The Best Outdoor Heater for Patio - Our Top Picks

When you have an outdoor patio heater, you don’t have to ask your guests to bring blankets or heavy coats. With an outdoor patio heater, you control the climate so that your guests don’t have to. These are our top picks for the best outdoor heater for patio.

The Best Outdoor Heater for Patio

1. Tall Quartz Glass Tube Patio Heater

The first outdoor patio heater on our list is this tall quartz glass patio heater by AZ Patio Heaters. It has 40,000 BTUs of power and can be used for up to 8 hours at a time. It uses a 20-pound propane tank that will last up to 10 hours when used on the highest setting.

When you need to move the propane patio heater from one location to the next, just roll it using the convenient wheels built directly into the base of the heater.

Other features of this portable heater include a reflector shield so that you can easily detect the unit at night, thermocouple and anti-tilt safety devices, and a convenient access door for easy refueling. The 20-pound propane tank is not included with the heater.

The heater is 89” tall, and the housing base is 19” wide x 36” high. The unit, excluding the propane tank, weighs approximately 65 pounds.

Pros:

• Stylish design
• Easy to move
• 40,000 BTUs
• Easy to refill

Cons:

• Pricey

2. Commercial Infrared Flame Glass Tube Patio Heater

This commercial infrared flame glass tube patio heater by AZ Patio Heaters is a great option for your patio if you need to heat large spaces. It has 44,000 BTUs and can heat an area up to nearly 1,500 square feet.

This infrared patio heater is 80” tall and has a cast-iron weight plate that will keep the unit in place. It includes a thermocouple, anti-tilt safety devices, and a convenient housing for storing the propane tank. There is also a hidden electronic ignition so that the heater doesn’t become mistakenly ignited.

Another great feature of this infrared patio heater that makes this a great option is the wheels built into the base of the heater. You can easily move this heater from one location to the next by rolling the heater where it needs to be. The weight of the heater is 77 pounds, so having wheels built into the heater makes it feasible to move it to another location.

Pros:

• Can heat large spaces
• Hidden ignition
• Built-in safety features
• Easy to move

Cons:

• Commercial appearance; not as sleek as other options

3. Tabletop Quartz Glass Tube Heater

If you’re looking for a patio heater to place on a table, then this tabletop quartz glass tube heater by AZ Patio Heaters is one you should consider. It has an anti-tilt stable design that will prevent it from being knocked over while on a table.

The best part about a tabletop patio heater is that you can place one on each table in your outdoor space to heat your patio adequately. It has 9,500 BTUs of heating power, which can heat an area up to 300 square feet, making this tabletop heater adequate for small patios.

It uses a 1-pound propane tank that will last between two and three hours when on high, or you can use a 5’ adapter hose to connect the unit to a 20-pound propane tank. The base is designed with an access door to easily access the propane tank. It includes a regulator and is CSA-approved.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Convenient
• Stylish
• Safe

Cons:

• Small BTU heat output will heat smaller spaces

4. Ground Cage Electric Heater

One of the most practical options on our list is this ground cage electric heater by AZ Patio Heaters. It’s affordable, convenient, and effective. It may not look the greatest. It definitely isn’t as stylish or appealing as the tall quartz glass heater, but it is more than functional and provides ample electric heat.

It’s an electric heater, so it doesn’t require a propane tank. Instead, you will need an electric outlet to plug the power supply into. It is filled with safety features, including the secure safety cage that will keep the heater upright and a built-in automatic overheat protection feature that will reset the temperature of the heater if it becomes overheated.

Finally, this electric patio heater is waterproof and has an IP55 rating that protects it from becoming damaged by dirt, dust, and water.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Portable
• No propane tank required
• Many safety features

Cons:

• Not as stylish as other options

5. Two-Tone Outdoor Patio Heater with Table

The two-tone outdoor patio heater with a table is one of our top picks simply because of the built-in table. You can never have enough table space on your patio, especially when everyone is gathered around the heater to stay warm. The table is adjustable, so you can raise or lower it to the height you need.

It uses a 20-pound propane tank and has a maximum heat output of 48,000 BTUs. This allows you to heat large areas up to 1,600 square feet. The propane patio heater is 87” tall and is best recommended for open patios instead of a closed patio.

The housing base that holds the tank is 18” wide x 35” high. The housing base also has wheels so that you can easily move the heater from one location to another. Without the propane tank, the heater weighs approximately 55 pounds.

Pros:

• Built-in table with adjustable height
• Large BTU output
• Portable
• Weight bladder included
• Affordable

Cons:

• Some assembly required

How to Choose the Best Outdoor Heater for Your Patio

Size, portability, safety, and BTU are some of the features you need to consider when choosing the best outdoor heater for your patio, but which feature is the most important? That is a question you’ll have to ask yourself to help you decide which outdoor heater you want to choose for your patio.

Electric or Propane

Outdoor heaters are either propane or electric, and there are benefits and downsides to both of them. You’ll need to consider the type of patio you have to help you determine which outdoor heater will be best for you.

Electric Heaters

An electric patio heater is easy to use. Simply plug the electric patio heater into an outlet or extension cord, and it is ready to use. Electric heaters can be tabletop, floor, wall, or ceiling heaters. If you have a wall or ceiling that can accommodate the electric heater, you can easily add a ceiling or wall heater to heat your patio.

If you cannot accommodate a ceiling or wall heater, you’ll want to choose a floor or tabletop heater option.

Propane Heaters

A propane heater requires a propane tank to fuel the heater. A tabletop heater will typically only use a one-pound propane tank, while larger, standalone heaters will use a 20-pound propane tank.

Some tabletop heaters may have an adapter that can connect them to a 20-pound propane tank. Not all tabletop heaters have this feature, so make sure the heater you choose can be connected to a 20-pound propane tank if this is important to you.

Portability

We highly recommend choosing an outdoor heater that has wheels built into the base of the heater. Wheels make it extremely easy to move the heater from one location to another, especially when dealing with bulky and heavy units like large propane heaters.

Safety Features

There are many safety features you should consider when choosing the best outdoor patio heater. Anti-tilt, weight bladder, and overheating protection are important safety features you should consider when choosing an outdoor heater.

Anti-Tilt Switch

The anti-tilt switch will prevent the gas from the propane tank from flowing when it detects heavy movement. This means that if you are moving your heater from one location to another, the anti-tilt switch will stop gas from flowing up into the heater. That way, the unit doesn’t fall over once movement has stopped.

Weight Bladder

A weight bladder is a hollow, circular disk that can be filled with sand or water and attached to the base of the heater. This will add extra weight to the base of the heater to keep the unit stabilized.

Some heaters come with weight bladders, but if they don’t, you can add your own. Just make sure they are flame-resistant weights that can be attached to a patio heater.

Automatic Overheating Protection

This is a feature that you’ll often see on electric heaters. When the unit becomes too hot, it will automatically reset. This ensures that the unit doesn’t overheat, become damaged, or even catch on fire.

BTU Output

When using a propane heater, the output will be measured in BTUs. BTUs will tell you how big of an area the heater will heat. If you need to heat a large area, you’ll want to choose a patio heater with a high BTU. Otherwise, you can choose two propane patio heaters with smaller BTUs.

Conclusion

These are our top picks for the best outdoor heater you can choose for your patio, but take a look at all of our heaters on our website to see if there’s one that fits all of your needs.