Wall mounted
Wall mounted patio heaters, and the rating that decides
Once a heater is bolted to an exterior wall it lives outdoors permanently. The specification that matters most is the one most listings do not publish.
For a permanently mounted outdoor heater the specification that matters most is the published IP rating: IP35 handles rain and dust, IP55 handles water directed from any angle. Output is fixed at 1,500 W across the category, so weather rating, mounting and aim are the real choices.
What an IP rating actually tells you
IP is a two-digit code. The first digit is protection against solids, the second against water. IP35 means protected against tools and thick wires, and against spraying water. IP55 means dust-protected and protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction.
For a heater on a sheltered porch ceiling, IP35 is comfortably sufficient. For a heater on an exposed wall where wind drives rain sideways at it, IP55 is the one to want. And for a heater with no published rating at all, the honest position is that you do not know — which is fine under cover and a gamble in the open.
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 |  Star Patio STP2020-AOne of the very few electric units whose maker publishes a coverage area at all — 110 sq ft — and it mounts to a wall or hangs from a ceiling on chains. No ingress rating is published, so keep it somewhere sheltered. | A published coverage figure | 1,500 W | 110 sq ft claimed | $199.99 · Check on Amazon |
| 2 |  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 | $99.99 · Check on Amazon-8% |
| 3 |  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 | $148.98 · Check 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 · A published coverage figure
Star Patio STP2020-A-RMN2025 Wall and Ceiling Electric Infrared Patio Heater
One of the very few electric units whose maker publishes a coverage area at all — 110 sq ft — and it mounts to a wall or hangs from a ceiling on chains. No ingress rating is published, so keep it somewhere sheltered.
- Fuel
- Electric
- Output
- 1,500 W = 5,118 BTU/h
- Reach (claimed)
- 110 sq ft · 5.9 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $0.28
What works
- It publishes a coverage figure. 110 sq ft is a real, checkable claim, and almost nobody in this category states one at all — which is the whole subject of our coverage page
- Wall bracket and ceiling chains both in the box, with 60 degrees of tilt, so the beam can actually be aimed at the chairs rather than at whatever the bracket decided
- 5,100 BTU/h published output is within a rounding error of the 5,118 our watts-to-BTU conversion gives, which is a maker doing its own arithmetic honestly
- Remote control on a unit mounted above head height is functional rather than a luxury
What does not
- No ingress rating is published for this model. Other units in this roundup publish one, and on a permanently mounted outdoor appliance that silence means you cannot price the weather risk. Treat it as a sheltered-position heater
- 110 sq ft is a small area — roughly a 10 by 11 ft patch, which is a seating group and not a patio
- 1,500 W, like everything else that plugs into a standard socket. The ceiling applies here as everywhere
- A 6 ft cord means the outlet has to be close, or an outdoor-rated extension has to be part of the plan
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 110 V, 60 Hz |
| Published output | 5,100 BTU/h per the maker |
| Published coverage | Up to 110 sq ft per the maker |
| Element | Golden tube |
| Mounting | Wall bracket or ceiling chains, up to 60 degrees of tilt |
| Size and weight | 27.5 x 7 x 5.7 in, 7.7 lb |
| Element life | 5,000 hours per the maker |
| Maker’s coverage claim | 110 sq ft |
| Safety listing | No ingress rating published for this model |
Who it is for
A sheltered wall or porch ceiling over a seating group, where you want a heater whose maker will tell you what area it actually covers.
What it is not for
An exposed wall where driving rain reaches it, since nothing is published about ingress protection, or any space much larger than a seating group.
2 · Leaving outside all year
Heat Storm Tradesman HS-1500-OTR-R 1500 W Weatherproof Infrared 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 IPX4 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
- IPX4 rates water only — the solids digit is X, meaning none is published. It is splashing-water protection, not immersion, and it tells you nothing about dust ingress
- 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 | Carbon fiber infrared, per the maker |
| Weather rating | IPX4 |
| Dimensions | 27 x 8 x 6 in |
| Control | Remote included |
| Mounting | Wall or ceiling; tripod and tri-mount combos are separate SKUs |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | IPX4 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.
3 · Wind, and anywhere with a roof
Dr Infrared Heater DR-238 Carbon Infrared Patio Heater with Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug
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 |
| Bundle | Currently sold with a Kasa EP40 outdoor smart plug |
| 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.
What we would skip
A list with no losers is a list nobody edited. These are the choices we would actively steer you away from, and why.
