Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater
A compact milkhouse-style utility heater from Comfort Zone, marketed for garages, workshops and greenhouses. It plugs into a standard 120V outlet and runs at 1300W or 1500W (about 5,120 BTU) or as a fan only, with an adjustable thermostat. It has both a tip-over switch and overheat protection with a caution light, and it weighs about 5 lb with a carry handle. Owners report that its small fan throws heat only a few feet, so it suits spot heating at a bench or in a single bay rather than warming a whole garage.
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Our Verdict
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.
Score Breakdown
Pros & Cons
Pros
- •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
Cons
- •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
- •Fan-forced, so it is louder than the infrared heaters on this list
Specifications
| Heater Type | Electric fan-forced (milkhouse style) |
| Voltage | 120V (standard outlet) |
| Power | 1300W / 1500W (≈5,120 BTU) |
| Coverage | Spot heating: a workbench, single bay, or small shop |
| Thermostat | Adjustable dial; high, low, and fan-only settings |
| Mounting | Portable, carry handle |
| Safety | Tip-over switch, overheat protection with caution light, ETL listed |
| Warranty | 1 year limited |
| Weight | About 5 lb |
Quick Answers
What is the heater type of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater heater type: Electric fan-forced (milkhouse style).
What is the voltage of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater voltage: 120V (standard outlet).
What is the power of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater power: 1300W / 1500W (≈5,120 BTU).
What is the coverage of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater coverage: Spot heating: a workbench, single bay, or small shop.
What is the thermostat of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater thermostat: Adjustable dial; high, low, and fan-only settings.
What is the mounting of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater mounting: Portable, carry handle.
What is the safety of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater safety: Tip-over switch, overheat protection with caution light, ETL listed.
What is the warranty of the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater?
Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater warranty: 1 year limited.
Who is the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater for?
It suits 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. It is not the right pick for warming a whole two-car or uninsulated garage, buyers who want a remote, timer, or digital thermostat.
Is the Comfort Zone CZ798 Deluxe Milkhouse Utility Heater worth buying?
A compact milkhouse-style utility heater from Comfort Zone, marketed for garages, workshops and greenhouses. It plugs into a standard 120V outlet and runs at 1300W or 1500W (about 5,120 BTU) or as a fan only, with an adjustable thermostat. It has both a tip-over switch and overheat protection with a caution light, and it weighs about 5 lb with a carry handle. Owners report that its small fan throws heat only a few feet, so it suits spot heating at a bench or in a single bay rather than warming a whole garage. It ranks #5 in our Top 5 Space Heaters for Garages. 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.
Who Is This For?
Best For
- 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
Not For
- Warming a whole two-car or uninsulated garage
- Buyers who want a remote, timer, or digital thermostat
Where to Buy
Appears In
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Customer Reviews
Alternatives to Consider
Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater
Heat Storm
The safest first pick for a typical home garage, and Bob Vila's tested best-overall garage heater. The Phoenix is an infrared quartz heater that plugs into any 120-volt outlet, needing no electrician, no dedicated circuit, and no gas plumbing, with two output steps (750W and 1500W), a digital thermostat, a remote, and a wall bracket that keeps it off the floor and out of the way. Infrared warms objects and people in its beam directly instead of trying to heat the whole air volume, so it feels warm quickly in an insulated one- or two-car garage and its housing stays cool enough to touch. It's not the pick for a large uninsulated shop: a 1500W plug-in cannot outrun that. For the vast majority of home garages, though, it's the least-fuss way to a reliably warm workspace.
Dr. Infrared DR-988 240V Industrial Garage Heater
Dr. Infrared
The picks scale up here from a plug-in convenience heater to a serious garage furnace. Bob Vila's tested best infrared 240V heater, the DR-988 draws 4,800W at 208V or 5,600W at 240V through a NEMA 6-30P plug into a dedicated 30-amp outlet, and its forced-air blower with a 37–113°F adjustable thermostat is rated to warm workshops, warehouses, and detached uninsulated garages far beyond what any 120V heater can reach. It sits on the floor or mounts to a wall or ceiling, and its industrial finish and duty rating are meant for the space you actually work in. The trade-off is straightforward: it requires an electrician and a dedicated 240V circuit before you can plug it in.
Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater
Mr. Heater
The escape hatch for garages without a suitable outlet at all. The Big Buddy is a portable radiant/convection propane heater that runs on two 1 lb bottles (or, with the included hose adapter, an external 20 lb tank), producing 4,000 / 9,000 / 18,000 BTUs across three settings, enough to warm roughly 450 square feet without any electrical hookup. Independent expert roundups (Bob Vila, findingdulcinea, Garage Gym Reviews) consistently rank the Big Buddy line as the best propane option for garages, and the MH18B specifically adds an auto low-oxygen shut-off, a tip-over safety switch, and a piezo igniter (no matches, no batteries needed for ignition). Because it burns propane, you must crack a door or window for ventilation.
Dr. Infrared DR-968 Portable Space Heater
Dr. Infrared
The best value in the lineup and the most-recommended portable 120V heater across the reputable roundups. The DR-968 is a dual infrared quartz + PTC heater in a compact wheeled cabinet that plugs into a standard outlet and pushes 1500W / roughly 5,200 BTU with a low-noise blower and an electronic thermostat that will hold a target between 50°F and 85°F. It has a 12-hour auto-shutoff timer, tip-over and overheat protection, and a full remote. It does not have the wall-mount elegance of the Heat Storm Phoenix or the raw output of the DR-988, but for a workbench-side heater in a small-to-medium garage it is the pick that gets the most for the least.