Index
Patio heater reviews
Every unit we have written up, in one table, with the same computed columns. Also: exactly what our reviews are based on, because that matters more than the star rating we do not give.
Our reviews compile published manufacturer specifications and compute reach, running cost and cylinder runtime from them. We do not test units, do not own any, and give no star ratings. Every figure has its arithmetic on the page so you can check it.
What a review on this site actually is
Worth stating up front, because the word means several different things in this category. Some publishers genuinely test outdoor heaters. Some assemble them and note impressions. Some rewrite listings. We do a fourth thing, and it is better to name it than to let you guess.
Every entry below is built from the manufacturer's published specification and from the live product listing, both cited on the card. From those we compute the coverage the output implies, the cost per hour at published U.S. average energy prices, and, for gas units, the runtime a cylinder gives. Where a maker publishes a coverage claim we quote it and label it as theirs; where none exists we compute one and label it as ours.
What we do not do is claim to have used any of these. There is no lab, no test rig and no unit in anyone's yard. That is a limitation and we would rather write it here than let a phrase like "in our testing" appear anywhere on this site. The full methodology sets out how to challenge any number we publish.
Why there are no star ratings
A star rating is a claim to have evaluated something. Ours would be a claim to have evaluated a specification sheet, which is not the same and would read as though it were. So there are none, and there is no aggregate score in the structured data either.
What replaces it is the Best for line on every card. It says which patio the unit is right for, which is the only judgment we are actually in a position to make and the more useful one anyway.
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 | AZ Patio HeatersNo photo Hiland HLDS01The mushroom tower the whole category is a copy of. 48,000 BTU is enough for a genuinely open patio, and the parts are the easiest in the category to replace when something eventually fails. | A full open patio | 48,000 BTU | 2,400 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | EAST OAKNo photo EAST OAK pyramidThe pyramid is the best-looking heater in the category and the least efficient way to spend 48,000 BTU, because the flame column throws most of its output straight up. Buy it knowing that trade. | Looking good while heating less | 48,000 BTU | 2,400 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 | 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 |
| 5 | Heat StormNo photo Heat Storm TradesmanThe one electric unit here with a published IP rating, which is the difference between a heater that survives a wet winter mounted outdoors and one that is a warranty claim waiting to happen. | Leaving outside all year | 1,500 W | 256 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
| 6 | Star PatioNo photo Star Patio ZHQ1530IP55 is the highest published ingress rating in this roundup, which makes it the one to mount where rain actually blows in sideways. Everything else about it is a standard 1,500 W infrared unit. | The wettest exposed spot | 1,500 W | 256 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
| 7 | BrizaNo photo Briza 1500 WThe same 1,500 W infrared element as everything else, sold with a tripod as well as the brackets. That flexibility is the entire argument for it, and it is a decent one. | Not committing to a mounting point | 1,500 W | 256 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
| 8 | AZ Patio HeatersNo photo Hiland tabletop11,000 BTU heats a table, not a patio, and being clear about that is the whole point. For a bistro table on a balcony it is the right size and nothing bigger fits. | One table, four people | 11,000 BTU | 550 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 · A full open patio
Hiland / AZ Patio Heaters HLDS01-CG 87 in Propane Patio Heater
The mushroom tower the whole category is a copy of. 48,000 BTU is enough for a genuinely open patio, and the parts are the easiest in the category to replace when something eventually fails.
- Fuel
- Propane
- Output
- 48,000 BTU/h
- Reach (computed)
- 2,400 sq ft · 27.6 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $1.40
What works
- 48,000 BTU is real output — on our sizing arithmetic that is a 2,400 sq ft open patio at the rule-of-thumb rate, so it is never the unit that is undersized
- Every wear part on this platform is a stocked commodity: thermocouples, control valves, dump switches and reflectors are all available separately
- The weight bladder in the base is the single most useful anti-tip feature in the category and most rivals leave it out
What does not
- An 87 in open-flame tower is the worst possible shape in wind — this is the unit our wind guide exists for
- The maker does not publish a coverage radius, so the reach figure we show is ours, computed rather than quoted
- Full output burns a 20 lb cylinder in well under a night. See the runtime arithmetic
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated input | 48,000 BTU/h |
| Height | 87 in |
| Fuel | 20 lb propane cylinder, not included |
| Reflector | 33 in aluminum heat shield |
| Safety | Anti-tilt cutoff and thermocouple flame-failure cutoff |
| Extras | Wheels, integrated table, weight bladder for the base |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | CSA certified per the maker's product literature |
Who it is for
An open patio with no roof, where you need volume of heat and can accept swapping cylinders. Also the right answer if you want a unit whose parts you can still buy in five years.
