Black & Decker 360° Surround Heater + Fan

A compact workhorse for small, cold corners

I put the 360° heater to work in a chilly home office and a drafty basement room to see if a lightweight, surround-style space heater could meaningfully improve comfort without fuss. After several weeks of daily use, it’s clear this compact cylinder punches above its weight for targeted warmth, with a few quirks worth knowing before you plug it in.

Design, controls, and setup

This is a simple, no-nonsense heater. At about a foot tall and just over four pounds, it’s easy to pick up by the top handle and move around. The 360-degree grill wraps the body, so heat is thrown in all directions at once. There’s no oscillation motor—“surround” here means fixed, circular output rather than a sweeping tower.

Controls are straightforward:
- A three-position power selector: Fan (no heat), Low (750 W), High (1500 W)
- A manual thermostat dial that sets the cut-off point

Build quality is what I expect at this price: sturdy enough plastic shell, a wide, stable base, and switches with a positive click. The 6-foot cord is adequate for reaching a nearby outlet in a bedroom or office, though it won’t span across a room. As with any space heater, don’t run it on an extension cord; use a dedicated wall outlet and keep it on a hard, flat surface.

Setup is plug-and-play. Out of the box, I ran it on High for 15 minutes with a window cracked to burn off the mild “new heater” smell—normal for ceramic and metal elements. It faded quickly and didn’t return.

Heating performance in real rooms

The 360° heater excels in small, enclosed spaces. In my 120-square-foot office, starting at 65°F on a 40°F morning, High raised the room to a comfortable 72°F in about 18 minutes. Because the heat radiates outward in all directions, I didn’t feel the harsh hot plume you get from some front-facing heaters; instead, the room warmed more evenly. Standing behind or beside it felt just as comfortable as in front of it.

In a larger, partially finished basement room (roughly 200 square feet, mediocre insulation), High kept things livable, lifting the room by about 6–7°F over 30–40 minutes, but it didn’t fully overcome drafts. In that scenario, placing the heater roughly in the center of the area worked best; tucking it in a corner wastes the 360-degree output and slows the warm-up.

On Low (750 W), the heater is more of a steady, background warmer. It maintained my office at 69–70°F after the initial warm-up and was useful for taking the edge off in a bedroom without overshooting.

A few practical tips from testing:
- For center-of-room placement, give it at least 12 inches of clearance on all sides so the surround flow isn’t blocked.
- If you must put it near a wall, rotate the dial so the grill faces away from combustibles and keep a healthy gap behind it. You won’t get full 360-degree performance, but it still works well.

Thermostat behavior and ease of use

The thermostat is a mechanical dial with no digital setpoint. You turn it clockwise for warmer, counterclockwise for cooler. There are no degree markings, so you’ll need to “find your dot” through a day’s use.

On my unit, the heating element cycles off when the room reaches the dial’s threshold and cycles back on as the space cools. The fan continues to run briefly after the element cuts off—likely a safety cooldown—before shutting down. If you’re sensitive to faint airflow in a small room, that brief post-heat fan can feel a touch cool, but it’s short-lived.

The trade-off with a manual thermostat is precision. Expect a few degrees of swing, especially in drafty rooms. I found a narrow band in the office after a day’s trial; in the basement, more temperature fluctuation was normal due to poor insulation.

What I missed were niceties like a digital readout, a timer, or an eco mode. If you want set-and-forget precision, this isn’t the heater for you. If you’re fine with “warm, warmer, warmest,” it’s simple and reliable.

Noise and airflow

At arm’s length, the fan produces a steady whoosh—about what you’d expect from a small desk fan. In my measurements with a basic meter, it hovered around the mid-to-upper 40 dBA range at three feet on both Low and High. It’s not whisper-quiet, but it’s easy to tune out as white noise while working or watching TV. Light sleepers may notice it in a bedroom, especially in a very quiet house.

One benefit of the surround design is gentler airflow compared with a directional grille. You still get movement, but it doesn’t feel like a concentrated blast on your shins.

Safety features and stability

Two protections are onboard: tip-over shutoff and overheat protection. I tested tip-over by nudging the unit from different directions; it cut power immediately when off-balance and reset without drama once upright. Overheat protection engaged once during a deliberate test when I partially blocked the intake—don’t do this in regular use, of course—which is reassuring.

The base is wide enough that it doesn’t feel tippy on hardwood. Keep it away from rugs and curtains, and don’t place it up on furniture or steps. As with all heaters, steer clear of bathrooms or damp areas.

Energy use and cost

At High, the unit draws up to 1500 W—about the max a standard 120V outlet should deliver on a typical circuit. That’s roughly 1.5 kWh per hour. At a national average of $0.15 per kWh, you’re looking at:
- High: around $0.23 per hour
- Low: around $0.11 per hour
- Fan: negligible, but no heat

If your wiring shares a circuit with other heavy loads (microwave, hair dryer, vacuum), you may trip a breaker. In my 1940s home, I dedicated a circuit to avoid nuisance trips.

Where it fits best

Based on real-world use, the 360° heater is a good match for:
- Small offices, dens, and bedrooms up to ~150 square feet
- RVs and dorms where portability and simple controls matter
- Quick spot-warming near a couch or desk

It’s not ideal for:
- Large living areas or open-plan spaces
- Users who need a precise, programmable thermostat or a timer
- Ultra-quiet environments where any fan noise is distracting

The fan-only mode adds a bit of versatility in shoulder seasons, though it won’t replace a larger room fan.

What could be better

A few improvements would elevate the experience:
- A digital thermostat with an actual temperature setpoint for tighter control
- A basic timer (even a 2–4–8 hour option) for nighttime safety and convenience
- Longer cord or a cord wrap; six feet is fine, but placement flexibility is limited
- Optional directional louver on one quadrant for those who plan to place it near a wall

None of these are deal-breakers at this price, but they’d broaden the appeal.

Maintenance and longevity

There’s no removable filter, so dust will collect on the intake over time. I got into a rhythm of vacuuming the grill weekly during peak use. Keep pets away from the intake while running; pet hair will clog any small heater quickly.

After several weeks of daily cycling, the switches feel the same, the fan hasn’t picked up rattle, and there’s no recurring odor. The one-year warranty is standard for this class and aligns with my expectations.

The bottom line

The 360° heater is a straightforward, effective space heater that warms small rooms quickly and evenly. The circular output genuinely helps avoid hot-and-cold zones in tighter spaces, and the compact form, light weight, and carry handle make it easy to deploy wherever a cold spot appears. You give up frills—no digital thermostat, no timer, no remote—but gain simplicity and a reliable safety package.

Recommendation: I recommend this heater for anyone needing a compact, affordable way to add quick, even warmth to small indoor spaces. It’s especially good in home offices and bedrooms where the 360-degree output prevents one-sided hot spots. If you want precise temperature control, ultra-quiet operation, or whole-room heating for larger areas, look at a larger unit with a digital thermostat and more advanced features. For its intended scope, this one does the job cleanly and predictably.