camera, noting the spread of warm air during the five-minute test period.

After this initial test, we took every heater and placed it perpendicular to our hanging sheet. Again, we observe the horizontal distance each heater is capable of blasting, as well as the rise of the air and pattern. After running the Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower for five minutes, noting that the far left and right sensors only rose by 5.4 and 0.9 degrees, meaning that the width spread of this heater's hot air is quite small; however, that doesn't particularly mean it wasn't efficient at providing direct heat.

The Lasko effectively blew the hot air 3.5 feet out of the grille thanks to its taller stature. When we sat directly next to the unit, we found it to have some hotspots, but that was easily solved by turning the settings down and oscillating the mode. After tweaking the settings, the Lasko flooded a beautiful blanket of warm air over us as long as it wasn't turned on high mode, and when it got much colder, and we needed more direct intensity, the Lasko does reasonably because of its very direct spread, however, might not be the best option for someone who doesn't do well with extremely hot air. This heater produces an intense amount of hot air, and that can come with some concerns when it comes to safety, despite not making any hotspots on the floor during our perpendicular thermal sheet heat test.

Many of the heaters in our review employ mechanisms to make them safer to operate. To test the overheat functions, we placed a sheet over the heaters on high, timed the shutoff, then measured the temperature of the front grille. If you would like to know more about safety and how we test each heater, take a glance at our comprehensive how we test space heaters review. Unfortunately, the Lasko does not come with tip-over protection, which was somewhat of a surprise to us. That being said, when we tested for shutoff capabilities and dropped a sheet over the Lasko, we were impressed to find that it turned off after only 12 seconds, which gave us a bit more confidence in the unit, and we would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind tip over protection in place of a highly customizable tower unit.

Consistent Warmth

As for living or working in a cold climate, we all know that it can sometimes be necessary to have constant and consistent warmth throughout the day in order to stave off the bitter bite of winter. This makes up 25% of the total score.

One of the primary features that can contribute to this metric is oscillating mode, and fortunately for our tester's warmth, the Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower utilizes this feature to the utmost, whereas many other space heaters do not.

The Lasko consistent warmth score was better than the average score for this metric. In terms of some features that add to overall comfort, we love being able to set the room temperature on either the remote or the digital display on top. We were thoroughly impressed by its large spread, and this heater succeeded in flowing warm waves of air over our bodies.

The only downside we found regarding the Lasko Tower's consistent heating capabilities is that it doesn't have a fan-only option. When things began to warm up in our offices during spring afternoons, we found that the heater, even on low, was too hot. Despite the lack of a fan feature, we would recommend the Lasko to anyone in need of a highly customizable tower unit with a wide air spread and favorable, consistent warmth scores.

Sound

Most space heaters are simply a heating element and fan, which tend not to make very much noise. However, sound might be critical to someone with a young child at home or anyone who simply cannot deal with any distractions while working. That's why we use a professional-quality sound meter to measure each heater's decibels, running them for days and listening for any infuriating noises before ultimately scoring every unit's sound. This section accounts for 10% of the overall score.

We found that the Lasko Tower scored above our average with a 6.5. After running the heater for days and listening for any gleaming squeaks, squeals, whirs, or irritating sounds, we were unable to detect any downfalls that could negatively impact the Lasko's score. The small fan has a stereotypical hum, which was more muted compared to other units we tested.

After passing our irritation test, we turned to our professional sound meter to understand how much sound was actually coming from the heater — this model emits a peaceful 42.5 decibels. Would recommend this space heater to anyone who can't stand any loud noises or sounds that can sometimes be associated with such products. The Lasko did a great job at providing heat with plenty of silence to keep your sleeping baby snoozing away.

Should You Buy the Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower 755320?

If you specifically enjoy a tower-style space heater that can cover a wide spread of space with stellar, consistent heat, then the Lasko Ceramic Digital Tower is worth solid consideration. Its quiet fan, carrying handle, digital display, and remote add a level of luxury to a heater that is able to slowly heat most small and medium rooms during the day. We would particularly recommend this heater to someone with a small office, a corner room, or a smaller living room that needs consistent heat.

What Other Space Heater Should You Consider?

If you like a tower-style heater, want more functionality, and don't mind busting into the bank, then give a gander at the Dyson Hot+Cool AM09 Jet Focus for its multiple functions, high power, and ultimate environment customization. On the other end, if you just need to heat up a small space on a budget, go take a look at the Amazon Basic Ceramic 1500W. Now, if safety is of your highest concern and you need a space heater with tip-over protection, then we almost guarantee that the Vornado AVH10 has all of the safety features you could ever want.