The 5 Best Wood Stoves for Heating Your Home

Heating a home with propane costs about $57 per month for a 1500 square foot home, with natural gas costing even more propane! (1)

When you are actively trying to minimize your global footprint, make the switch to a wood stove for sustainability and money savings!

Commit to your off-the-grid and self-sufficient home with the integration of a wood stove into your space. Here are the top picks.

The 5 Best Wood Stoves

To save you time from going through thousands of wood stove models online, we’ve rounded up the five best wood stoves for you.

Get a wood stove in the traditional shape, but that is made from a more modern material with this product by Ashley Hearth Products. The exterior of the furnace is smooth and made of steel plates.

​The manufacturer offers a warranty up to three years for the firebox.

Just like the other products on our list, the AW3200E-P is EPA certified.

The blower that is sold separately distributes heat throughout a home, so every room is equally as warm.

With a space as large as 2500 square feet, you need a blower with your wood stove purchase.

Heat up to 2500 square feet for just $1000. This is a lower cost per square foot than most products.

Enjoy the look of an authentic wood fire in your home’s stove with the benefit of a warm home without smoke or ash in the air.

The Ashley Hearth AW3200E-P comes with a blower that distributes heat throughout your home without any inefficiency.

Keep a fire burning for 14 hours of one fueling. This wood burning stove accepts logs up to 22 inches in length and has an efficiency rating of 82 percent. ​

​This product holds an EPA certification. Be sure to check the clearances required from the wall for your wood stove. This steel product heats 3200 square feet.

A defining feature of this wood stove is the way it looks. It has a cast iron feed door that features a large ceramic glass window. 

Consumers purchase this wood burning stove because it is made in the USA. Also, it comes with a limited warranty depending on your heating situation.

Purchase this EPA-certified wood stove which is approved for mobile home use with the purchase of an air intake kit.

This wood stove was selected for its small size because it’s perfect for off-the-grid living.

With nearly 70% thermal efficiency, this wood pellet stove operates with a capacity of up to 1500 square feet! You just might be able to install this stove on your own. Most owners are able to complete a do-it-yourself installation process.

Check your state and local regulations to make sure this stove is approved, although it is EPA certified which complies with most standards.

Wood pellets run this wood burning stove. Pellets decrease ash buildup, lower carbon dioxide emissions, and are 80% efficient.

The digital panel on the furnace allows you to set an on/off cycle for the stove’s built-in thermostat. You can also control burn levels! Digital features with a smart controller makes this stove feel technologically-advanced.

Heat up to 1,200 square feet with this EPA-certified wood burning stove. It provides indoor heating for different zones of your home.

While the look of the HiFlame Enamel Brown HF517U Wood Burning Stove is the classic, the brown color is unique compared to other wood stoves. Stare at the fire with the ceramic glass viewing area on your stove’s door.

The enamel of the brown paint is rustproof and also resistant to burning.

Purchase this 73% efficient wood stove that weighs just under 307 pounds for your house.

Instead of traditional colors, this enamel brown adds dimension to your room’s design.

Wood Stove Buying Guide: How to choose

How does your stove match up in features to your personal preferences? What are some of the features to consider in the purchase of a wood stove while compared to your preferences? (3)

Finding the right heater isn’t difficult when you think of the BTU output of the furnace, efficiency, and the installation process. Use this wood stove buying guide in the selection of your home’s next wood stove.

1. Calculate BTU Output You Need

When it comes to BTUs (stands for “British Thermal Unit”), which is the traditional unit of heat, the higher your number, the more area it can heat. Select a stove with enough BTUs to heat the square footage of your space.

A typical baseline number is a capacity of 18,000 BTUs per hour for every 800 to 1,000 square feet. The heat output of your wood stove does not calculate the distribution of the warm air.

The best wood stoves come with blowers to push air into different rooms.

2. Set A Budget And List Your Design Preferences

How much are you willing to spend? Efficient wood stoves range from $1,000 up to $2,500.

What are your design preferences? Do you prefer a more modern look, or do you prefer a more traditional look?

Does it need to fit the aesthetic of the room? Does it need to be a certain color?

What materials do you prefer? Most common materials are cast iron and steel.

3. Add Installation Cost To Your Total Budget

A wood stove needs proper installation, or you are introducing a fire risk.

In your purchase, consider the difficulty of fitting for your specific home. You’d be surprised at how comp​licated some wood stoves might get!

This adds to your overall costs and should be a factor in selecting this type of stove. For example, is the room with the wood stove a complicated placement? Are you in a place with required inspections?

It’s best to hire a professional for wood stove installation which would cost anywhere between $800 to $4,000. (2)

4. Check The Efficiency Rating Based On EPA Certification

Did you know with wood stoves efficiency also describes stoves that release less smoke into the air?  

​Efficiency not only benefits the environment but when it comes to wood stoves, it makes your home more livable since your breathing air is actually improved with efficiency.

The most valuable side effect of purchasing an EPA certified is how a certified stove reduces the smoke in your home.

Today’s best EPA-certified models meet or don’t toe the line of emission limits. Emitting fewer grams of smoke per hour means a house gets less smoke, minimal ash, and the stove needs less firewood.

The Environmental Protection Agency keeps a list of wood stoves that are EPA-certified. (3) You also might get a tax credit if your stove is on this list.  

The Bottom Line

Change up your home’s heating system with one of the best, most reliable options on the market.

Heating your home with a wood stove adds to the authentic look of your home, can be a more sustainable solution than other heating options, and makes your home more comfortable. Invest in a new wood stove for your home with this convenient buying guide or our vetted recommendations.

Prefer a quicker and easier way to warm up a space in your home, check out our reviews of the best energy-efficient space heaters.

To go along with this practice, perhaps it’s also time to change your regular lanterns and trade them for solar lantern lights! It minimizes the risk of fire and keeps the planet green. Or if your going camping why not try swapping old fashioned batteries for a re-usable solar power bank? A much more efficient and sustainable source of energy on the go.

Interested in sustainable living? Why not check our articles on homemade febreze and mosquito repellent – To continue on that path of environmental inspiration!

You can also cut back on some of your electricity bills with these efficient home wind turbine kits or with energy-efficient solar lights.

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