What it is not for
A screened porch, a garage, or anywhere without open sky above it. It is an open-flame combustion appliance and needs genuine outdoor ventilation.
3 · Looking good while heating less
EAST OAK 48,000 BTU Pyramid Patio Heater (2025)
The pyramid is the best-looking heater in the category and the least efficient way to spend 48,000 BTU, because the flame column throws most of its output straight up. Buy it knowing that trade.
- Fuel
- Propane
- Output
- 48,000 BTU/h
- Reach (computed)
- 2,400 sq ft · 27.6 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $1.40
What works
- The four anchor stakes are the reason to pick this over most pyramids — they are the correct answer to a heater blowing over and they come in the box
- A 45-degree tilt cutoff is a more forgiving threshold than the twitchy switches that plague this shape
- The glass tube is a stocked replacement part, so a cracked one is a repair rather than a write-off
What does not
- A pyramid is a chimney. The visible flame column is beautiful and it sends heat vertically; a mushroom reflector at the same BTU puts more of it on people
- Tall glass tubes crack. Ours is not a durability test, but the existence of a whole replacement-tube market is its own data point
- The maker publishes no coverage figure at all, so the reach column here is entirely our arithmetic
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated input | 48,000 BTU/h |
| Flame tube | 4.7 in diameter quartz glass |
| Ignition | One-button, quoted at about 5 seconds |
| Safety | Cutoff at 45 degrees of tilt; instant gas shutoff on flame loss |
| Fuel | 20 lb propane cylinder, not included |
| Extras | Two rollers, four anchor stakes |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | Triple protection system: 45-degree anti-tip cutoff plus flame-failure cutoff |
Who it is for
Someone who wants the heater to be part of the evening rather than a utility object, on an open patio, and who has read the trade-off above and accepted it.
What it is not for
Getting the most warmth per dollar, or any covered space — a 7-foot flame column under a roof is the exact scenario the [clearance rules](/spaces/safety) exist for.
Sources for this entry
4 · 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.
5 · Leaving outside all year
Heat Storm Tradesman HS-1500-OTR Outdoor Infrared Quartz Heater
The one electric unit here with a published IP rating, which is the difference between a heater that survives a wet winter mounted outdoors and one that is a warranty claim waiting to happen.
- 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
- A published IP35 rating. Almost nobody in this category publishes an ingress rating at all, and mounting an unrated electric heater outdoors is a gamble you cannot price
- The maker publishes its own BTU figure (5,200), which is within a rounding error of the 5,118 our watts-to-BTU conversion gives — a company doing its own arithmetic honestly
- Wall or ceiling mount puts the heat above head height where a radiant beam belongs
What does not
- IP35 is splash-and-dust protection, not immersion — it survives weather, not a hose or standing water
- Fixed mounting means fixed aim. Get the position wrong and there is no adjusting it from the chair
- Same 1,500 W ceiling as every other plug-in electric heater
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Published output | 5,200 BTU/h per the maker |
| Element | Infrared quartz |
| Weather rating | IP35 |
| Mounting | Wall or ceiling; a tripod variant exists separately |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | IP35 weatherproof rating published by the maker |
Who it is for
A permanently mounted heater on a pergola, porch ceiling or exterior wall that you never want to take down and store.
What it is not for
Portability, and any open patio with no structure to mount to.
6 · The wettest exposed spot
Star Patio ZHQ1530 Wall-Mounted Electric Infrared Patio Heater
IP55 is the highest published ingress rating in this roundup, which makes it the one to mount where rain actually blows in sideways. Everything else about it is a standard 1,500 W infrared unit.
- 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
- IP55 means dust-protected and rated against low-pressure water jets from any direction — a genuine step above the IP35 units
- The maker explicitly positions it for gazebo use, which is the enclosure where electric is the only correct answer
- Remote control on a wall-mounted heater is not a luxury; the unit is above head height and out of reach by design
What does not
- The listing publishes no coverage figure, so every reach number we show for it is our own arithmetic
- Wall mount only — there is no floor-standing option in this model
- 1,500 W, like everything else that plugs into a wall
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Weather rating | IP55 |
| Mounting | Wall mounted |
| Control | Remote |
| Maker's positioning | Suitable as a gazebo heater per the listing |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | IP55 waterproof rating published by the maker |
Who it is for
An exposed wall on a gazebo, porch or balcony where weather gets at the unit and you still want electric heat.
What it is not for
Anywhere you need to move it, and any space large enough to need several thousand BTU rather than five thousand.
Sources for this entry
7 · Not committing to a mounting point
Briza Infrared Electric Patio Heater, 1500 W, with Stand
The same 1,500 W infrared element as everything else, sold with a tripod as well as the brackets. That flexibility is the entire argument for it, and it is a decent one.
