Best Water Heaters 2021 – Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Now that the winter months are fast approaching, it’s high time to start looking at ways to stay warm.

Be it a new space heater, proper insulation, or even a brand-new jacket, you want to make sure that you’re well prepared to brave the cold months.

But perhaps that most important thing to consider when preparing for winter is making sure you have a good supply of hot water. After all, no one wants to experience chilling hypothermia every time they take a shower or wash their face.

This is why it’s important to make sure you have a heater that can save you from being subjected to the icicles coming out of your tap. But with so many choices out there, it can be hard to tell which water heater will best serve your needs.

Best Water Heaters Reviews 2021

With so many brands and types available, you can bet that it isn’t the easiest job to pick the best choice. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled this handy guide to take all the hard work out of the equation so that you can get the best water heater on the market.

1. EcoSmart Eco 18 – Best Electric Tankless Heater 2021

EcoSmart is a fairly run of the mill brand as far as water heater companies go. They’re not the most well-known but they’re also not the most obscure. It’s highly likely for you to find EcoSmart heaters installed in most homes out there.

The EcoSamart ECO 18 Electric Tankless Heater is the newest unit in the ECO lineup of water heaters. The great thing about the ECO 18 water heater is that it’s an electric tankless heater. This makes it easy to use, efficient and feature rich. The compact design of the unit not only makes it look great, but it also makes it a perfect addition for small residential houses and apartments.

But don’t let its small size fool you! This water heater is well up to the task when it comes to heating water quickly and efficiently. The ECO 18 is capable to heating water at an impressive rate of 2.5 gallons a minute. This makes it perfect for providing enough how water for a small family or a couple of roommates.

The self-modulating technology from the ECO 18 adjusts the amount of energy that’s needed to heat the amount of water. This prevents any excess energy from being wasted and saving your energy bills.

You can also manually adjust the desired temperature for your water using the handy digital temperature control with 1 degree increments for highly accurate temperature adjustments. If you’re looking for a hassle-free heating unit suitable for a couple people, the ECO 11 water heater has you covered.

2. Bosch Tronic 3000 T – Best Designed Water Heater

It should come as no surprise that Bosch is in the business of making high quality water heaters. They are one of the leading brands in the market for consumer appliances. Whether it’s for your kitchen, your living room, or even your bathroom, Bosch has you covered.

The Bosch Tronic 3000 T has a very futuristic name to it and for good reason. The design of this water heater is very sleek and modern. Bosch has made sure that it doesn’t compromise on design even for appliance that’s normally tucked away in the basement.

The compact design of this unit makes it so you can place it just about anywhere. It will even fit in places like under the sink which is normally hard to reach for most units.

Normally when you think of compact water heaters, there’s always the risk of having a lower holding capacity. Thankfully this isn’t the case with the Bosch Tronic 3000 T as it is well capable of heating 7 gallons of water.

It even adds to that with its high recovery rate of 6.8 gallons per hour, meaning you’ll up and ready to go in an hour. This makes it the perfect companion for small apartments, townhouses, and even campers.

The unit itself is built solid using high grade materials. There isn’t much in the setting up and maintenance. This makes it such that you don’t have to constantly keep check on your heater.

3. SioGreen IR260 – Best Small Water Heater

SioGreen is a newcomer in the market for water heaters but they have proven that they’re up to the task with their water heater designs. The company has put ingenious new water heater models that provide an efficient and inexpensive way to get hot water.

The SioGreen IR260 POU water heater is vastly different from all the various kinds of water heaters out there.

The IR260 is a tankless unit but it uses a different kind of technology to heat water. While traditional tankless heaters use a heating element to heat up the water, the SioGreen IR260 uses specialized infrared technology to heat the water up.

The quartz laser inside the unit is able to accurately heat water in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. This means that you can get hot water much quicker than your traditional tankless unit.

It also means that unit will last much longer since there won’t be any breakdowns or maintenance caused by calcium deposits and corrosion. If you want the most hassle-free water heater, this is the one to get.

The one major drawback for the IR260 is that it is a single point of use unit. This means that it is capable of only heating enough water for a single source at a time. This limits your usage to one shower but with a flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute it’s something that can be overlooked.

4. Rheem RTE 13 – Best Simple Tankless Water Heater

Rheem is another brand that isn’t too well known in the space of consumer appliances. They mostly cater their products to be affordable enough for the average consumer while still holding a certain level of quality and value.

The Rheem RTE 13 water heater is the latest off Rheem’s line of tankless water heaters. This is a no-frills water heater meant for people who just want hot water without any bells and whistles. You won’t anything new or revolutionary up on offer here, but you will get great performance at an affordable price.

