Warm Rooms Faster and Waste Less Energy with $3 Baseboard Heater Covers, HVAC Pros Reveal

Your home will warm up more evenly, too

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(Image credit: Future / DAVIDE LOVATTI)
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The biting cold of winter can easily leave you shivering in your home if you don't take appropriate steps to keep it at an even, comfortable temperature, but that can be a challenge with soaring energy costs.

That's why I was intrigued to learn that HVAC pros recommend using a $3.50 baseboard heater, available at Amazon, to make rooms heat up faster, prevent dust and debris from blocking vital airflow, and improve heating efficiency, and therefore reduce energy costs overall.

This $3.50 Fix Will Keep You Warm All Winter

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

In winter, there's no doubt that keeping a home warm all day is top of everyone's priority list. But, while you might be up to date with the new home heating temperature standard and know the exact temperature to keep a thermostat in winter, what you might not consider or know is that you should be using baseboard heater covers to improve efficiency.

Josh Mitchell, HVAC expert and founder of AirConditionerLab, shares that he recommends using baseboard heater covers for a few reasons. Primarily, they're a way to make heating more efficient.

'The old metal covers that come with baseboard heaters tend to rust, dent, and collect dust or pet hair,' he says. 'That buildup blocks airflow across the heating fins, which lowers heat output.

'Replacing them with snap-on covers usually helps rooms warm up faster and more evenly. Warm air can move freely again without being trapped by rusted metal or debris.'

Additionally, he explains, these covers can also fix long-term maintenance issues.

'Metal baseboards are hard to clean and often have sharp corners. Repainting them every few years adds time and cost. The replacements are made of a rust-resistant polymer, and you can wipe them clean with a damp rag,' such as the Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths available at Amazon.

'That's a big time-saver when you're doing seasonal checks or prepping a rental unit between tenants,' Josh adds.

A white attic space with a teal statement wall and radiator, a white and blue striped blind and a stacked suitcase set. To the right is the corner of a blue bedframe with grey bedding.

For traditional radiators like this one, you can make the radiators heat up faster by moving furniture away from them.

(Image credit: ONE REPRESENTS LTD / Future)

Baseboard heater covers, aside from helping uneven house heating, are also a good option for homes with pets or toddlers, adds Josh.

'The plastic stays cooler to the touch and has rounded edges, which helps reduce the risk of injury,' he explains. 'Dogs can burn their noses by sniffing exposed metal baseboards. Covers help prevent that without affecting performance.

'Durability matters too. Most people think $3.50 sounds disposable, but I've seen these hold up for over five years without fading or cracking. They don't chip when bumped with a vacuum or broom, and they still snap on tightly in cold weather.'

In particular, the NeatHeat Baseboard Heat Cover available at Amazon 'Fits beautifully,' according to five-star reviewer Anne Marie Waxman, and is a 'great product,' when it comes to being easy to install and 'making a room look finished,' says a fellow reviewer, Kari S.

As HVAC pro Josh concludes, baseboard heater covers are a smart fix if your heating system works fine mechanically, but needs faster heat-up time and fewer problems from grime, rust, or blocked airflow.

'Homes with these installed tend to stay cleaner, warmer, and safer without changing the plumbing or the baseboard heaters themselves,' he says.

Shop Our Edit of Home Heating Essentials

Meet the Expert

Profile photo of Josh Mitchell in sunny backyard with palm trees in the unfocused background
Josh Mitchell

Josh is an HVAC technician and the founder of AirConditionerLab, which was established in 2014 to bring readers simple yet effective tips to keep their home cozy in winter and cool and comfortable in summer.

There are also a number of other heating mistakes that make your house colder, such as setting your thermostat too high or too low, and blocking your heat vents with furniture.

You can also get rid of your home's cold spots, wake up slow radiators, and implement the new heating standard, which we have tested and can confirm works, for better comfort and lower energy bills throughout winter.

Ottilie Blackhall
Ottilie Blackhall
Sleep Editor

Ottilie joined Homes & Gardens in 2024 as the News Writer on Solved, after finishing a Master's in Magazine Journalism at City, University of London. Now, as the Sleep Editor, she spends her days hunting deals and producing content on all things sleep – from mattresses and sheets to protectors and pillows, all of which she tests in her own home. She also has particular expertise in home fragrance, covering everything from candles to reed diffusers.

Previously, she has written for Livingetc and Motorsport Magazine, and also has a Master's degree in English Literature and History of Art from the University of Edinburgh, where she developed a love for inspiring interiors and architecture.