- 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
- The tripod means you can find the right position over a season before drilling anything, then mount it properly
- A 1-to-9-hour timer on the remote is the feature that stops a mounted heater running all night by accident
- Three power settings, same as the Dr Infrared unit, and the 900 W setting is the one you will actually use
What does not
- No published IP rating and no named safety listing. For a unit sold to live outdoors that is a real omission, and we would rather tell you than skip past it
- A tripod-mounted heater is a tip-over object around children and dogs in a way a wall-mounted one is not
- No published coverage figure, so the reach column is ours
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Settings | 900 W / 1,200 W / 1,500 W |
| Timer | 1 to 9 hours, on the remote |
| Mounting | Wall and ceiling hardware plus an adjustable tripod stand |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | The listing does not publish a safety listing body or an IP rating |
Who it is for
Someone who wants electric radiant heat but does not yet know where it should live permanently.
What it is not for
A fully exposed position in wet weather — without a published ingress rating we cannot tell you it will survive one.
Sources for this entry
8 · One table, four people
Hiland HLDS032-BBS Tabletop Propane Patio Heater
11,000 BTU heats a table, not a patio, and being clear about that is the whole point. For a bistro table on a balcony it is the right size and nothing bigger fits.
- Fuel
- Propane
- Output
- 11,000 BTU/h
- Reach (computed)
- 550 sq ft · 13.2 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $0.32
What works
- Runs off a 1 lb canister, which makes it the only heater here you can carry out to a table and back with one hand
- 11,000 BTU is honest for the job: our reach arithmetic puts that at roughly a table's worth of warmth, and the unit does not pretend otherwise
- A burner screen guard on a table-height heater is a genuine safety feature, not a spec-sheet line
What does not
- 1 lb canisters are the most expensive propane per BTU you can buy — get the 20 lb adapter hose if you use it regularly
- At 38 in on a table, this puts an open flame at seated head height. Placement matters more than with any other unit here
- It will not touch an open patio. Anyone expecting a room-scale effect will be disappointed
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated input | 11,000 BTU/h, adjustable |
| Height | 38 in |
| Fuel | 1 lb canister or 20 lb cylinder with an adapter hose |
| Safety | Thermocouple, anti-tilt device, burner screen guard |
| Stability | Weight plate in the base |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | Thermocouple flame-failure cutoff and anti-tilt device per the listing |
Who it is for
A balcony, a bistro table, or a second heater that warms hands at the table while a tower does the space.
What it is not for
Heating an area. And never indoors, on a covered porch with a low ceiling, or anywhere a tablecloth can reach it.
Sources for this entry
Reading the computed columns
- Output is the maker's rated figure. For electric units it is watts, converted to BTU/h at 3,412 BTU per kWh where a comparison is needed.
- Reach is the maker's coverage claim where one is published, marked "claimed". Otherwise it is ours, computed from output at 20 BTU per square foot for an open patio.
- Cost per hour is computed at 18.34 cents per kWh or $2.674 per gallon of propane, both U.S. average residential prices with sources on the cost page.
- Safety listing is quoted from the listing or the manual. Where nothing is published, the card says so rather than leaving it blank.
Brands we have not covered, and why
Infratech, Bromic and Heatstrip come up regularly in searches for patio heater reviews. They are premium fixed-install brands, mostly 240-volt hardwired products sold through specialist dealers, and Amazon carries them inconsistently or not at all.
We have not written them up, because a review whose buy button would have to point at a substitute is not a review we want to publish. If you are having a hardwired installation done, your electrician or a specialist dealer is a better source on those brands than a page that could not link to them honestly.
Common questions
Do you test the patio heaters you review?
No, and we say so on every page. Our entries compile published manufacturer specifications and compute coverage, running cost and cylinder runtime from them, with the arithmetic shown. There is no test rig and no unit in anyone's yard.
Why do you not give star ratings?
Because a rating implies an evaluation we did not perform. What we give instead is a specific 'best for' line on every unit — which patio it suits — plus computed figures you can check. There is no rating in our structured data either.
How do you decide which heaters to include?
Published output, availability on Amazon confirmed against a live listing, and a genuine best-case that no other pick already covers. If a unit is a slightly different version of one already listed, it does not earn a place.
Read next
The best patio heaters, sorted by the patio
Six heaters covering every real patio case, with published output, computed reach and cost per hour.
Electric patio heaters, and the ceiling nobody mentions
Four electric patio heaters compared on wattage, published IP rating and cost per hour.
Propane patio heaters, with the cylinder arithmetic
Four propane heaters compared on published BTU, computed reach and real cylinder runtime.