Heat Storm Tradesman Tripod Infrared Heater Review — Big, Silent Warmth for Garages and Patios

Some heaters warm a room. This one warms you.

That’s the big takeaway from customer feedback on the Heat Storm HS-1500-TT: people buy it for targeted comfort — the garage bench, the squat rack, the porch chair — and when it’s aimed right, it can feel surprisingly intense for a plug-in electric unit.

But there’s also a second theme that shows up again and again: reliability of the power switch. Plenty of owners love the heater… right up until the day it refuses to turn on.

So who is this for, really? Let’s talk about how it feels in real life.

The kind of heat it gives off (and why people call it “different”)

Most budget space heaters act like small hair dryers. They push hot air, and the warm spot moves around depending on where the fan is pointed.

This heater’s appeal is the opposite. Customers describe it as radiant, infrared-style heat — the “campfire” effect. You don’t wait for the air in a drafty garage to magically become cozy. You point the heater at the area you’re using, and you feel the warmth on your body and clothes pretty quickly.

That’s why it shows up constantly in reviews from people using it in garage gyms, workshops, screened porches, and patios. It’s not trying to be central heating. It’s trying to make one zone comfortable right now.

Real-world warmth: strong up close, then it falls off fast

Customer experiences tend to split into two camps:

• Happy owners use it like a heat lamp for people. They sit or stand in front of it, and it feels warm fast — sometimes very warm.
• Disappointed owners expect it to heat an entire open space (like a big garage or a windy patio) and end up feeling underwhelmed.

A lot of reviewers land in the middle: “It’s great… as long as you understand what it is.” In practical terms, that means it works best when you’re within a handful of feet and staying in its line of sight. Step out of the beam and you notice the drop.

If your goal is to make a whole two-car garage feel like a living room, most buyers say you’ll either need more time, more units, or a different style of heater entirely.

The best part: it’s quiet in a way people really appreciate

One thing customers don’t argue about: it’s peaceful.

No fan roar. No “space-heater whine.” People mention using it during workouts, while doing projects, and during quiet porch time without feeling like they’re sitting next to a machine. If you’ve ever tried to watch TV or take a call next to a loud fan heater, you’ll understand why this matters.

Setup and daily use: simple… unless you run into the “won’t turn on” moment

In reviews, setup ranges from “easy in minutes” to “the instructions are basically a puzzle.”

Once assembled, everyday use is straightforward — it’s not a complicated heater. That said, there are recurring comments about confusion when it doesn’t power on at first. The manual includes a safety requirement tied to how the control housing is oriented, and customers who miss that can think they got a dead unit.

So if someone unboxes it and nothing happens, many owners recommend checking the setup and orientation first — before assuming it’s broken.

The tradeoff: control is minimal (and that annoys a lot of people)

A common complaint is that there’s no real finesse here.

Many customer reviews describe it as essentially On / Off. No Low setting. No thermostat. No timer. Some owners don’t care — they just move it closer or farther away. Others really want a way to dial it down, especially for indoor use where “full blast” can be too much.

That lack of control is one reason it shines more as a spot-heater than as an all-day room heater.

The biggest issue: switch reliability (the thing you should know before buying)

This is the part that keeps showing up, and it’s hard to ignore.

A noticeable number of customers report the On / Off switch failing — sometimes after light use, sometimes after a season, sometimes after a couple dozen cycles. A few reviews describe burned-out switches, melted components, or concerns about wiring.

On the flip side, there are also plenty of people who say support replaced a switch or replaced the unit entirely, and some mention updated versions that improved the weak points.

The honest way to frame it is this: when it works, many customers love it. But enough people have had switch issues that it’s part of the product’s story — not a one-off fluke.

Where customers seem happiest using it

Based on review patterns, it’s a strong match for:

• garage benches and tool areas
• garage gyms (aimed at the rack or bike)
• covered patios and screened porches
• small outdoor seating setups where people sit close
• sheds, barns, and other “I just need this corner warm” spaces

And it’s a shaky match for:

• large, open-plan rooms
• windy patios where heat gets swallowed instantly
• anyone who wants thermostat-style “set it and forget it” control