Tower Heater 718 (formerly Solaris 718) vs Oil-filled Radiator 310 / OH310

Choose the Tower Heater 718 if you want warm air directed across a seating area, with adjustable oscillation. Choose the Oil-filled Radiator 310 if you prefer gradual warmth without a continuous fan. Neither is a verified overall heat-output winner, and neither is suitable for unattended or overnight operation.

The models look different because they solve slightly different comfort problems. The 718 is a tall ceramic fan heater, previously named Solaris 718. The 310 is a wheeled oil-filled radiator with digital controls. Both are electric supplemental heaters with a 1,500-watt maximum and adjustable temperature settings; their differences are mainly how they deliver warmth and how you use their controls.

What you'll actually notice

With the Tower Heater 718, the fan pushes heated air outward. Dreo offers selectable oscillation angles up to 120 degrees, so you can aim that warm airflow across a wider or narrower part of the room. If you have just come in from the cold and sit in one spot, the sensation of moving warm air may be attractive. You can choose to aim it rather than waiting for the surrounding air to change gradually.

With the Oil-filled Radiator 310, the metal radiator warms and passes heat into its surroundings without an ordinary blowing fan. The experience is less directional and typically takes more patience after you switch it on. If you dislike air blowing across your face while reading or working, that may be the more pleasant option over an extended supervised session.

Those are differences in heater design, not results from side-by-side PIQSY testing. A radiator can suit a quiet room without being able to reach every distant corner, while a fan heater can direct warmth without ensuring even temperatures everywhere. Your room layout and how much space you can safely give the heater matter.

What changes the choice

Do you want warmth to follow a change in seating?

The Tower Heater 718's variable oscillation is valuable when the occupied area moves. Perhaps you work at a desk, then sit across the room for dinner. The 718's remote and swing settings give you a way to change the airflow direction while remaining seated.

The Radiator 310 has no fan sweep to adjust. You place it where its surrounding heat can be useful and leave adequate clearance. If you frequently need warmth in several distinct directions during a short period, the 718 has the clearer functional advantage. If your household remains in one area for a long period, you may not care about oscillation at all.

Will audible airflow bother you?

A ceramic tower heater needs a fan to distribute heat as intended. Its sound changes with operating mode, and Dreo acknowledges higher settings can produce more noise. We do not have comparable independent sound readings for these two exact models, so it would be wrong to promise that the 718 is a measured quiet winner.

The 310 avoids the fan's continuous airflow sound. That is a meaningful design distinction for someone working, reading, or watching television in a quiet room. However, fanless does not mean an absolute guarantee of silence, and it certainly does not make the radiator safe to leave on while you sleep.

Are the controls different enough to justify a choice?

Both heaters provide more adjustment than a simple two-setting switch. The 718 has digital temperature control across Dreo's stated 41°F–95°F range, heat and fan settings, selectable oscillation and a remote. It is the model to consider if direction and air movement are settings you expect to change.

The 310 also has a temperature setting in that range, a remote, 600/900/1,500-watt settings, ECO mode and a one-to-24-hour timer. This is not a stripped-down radiator. If the absence of fan noise matters to you, you do not have to give up all digital convenience to get it.

Do not mistake a timer for a safety endorsement. Automatic shutoff or temperature cycling is useful while a responsible person is present. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission still advises switching electric portable heaters off before sleeping and never leaving them unattended.

Does 1,500 watts mean the same running cost?

At full rated input, both heaters can use about 1.5 kilowatt-hours per hour of uninterrupted operation. At an illustrative $0.20 per kWh, that is about $0.30 per hour at that draw. The 310 also specifies lower 600- and 900-watt modes, while the 718 offers adjustable heat and fan controls. The actual bill depends on selected mode, cycling, utility rates, and use.

Neither the tower's fan nor the radiator's oil magically creates additional heating energy. Do not select the radiator because of an unverified energy-efficiency percentage or the tower because of a claim that it heats a room a certain number of times faster. Those marketing comparisons do not establish how the two exact models perform in your home.

The practical running-cost question is which one lets you stay comfortable at a suitable setting for the time you actually use it. Without equivalent controlled testing and a specified room, there is no evidence-based universal winner.

Which one can you place safely?

The 718 has a tall body and a comparatively narrow base. The 310 uses a taller radiator body with wheels and broad heated surfaces. The first requires clear airflow paths; the second requires clearance around surfaces that can become hot. Neither belongs under furniture or in a crowded corner.

For both products, keep combustible materials at least three feet away unless the product manual specifies a stricter distance. Plug directly into a suitable wall outlet—no extension cords or power strips. Never position the cord under a rug. Children, pets, and walkways may make a poorly chosen floor location an unsafe place for either design.

Dreo advertises protective features for both heaters, including tip-over and thermal protections. Those are manufacturer product descriptions, not independent certification-directory checks. A protection sensor does not compensate for inadequate clearance or authorize leaving a heater running without supervision.

The practical choice

Pick the 718 if adjustable airflow is part of your plan: quick-feeling heat toward a desk, then a wider sweep when more people share the room. Pick the 310 if you want a more stationary, fanless experience and have time for its radiator body to warm. Start with your room and your tolerance for moving air; only then compare controls.

When to choose the Tower Heater 718

Choose it when your seating arrangements change, a directional stream of warm air is welcome, and a tall floor-standing appliance can fit with adequate clearance. It is also a more intuitive option if you expect to adjust oscillation repeatedly.

Do not choose it simply because its manufacturer quotes a room size or a very low sound figure. Those claims do not establish a universal advantage over a radiator in the particular room you have.

When to choose the Oil-filled Radiator 310

Choose it if you dislike the feel of blowing air, want a fanless comfort style, and value digital thermostat, remote and timer controls in a radiator. It suits an extended, supervised session better than a five-minute blast of heat aimed at your legs.

Do not buy it because you assume oil-filled heating is inherently cheaper per unit of heat than a 1,500-watt ceramic heater. And remember that the exterior becomes hot; the wheels are for moving a switched-off, cool appliance.

Choose neither when

Neither belongs in a setup where the only power source requires an extension cord, where bedding or furniture cannot be kept clear, or where you plan to run a heater unattended or through the night. If your main need is whole-home heating, a properly sized permanent system may be a better investment. If you only need low-power warmth at one desk, a compact personal heater deserves consideration.

If you need independent model-specific certification, seek the actual product label or a matching listing record rather than relying on broad marketing language.

PIQSY conclusion

Choose Tower Heater 718 if warm moving air should reach different seating positions; choose Oil-filled Radiator 310 if you'd rather have gradual warmth without a fan. The first is about directing airflow; the second is about how the warmth feels during a settled evening. Neither is a verified overall heating winner. Both still need a safe spot, direct wall power and supervision.