The weather is finally getting colder here in Austin. So, one of the things I have been searching for is a portable space heater. Ideally, I would like one that is made in the USA.
I never thought it would be such an ordeal to locate such a simple thing as a heater manufactured in the US.
First, I called Home Depot and then, Lowes stores. I asked the salesperson(s) if they sold ANY space heaters made in the USA? The answer at both stores was the same: “NO.” Where were they made, I asked? The answer: China, of course.
Next, I called Sears. I got the same answer. China.
Lastly, I called Breed & Co., a local hardware store here in Austin. It is well known for
carrying quality products. The salesman told me to hold on and he would go check their stock of heaters. He came back and said, “Yes, Lakewood heaters are made in the US.” I was giddy. (A silly response, I know, but hey, I was freezing!)My daughter-in-law was going out to run errands so I asked if she would stop and pick up a couple heaters. She did.
When she got home and we pulled the heaters out of their boxes, guess what was stamped on the bottom of each one? Made in China. ARRGH!!
So, we returned the heaters to Breed & Co. and I turned my attention to google. I searched and searched and finally found the Vornado line of heaters. The company had several models still made in the USA (I had to click on the FEATURE button to get this info).
Anyway, I ordered one for myself , the VH2 and also an AVH2, for my son and daughter-in-law (for a Solstice present).
The heaters arrived today. I wrapped and hid their heater but I am using mine now. It works great (so quiet and so powerful!). I am very happy with my purchase. Yay MADE IN USA heaters!!!
ps. If you decide to order a Vornado for yourself online, make sure you click on the FEATURE button for each heater and check the manufacture location before ordering. One or two of the more expensive models are made in China. (What a switch, huh?)
pps. They have some really cool (`xcuse the pun) "vintage" fans also on the Vornado web site, but I don't know if they are made in the US. I can't locate the info on their website. (I'll have to email the company again.) While I was looking over the fans, I noticed they have a cute little fan called the Zippi but it is manufactured in...you guessed it -- China. sigh...
---------======------======--------
UPDATE: 12/22/07I have been using my Vornado heater and it works great. I know this sounds like a gushing commercial but I can't help it. (And NO, I have no connection with this company or any company other than as a consumer.)
Over the years, I have bought probably 12 or more personal heaters but this heater is one of the best, if not the best one I've ever owned. It is very quiet, gets hot super fast, yet the case (plastic) stays cool to the touch. It quickly heats a whole room. I seldom have to set the dial higher than 2 (I think it goes up to 6). My only slight complaint is the size -- it is bigger (but oddly lite weight) than I thought it would be but, overall this is not a problem.
I highly recommend the Vornado heater btw. Highly.
36 comments:
Thank you! I was getting soo frustrated looking online for a heater that was made in the US! I just ordered one tonight. :)
Thanks for the research,
~K
You're welcome!! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Thank you for this info. I just had to get rid of four electric oil filled space heaters that were made outside of the U.S., because they almost burned down my house. Angry, you bet. But this is what happens when we have a broken freeeeee market system that operates as if it was on "Steroids..." and some business owners no longer care about Americans, but instead they care more about their personal profits...
Your information is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks. The very first thing I do anymore when buying something is look to see where it is made.
Thanks for the article, this is just what I needed!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I bumped into your blog looking for the space heater! What a huge help!
I find it rather ironic that you went through all that much trouble to buy a Vornado heater considering that the company was dissolved and sold off because they tried to cover-up the heater fires caused by their heaters. So instead of recalling them after 300 people had them catch fire they did nothing until enough people complained to the government and the government asked Vornado about the fires.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08180.html
Seriously, if you're going to refuse to buy products not made in the USA I suggest you pick a less embarrassing example. I no longer use my Made in the USA Vornado because I'm afraid it'll catch fire, and I can't even get it repaired because since the original company was "dissolved" and then a new company with the same name exists now as a subsidiary of Coleman, nobody's responsible to fix it anymore.
I don't find it surprising that nobody else bothers to build heaters in the US anymore if the best we can do is cover up heater fires and refuse to recall for 10 years.
REPLY TO IRONIC Anonymous:
Wow, what has your panties in a bunch?? Geeze!
OK, first of all, yes, Vornado did get slapped with a FINE from the CPSC. They are not the first or last US company to get fined for not reporting their flawed products.
And I did a little research and see where the past CEO of Coleman teamed up with McCarthy Capital Corporation, an Omaha Based Private Equity Firm in 2007 --
http://www.allbusiness.com/finance/equity-funding-private-equity/4016295-1.html
But I couldn't see anywhere that said that Coleman bought Vornado...just a past CEO and other former Coleman people....and an equity firm. I'm not a business person so I'm not real clear on the ramifications of this info.
