Head to head
Electric vs propane patio heaters
Most comparisons run this on two axes and get it wrong. It resolves on five, and four of them point the same way once you know whether your patio has a roof.
Propane for an open patio, electric for anything with a roof. Propane produces about ten times the output (48,000 BTU/h against 5,118 for a 1,500 W unit) and needs open sky; electric delivers far more of its smaller output onto people, is unaffected by wind, and produces no flue gas.
The five axes
| Propane | Electric infrared | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | 46,000 to 48,000 BTU/h | 1,500 W = 5,118 BTU/h, capped by the circuit |
| Cost per hour | About $1.40 at 48,000 BTU/h | About $0.28 at 1,500 W |
| Coverage | A broad circle; most of it convected into air | A directed cone; almost all of it radiant onto objects |
| Wind | Flame is disturbed, warmed air is stripped away, the unit is tall and light | Unaffected. Nothing to blow out, nothing carried away |
| Installation | None. Connect a cylinder and light it | An outdoor-rated GFCI circuit and something to mount to |
Cost figures computed from published U.S. average residential energy prices; the conversion is 3,412 BTU per kWh.
The prices every cost figure on this site uses
- Electricity: 18.34 cents per kWh. U.S. average residential retail price, June 2026. EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (residential, U.S. total).
- Propane: $2.674 per gallon. U.S. average residential price, week ending March 30, 2026. EIA, Weekly Heating Oil and Propane Prices (residential, U.S. average). That series only runs through the heating season, which is why the latest reading is a March one.
- Propane energy content: 91,420 BTU per gallon (higher heating value, the same basis appliance BTU ratings use). U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, Fuel Properties Comparison.
- Conversion: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU. Which is why a 1,500 W electric heater is a 5,118 BTU/h appliance, and why comparing it to a 48,000 BTU propane tower is not the comparison it looks like.
Why the cost comparison misleads everybody
Look at the cost row and electric appears five times cheaper. That comparison is meaningless as stated, because the two units are not doing the same amount of work. The propane heater costs five times as much per hour because it is producing about ten times as much heat.
Normalize it and propane is actually the cheaper fuel per unit of heat delivered — roughly 2.9 cents per thousand BTU against about 5.5 cents for electricity at the prices this site publishes. Propane wins on fuel economics. Electric wins on the fact that on a covered patio you never needed 48,000 BTU in the first place.
That is the actual shape of the decision, and it is why sizing has to come before fuel. Put your patio into the calculator and the number it returns will usually make this choice for you.
Buy propane if
- The patio is open to the sky, so warmed air is constantly leaving and has to be replaced.
- You need to heat more than about 250 sq ft, which is where a single electric unit runs out.
- There is no suitable outdoor circuit, and adding one is a bigger job than swapping cylinders.
- You want heat now, anywhere, including places with no power at all.
Buy electric if
- There is a roof, pergola or porch ceiling — this alone settles it most of the time.
- The spot is exposed to wind, where a flame is a losing proposition regardless of output.
- The space is screened or partly enclosed, where combustion is not appropriate at all.
- You are tired of cylinders, and would rather have something that turns on with a remote.
Wind is the axis that quietly decides it
Of the five axes, wind is the one that gets least attention and changes the most outcomes. A propane heater in a breeze loses the convected share of its output entirely, and the convected share is most of it. An electric infrared heater in the same breeze loses essentially nothing, because radiant transfer does not care about moving air.
So on an exposed patio the tenfold output advantage narrows dramatically, and the propane unit is also the one that might fall over. The wind section treats this properly, and it is worth reading before spending on either.
Quick picks
Ranked for fit, not for hype. Output is the maker’s published figure; reach is computed from it or from the maker’s own radius claim, and the table says which. Tap a row for the full write-up, or go straight to the listing.
| # | Product | Best for | Output | Reach | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon BasicsNo photo Amazon Basics 46kOne of the very few towers whose maker publishes a coverage radius rather than a vague area, and the 9 ft figure survives the arithmetic. That alone puts it ahead of most of the field. | The published-radius honesty test | 46,000 BTU | 254 sq ft claimed | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Dr. Infrared HeaterNo photo Dr Infrared 1500 WRadiant heat that a breeze cannot blow out, on a plug. 1,500 W is only 5,118 BTU/h, which sounds like nothing next to a propane tower and lands far more of itself on you. | Wind, and anywhere with a roof | 1,500 W | 256 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
Reach marked “claimed” is the maker’s own published figure. Reach without that label is ours, computed from published output at 20 BTU per square foot for an open patio. Neither is a measurement we took.
Top pick · The published-radius honesty test
Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Outdoor Propane Patio Heater
One of the very few towers whose maker publishes a coverage radius rather than a vague area, and the 9 ft figure survives the arithmetic. That alone puts it ahead of most of the field.