The design of the unit itself is very compact allowing for great storage options. There also isn’t a lot you have to get it mounted, set up, and running.

This unit features standard connections and mounting brackets making it easy and simple to set up. All it really takes is an hour and some tools to get it installed.

The Rheem RTE 13 is equipped with a self-modulating design that helps it the heat on or off allowing for energy savings overall. Despite this, it can offer hot water on demand as soon as you turn the tap on.

You can get enough hot water from this unit to keep an entire family happy. The quick 4 gallon per minute flow rate adds to this by getting how water out there quicker than you can use it.

All in all, this is a great unit if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to heat up your water. You may not get some of the features on high end models, but you do get hassle free access to hot water.

5. Triton T30i 3kW Handwash – Best Storage Water Heater

The Triton T30i is made by Triton Showers. This UK based company has been operating for well over 40 years being founded as early as 1975.

They have been known among consumers looking for decent shower and bath equipment. The company has a wide selection of products such as electric showers, shower mats, taps and hoses.

Sometimes you’re just looking for a small heater for basic needs and don’t need the hassle of a full sized heater. This is where the Triton T30i 3kW Handwash comes in.

This water heater was designed with simple needs in mind. The unit is designed to heat enough water to help you wash your hands, brush your teeth, or any other basic needs. It won’t be enough to heat water for a shower but it’s well suited for a single person in a small apartment.

The Triton T30i 3kW Handwash is a compact heater that easily sits in your bathroom just over your sink. This means that you’re not limited by space concerns in small apartments.

There’s also very little installation involved so you can easily have it set up without any major hassle. The unit works off any cold water supply seamlessly providing a decent quantity of hot water. This makes it ideal for one or two people to get a constant supply of hot water. However, if you have a large family you may want to look elsewhere.

The Triton T30i is made from ABS plastic which makes it extremely lightweight. This means you can easily transport it around by yourself. It also comes with a 200mm swivel arm which makes it easy to connect to the piping. On the unit itself, you’ll find a single start//stop switch along with temperature selection dial for easy use and setup.

If you’re ever concerned about safety, the Triton T30i 3kW Handwash is the perfect unit to get. It has safety certification for its various components. In addition to this, it also includes safety features like overheat protection and a certified energy rating. Kenstar backs this up by providing a 1 year official warranty for this heater.

6. Takagi T-KJr2 – Best Natural Gas Water Heater

When it comes to home appliances, Japanese manufacturers offer a level of quality unmatched to other manufacturers. Takagi is one of those highly sought-after brands with their premier engineering and technology put to great work making high grade consumer appliances.

The Takagi indoor water heater is a tankless heater that runs on natural gas. This makes it suitable for homes that don’t have access to cheap electricity but do have an ample supply of gas. You won’t have to worry about energy costs when using this unit.

The Takagi water unit is very slim and compact not only making it easy to transport but also makes it an ideal candidate for installing it in small apartments.

But don’t let the small size of this unit fool you because the Takagi Indoor water heater packs a mighty punch.

It has an energy factor of 0.82 meaning it can heat up your water with efficiency and performance. The 6.6 gallons per minute flow rate allows you to get heated water right on demand.

As an added bonus, it has thermistors on both the inlet and outlet openings. This way it can monitor temperatures of the water going in and coming out and adjust operation accordingly. Running in at only 140,000 BTUs, you’ll notice a significant decrease in your energy costs per month.

7. EcoSmart ECO 27 – The Largest Tankless Water Heater

Another entry from EcoSmart is the ECO 27 Electric Tankless Water Heater.

This water heater has been consistently rated as one of the best household water heaters by professional reviewers and even users. It has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 starts which is indicative of its quality.

The EcoSmart ECO 27 tankless water heater is the go-to unit for large households. This is because it combines reliability with performance and affordability.

You can get the best of all worlds with this handy unit as it is the perfect solution for your water heating needs.

The unit isn’t the most compact or eye pleasing tankless heater, but it does its job right. EcoSmart uses some of its best patented technologies with the ECO 27.

This makes the unit capable of operating with up to 99.8 percent efficiency, some of the highest you’ll find in water heaters. This not only proves for a more economical solution but also makes it environmentally safe.

The ECO 27 is very easy to operate and use. The front digital panel on the unit contains helpful and user friendly controls that make it easy to adjust settings. At the same time, the ECO 27 allows for highly precise adjustments where you can tweak your settings in 1 degree increments.

The most impressive thing about this unit is that it’s an absolute workhouse. It can provide enough hot water for four bathrooms at the drop of a hat.

The unit is also durable enough to withstand years of use without any service. Combine all this with an affordable price point and you a water heater to beat all water heaters.

