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Best Patio Heaters

Updated March 2024
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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Fire Sense Pro Series Patio Heater
Fire Sense
Pro Series Patio Heater
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Quick Start
Bottom Line

Once it's properly assembled, this patio heater nicely heats the surrounding area.

Pros

Strong heat output and heavy-duty construction easily separate this heater from the rest. Uses a standard 20-pound propane tank. Turns on easily with the push of a button. Convenient wheels add portability.

Cons

Not as effective in slight to moderate wind.

Best Bang for the Buck
Cuisinart Portable Tabletop Patio Heater
Cuisinart
Portable Tabletop Patio Heater
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Portable Convenience
Bottom Line

This tabletop heater is perfect for small patios and other small outdoor spaces.

Pros

It outputs 11,000 Btu of heat which is enough to heat roughly 30 square feet. It runs off 1-pound propane bottles but can also use a 20-pound propane tank if you purchase a tank and connecting cables.

Cons

Putting it together can take some time and effort.

Latitude Run Hammered Bronze Propane Patio Heater
Latitude Run
Hammered Bronze Propane Patio Heater
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Bold Look
Bottom Line

This sleek pyramid-style propane heater is a great backup for colder nights outdoors.

Pros

This pyramid-shaped propane heater has a small footprint so it doesn't take up tons of backyard real estate. The sleek design allows it to blend in with your existing outdoor decor. Easily move it around as needed with the attached wheels.

Cons

Some buyers have difficulty with the assembly.

AZ Patio Heaters Freestanding Patio Heater
AZ Patio Heaters
Freestanding Patio Heater
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Efficient Design
Bottom Line

This propane-powered heater is perfect for gatherings thanks to its superior energy usage.

Pros

It can output up to 48,000 Btu of heat that covers a circle with a diameter of 10 to 12 feet. It has a small shelf-like table around it so three or four people can gather around. A great option for entertaining outdoors.

Cons

The door and its latch that hides the propane tank can be loose.

Amazon Basics Propane Patio Heater
Amazon Basics
Propane Patio Heater
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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

This powder-coated bronze outdoor heater will extend the usage of your backyard into the colder months.

Pros

This bronze outdoor heater jazzes up any backyard space while blending in with your existing furniture. When the temps dip and you still want to enjoy the outdoors, this propane heater comes in clutch with 46,000 BTUs of heat.

Cons

Some arrived dented so check yours upon delivery.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Buying guide for best patio heaters

Do you enjoy spending time in your home's outdoor space? If so, you don’t have to let the cold weather drive you inside when the temperature drops. You can stay outside and enjoy the view with a good patio heater.

The best patio heaters are simple to use and relatively inexpensive. What’s more, they can extend a pleasant evening by several hours.

There are hundreds of patio heaters to choose from, too. Whatever the size or style of your outdoor area, there's an efficient solution to be found. So how do you find it?

At BestReviews, we’re here to help you find the products you need.

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A new patio heater won’t be ready to go right out of the box. Propane patio heaters require some self-assembly. Electric patio heaters need to be fitted to a wall or other support. They also need an available power socket or hard wiring.

Patio heater styles

In this shopping guide, we’ll discuss three basic types of patio heaters: table-top patio heaters, full-size electric patio heaters, and full-size propane patio heaters.

​Full-size electric patio heaters

Full-size electric patio heaters come in a variety of styles, from single, wall-mounted heating bars to three- and four-element configurations fixed at a central point that look a lot like ceiling fans.

​The main drawback of full-size electric patio heaters is that they require a cable. Most are designed to be fixed in position on a wall or overhead. We suspect that's why they're mostly seen in restaurants and other commercial locations rather than residential decks and yards.

Table-top patio heaters

As the name suggests, a table-top patio heater sits atop an outdoor table. Some have quite a limited range; if your outdoor space is small, that could be ideal. But other table-top patio heaters pack a powerful punch. In fact, their performance may rival that of a full-size unit.

​The main drawback to table-top patio heaters is that they are quite large. We tend to envision a “table-top” item as small, but in truth, table-top patio heaters usually stand three to four feet tall.

Even at that size, propane table-top patio heaters have relatively short run times of an hour or two. The reason: most can only hold a one-pound glass bottle.

​Full-size propane patio heaters

Full-size propane patio heaters come in two primary shapes. Some are cylindrical with a narrow stem and mushroom-like hood. Others are tall, pyramid-shaped units that house a flame in a crystal glass tube.

