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The Best Outdoor Heaters of 2024
Last updated: Mar 6, 2024Outdoor heaters provide a cozy solution to extend your outdoor enjoyment during colder months. Designed for various spaces, from patios to gardens, these heaters offer warmth and comfort, allowing you to entertain guests or simply relax in the fresh air. Equipped with advanced heating technologies, they efficiently radiate warmth, creating a pleasant atmosphere. With diverse options like propane, electric, or infrared heaters, finding the perfect fit for your outdoor space is a breeze. Our favorite is the Amazon Basics Outdoor Patio Heater, that's affordable and functional with a great look for all types of gardens and backyards.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Amazon Basics Outdoor Patio Heater Shop Now ➔
- Adjustable Heights and Mounts: Heat Storm Outdoor Heater Shop Now ➔
- Sleek Design: LEGACY HEATING Outdoor Heater Shop Now ➔
- Large Heating Area: PAMAPIC Outdoor Heater Shop Now ➔
View all ContentsThe Best Outdoor Heaters
Best Overall
Amazon Basics outdoor heater provides exceptional warmth up to nine feet away, making it ideal for setting up on your patio. The heater has a durable construction as it’s made with an excellent combination of plastic, powder-coated steel, and aluminum materials, so it retains its appearance and functionality even after long-term use. You don’t have to worry about stability as its sturdy base includes a water box that ensures secure placement. In the rare event that this heater tips, an automatic shut-off valve have your safety in mind. Yet another bonus, this heater features an easy push-button startup that makes it very convenient to operate. Due to its convenience, safety features, and heating efficiency, were giving this heater the best overall slot on our list.
Pros
- Provides great heat output
- Features simple start-up ignition system
- Has two wheels for easy mobility
Cons
- Does not come with propane
Adjustable Heights and Mounts
This outdoor heater by Heat Storm has an impressive design that ensures top-quality heating, with an infrared heating system that provides a total output of 5200 BTUs. Amazingly, this heater does not make any noticeable noise during operation, offering you a peaceful heating source.
The IPX4 weatherproof construction of this heater ensures it remains well-protected against weather elements, including rain and dust. Also, it takes less than five minutes to assemble, and it comes with either an adjustable tripod, ceiling mounting system, or a roll cage for your heating needs.
Pros
- Weatherproof option, resistant to rain and dust
- Easy to set up without issues
- Tripod height is easily adjustable
Cons
- On/off switch is a bit finicky
Sleek Design
Legacy Heating’s unique design consists of a quartz glass tube with 40,000 BTUs of heating power and provides excellent warmth up to 10 feet away. It also has wheels attached to it that ensure easy mobility for maximum convenience and features an easy-access door that allows you to replace the gas tank within seconds. This heater’s gorgeous mocha powder-coated finish that gives it a luxurious appearance and protects it against environmental elements. You can also screw down this heater to fix its position or keep it on its wheels in case you wish to move it around often.
Pros
- The door design provides easy access
- Variable heating control
- Stainless steel burner for high durability
Cons
- Assembly instructions are rather confusing
Large Heating Area
This patio heater by Pamapic is an ideal option for creating a warm and comfortable environment when you have many guests over for an event. It produces an exceptional heating output of up to 46,000 BTUs that can easily heat space within a radius of 18 feet, a very large area.
This heater has a built-in tank chamber with a door for convenient access, allowing you to easily change the gas tank when needed. Its wheels also make it easy to transport, and the heater features tip-over protection for safe operation. A great outdoor heater for a solid price.
Pros
- Emits over 46,000 BTUs of steady warmth
- Highly durable stainless steel heaters
- Features gorgeous bronze color
Cons
- Takes a moment to heat up
Finding the Perfect Outdoor Heater: A Buying Guide
Whether you’re outside camping at night or want to relax by the patio, a patio heater can keep you warm during cold, windy nights. Read on to learn how to find premium outdoor heaters for your home.
What Is an Outdoor Heater?
Outdoor heaters, as the name implies, are specialized heaters best suited to provide outdoor heating. These heaters are generally more heavy-duty than indoor heaters due to how quickly heat dissipates outdoors. They can work with different types of fuels and heat areas using unique heating methods. Heating methods vary from heater to heater and source to source.
Do You Need a Patio Heater?
Patio heaters are helpful for a variety of reasons.
They heat outdoor spaces
The reason people use patio heaters is to keep themselves warm. The difference between indoor and outdoor heaters, however, is that outdoor heaters are designed with the outside environment in mind. This means they focus significant heat on one area in order to combat natural airflow. Doing so allows users to feel warmer relatively efficiently.