8. Westinghouse 52 Gal. 4500W – Best Two Persons Water Heater

Sometimes you don’t need your water heater to have every function available under the sun. Sometimes you just want your water heater to be able to do its job properly without breaking down. That’s exactly what Westinghouse aims to provide here.

The Westinghouse 52 gal water heater is a run-of-the-mill tank heater for those that want something a little more old fashioned. This water is large and bulky and completely unapologetic for it. You will definitely have to find some dedicated storage space to keep it tucked away. As an added advantage to its bulkiness, the unit is capable of storing 52 gallons of heated water at all time. This means access to hot water for the entire family is ready to flow at a moment’s notice.

This water heater runs off electricity instead of gas which should be good news for those that don’t have an active gas connection. It’s also very energy efficient and makes sure that your electric costs don’t stack up.

Usually, the drawback with these larger units is the slow recovery rate. However, this isn’t as much of a problem here. This unit is capable of recovering 66 gallons per hour. Even more impressively, it can output 20 gallons per hour during use.

Just like other old-fashioned water heaters, the Westinghouse 52 gal is built like a brick. The unit is made of high quality materials and its construction is solid. The tank itself is made from stainless steel providing corrosion resistance. Everything in this unit is built solid to ensure that you don’t ever have to tinker with it past installing it.

9. Rinnai RL75IN – Best Large Water Heater

Rinnai is a long-standing brand that has been at the helm of making quality water heaters for nearly a century.

This Japanese based company is widely known for making high quality gas appliances, water heaters, furnaces, and home heating appliances.

The Rinnai RUC98iN is a heavy duty water heater that gives great heating performance for a large quantity of water. It can keep a high flow rate 7.8 GPM which is ideal for large families or shared living conditions.

It provides hot water quickly and efficiently without any issues. It also does so by providing as much savings on your energy bill as possible thanks to its 0.96 Energy Factor.

The price tag might be a bit expensive for some people. However, this is one water heater that can prove to be a great investment for the long run.

It features the tried and true Japanese construction which works without fail.

It has enough features to make it a worthwhile option like Concentric and PVC venting options, nearly zero NOx emissions, a great space saving design, and easy self-install. Above all, it will heat a large amount of water faster than many heaters on the market.

10. Enshey 1500W 8L – Best Instant Water Heater

Enshey is a relatively new brand in the market of water heaters. It isn’t as big of name as popular brands but it’s slowly starting to gain traction with its line of affordable and functional water heaters.

The Enshey 1500W is tank water heater with a large water capacity. It can hold up to 8L of water in its tank for any kind of use. Despite being a very budget friendly electric heater, the Enshey 1500W doesn’t compromise on quality.

The unit is made from eco-friendly materials that provide great durability and don’t damage the environment. Weighing in at just under, this unit is very lightweight. Despite having a large water holding tank, it’s compact enough to be installed in the bathroom, kitchen, or even the basement.

This unit has about 1500W of heating power to efficiently heat the water up. You have the option of choosing any temperature between 55°C to 75°C which gives you great flexibility. It does take some time to heat water up but once it gets going you can enjoy 8 litres of hot water readily available to you.

If you’re looking for a premium water heater, there are other options to be had. But for the price, the Enshey 1500W provides great value by giving you electric heating with 8L capacity. It’s also very cheap and easy to install without major hurdles.

How to Pick the Best Water Heater – Things to Keep In Mind

Whenever we decide to buy an appliance, we’re always concerned with getting the best deal. We always want something that combines quality, functionality, ease of use, and durability all in one affordable package. This is often the case with water heaters as well.

After all, no one wants to spend money on getting something that doesn’t suit their needs. But getting that perfect balance between value and functionality isn’t the most straightforward thing out there.

This is why you need to able to make sure that you do you research before buying a water heater. There are countless different styles and types of heaters available from countless manufacturers.

What works for you may not necessarily work for someone else and vice versa. It’s imperative then to take all aspects into consideration so that you can make a deliberate decision. Here are some of the most common aspects to keep in mind.

Tank Types

Water heaters come in different tank types depending on your use and what kind of technology they use. Generally speaking, you will come across five basic types of water heaters based on the tank: the Storage Tank units, Tankless units, Heat Pump units, Solar Water Heating units, and Condensing units.

Storage Tank Units

A typical storage tank unit is the most common type of heater that has been around for the longest time in most homes. It features a tank that holds a limited quantity of water (usually around 30-50 gallons) and heats it up to the desired temperature.

It can then hold this hot water until it’s needed. When some water leaves the tank, it gets replaced with more and the heat is raised again to get back to the stable temperature.

These units are affordable, readily available, and easy to use. But they can only offer a limited quantity of water at a time and they can require more maintenance.

