Abstract: Carbon-based wood electrothermal composite is an innovative wooden functional composite that fabricated by carbon material as heating element embedded in wood matrix, which can be widely used to produce electrothermal wooden floor, electrothermal wooden wall panel and electrothermal wooden wardrobe etc. The carbon-based wood electrothermal composites show an integrated function of heating and decoration, and have excellent application prospects in the field of clean heating. In this review, the preparation method and application of carbon fiber heating paper, carbon nanotube heating composite, graphene heating composite, carbon fiber heating wire, carbon black heating composite and carbon crystal heating composite were introduced. Furthermore, the effects of process parameter and structure on the physical and chemical properties, electrical conductivity and electrothermal performances of electrothermal engineered wood composite, electrothermal fiberboard composite and electrothermal bamboo-wood composite were analyzed, as well as the current development of the influence of electrothermal and hygrothermal behaviour on the aging resistance and electric safety were also summarized. Finally, the future development directions of carbon-based wood electrothermal composites were prospected.