How to Choose the Best Patio Heater for Your Home
Enjoy your patio all night long.
Create a backyard that functions like your favorite outdoor restaurant with one special touch: a patio heater. These sleek heaters make dining alfresco a dream and give you hours of extra time to sit comfortably outside. This guide breaks down types, sizes, and fuel options to help you choose the best patio heater for your home.
The Best Patio Heater
The best patio heater will perfectly match the following characteristics with your lifestyle and outdoor space: heat type, heat range, design, and special features. Use our table of contents to jump to the section you want to read most.
Patio Heater Designs
Patio Heater Fuel Types
Heat Range Diameter
Best Patio Heater Special Features
Patio Heater Designs
Heater design is another important element when choosing the best patio heater. Think about the location you plan on installing the heater, or consider portability if you're looking for a more moveable option.
Standing: Standing heaters are full-size, often portable, and include a compartment for the fuel tank. Ideal for an outdoor party, some standing heaters can provide warmth to places more than 20 ft. away.
Mounted: Wall-mounted heaters are ideal for small spaces, where there is not enough room for a tabletop or freestanding model. They are constructed for permanent installation on a patio, deck, or sunroom wall. The majority are electric.
Hanging: Hanging heaters are hung from the ceiling of a patio, deck, or sunroom. They are ideal for small spaces, as they don't take up any room on the walls, floors, or tabletops. The majority are electric and require permanent installation.
Tabletop: The easiest model to transport, tabletop heaters are an excellent option for small parties and dinner gatherings. Available in both electric and propane, these miniature models sit comfortably atop a table or similar surface. Models that run on propane will most likely have a compartment to hold the propane tank.
Tank Top: These low-maintenance patio heaters connect to the tops of propane tanks where they emit heat. They are cost-efficient, as they typically are purchased with the propane included.
To help you find the best patio heater for your home, you first need to find the fuel type that works best for you and your lifestyle. We've outlined the three main fuel types to choose from: propane, electric, and natural gas, which each come with their own distinct benefits.
Propane: Propane-fueled patio heaters are the easiest to use because they don't require professional installation – just connect the propane hose from the heater to the propane tank, as instructed in your patio heater's product manual, and choose the heat setting you want. Be sure to check if a patio heater comes with a propane hose or if you need to purchase one separately. Propane tanks typically sit in the encased cavity at the base of your patio heater, so be sure to reference your patio heater's product manual to determine the right size tank to use.
This type of heater requires frequent refills of propane, depending on the size of the propane tank and how frequently you use your patio heater. When the time comes, just swap out your empty propane tank with a full one, or search for local propane refill locations in your area for professional assistance.
Another bonus of propane patio heaters is that they're almost always portable, so you have more freedom when it comes to placing them in your outdoor space. Some have wheels at the base for easy mobility, while more compact varieties are lightweight enough to be easy to pick up and move. Check your heater's product manual for specific placement instructions. The general rule of thumb is to keep heaters about six feet away from exterior walls.
Electric: These patio heaters run on electricity and produce zero emissions, making them an eco-friendly form of outdoor heating. However, they do need to be plugged into an outlet, so make sure there is an outlet nearby when you choose a location to house your heater. Some electric heaters may require professional installation, but there are plenty of portable options you can set up quickly and plug in yourself for instant warmth on cool evenings. Looking for a heater that can be used indoors as well as outside on the patio? Electric is the way to go since they don't need ventilation and there's no potential for gas leaks.
Natural Gas: Natural gas heaters are eco-friendly and either permanently installed or connected with a natural gas tank for flexible placement. Permanently-installed patio heaters connect to your home's natural gas supply line and come in ground- or wall-mounted varieties for outdoor patios or overhead porch areas. These types of heaters need to be installed by a professional to avoid leaks. There is no need to refill the fuel tank if you go with the permanently-installed method, as there is a constant supply of fuel. Though you need professional installation, natural gas-fueled heaters have the lowest operation cost.
Heat Range Diameter
Check out the following heat ranges to determine how much space your patio heater will be able to keep warm. When choosing the best outdoor heater, consider how much of your patio you are looking to heat and where most of your guests tend to sit or stand when spending time outside.
Tip!
Temperature for patio heaters is measured by British thermal units, or Btus which represents how much thermal energy you need to heat 1 lb. of water by 1°F. You can look up your heater's Btu under the product description when searching on Wayfair.
Best Patio Heater Special Features
In addition to type and design, there are a few special features that might help you determine which patio heaters are the best for your home.
Safety Shutoff: These patio heaters are made with a manual valve that shuts off fuel supply and immediately extinguishes flames.
Safety Certified: These patio heaters meet the CSA's required safety and performance standards for Canada and the United States.
Tip-Over Switch: These patio heaters include a safety feature that automatically turns off the unit when it's tilted past a set angle.
Pilot Light: These patio heaters operate with a small gas flame that serves as an ignition source for a gas burner.
Portable: These patio heaters can be moved around your patio easily.
Indoor/Outdoor Use: These patio heaters are perfect for a screened-in porch.
Remote Control Included: These patio heaters have a feature that allows you to control the temperature with the click of a remote.
Tip!
Looking for more types of patio heating? Read our guide Heating a Patio: How to Choose the Right Type of Outdoor Heater to learn about fire pits, chimineas, outdoor fireplaces, and more.
