The Best Outdoor Patio Heater, Reviews & Guide

When something actually has “basic” in the name, you know what to expect. The good thing, though, is that it comes in various color options (seven).

All the Patio Heater Essentials

Wheels that look remarkably similar to those of the Fire Sense allow you to cart it to where it’s needed. Or indoors for storage.

To reduce the hassle with storage, you can also get a cover which has an important enhancement: drawstrings pull it tight around the heater’s body to keep things looking tidy and reduce the chances of the wind blowing the whole thing over.

You’ll also find a piezo igniter, tilt cut-off switch, and all the things you’d expect on this kind of patio heater. One feature that is worth mentioning is a water tank at the bottom to increase stability.

The Best Patio Heater for the Money

In short, this natural gas patio heater does everything it should – perfectly adequately.

You can find prettier models, but if all you really need is something to keep you warm while having a nightcap out of doors, you can save as much as $100 by choosing this heater.

It takes only one look to see that this gas patio heater breaks the mold of the traditional umbrella heater we’ve all seen around restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating.

Its pyramidal, open-sided design looks both archaic and modern. There are 5 metallic options to choose from and, as with the Fire Sense XL, which one you choose affects the price significantly.

The thing you need to know, however, is that you can actually see the flame burning inside a clear quartz glass tube, which channels heat to the aluminum reflector and from where it is radiated to your patio.

Not the Most Efficient Heater

This arrangement, while incredibly pretty, does seem a little inefficient compared to having the burner directly below the reflector disc. The light show uses up a lot of gas without generating warmth effectively, meaning that the nominal power figure of 40,000 BTU can more or less be cut in half as far as heating performance goes.

As with most gas-fired heaters, you will need to purchase the LPG canister separately. Turning the flame to high will exhaust a full tank in about 8 hours, you might want to get a spare.

The cylinder is accessed through a downward-swinging door in the side, as is the simple control panel. A fabric dust cover is thoughtfully included.

Good at What It’s Meant For

Other features which are nice, but not exactly unheard of in the world of gas patio heaters, are wheels, electronic ignition, and a sensor to extinguish itself if the pilot light dies. The user manual makes assembly a breeze and includes photographs of every important step, though you should still set aside at least half an hour to put this together.

This patio heater will work great for people in temperate regions who want to add a bit of style to their outdoor events when it gets a bit chilly. Trying to use it anywhere near freezing, however, will send you indoors to do your grilling.

When it comes to heating up an area to real toasty comfort, two possible approaches are to either burn more fuel or burn it closer to where it’s needed.

This pint-sized heater is an example of doing the latter.

An Umbrella Patio Heater, Miniaturized

Available in 5 styles (stainless steel or hammered), this tabletop patio heater is only a little over 3 feet tall. It has a wide, weighted rim on the base to keep it from tipping over as well as an automatic cut-off valve in case this should happen.

Even so, it’s probably not a good idea to place it on a table made out of plastic (though the base does not get hot). Equally, care should be taken when small children are present, as the top gets just as hot as any other gas heater.

Convenient in Some Ways, Not so Much in Others

At only around 20 pounds in weight, this heater is very suitable for picnics if you’re willing to do without the ambiance of a live fire (which isn’t allowed at many sites, anyway).

One thing that many will find annoying is the pilot light ignition, which takes some getting used to compared with the nearly instant start some propane patio heaters offer.

This is either the kind of patio heater that will suit you, or it isn’t. This depends on your style of entertaining: if your guests prefer not to mingle but sit down to eat, play cards, or whatever, you’ll probably get a lot of use out of it.

Though the relatively low power ratings of electric patio heaters are generally a disadvantage, the truth is that one or more of them may be all you need, especially for smaller nooks and spaces.

If you can fix them to the structure itself, they’re also out of the way, while the gentle orange glow they give off can improve the mood of any gathering. They’re usually less of a hassle to maintain, too: once in position and wired up, there’s no need to periodically check hoses and regulators and no chance of their fuel running out.

An Easy to Use Patio Heater

The model we’ll be discussing here is called the DR-238, whose greatest virtue is its simplicity.

Unlike any other patio heater we’ve selected for inclusion on this page, it can be bolted to any convenient surface or even hung overhead in, say, a tent. You can choose between three power settings, which a remote control makes easier to change when the heater is mounted in an inaccessible position.

Should Maybe be Sold by the Six-Pack

Dr. Infrared claims that this gadget is able to heat 1,000 square feet, but this kind of boast is basically meaningless unless they specify what the ambient temperature is to begin with, whether there’s a draft, and so forth. The truth is that this wall mounted patio heater might be able to handle a smallish balcony, pergola, or garage but really isn’t suited for any kind of larger patio unless you purchase several.

At this price, and especially if you’re dead set against using propane, doing so might actually be your best option.

With only one, the heat distribution is, unfortunately, not very even; you might find your guests tend to congregate directly underneath. Once several are installed, the radiant heat (which warms your skin directly rather than trying to heat the air) is spread more evenly, while each additional heater contributes its own power to the mix.

You’ll find some very decorative patio heaters among those we’ve chosen to review here, and none of them are actually ugly. The exception is this Mr. Heater MH18B, which doesn’t even try.

If you prefer function over form, you’re in luck with this heater: looking like something that belongs more in a workshop rather than a fancy restaurant, it does get the job done. We’ve chosen to include this ugly duckling due to the fact that, in the right household, it can be the best patio heater and so much more.

Most Versatile Heater

This rugged unit is designed to be lugged around to where you need it. Unlike the other gas-fired patio heaters we’ve covered, it distributes heat directionally rather than to all sides, though it does heat the air above it somewhat to help warm up enclosed patios.

