Infrared selective radiator means that the object can effectively change the radiation characteristics of the target by regulating the distribution and amplitude of spectral emissivity through technical means. Due to the designable characteristics of radiation, such a material can be applied in energy, environment and military fields, and has a promising prospect and preferred. Firstly, this paper summarizes and classifies the design methods based on the researches of infrared selective radiators in recent years. Besides, this review introduces the design principles and related researches of selective radiator based on metamaterials, photonic crystals, and multilayers. The application scope and relative merits of the three methods are summarized. Lastly, the technical difficulties of infrared selective radiator development are summarized in three aspects: the evaluation system, engineering applications, and development trends. The suggestions and the outlooks for developments of infrared selective radiator are provided.