{
 "schema": "whattobuyfor/v1",
 "type": "comparison",
 "url": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/compare/dimplex-vs-delonghi-oil-radiator/",
 "json": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/compare/dimplex-vs-delonghi-oil-radiator.json",
 "publisher": "What to Buy For",
 "method": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/how-we-build-a-basket/",
 "pricesAsOf": "2026-10-18T07:20:34.535Z",
 "priceNote": "Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.",
 "affiliateDisclosure": "Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.",
 "title": "Dimplex oil-free or De'Longhi oil-filled radiator?",
 "answer": "The Dimplex ECR is oil-free and the De'Longhi Dragon 4 is oil-filled, and that is most of the choice. Dimplex for a lighter heater that its maker says warms up faster; De'Longhi for long spells in one room, since oil keeps giving heat after it switches off.",
 "published": "2026-10-02",
 "updated": "2026-10-17",
 "noindex": false,
 "kind": "brand",
 "brands": [
  {
   "name": "Dimplex",
   "unit": "radiator",
   "items": [
    {
     "name": "Dimplex ECR15, 1.5kW",
     "units": 1,
     "pricePerUnit": {
      "amount": 80,
      "currency": "GBP",
      "per": "a radiator"
     },
     "label": null,
     "checks": {
      "days": 21,
      "discountDays": 1
     },
     "product": {
      "asin": "B091FR747H",
      "name": "Dimplex ECR15 Oil Free Portable Radiator",
      "amazonTitle": "Dimplex ECR15 Oil Free Portable Radiator, 1.5kW Electric Heater, manual | Energy-saving, Fast Heat Up. 3 heat settings, thermostat, castors, lightweight, overheat and safety shut off protection",
      "brand": "Dimplex",
      "image": "https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31ifSGSnOGL._SL500_.jpg",
      "amazonUrl": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B091FR747H?tag=whattobuyfor-21",
      "data": null,
      "price": {
       "amount": 80,
       "currency": "GBP",
       "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T07:20:34.535Z",
       "note": "Checked on Amazon UK that morning; the price at checkout on amazon.co.uk applies."
      },
      "availability": {
       "status": "IN_STOCK",
       "amazonMessage": null
      },
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      "signal": null,
      "amazon": {
       "source": "amazon.co.uk",
       "recordedAt": "2026-09-27T18:20:36.269Z",
       "rating": 4.6,
       "ratings": 295,
       "boughtLastMonth": "50+",
       "categoryRank": {
        "position": 27,
        "category": "Heating"
       }
      },
      "buyersSay": {
       "method": "Our own summary of the reviews Amazon showed; each count is the number of reviews making the point.",
       "reviewsRead": 10,
       "readOn": "2026-09-27",
       "like": [
        {
         "text": "Warms a cold room quickly after switching on",
         "count": 4
        },
        {
         "text": "Light enough to move between rooms on its castors",
         "count": 4
        },
        {
         "text": "Runs very quietly while heating a room",
         "count": 2
        }
       ],
       "watchOutFor": []
      }
     }
    },
    {
     "name": "Dimplex ECR20TIE, 2kW with timer",
     "units": 1,
     "pricePerUnit": {
      "amount": 75.99,
      "currency": "GBP",
      "per": "a radiator"
     },
     "label": "Limited time deal",
     "checks": {
      "days": 21,
      "discountDays": 14
     },
     "product": {
      "asin": "B091FWMX31",
      "name": "Dimplex ECR20TIE Oil Free Portable Radiator",
      "amazonTitle": "Dimplex ECR20TIE Oil Free Portable Radiator, 2kW Electric Heater, Timer",
      "brand": "Dimplex",
      "image": "https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31LhkIAEIaL._SL500_.jpg",
      "amazonUrl": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B091FWMX31?tag=whattobuyfor-21",
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      "price": {
       "amount": 75.99,
       "currency": "GBP",
       "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T07:20:34.535Z",
       "note": "Checked on Amazon UK that morning; the price at checkout on amazon.co.uk applies."