- Fuel
- Propane
- Output
- 46,000 BTU/h
- Reach (claimed)
- 254 sq ft · 9.0 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $1.35
What works
- A published 9 ft radius is a 254 sq ft circle, and 46,000 BTU is far more than that area needs — a claim on the conservative side of its own specification, which is rare here
- The water-fill base box is a real anti-tip measure, not a sticker: filled, it is the difference between a windy evening and a repair bill
- One-touch ignition and a chain for the cylinder are both small things the cheap clones drop
What does not
- The listing does not name a safety certifying body, only the tilt valve, so we cannot tell you it is CSA listed
- 91 in tall with an open flame: the same wind exposure as every other tower of this shape
- The water box has to be emptied before a freeze or it splits
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated input | 46,000 BTU/h |
| Published reach | 9 ft radius |
| Dimensions | 32.1" L x 32.1" W x 91.3" H |
| Fuel | 20 lb propane cylinder, not included |
| Safety | Tilt auto-shutoff valve; chain to secure the cylinder |
| Base | Water-fill box for ballast, wheel kit included |
| Maker’s coverage claim | 9.0 ft radius, which is 254 sq ft |
| Safety listing | Tilt auto-shutoff valve; the listing does not name a certifying body |
Who it is for
An open patio where you want the largest honest circle of warmth per dollar and are happy to handle cylinders.
What it is not for
Anywhere enclosed, and anywhere the base cannot be filled with water — an empty ballast box makes this a tall, light, tippy object.
Sources for this entry
2 · Wind, and anywhere with a roof
Dr Infrared Heater Carbon Infrared Patio Heater, 120 V / 1500 W
Radiant heat that a breeze cannot blow out, on a plug. 1,500 W is only 5,118 BTU/h, which sounds like nothing next to a propane tower and lands far more of itself on you.
- Fuel
- Electric
- Output
- 1,500 W = 5,118 BTU/h
- Reach (computed)
- 256 sq ft · 9.0 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $0.28
What works
- Infrared warms objects, not air, so it is the only heat that survives a breeze — this is the single reason wind changes the whole buying decision
- No combustion means no flue gas, which is what makes it legal and sensible on a screened porch where propane is not
- Three settings matter more than they sound: 900 W costs a third less to run and is enough most evenings
What does not
- 1,500 W is 1,500 W. Nothing at this wattage heats faster than anything else at this wattage; the differences between electric heaters are beam shape and build, not power
- It heats what it points at. Step out of the beam and you are cold immediately — this is a fundamentally different experience from a tower
- A 120 V plug-in unit is capped by your circuit, not by the maker. See why 1,500 W is the ceiling
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Settings | 900 W / 1,200 W / 1,500 W |
| Element | Carbon infrared lamp |
| Reflector | Mirror aluminum, 90% reflectivity per the maker |
| Housing | Anodized aluminum, rated for outdoor use |
| Mounting | Wall and ceiling brackets plus remote in the box |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | ETL listed, per the maker's published product data |
Who it is for
A covered patio, pergola or screened porch where you can mount it overhead and point it at where people sit, and anywhere wind ruins a flame.
What it is not for
A big open patio with nowhere to mount it. Radiant heat needs a line of sight and a place to hang from.
The answer in one sentence
Look up. If there is sky, buy propane; if there is a ceiling, buy electric and mount it. Everything else on this page is the reasoning behind that sentence, and the full picks are here once you know which side you are on.
Common questions
Is electric or propane better for a patio heater?
Propane for an open patio, electric for anything with a roof over it. Propane produces roughly ten times the output, which an open patio needs because warmed air keeps leaving. Under a roof that output is unnecessary, and electric infrared delivers far more of its smaller output onto the people in the beam.
Which is cheaper to run, electric or propane?
Per hour, electric — about 28 cents against about $1.40. Per unit of heat, propane, at roughly 2.9 cents per thousand BTU against 5.5 cents for electricity. Both are true because they are answering different questions: the propane unit is producing ten times as much heat.
Do electric patio heaters work in the cold?
Yes, and cold air affects them less than it affects a convection heater, because infrared warms objects directly rather than heating air. What they cannot do is cover a large open area — the constraint is the 1,500 W circuit limit, not the temperature.
Can I use a propane patio heater on a covered porch?
Only with enough clearance and genuinely open sides. Fire Sense publishes at least 36 inches of overhead clearance for propane, which means an 87-inch tower needs a ceiling over 10 ft 3 in. If the sides are screened or walled, the answer is electric. Details here.
Sources
Read next
What a patio heater costs to run
Cost per hour, evening and month for electric and propane, at named prices with the formulas shown.
Wind-resistant patio heaters
The heaters that keep working in a breeze, and the physics that makes the list mostly electric.
Patio heaters for a covered patio
The clearance arithmetic for a roofed patio, and the mounted heaters that actually fit.
The best patio heaters, sorted by the patio
Six heaters covering every real patio case, with published output, computed reach and cost per hour.
Patio heater BTU calculator
Your patio's BTU requirement with every multiplication shown, plus why the published rules disagree.