Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater vs Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater
Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater (#1, best overall) vs Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater (#5, best budget): in our Space Heaters for Garages scoring the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater totals 8.7/10 and the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility…
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater | Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater | |
|---|---|---|
| Heater Type | Electric infrared (quartz) | Electric fan-forced (milkhouse style) |
| Voltage | 120V (standard outlet) | 120V (standard outlet) |
| Power | 750W / 1500W | 1300W / 1500W (≈5,120 BTU) |
| Coverage | Up to 500 sq ft (insulated) | Spot heating: a workbench, single bay, or small shop |
| Thermostat | Digital, remote controlled | Adjustable dial; high, low, and fan-only settings |
| Mounting | Wall bracket or floor feet | Portable, carry handle |
| Safety | Cool-touch housing, tip-over shutoff, overheat protection | Tip-over switch, overheat protection with caution light, ETL listed |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year limited |
| Weight | — | About 5 lb |
| Price | Check price → | Check price → |
How they differ in real use
Built from our space heaters for garages scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater and the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater made our Top 5 Space Heaters for Garages, at #1 (best overall) and #5 (best budget). The safest first pick for a typical home garage: Bob Vila's tested best-overall garage heater and Pro Tool Reviews' best-smart pick (via the WiFi sibling). It plugs into any 120V outlet (no electrician, no dedicated circuit, no propane), has a digital thermostat and remote, wall-mounts to keep the floor clear, and its cool-touch housing is friendlier around kids, pets, and stored gear than any fan-forced radiator. Its 1500W ceiling caps how large a garage it can meaningfully warm, but for the vast majority of insulated one- or two-car home garages it is the least-fuss route to reliable heat. The budget pick now that Amazon no longer sells the Comfort Zone CZ285. Its stablemate, the CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse heater, is the cheapest way here to put thermostat-controlled heat at a workbench: 1300W or 1500W (about 5,120 BTU) from a standard 120V outlet, a fan-only setting, and both a tip-over switch and overheat protection with a caution light, in a 5 lb housing with a carry handle. It ranks last because owners report that its small fan throws heat only a few feet, some also report a warm cord at full output, and it lacks the DR-968's electronic thermostat, timer and remote. Buy it to spot-heat a bench or one bay, not to warm the whole garage.
We score space heaters for garages on Heating Power for Garage Size (30%), Warm-Up Speed & Coverage (20%), Installation & Portability (15%), Safety Features (15%), Running Cost & Efficiency (10%) and Value (10%). On that basis the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater totals 8.7 out of 10 and the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater 7.4. The widest gap is Heating Power for Garage Size, where the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater scores 8 against 6 for the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater: BTU or watt output matched to typical garage square footage and insulation. Warm-Up Speed & Coverage also separates them: 8 for the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus 6 for the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater. The Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater claws back ground on Value.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Heater Type: Electric infrared (quartz) on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Electric fan-forced (milkhouse style) on the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater; Power: 750W / 1500W on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus 1300W / 1500W (≈5,120 BTU) on the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater; Coverage: Up to 500 sq ft (insulated) on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Spot heating: a workbench, single bay, or small shop on the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater; Thermostat: Digital, remote controlled on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Adjustable dial; high, low, and fan-only settings on the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater; Mounting: Wall bracket or floor feet on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Portable, carry handle on the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater; Safety: Cool-touch housing, tip-over shutoff, overheat protection on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Tip-over switch, overheat protection with caution light, ETL listed on the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater. They match on Voltage.
Check current pricing at the merchant links below. Owners praise the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater for plugs into a standard 120V outlet: no dedicated circuit or hardwiring required and wall-mountable to keep floor space clear, or floor-standing with the included feet; the most common complaint is 1500W ceiling limits it to insulated one- or two-car garages. Owners praise the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater for the lowest-cost heater here, with an adjustable thermostat and tip-over switch plus overheat protection with a caution light; ETL listed; the most common complaint is owners report its small fan throws heat only a few feet, so it spot-heats rather than warms a garage.
Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater
- Plugs into a standard 120V outlet: no dedicated circuit or hardwiring required
- Wall-mountable to keep floor space clear, or floor-standing with the included feet
- Cool-touch housing is safer around kids, pets, and stored items than a fan-forced radiator
- Digital thermostat and remote let you set and hold a target temperature
- 1500W ceiling limits it to insulated one- or two-car garages
- Infrared warmth is directional: spaces behind objects stay cooler
- The non-WiFi model has no scheduling; you set it with the remote each time
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater
- The lowest-cost heater here, with an adjustable thermostat
- Tip-over switch plus overheat protection with a caution light; ETL listed
- 1300W and 1500W heat settings plus a fan-only mode
- About 5 lb with a carry handle; plugs into any standard 120V outlet
- Owners report its small fan throws heat only a few feet, so it spot-heats rather than warms a garage
- Some owners report the cord running warm at full output
- Basic dial thermostat with no digital readout, timer or remote
Which should you buy?
The Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater is the better fit for insulated one- or two-car garages and renters and owners who cannot add 240V wiring; it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Heating Power for Garage Size and Warm-Up Speed & Coverage. The Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater is the better fit for spot heat at a workbench or in a single garage bay and buyers who want the lowest-cost thermostat heater with a tip-over switch, and the stronger choice if Value matters more to you than the overall score. The Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater is a poor fit for large uninsulated shops or barns; the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater is a poor fit for warming a whole two-car or uninsulated garage.
Choose the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater if
- Insulated one- or two-car garages
- Renters and owners who cannot add 240V wiring
- Workshops where a floor unit would be in the way
Skip it if
- Large uninsulated shops or barns
- Anyone who needs a hardwired 240V solution
Choose the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater if
- Spot heat at a workbench or in a single garage bay
- Buyers who want the lowest-cost thermostat heater with a tip-over switch
- A spare heater for a shed, greenhouse, or workshop
Skip it if
- Warming a whole two-car or uninsulated garage
- Buyers who want a remote, timer, or digital thermostat
Common questions
Is the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater better than the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
In our Space Heaters for Garages ranking the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater scores higher overall, 8.7 to 7.4, with the biggest advantage in Heating Power for Garage Size. The Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater is stronger on Value, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.
What is the main difference between the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater and the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
The headline spec difference is Heater Type: Electric infrared (quartz) on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Electric fan-forced (milkhouse style) on the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater. In use, the gap that matters most is Heating Power for Garage Size (8 vs 6 in our scoring): BTU or watt output matched to typical garage square footage and insulation.