Lasko 17-inch Infrared Quartz Heater (QB16103) review

The Lasko QB16103 is a low, wide, wheeled infrared-quartz heater with a blower, two heat settings, an included remote and an elapsed shutoff timer. It fits a dry indoor room where you want a cabinet-style heater that can roll between places and can provide a timed, supervised heating session. It is not a fanless radiator, a fan-only air circulator or a heater that can be scheduled to start later.

A cabinet shape, not a light carry-around cube

Lasko’s current U.S. page identifies the Black QB16103 as a 17-inch infrared quartz ceramic space heater. Its specification table gives a 16.55-inch body height, 12.93-inch width, 16.75-inch depth and 22.38-pound product weight. That is a compact height but a broad, deep footprint: check floor area and the operating clearance, not only the height. The product page lists recessed casters and says the heater arrives assembled, so it can roll between suitable indoor spots, but at more than 22 pounds it is not a particularly light appliance to lift over a threshold or carry upstairs. The manual also warns that the wheels may leave residue or marks on some wood and furniture finishes.

The product page describes six quartz elements and a quiet blower; that is not a sound-level measurement. A fanless radiator is a better direction if you want heat without a circulating fan. Lasko lists a 900–1,500 W output range and a 200-square-foot maximum coverage area. The exact manual identifies High as 1,500 W and a separate Low setting, but it does not assign a wattage to Low. The area is a maker claim rather than a measured room-heating result; there are no independent warm-up, temperature-uniformity, electricity-cost or noise tests here.

Two control routines that should not be confused

The exact QB16103 manual, Rev. A 9/15, says the heater starts in High at 1,500 W. The fan begins after a 20-second delay while the quartz element heats, and it continues briefly after shutoff to cool the unit. You can select Low, but the manual does not state its exact output. The ordinary automatic thermostat cycles only while High is selected: it shuts the heater off about two degrees above its set point and restarts about one degree below it.

Save-Smart is a different routine. At its default 72°F setting, it runs High below the target, shifts to Low at the target, then turns off above the target and cycles in Low. This gives you an automatic High-to-Low transition, but it does not reveal the missing Low wattage or guarantee a particular room temperature. The timer adds one hour per press, from one through eight hours, and shuts off an already-running heater. It is not a delayed start. If a heater must begin warming a room before you arrive, that essential requirement rules out the QB16103.

The included remote operates the same controls as the heater except for changing the display between Fahrenheit and Celsius. It needs two AAA batteries, which are not included. The product page does not document app control or oscillation, so the remote is a way to adjust the heater from across the room—not a phone connection or a way to sweep its outlet from side to side.

Plan the whole safe footprint and the upkeep

The manual describes residential supplemental heat for indoor use only. It requires a stable, level surface and a direct 120-volt wall outlet; do not add an extension cord, power strip, surge protector or multi-outlet adapter. Keep combustible items at least three feet in front and one foot from either side and the rear. The manual excludes bathrooms, laundry areas, wet or damp places, outdoor settings, hazardous locations and agricultural facilities, and says not to leave the heater operating unattended. The front grille therefore needs an open approach even though the heater body is relatively low. The included remote also deserves a deliberate home: Lasko warns that another appliance’s remote can interfere and that the heater remote should not be left where it could be pressed inadvertently.

Maintenance is simple but recurring. Unplug before moving or cleaning, vacuum the intake grille with a brush attachment every two weeks, and gently loosen stubborn dust with a soft-bristle brush. Do not disassemble the heater or use solvents. The manual says the filter should not be removed. A thermal-overload protector is documented; a tip-over switch is not established by the exact page or manual, so do not treat one as part of the operating plan. Lasko states a three-year limited warranty for the original purchaser, subject to the manual’s conditions.

Who it suits, and what another answer changes

Choose the QB16103 when you want the remote, a one-to-eight-hour shutoff countdown, a low body with casters and automatic High-to-Low Save-Smart behavior in one dry indoor floor setup. It can fit a 17-inch body-height limit, but only if the room also provides the manual’s full clearance envelope. In the finder it meets an indoor floor-placement need, two selectable heat levels, a physical remote and an off-countdown requirement. It fails a bathroom-use requirement, outdoor use, a fanless-heating need, fan-only airflow, app control, a scheduled start, or a required numeric sweep angle.

For a smaller and lighter console, compare the Lasko CC13700: it is a 13.5-inch ceramic fan heater with a hand-adjustable vertical louver and its own one-to-eight-hour shutoff timer, but has no included remote or oscillation. For a narrow tower with an included remote and horizontal movement, see the Lasko 5165; its body is taller and its fan-forced ceramic format is different. If avoiding a fan matters more than remote control or a timer, the DREO Oil-filled Radiator 153 is a fanless alternative with three documented heat wattages, but no documented timer. These are differences in form and stated controls, not evidence that one warms a room faster. Measure the whole safe placement first, then choose the control routine you will actually use.