If full-size propane patio heaters have a disadvantage, it's that you must change the propane tank periodically. The standard 20-pound bottle lasts weeks if not months, but it's a good idea to keep a spare on hand.

Perhaps the biggest plus is that these types of patio heaters are portable. ​Many have small wheels to help you move them, giving them great flexibility.

Radiant heat vs. convection heat

When selecting a patio heater, the most important question would seem obvious: how much heat does it provide? But in fact, heat output is not the whole story. Let’s look at the two kinds of heat used by patio heaters: radiant heat and convection heat.

Radiant heat

Electric patio heaters emit radiant heat. The heat warms nearby objects and people, but it doesn’t actually warm the air. Electric patio heaters are particularly efficient at heating enclosed spaces that might otherwise be drafty.

​Convection heat

Propane-fueled patio heaters emit convection heat. These units do heat the air, and thus they also heat the objects and people within their reach.

How far their reach extends depends on the power of the heater, which we'll look at in a moment.

​Convection heaters are excellent for larger spaces and situations in which people move from one area to another — in and out between house and deck, for example.

Combination heat

​In the last few years, the boundaries between electric and propane heaters have been blurred by the introduction of patio heaters that feature a live flame within a glass crystal tube.

The result is radiant heat from a propane patio heater. Some people see it as the perfect combination.

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Did you know?
Glass tube patio heaters combine electric and propane technology. For this reason, they are very popular — and also quite expensive.
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Understanding heat output ratings

Before you lay money down on a patio heater, you undoubtedly want to know what kind of heat output to expect.

An electric patio heater’s output is measured in watts, whereas a propane patio heater’s output is measured in BTU/h (British Thermal Units per hour).

The following ratings are reasonable minimum estimates for efficient heat generation:

  • ​Table-top electric heaters:​ 1,000 watts

  • ​Wall-mounted electric heaters: ​1,500 watts

  • ​Table-top propane heaters:​ 10,000 BTU/h

  • ​Free-Standing propane heaters (radiant or convection):​ 40,000 BTU/h

Effective range claims

You may be tempted to opt for a patio heater with a larger numeric rating, but these numbers aren’t always indicative of efficiency.

You'll find wall-mounted patio heaters that can warm an area of 10 to 15 square feet and table-top patio heaters that can warm an area ten times that.

All of which is perhaps necessarily vague, because the effective range of a patio heater depends on the ambient temperature. On mild days, your patio heater will seem to warm more space than on frigid days when the temperature drops towards freezing.

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Caution
Don't use a propane patio heater indoors due to risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is particularly dangerous as it has no odor. Some patio heaters have an Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) that turns the heater off if it senses an overabundance of carbon monoxide.
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Patio heater prices

Table-top heaters

At the lower end of the pricing scale, you'll pay around $75 for a table-top propane heater.

For $10 to $15 more, you can get a glass tube version.

An electric table-top patio heater costs far more. You’re unlikely to find one for less than $200 on the market these days.

Full-size patio heaters

Entry-level wall-mounted electric models can dip as low as $90. In fact, you’re unlikely to pay much more than $150 for one.

Free-standing propane patio heaters start at about $130. During the course of our research, we found some terrific models of this type that cost no more than $200.

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Propane and butane are similar, but they’re not the same. Propane can’t freeze, but butane can. Almost all gas patio heaters can use either propane or butane, but it requires a change of regulator. For the purpose of this patio heater review, we use the term “propane” because that's how most models are sold.

Tips

  • If you have a more informal outdoor space, you'll want to look at the best propane patio heaters. The reason: propane heaters warm the air, not just the objects around it.

  • If you want to heat a specific area designed for outdoor dining (under an awning perhaps), an electric patio heater would probably be most efficient.

  • You might need more than one patio heater. Sure, you can look at manufacturer details to get an idea of the effective range of each model. But a heater’s effective range depends heavily on how cold the air gets.

  • Because patio heaters are stationed outdoors, some are vulnerable to rust. Opt for a patio heater made of a hearty, rust-resistant material like stainless steel or hammered bronze.

  • If you opt for a propane patio heater, there is a danger that it could topple over in windy weather. To guard against this, choose one with a weighted base. Better yet, choose one with a tilt sensor and automatic shutoff.

  • If you want an easy time igniting your propane-powered patio heater, choose one with Piezo-electric ignition. It doesn't require batteries and should make lighting your propane patio heater as easy as the flick of a switch.

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