      },
      "availability": {
       "status": "IN_STOCK",
       "amazonMessage": null
      },
      "subscribeAndSave": null,
      "signal": {
       "label": "Limited time deal",
       "note": null,
       "basis": "Amazon deal badge"
      },
      "amazon": {
       "source": "amazon.co.uk",
       "recordedAt": "2026-09-27T18:20:36.161Z",
       "rating": 4.6,
       "ratings": 375,
       "boughtLastMonth": "100+",
       "categoryRank": {
        "position": 27,
        "category": "Heating"
       }
      },
      "buyersSay": {
       "method": "Our own summary of the reviews Amazon showed; each count is the number of reviews making the point.",
       "reviewsRead": 9,
       "readOn": "2026-09-27",
       "like": [
        {
         "text": "Warms a room quickly once switched on",
         "count": 6
        },
        {
         "text": "The built-in timer and thermostat are handy day to day",
         "count": 4
        },
        {
         "text": "Stable on its castors yet easy to roll between rooms",
         "count": 3
        }
       ],
       "watchOutFor": [
        {
         "text": "The small timer display is hard to read",
         "count": 2
        },
        {
         "text": "Awkward to lift, though it rolls easily on its castors",
         "count": 2
        }
       ]
      }
     }
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "name": "De'Longhi",
   "unit": "radiator",
   "items": [
    {
     "name": "De'Longhi Dragon 4, 2kW with timer",
     "units": 1,
     "pricePerUnit": {
      "amount": 148.75,
      "currency": "GBP",
      "per": "a radiator"
     },
     "label": "Always \"on offer\"",
     "checks": {
      "days": 18,
      "discountDays": 18
     },
     "product": {
      "asin": "B00CA1T07G",
      "name": "De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T Oil Filled Radiator- White",
      "amazonTitle": "De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T Oil Filled Radiator- White, 2 KW",
      "brand": "De'Longhi",
      "image": "https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/317omoBtULL._SL500_.jpg",
      "amazonUrl": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CA1T07G?tag=whattobuyfor-21",
      "data": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/products/B00CA1T07G.json",
      "price": {
       "amount": 148.75,
       "currency": "GBP",
       "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T07:20:34.535Z",
       "note": "Checked on Amazon UK that morning; the price at checkout on amazon.co.uk applies."
      },
      "availability": {
       "status": "IN_STOCK",
       "amazonMessage": null
      },
      "subscribeAndSave": null,
      "signal": {
       "label": "Always \"on offer\"",
       "note": "18 of 18 days",
       "basis": "our daily price checks"
      },
      "amazon": {
       "source": "amazon.co.uk",
       "recordedAt": "2026-09-27T18:20:40.700Z",
       "rating": 4.6,
       "ratings": 1974,
       "boughtLastMonth": "400+",
       "categoryRank": {
        "position": 25,
        "category": "Heating"
       }
      },
      "buyersSay": {
       "method": "Our own summary of the reviews Amazon showed; each count is the number of reviews making the point.",
       "reviewsRead": 12,
       "readOn": "2026-09-27",
       "like": [
        {
         "text": "Warms a cold room well, often within about half an hour",
         "count": 4
        },
        {
         "text": "Silent in use apart from a quiet thermostat click",
         "count": 4
        },
        {
         "text": "The dial timer makes it easy to heat to a routine",
         "count": 5
        }
       ],
       "watchOutFor": [
        {
         "text": "Smells when new until run on full for a couple of hours",
         "count": 2
        }
       ]
      }
     }
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "table": {
  "columns": [
   "",
   "Dimplex",
   "De'Longhi"
  ],
  "rows": [
   [
    "Inside",
    "Oil-free: Dimplex calls it Thermocore",
    "Oil-filled"
   ],
   [
    "Models priced above",
    "ECR15 (1.5kW) and ECR20TIE (2kW)",
    "Dragon 4 TRD40820T (2kW)"
   ],
   [
    "Heat settings",
    "ECR15: 500, 1,000 or 1,500W. ECR20TIE: 600, 1,400 or 2,000W",
    "Three, from 900W up to 2,000W"
   ],
   [
    "Timer",
    "None on the ECR15; electronic 24-hour on the ECR20TIE",
    "Mechanical 24-hour dial"
   ],
   [
    "Frost setting",
    "Yes, on the thermostat",
    "Yes, anti-frost"
   ],
   [
    "Weight",
    "About 8.6kg (ECR15), the listing says",
    "About 14.1kg, De'Longhi says"
   ],
