Solar heating has great potential to displace fossil fuels in agricultural and industrial space heating. The conventional metal transpired solar collectors (mTSC) is highly-efficient but its high cost has impeded its adoption. While the plastic TSC (pTSC) would be less-expensive than the mTSC, it requires perforation. Since a high absorptance, non-woven landscape fabric is widely available and inexpensive, it could be cost-effective solar collector. The landscape fabric collector (fTSC) was compared with mTSC (anodized aluminum) and pTSC for temperature rise (Delta T) and efficiency (eta) at two suction velocities (V-s). The mTSC and pTSC had porosity of 1.2% while the ITSC had a porosity of 80%. At 0.047 m/s, the fTSC produced higher average Delta T (by at least 2 degrees C) and average eta (by at least 10%) than the mTSC and pTSC that were similar in performance. At the higher V-s of 0.060 m/s, the fTSC slightly outperformed the mTSC while the pTSC had the lowest Delta T and eta. Superior performance of the fTSC was likely due to lower energy losses than the other two collectors as was indicated by its scanning electron microscope images. Modeling the fTSC as a simplified packed bed may be appropriate and challenges have been identified. Practical scaleup suggestions are provided. The fTSC is the least expensive solar air heater for space heating. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.