But I do know that I bought 2 Vornadoes in the winter of `07...one model is a little cheaper than the other. The higher priced model has worked like a breeze for 2 winters now, with zero problems.
The cheaper model has had problems. I have returned it twice to the company --- which is still in business btw. Both times they fixed it free. The second time I had to pay shipping there but not back...about $8. Which is much cheaper than buying a new, crappy, made-in-china heater. Also, Vornado fixed the heater and returned it to me pretty quickly. Thus it was saved from going to the landfill. It's a win-win situation. More companies should do this.
Further, all of my dealings with the Vornado company have been pleasant AND IN ENGLISH! I haven't suffered with being put on hold or struggled to converse with the customer rep (who is sitting in a cubicle in New Delhi and english is his/her second language). The Vornado people have been very polite and helpful.
Yes, Vornado is not perfect. But then what company is?? In the end here is what I can say about the company--(for now) they make a quality small portable heater RIGHT HERE IN THE USA.
You buy what you want, from who you want. And I will continue to buy local as much as I can. Problem solved.
Cheers.
~M
ps. And I still recommend Vornado to my friends and family.
I've three of Vornado's USA made fans, and I was looking to purchase another online recently. Mind you, all three, which are 10, 8 and 5 respectively, are all in perfect working order. I noticed there was a new design, but their solid, powder-coated metal bases were replaced with a plastic base. Needless to say, aesthetically, it leaves something to be desired to its predecessors. let alone their iconic models of the '40's & '50's.
Long story short, I looked at one while in Home Depot recently. Yes, it looked cheap as hell looking. So I looked at the tag and it was indeed ChiCom made.
How sad, as I talk them up constantly for their quality and employing Americans in this competitive, race-to-the-bottom world of ours. I just tried looking at their site, alas to no avail. It's down, What a pity.
We're a MADE IN AMERICA manufacturer of SUN AIRE Ductless Furnaces here in NW Arkansas. We've been building our electric heaters LONGER than any of the come later similar products that use infrared elements instead of our halogen quartz lamp technology. Our SUN AIRE Ductless Furnaces are the CADILLAC of the Ductless Furnace with all of our many quality features; i.e. digital PROGRAMMABLE thermostat; lifetime/washable 0.5 micron filter; replaceable halogen quartz lamps; light port inspection holes in the floor of our full size Oak cabinet which stays cool to the touch; powder coated lamp chamber; 10 ft. cord; etc.
This is our 10th year of manufacturing Made in America products and we're still here- building LIFETIME- SAFE, SIMPLE, SERVICEABLE- SUN AIRE products for Americans.
We also build our SUN AIRE purifier that is also LIFETIME- SAFE, SIMPLE, SERVICEABLE while purifying indoor air like sunlight does outdoors daily. We safely and effectively energize 02 using our cool, safe, photon process with our dual frequency UVC lamp. We eliminate airborne bacteria & viruses; mold spores; pet/smoke/ammonia odors and also have our same lifetime, washable 0.5 micron pre-filter as on our heater. Our units are made of brushed stainless steel- not China-mart plastic!
Please visit our website at: www.betterair.com and contact us so we can refer you to a local dealer for your convenience.
Thank you in advance for your time and for supporting Made in America products!
Read the reviews on Vornado and I am hooked. Been looking for months for a US made heater. This company seems to have a line that is top rated. Had no trouble bringing up their website, and will purchase one this winter. I'll tell my local hardware store about them too. They prefer to sell US made products but seem to have been unable to find any US made heaters.
Thanks for the blog.
THANK GOODNESS! Finally. I have been searching and searching for a space heater to heat the room my thermostat happens to be in (the coldest room of the house) I have ordered Lasko and it emits a horrific odor and does not lessen with time, also a microthermic heater from B.J.s also a horrific odor, they are both made in china, I swear all the products lately made in china have a horrible smell even the backpacks which I had to return because the smell made me sick. Anyway I so hope this works. Thanks for your research.
From their website it appears that of their many heaters only VH2 Whitestone, avh-2, and dvth are
designed, engineered and assembled in the USA. The rest are made in China. :(
Not sure I'm looking at the correct site, but they seem to have removed the information on where the fan is manufactured...
Yes, the two links to the specific models are now dead; and country of origin is now effectively hidden for every product.
"Effectively" is my weasel-word meaning that if the info is there, it's beyond my level of genius to find it!