   [
    "Maker's claim",
    "Up to 30% faster warm-up and up to 9% less energy than a 2kW oil-filled column, in Dimplex's own test",
    "A chimney design that draws warm air up through the fins"
   ]
  ]
 },
 "sections": [
  {
   "heading": "Which to buy",
   "paragraphs": [
    "Pick Dimplex for an hour or two of heat at a time, or a heater you move from room to room. Dimplex says its oil-free ECR warms up as much as 30% faster than a 2kW oil-filled column and uses up to 9% less energy in its own test: heating a room from 10°C to 22°C, holding 22°C for 5 hours, then switching off. The ECR15 weighs about 8.6kg.",
    "Pick De'Longhi for long evenings in one room. De'Longhi says the Dragon 4's heated oil keeps releasing heat for a while after the unit is switched off, and Electrical Safety First says oil-filled radiators take longer to warm up but continue to give out heat afterwards. The Dragon 4 weighs about 14.1kg and rolls on folding castors.",
    "Pick the Dimplex ECR20TIE rather than the ECR15 if you want a timer: the ECR15 has none. The Dragon 4 has a 24-hour dial timer."
   ]
  },
  {
   "heading": "Oil-free and oil-filled",
   "paragraphs": [
    "Dimplex's case for its oil-free design is the faster warm-up, in its own test; De'Longhi's page points to the way oil holds heat.",
    "Both makers say a portable heater like these suits only well insulated spaces or occasional use, and both have a frost setting for a cold spare room or garage."
   ]
  },
  {
   "heading": "Running cost",
   "paragraphs": [
    "On the same setting the two use the same electricity. The Centre for Sustainable Energy works out an appliance's use as its wattage times the hours it runs, so a 2kW radiator on full for an hour uses 2kWh whichever brand it is.",
    "What changes the bill is how long the element stays on and at what setting. Both have a thermostat that cuts the heat once the room reaches the temperature you set, and a low setting, 500 or 600W on the Dimplex and 900W on the Dragon 4. Dimplex's energy claim comes from its own test pattern, not from a lower wattage."
   ]
  }
 ],
 "picks": [
  {
   "role": "An oil-free radiator with a timer",
   "url": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/compare/dimplex-vs-delonghi-oil-radiator/#role-dimplex",
   "pick": {
    "asin": "B091FWMX31",
    "name": "Dimplex ECR20TIE Oil Free Portable Radiator",
    "amazonTitle": "Dimplex ECR20TIE Oil Free Portable Radiator, 2kW Electric Heater, Timer",
    "brand": "Dimplex",
    "image": "https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31LhkIAEIaL._SL500_.jpg",
    "amazonUrl": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B091FWMX31?tag=whattobuyfor-21",
    "data": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/products/B091FWMX31.json",
    "price": {
     "amount": 75.99,
     "currency": "GBP",
     "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T07:20:34.535Z",
     "note": "Checked on Amazon UK that morning; the price at checkout on amazon.co.uk applies."
    },
    "availability": {
     "status": "IN_STOCK",
     "amazonMessage": null
    },
    "subscribeAndSave": null,
    "signal": {
     "label": "Limited time deal",
     "note": null,
     "basis": "Amazon deal badge"
    },
    "amazon": {
     "source": "amazon.co.uk",
     "recordedAt": "2026-09-27T18:20:36.161Z",
     "rating": 4.6,
     "ratings": 375,
     "boughtLastMonth": "100+",
     "categoryRank": {
      "position": 27,
      "category": "Heating"
     }
    },
    "buyersSay": {
     "method": "Our own summary of the reviews Amazon showed; each count is the number of reviews making the point.",
     "reviewsRead": 9,
     "readOn": "2026-09-27",
     "like": [
      {
       "text": "Warms a room quickly once switched on",
       "count": 6
      },
      {
       "text": "The built-in timer and thermostat are handy day to day",
       "count": 4
      },
      {
       "text": "Stable on its castors yet easy to roll between rooms",
       "count": 3
      }
     ],
     "watchOutFor": [
      {
       "text": "The small timer display is hard to read",
       "count": 2
      },
      {
       "text": "Awkward to lift, though it rolls easily on its castors",
       "count": 2
      }
     ]
    },
    "ourName": "Dimplex ECR20TIE (2kW)",
    "ourTake": "For a room you heat on a schedule, the ECR20TIE is oil-free with settings of 600, 1,400 and 2,000W, a thermostat with a frost setting and an electronic 24-hour timer. The listing claims up to 30% faster warm-up than a 2kW oil-filled column, and a 3-year warranty when you register it."