Mounting anything without a published IP rating on an exposed wall
This is the whole point of the page. An electric appliance bolted where rain reaches it needs an ingress rating you can read. IP35 handles weather; IP55 handles weather that arrives sideways. No published rating means no way to price the risk.
Mounting before you have settled the aim
A wall-mounted heater is fixed. Spend one evening with the unit on a stand or held in place before drilling, and put it where the beam actually crosses the chairs. The most common complaint about mounted heaters is not output, it is aim.
Sharing the circuit
1,500 W continuous wants a circuit largely to itself. Mounting a heater on the same spur as a garage freezer or an outdoor outlet run is how you discover the 80 percent continuous-load rule the hard way.
One case this page cannot solve: a table in the middle of a patio with no wall or ceiling within reach. The fixing point there is the umbrella pole, and umbrella heaters are a small but genuine category built for exactly that arrangement.
One distinction worth making before the checklist: several of these mount to a ceiling as readily as a wall, and that is not the same installation. A unit suspended under pergola slats is in a wetter, windier position than one under an eave — hanging patio heaters covers what the beam has to carry and why a chain-hung heater swings.
If 1,500 W is not enough for the area you are covering, there is one way past it and it is not a brand choice: the Dr Infrared DR-239 review covers the 3,000 W unit that leaves the standard circuit behind, and what the electrician costs you.
The mounting checklist
- Height: seven to nine feet, angled down. Lower and the beam hits people in the head rather than the body; higher and it spreads too thin.
- Aim across the seating, not at the middle of the patio. Radiant heat covers what it points at, so point it at chairs.
- Clearance above. Fire Sense publishes 12 to 24 inches of overhead clearance for electric units. Under an eave, check it before you drill.
- A dedicated, GFCI-protected outdoor circuit. 1,500 W continuous on a shared spur is a tripping breaker waiting to happen.
- Fix into structure, not into cladding. A 10 lb unit on a lag screw into siding will eventually find the ground.
How we picked
- Published IP rating first. A permanently mounted outdoor appliance either has one or the listing is silent, and that silence is information.
- Mounting hardware included, and what it mounts to. Wall-only, ceiling-only and both are three different products.
- Remote control treated as functional, not luxury. A heater above head height is out of reach by design.
- Aim considered. A fixed heater aimed at the wrong place cannot be nudged from a chair, so the adjustment range matters at purchase time.
What we did not do
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty heaters. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead: compile the published specs, compute the electrical and gas load from them, cite the maker’s own manual, and show the arithmetic so you can check it. The full method, including how to challenge a figure.
Common questions
How high should a wall mounted patio heater be?
Seven to nine feet, angled down toward the seating. Lower puts the beam at head height; higher spreads it too thin to feel. Also check your model's published overhead clearance — Fire Sense quotes 12 to 24 inches for electric units.
Do wall mounted patio heaters need a special circuit?
They need an outdoor-rated, GFCI-protected circuit, and a 1,500 W continuous load should largely have it to itself. Electrical code caps continuous loads at 80 percent of the branch rating, which is 1,440 W on a standard 15-amp circuit.
What IP rating do I need for an outdoor heater?
IP35 is enough for a sheltered position under an eave or porch ceiling. IP55 is what you want where wind-driven rain reaches the unit directly. If a listing publishes no rating at all, treat it as suitable for sheltered mounting only.
Sources
Read next
Heating a pergola
Why a pergola is ideal for mounted infrared, plus mounting height, clearance and picks.
AZ Patio Heaters and Hiland, explained
The two-name confusion settled, what the range covers, and why parts availability is the real reason to buy it.
Infrared patio heaters, and why wind does not touch them
Four infrared heaters and heat lamps, with what radiant heat does that a flame cannot.
Patio heaters for a covered patio
The clearance arithmetic for a roofed patio, and the mounted heaters that actually fit.
Electric patio heaters, and the ceiling nobody mentions
Four electric patio heaters compared on wattage, published IP rating and cost per hour.
Patio umbrella heaters
Heaters that clamp to an umbrella pole, what the umbrella has to take, and when a tower is the better answer.
Hanging patio heaters
Ceiling and chain-hung heaters judged on what they hang from, how they behave in wind, and the weather rating most listings omit.
Heat Storm Tradesman review
What IPX4 covers and what the X leaves out, why its published BTU number is a good sign, and where this belongs.
Dr Infrared DR-239 review
What leaving the 1,500 W ceiling actually buys, what IP55 and ETL cover, and when the 120 V model is the smarter purchase.