I checked out the Sun Aire offering at betterair.com . Looks good if you need a permanent heater for a largeish room. Not good if you want a simple one you can move from room to room and also not pay a large price tag for.
Look as if we're out of luck. We all should have bought dozens of heaters while they were still available. :-(
FOUND ONE!!! YAY!! Plug in or Hard Wire Models. We can Feed US CITIZENS for only a few dollars more than the MADE IN CHINA JUNK AVAILABLE....Check EHEAT.COM ENVI Heaters have both larger and smaller room type space heaters.. http://www.betterair.com/ & http://www.infraredheaters.co/ are made in America and a couple other heaters quartz type similar to the Eden Pure Brand - Bob Villa endorses (Not American MADE. These are portable and efficient and designed for larges spaces and commanding more of an AMERICAN $$ investment in dollars. If that is your need. PLEASE buy those US-MADE!! I have found on the CHINESE Models of various heaters the power cord is not gauge heavy enough to be absolutely safe. After all you want a Room heater not overheating CORD! For your SAFETY PLEASE CHECK THAT!!! I VOTE FEED AMERICANS
Howdy,
Thanks so much for putting up this info! I live in richardson out here in the dallas 'burbs and it's been freezing. I saw the vornado on amazon but wasn't sure if it was indeed made in the usa or not. But now that I have the confirmation, I'll go ahead and order the exact same model.
Oh and to the poster who's got his panties in a bunch, are you an american? If you are, you'll show your patriotism by buying made in america as much as possible! GO USA!
Thank you! exactly the info I needed... please continue to update with Made in America info!
freezing in San Francisco!
When I need to make a purchase the first thing I do is to try and find AMERICAN made. Since my "buy it-throw it away-made in china" heater broke after about 10 uses. I was looking for made in AMERICA space heaters when I came across www.northlineexpress.com where I found Empire heaters. The description states American-made however there are lots of sites that claim American made so these Empire heaters need to be verified. I hope they are. I am sure it will last far beyond the chinese made.
Sadly, it looks as though Vornado heaters have only one heater that is not made but assembled in America at this time.
Thank you so much for this!!! I believe the parts may be elsewhere since it says it's "Assembled in US"
Either way, it's nice to know most of it's being done in the US and better than being produced and assembled in China. Thanks again.
Made in the USA or not I could never trust a company that hid 300 incidents over an 11 year period. The $50,000 penalty was most probably much higher prior to negotiations. They placed their bottom line before the safety of their product owners. Shame on you Vornado!
I bought one for my dad as a Christmas gift couple year ago and he loves it. It's still working great and I plan to get one for my self and one for my sister as a gift. I had been searching more than a year for a portable heater which is not made in China but US (sorry for saying that because most of heaters i see in stores made in China). Finally I found this heater - VORNADO at Bed Bath & Beyond. You should go to the store to check out because not all VORNADO made in USA, only couple models made in USA and the rest - China. Good luck everyone!
Hi there! Many thanks for the blog! I confirmed with Vornado live chat rep today that the following models are in fact still made in the USA:
VTH
VH2
VH102
AVH2
VH103
DVTH
Some models available at Costco or Bed Bath and Beyond!
Cheers! And thanks again!
Thanks so much. I to have been searching for a made in USA space heater. Over the years I have bought several made in china brands. Every one of them has failed 6 months to just over 2 years. I have had to take all of them apart to perform a cobbled repair so I could finish the winter months out as I use them in my garage. Each new unit is more poorly made than the one before it. I would never trust one in a living quarters or give one to anybody. I am amazed with the poor quality switches and workmanship inside these heaters.
They do however look great on the outside. kc
Hello and THANK YOU!
For the past year I am doing my very very best to buy ONLY Made in USA Everything (if possible). And finding this is fantastic...I'll be checking out Vornado SOON!! It makes me feel GREAT to support our own countries-made items and the hard work that went into them! Psst, if you want, and haven't yet - another great website I've found last year is - http://madeinusachallenge.com/about/
Have a great day!
~Jill
Update Jan 2017: Unfortunately the Vornado fans are no longer made in the USA. The Design and Engineering and a few manufacturing functions remain in the Kansas plant but that's it. Note that none of their appliance specs, ads, or details say Made in the USA, that's because they are not :-0(
You are writing some Amazing tips. This article really helped me a lot. Thanks for sharing this blog.
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Made in the USA Heaters, great company and those in Seattle have known for years. https://king-electric.com/products/
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I have seven Vh2 for 3 years. Non toxic parts all made in USA. They work great. No cheap cancer causing poison CHINA smells. No fire. But it is the higher quality VH2 model.
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