   }
  },
  {
   "role": "An oil-filled radiator that holds its heat",
   "url": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/compare/dimplex-vs-delonghi-oil-radiator/#role-delonghi",
   "pick": {
    "asin": "B00CA1T07G",
    "name": "De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T Oil Filled Radiator- White",
    "amazonTitle": "De'Longhi Dragon 4 TRD40820T Oil Filled Radiator- White, 2 KW",
    "brand": "De'Longhi",
    "image": "https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/317omoBtULL._SL500_.jpg",
    "amazonUrl": "https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CA1T07G?tag=whattobuyfor-21",
    "data": "https://whattobuyfor.co.uk/products/B00CA1T07G.json",
    "price": {
     "amount": 148.75,
     "currency": "GBP",
     "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T07:20:34.535Z",
     "note": "Checked on Amazon UK that morning; the price at checkout on amazon.co.uk applies."
    },
    "availability": {
     "status": "IN_STOCK",
     "amazonMessage": null
    },
    "subscribeAndSave": null,
    "signal": {
     "label": "Always \"on offer\"",
     "note": "18 of 18 days",
     "basis": "our daily price checks"
    },
    "amazon": {
     "source": "amazon.co.uk",
     "recordedAt": "2026-09-27T18:20:40.700Z",
     "rating": 4.6,
     "ratings": 1974,
     "boughtLastMonth": "400+",
     "categoryRank": {
      "position": 25,
      "category": "Heating"
     }
    },
    "buyersSay": {
     "method": "Our own summary of the reviews Amazon showed; each count is the number of reviews making the point.",
     "reviewsRead": 12,
     "readOn": "2026-09-27",
     "like": [
      {
       "text": "Warms a cold room well, often within about half an hour",
       "count": 4
      },
      {
       "text": "Silent in use apart from a quiet thermostat click",
       "count": 4
      },
      {
       "text": "The dial timer makes it easy to heat to a routine",
       "count": 5
      }
     ],
     "watchOutFor": [
      {
       "text": "Smells when new until run on full for a couple of hours",
       "count": 2
      }
     ]
    },
    "ourName": "De'Longhi Dragon 4 (2kW)",
    "ourTake": "For long evenings in one room, the Dragon 4 is oil-filled, so it keeps giving heat for a while after switching off. It runs from 900 to 2,000W over three settings, with a thermostat, anti-frost setting and a 24-hour dial timer, and weighs about 14.1kg on folding castors."
   }
  }
 ],
 "sources": [
  {
   "name": "Dimplex UK: portable radiators",
   "url": "https://www.dimplex.co.uk/products/portable-heating/portable-radiators",
   "checked": "2026-09-27"
  },
  {
   "name": "Dimplex: ECR15 and ECR20 installation and operating instructions",
   "url": "https://www.dimplex.co.uk/sites/g/files/emiian551/files/2024-03/08_54315_0_ECR_user%20instruction_issue%201_0.pdf",
   "checked": "2026-09-27"
  },
  {
   "name": "De'Longhi UK: Dragon 4 TRD40820T oil filled radiator",
   "url": "https://www.delonghi.com/en-gb/p/dragon-4-trd40820t-ex2-dragon-4-oil-filled-radiator/TRD40820T+EX:2.html?pid=0110616315",
   "checked": "2026-10-17"
  },
  {
   "name": "Centre for Sustainable Energy: how much electricity am I using?",
   "url": "https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/how-much-electricity-am-i-using/",
   "checked": "2026-09-27"
  },
  {
   "name": "Electrical Safety First: portable heaters",
   "url": "https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/product-safety/portable-heaters/",
   "checked": "2026-10-17"
  }
 ]
}