Its portability is further enhanced by its ability to operate indoors for long periods of time; few gas-powered heaters can say the same. This is due to a special burner that allows more of the gas being used to break down cleanly, at a high temperature and with sufficient oxygen available.

It includes a low-oxygen shutoff sensor (similar to what you might see in a carbon monoxide alarm) and emergency tilt and pilot light valves.

Multiple Gas Sources

Normally, the Mr. Heater runs on Coleman type cylinders. For use on a patio, though, it can also be connected to an external gas source.

This is by far the least attractive patio heater we’ve selected for review and will never be a conversation piece like the Tacklife Propane Fire Pit Table. It will, however, still be many people’s first choice: the ability to move it to wherever it’s needed on the patio or elsewhere, combined with the possibility of using it in enclosed spaces, compensates for a lot of things.

This item is not so much a patio heater as a mobile gas fireplace; good for people who enjoy the sensation of sitting around a fire pit but don’t have a garden, or a large enough one, to install a permanent hearth area.

Plenty of Charm, Not that Much Heat

The lack of a reflector hood, unfortunately, means that much of the impressive 50,000 BTUs is simply lost upwards into the night sky. This means that you and your guests will have to huddle together within a few feet of it in order to feel the warmth of this heater, but then again this is probably what its designers had in mind.

What will concern some people a little more is that this approach is not nearly as efficient as that of any proper patio heater, meaning that you’ll be wasting a lot of gas if outdoor heating is your only goal.

Great Piece of Patio Furniture

The gas canister sits inside the box’s wicker-patterned side panels. When not in use, the fire pit’s lid lets it function as an ordinary coffee table, while you can actually use the surface surrounding the flame area while it’s lit, as it remains relatively cool to the touch. This only adds to the appeal of this decorative centerpiece.

The fire pit heater comes with a sufficient quantity of lava rocks to help retain and reflect heat, though you may want to purchase some fire glass as well. Ten to fifteen pounds should be enough to form a good surface over the rocks.

Although its heating performance is just about on a par with the much cheaper Hiland Table Top Heater, this portable fireplace is even more stylish and an absolute magnet for compliments.

We all know what an umbrella-type patio heater looks like. Pretty much all of them house the gas canister at the bottom, pipe the fuel to a burner at the top, and use a conical reflector to throw the heat downwards in a circle around it.

There’s little room for variation in this pattern, leaving styling as one of the few things designers have to work with when hoping to make their heater distinctive.

Pretty Sturdy and Also Pretty to Look At

The Fire Sense XL patio heater is available in 8 high-quality color and texture combinations. This should be enough to accommodate any outdoor decoration scheme, however classic or whimsical. Some include a small table around the column for holding the snacks and drinks of standing guests.

You will not need to worry about damaging the body with normal use and handling. This includes trundling it from one place to another, even over uneven surfaces like brick, on its impressively sturdy wheels.

Easy to Use Freestanding Patio Heater

As with any propane patio heater you’d want to buy, the XL series includes a tip-over shutoff switch. The piezo (i.e. automatic and battery-free) ignition system works well enough, while the advanced burner works without a pilot light that may otherwise go out in high winds. The gas tank is accessed by lifting the bottom cover, which sits loosely on the base and doesn’t weigh too much.

Speaking of wind and things tipping over, this appliance is stable even with a half-empty cylinder, due to the ability to add sand to a chamber in the bottom (though only on some color styles, for some reason). This makes it much less likely that you’ll come home to find your heater lying in a flowerbed, and will make you appreciate the wheels that much more.

As with all freestanding patio heaters, the height may be a problem if you plan to use it under a roof, as you need at least 36″ of clearance between the top and anything that can burn. Most of the heat is indeed reflected downward and to the sides, but the reflector screen does get hot enough to require a gap between it and painted and other delicate surfaces.

Essentially, this is a good quality patio heater. You do pay a little extra for the appearance and extra features, but you’re likely to keep using this machine for years to come. It’s worth it.

Electrical patio heaters are sometimes preferred for the improved level of safety they offer, though, practically speaking, this only becomes relevant in enclosed spaces due to their not giving off potentially toxic gasses.

Their main disadvantage is a lack of power: the seemingly impressive 1,500 watts this model puts out translates to only about 5,000 BTU, less than half of what the Hiland Table Top Heater is capable of.

Cute Enough to Stay Indoors, Tough Enough to Play Outside

This heater is small and light enough to be moved to wherever it’s needed – it weighs 8½ pounds and stands 3 feet tall. It rests on a tilt-resistant stand and is stylish enough to fit in with your everyday furniture. We wish, however, that the designers had simply located the control panel and its glowing LCD display off to the side – as it is, the Trustech looks just a little too much like a robot.

Unlike most electrical appliances, it’s supposed to withstand getting rained on, but it’s not fully weatherproof and is best placed under a roof. Another limitation of its outdoor adventures is its need for electricity; you’ll need an extension cord capable of handling 12.5 amps, and the price of these goes up quickly as they get longer.

Improved Energy Efficiency

In terms of control, you can choose between three selectable power settings according to the area to be heated and the ambient temperature. It has a shut-off timer that can run for up to 24 hours, as well an emergency overheating cutout. There’s also a basic remote control for those times you really can’t be bothered to walk 10 feet to turn it up, which might happen if you’ve just gotten comfy under a nice blanket.

The manufacturer claims that its advanced heating element design improves energy efficiency by 50%, though it’s not clear what exactly they’re comparing it to in order to get this figure. Our best guess is that these gold-coated carbon elements produce more infrared energy without getting as hot themselves, leading to less heat being lost to the air in the vicinity of the heater itself.