Tankless Units

In contrast to storage tank units, we have tankless units. These units don’t have a storage tank but rather use a burner to rapidly heat any water passing through them. This means that these units don’t take up much space and they can provide more heated water than tank units. They’re also highly efficient and work almost instantly.

These units are usually a good long-term investment because they can save you energy costs in the long run and they tend to last well over 20 to 30 years without much maintenance. But with a really high initial purchase cost, they can be considered a big investment for most home owners.

Heat Pump Units

Heat pump units use electricity to harness the surrounding energy in the atmosphere. These heaters don’t produce any energy on their own but simply relocate the heat that’s already present. This makes them one of the most efficient heaters out there.

Unfortunately, this also means that heat pump units are highly dependent on their surroundings. If the weather is below a certain threshold, there won’t be any heat for the heater to harness. But in mild to reasonably cold weather, they can provide a great amount of efficiency and performance.

Solar Water Heating Units

Just like the name implies, solar water heating units use solar energy to heat the water. Some units do this directly by focusing solar energy in a concentrated spot and heating by conduction. Other units will work in tandem with electric or gas sources to efficiently heat water.

Buying and setting up these units at first requires a significant investment and effort. But once you have them up and running, they can provide you some really great long-term savings.

Condensing Units

When traditional water heaters heat water, they generate water vapors as a byproduct. These water vapors tend to become acidic due to the chemical and metallic traces from the tank. Most heaters will vent these vapors immediately to prevent tank corrosion. This also means that heat carried by the water vapors gets vented out.

Condensing units help conserve energy by making sure to only vent the vapors once they have cooled down. This means that they can harness the heat energy from the vapors preventing significant energy loss.

These units are highly efficient and will not only heat water faster, but they will give you more energy savings overall.

Brands

Buying a water heater without doing your research is like shooting in the dark. You’ll never know what you’ll find. But sometimes, you can end up with an inferior product even after you’ve done your research. The problem with some water heater models is that they’re not consistent with their design and quality assurance.

You will also see a difference in ease of installation from brand to brand. This is why it’s important to buy from a brand that has a good reputation and standing. You’ll not only have a better product, but you’ll be safe with the knowledge that it isn’t to breakdown after a few years of use.

There are many reputable brands out there like Bosch, Kenstar, General Electric, Rheem, EcoSmart, and AO Smith. You’ll find that products from high tier companies tend to be better built resulting in better performance and durability.

These companies will also offer you extensive warranty coverage for your product for a period of 2-10 years. This allows you to have a certain level of surety that you can always refer back to the company should something go wrong.

Heating Fuel Source

Another important aspect to take into consideration is how you’ll be powering your new water heater. There are different ways to attempt this based on what your budget, availability and needs are. Typically, water heaters are either powered by gas, solar energy or electricity. Each fuel type has its own pros and cons.

Unit Size

You definitely want to take into consideration the size of the unit that you’ll be using. Different units are designed for a different capacity of water. Having a smaller unit in a house with high water usage will result in not being able to have enough water being heated.

Likewise, buying a bigger unit when your usage is limited will only result in a waste of energy and high bills. Matching the capacity of your water heater to your needs will ensure that you have the most efficient system available to your disposal.

Materials Used

The type of materials used in the water heater will factor into how durable and efficient your water heater is. For example, cheaper units will often have plastic drains to cut down on cost and weight.

But having a unit with brass drains will ensure that it’s more resistant to damage and wear. It can also be easily replaced with no issue. Additionally, you will find that a lot of heaters coated materials to prevent any kind of buildup or any corrosive damage to the heating tank.

Heater Efficiency

No matter what kind of appliance or device you use, you’re probably aware that nothing is 100% efficient. You always lose some input when you’re trying to get your output.

This is why it’s important to consider whether your water heater is going to efficient enough for the task. There’s no use having a high-powered heater if it can only do half the work of a low powered unit.

Heater efficiency really only comes into play with gas and electric powered water heaters. Some heater types like the heat pump are able to reach near 100% efficiency due to the makeup of their design.

Other times, you might not have to worry about efficiency as is with the case with solar water heaters. Since the input is free, it doesn’t really matter if your solar water heater’s efficiency is off by 10-20% since it all work out the same anyway.

Additional Features

Aside from all the usual aspects of the water heater, you also might want to consider any additional functionality with the water heater. Some companies will often provide units with glass lining on the tanks preventing corrosion buildup. There are also tanks that have control panels with digital readouts.

This makes it much easier for you to be able to tweak your parameters accurately and without confusion. These units are more accessible than having a standard water heater unit with gauges, knobs, and switches.

Conclusion

Hopefully by now you’ve made some sense of what to look out for when you decide to get that quintessential water heater that you need to get hot water for you and your family.