Lasko FH500 Duo Comfort Tower Fan & Space Heater

Lasko FH500 Duo Comfort Tower Fan & Space Heater

By Lasko · Space Heaters · Home & Workspace

  • 1500W heater with 8-speed fan combo, 42 inch tower
  • 3 heat settings, widespread oscillation
  • Timer and remote control, eco mode
  • Cool-touch exterior

Lowest price seen
~$136.00 (approx.)
from $136.00 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A 42-inch tower that pairs a four-speed fan with a 1,500 W ceramic heater, so it earns its place in winter and summer alike. Before you buy, measure your clearances: it needs 3 ft in front and 1 ft at the sides and rear, because the grille runs hot enough that Lasko’s own manual warns against touching it.

Strengths

  • Tom’s Guide’s hands-on test found it warmed its room more evenly than every other heater in the comparison, by a consistent 10 °F.
  • The fan half works in summer, so the same tower earns its keep year-round.
  • It runs quietly: 48.9 dB measured on high heat with the fan running.
  • Owners across marketplace pools praise quiet operation, portability between rooms and the 8-hour timer.
  • The 3-year warranty is longer than the 1-year term common in the class, and the full safety set is included.

Weaknesses

  • The grille gets hot: CNN Underscored measured 212 °F after 60 minutes on high, and Lasko’s manual warns against touching hot surfaces.
  • The remote is the clearest owner complaint; the panel controls keep working when it fails.
  • The intake grilles need vacuuming every two weeks or the unit shuts off repeatedly.
  • The controls take reading the manual: eight buttons, separate heater and fan power, and a fan selector that steps 1–8.
  • No GFCI plug, and the manual prohibits bathroom, laundry, damp and outdoor use.
  • A warranty claim means paying outbound shipping on a 42-inch tower after getting a Return Authorization.

Verified specifications

ModelFH500 (white); the gray FH515 is the same platform.
Power120 V, 7.5–12.5 A, 900–1,500 W.
Heat output5,118 BTU.
Heat settings3 (H3, H2 and H1), plus HF, a high-heat mode that pairs the lowest fan speed.
Fan speeds4 named speeds (high, medium, low and super low); the fan-speed button steps through 1–8.
Oscillationwidespread, about 45 degrees in testing.
Timer8 hours.
Thermostatadjustable AutoEco with a digital display.
Controlscapacitive touch panel with a multi-function remote that stores on the unit.
Remote batteriestwo AAA, not included.
SafetyETL listed, tip-over switch, thermal overload protector, overheat protection with a user reset, and a cool-touch housing.
Filterpermanent easy-clean intake filter, vacuumed in place.
Coverage300 sq ft maximum.
Clearances3 ft (0.9 m) in front, 1 ft (0.3 m) at the sides and rear.
Dimensions12.5 × 12.5 × 41.88 in (31.8 × 31.8 × 106.3 cm); 12.5 lb.
Cord6 ft.
Warranty3 years to the original purchaser.
No smart or app control, no night mode, no wall mount and no tilt.
Full research notes and sources

Heating, noise and the fan half

Tom’s Guide tested the exact FH500 in a 15 x 10 ft room and found it warmed the space more evenly than every other heater in that comparison, raising the temperature by a consistent 10 °F, with testers feeling warmer within 12 seconds. Its published figure for high heat with the fan running is 48.9 dB, roughly the sound of a dishwasher, and the fan oscillates about 45 degrees. Bob Vila’s own round of tower-fan tests also names it its heater-and-fan pick and independently repeats the one real annoyance owners report: the display is bright at night.

The surface-temperature question is genuinely unsettled. CNN Underscored measured the grille at 212 °F after 60 minutes on high, while Tom’s Guide put every surface at 73–74 °F after 30 minutes and found no burn hazard. Lasko’s manual sides with the hotter reading: it says the unit is hot in use, warns against bare skin touching hot surfaces, and requires 3 ft of clearance in front and 1 ft at the sides and rear. With children or pets, treat the grille as hot and keep the tower out of reach. The manual also forbids extension cords, power strips, surge protectors, multi-outlet adapters and sharing an outlet with another device.

Controls, thermostat and timer

The panel has eight discrete controls — separate heater and fan power buttons, a heat-mode button, a fan-speed button, oscillation, timer, and Auto Eco minus and plus — and the separate power buttons are a common source of “why is only the fan running” confusion. The fan-speed button steps 1–8, which is what Lasko’s “8 speeds” spec-table entry means; the heat-mode button steps separately through H3, H2, H1 and HF.

AutoEco is a two-stage thermostat, not proportional control. The heater runs on high below the set temperature, drops to low at the set point, stays on low until the room is 2 °F above the set point, then cuts the element entirely, with the fan running 15 more seconds. The display shows room temperature, not the temperature of the air coming out — a detail the manual states and sellers never mention. The timer tops out at 8 hours, and the remote needs two AAA batteries that are not included.

Filters, upkeep and parts

The intake filter is permanent and clean-in-place, not replaceable. The manual asks you to vacuum the grilles every two weeks and says a unit that runs for a few minutes and shuts off repeatedly simply needs cleaning; it also says never to take the unit apart, and the motor is permanently lubricated. The filter door releases by pushing a tab in.

Lasko’s own replacement-parts channel lists the wear and interface parts for the FH500: the base-front and base-rear panels at $10.95 each, the filter door at $9.95, the hardware bag at $5.95 and the remote control at $12.95 (Lasko, 2026). Those prices were not re-verified in the latest pass. There is no motor, ceramic element, control board or display in the parts catalog, so the electrical core is replace-not-repair.

Warranty and running costs

The warranty runs three years from purchase for the original purchaser and ends if the unit is sold or transferred. It covers defects in materials and workmanship, but the buyer must get a Return Authorization first and ship the tower to Lasko at their own expense; Lasko pays only the return leg. On a 12.5 lb, 42-inch unit that outbound freight is a real cost, which makes the warranty useful for major failures rather than small ones. The single most common failure, a dead remote, is cheaper to fix as a $12.95 part order than as a claim.

Running costs are electricity only. There is no subscription, no app and no filter to buy, just two AAA batteries for the remote now and then. Every US 120 V portable heater is capped at 1,500 W, and Wirecutter’s anchor is that a 1,500 W heater costs about $1.55 to run for a full eight-hour workday at average fall 2025 US rates. That cap also means the wattage number is not a reason to choose one heater over another.

Which model this is

This page covers the white FH500, the Amazon listing for which is ASIN B07QHG97RZ. The gray FH515 is the same platform: the two share one instruction manual and one set of product photographs, and Lasko’s FH500 page even reuses FH610 and FH515 image assets. Replacement parts and instructions found under either model number apply to both, so a cheaper gray listing is the same machine under a different number.

Is it worth it?

At or below about $110 the FH500 is strong value, backed by real independent test results and a 3-year warranty. Lasko’s own store lists the white model at $99.99 against a $149.99 compare-at price and Walmart lists it at $109.99, so the low end is reachable. In the $111–$135 range it is still reasonable — Newegg lists it at $128.99, Home Depot at $122.99 and Walmart at $129.99 — but above $140 it loses its edge, and there is no performance evidence to justify the premium. Buyers who want quieter or more even heat there are better served by other machines.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Parts and stores:

Buying guides for this category

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