They are portable
Most patio heaters are portable. Certain models are small enough to carry around with you, while bigger ones can be moved from place to place with a pick-up truck. Some patio heaters come with wheels that can be attached to the base of the heater, allowing you to relocate them quickly. Patio heaters don’t necessarily need to be installed in one specific area, so you can also move them anywhere you want. Just make sure you don’t use them inside your home. Outdoor heaters are very powerful and should not be used in enclosed spaces.
They utilize various energy sources
One of the best perks about outdoor heaters is that many are designed to work without electricity. You can use fuel or gas to keep yourself warm with a patio heater. This becomes especially useful in locations where there’s no electric power. Many outdoor heaters have a dedicated compartment to hold a propane tank, allowing you to start them up anytime, anywhere.
Things To Consider When Buying an Outdoor Heater
Shape
Patio heaters come in surprisingly varied shapes. Firstly, you have large, almost monolithic designs that are quite tall. These large heaters are great for outdoor use as they cover a large surface area, though they can be in the way and can take up quite a bit of space.
Then, you have the more low-key heaters, with some even posing as light bulbs and lamps. This shape allows you to place the heaters in more discreet areas that you or your guests wouldn’t expect. One downside of this shape is that these patio heaters can’t cover as much area as the larger designs. Choose a design that fits your needs.
Heating method
Patio heaters use different methods to keep the users warm. The two popular methods used are convection and infrared heating. Both methods have their benefits and downsides.
Convection involves the heating of the air around the patio heater. Air is heated through a medium such as water or a solid like metal or ceramic. The heated air can also optionally be circulated through a built-in fan. Since the air around the heater is made warm, it is great for semi-targeted heating. Convective heaters tend to have trouble carrying heat over distances.
Infrared heating functions the same way that the sun heats our bodies. It heats up solid surfaces but doesn’t heat up the air around them. This means users can enjoy direct heat from the patio heater without worrying too much about distance. Infrared heaters are great if you aren’t exactly near the heater but still want to feel its warmth.
Energy source
As mentioned before, many outdoor heaters run without electricity. However, you can purchase an electric patio heater if you wish. With electric heaters, you don’t have to worry about refueling. That said, some electric heaters come with batteries, so you can continue heating during a power outage. One additional benefit of electric patio heaters is that you don’t need to go to the store to get a new propane tank when the current one runs out.
There are also fuel and gas-based propane heaters. Propane heaters don’t require electricity to run and are more portable than corded electric heaters. If your outside patio has no outlets to plug into, propane heaters can keep you warm. If you have limited outdoor outlets opt for a propane heater rather than an electric one.
Outdoor Heater Price Range
Dedicated outdoor heaters aren’t all that expensive. Some models are as cheap as $20 a unit, and others double as a cooker for camping. Those versatile units will set you back around $60. The lamp-shaped patio heaters will cost you more, around $100, and they often require electricity to run, so don’t expect any use from them during power outages. A propane heater will cost you a bit less, so this option is good if you’re on a budget. Do remember you’ll need to purchase fuel, though.
How To Install a Patio Heater
Maybe you already know which patio heater you want but are unsure how to install one. If you want to learn how to install and set up your patio heater (while having a few laughs), check out this video by StatUpBox.
People Also Asked
Are infrared heaters safe?
Infrared heaters are completely safe for humans to use. The rays function the same way as the sun’s own rays and are not hazardous at the levels emitted by heaters.
Are heaters safe to use in covered patios?
Heaters are safe for use in covered patios provided that there is adequate clearance for them on the sides. This means no flammable objects near the heater. Other than that, you shouldn’t worry about your heater causing damage to your property.
Can you leave your heaters outside?
Outdoor heaters are designed to withstand some weather conditions, but not severe ones. If it is storming outside, it is best to store your heater safely. You should also not leave your heater out unattended.
Do electric or gas heaters come to temperature quicker?
Electric heaters take longer to heat up than gas ones. That said, electric heaters may get hotter than gas heaters after extended use.
Where should I place my outdoor heater?
You want to place your outdoor hear in the middle of the area you wish to sit/stand/be while also being a few feet away. Doing so will heat up the whole area and make it enjoyable. Oftentimes, people place the heater too close to where they are sitting. This leads to them becoming too hot and having to move the heater.
Article Contributors
Read More About Garden Gate Review Team HereThe Garden Gate Review Team’s product reviews and in-depth guides are here to help you choose the best products for a beautiful and bountiful garden and backyard. The content is created by The Garden Gate Review Team. Garden Gate’s editorial staff is not involved. Garden Gate is reader-supported: When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Garden Gate Review Team is composed of authors, editors, and gardeners. Artificial Intelligence (large language models) may have been used in the research and creation of the content.
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