Coal & Char

Best Patio Heaters

Propane mushroom heaters, pyramid flame heaters and electric infrared — ranked on output, reach and where each one is safe to run.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we pick

For an open patio, buy the Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU propane heater. It is the standard restaurant-patio mushroom at the lowest sensible price, it has wheels so you can move it out of the rain, and the base fills with water so it does not go over. If your space is covered— a roofed porch, a garage, a balcony with a ceiling — stop reading and buy an electric infrared heater instead. That is not a preference; it is the rule that decides this category.

A patio heater does a fundamentally different job from a fire pit. A heater warms people: a reflector pushes heat down over a seating circle, nobody has to face it, and it works the instant you turn it on. A fire pit makes a focal point that everyone turns toward and warms whichever side of you is pointing at it. If the goal is to get three more months out of your deck, buy the heater. If the goal is for people to sit outside together, buy the pit. We work that through in patio heater vs fire pit.

The fuel question splits the category cleanly. Propanehas far more reach, needs no outlet, and produces combustion products — which is why it belongs in open air. Electric infrared produces none at all, so it is the only safe choice under a roof, but it warms what it points at and nothing else. The CPSC reports that more than 200 people in the United States die every year from accidental non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning associated with consumer products; if you run any fuel-burning heater in a partly enclosed space, use a CO alarm.

Prices below are live from Amazon and dated. The 20 lb propane tank is not included with any of the gas heaters here.

How this is funded:we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which pit or heater we recommend, and we’ll tell you when we’d skip one. Full disclosure.

Quick picks

Ranked on published specs, beginner-friendliness and value. Select a row to jump to the full write-up. We haven’t cooked on every one of these — here is exactly what we do instead.

#ProductBest forPrice
1
Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Propane Patio Heater with Wheels

Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Propane Patio Heater with Wheels

The standard restaurant-patio mushroom heater at the lowest sensible price. Forty-six thousand BTU under a reflector puts warmth down over roughly a circle of seating, which is a fundamentally different job from a fire pit: you are heating people, not making a focal point. Wheels and a water-fillable base are the two features that matter in practice — one so you can move it, the other so it does not go over. It is the default pick and the one to beat.

Best overall
$114.74 · View on Amazon

$134.9915% off

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

2
Dr. Infrared Heater Portable Infrared Indoor/Outdoor Space Heater

Dr. Infrared Heater Portable Infrared Indoor/Outdoor Space Heater

Electric infrared solves the two things people actually hate about propane heaters: refilling tanks and the hard limit on where you can run one. It plugs into a socket, it produces no combustion products at all, and it can be used in a garage or a covered porch where a gas heater should not be. The honest trade is reach — infrared warms what it is pointed at, so it heats a person on a chair beautifully and an open lawn not at all.

Best for covered spaces
$107.09 · View on Amazon

$125.9915% off

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

3
GasOne 50,000 BTU Stainless Steel Propane Patio Heater

GasOne 50,000 BTU Stainless Steel Propane Patio Heater

Fifty thousand BTU is the highest rating in this group, and stainless rather than painted steel is the right call for anything that lives outdoors in a wet climate. Those two things together are the argument: more output and a body that will still look acceptable in three winters. It costs more than the Amazon Basics and does the same job slightly better and for longer — a reasonable trade if the heater is going to be used every week.

Most output
$179.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

4
EAST OAK Pyramid Patio Heater (48,000 BTU)

EAST OAK Pyramid Patio Heater (48,000 BTU)

A pyramid heater puts a tall column of visible flame behind glass, so it does the job of a patio heater and the job of a fire feature at once. That is worth real money to some people and nothing at all to others. On pure warmth per dollar the mushroom heaters beat it; on atmosphere nothing else in this category comes close. Forty-eight thousand BTU is a competitive rating, and the glass tube is the part to treat carefully.

Best looking
$299.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

5
Dr. Infrared Heater DR-239 3000W Wall/Ceiling Infrared Patio Heater

Dr. Infrared Heater DR-239 3000W Wall/Ceiling Infrared Patio Heater

The permanent-install answer: a 3,000 watt IP55-rated infrared bar that bolts to a wall or a pergola beam and heats the space under it on a switch. Mounted overhead it takes up no floor space, nothing can be knocked over, and there is no tank. That is close to ideal for a covered patio or a balcony. It needs a suitable circuit and a competent install, which is the real cost — the heater itself is not expensive for what it does.

Best permanent install
$293.20 · View on Amazon

$349.0016% off

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

6
Mr. Heater 18,000 BTU Big Buddy Heater

Mr. Heater 18,000 BTU Big Buddy Heater

Double the Portable Buddy's output and the ability to run two 1 lb cylinders at once, which turns a two-hour heater into an all-evening one. It is the right size for a garage, a workshop, a large tent or a covered porch — still not an open patio. The same caveats apply and apply harder at 18,000 BTU: combustion heater, enclosed space, carbon monoxide alarm, every single time.

Best for a garage or tent
$144.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

The picks in full

#1Best overall

Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Propane Patio Heater with Wheels

The standard restaurant-patio mushroom heater at the lowest sensible price. Forty-six thousand BTU under a reflector puts warmth down over roughly a circle of seating, which is a fundamentally different job from a fire pit: you are heating people, not making a focal point. Wheels and a water-fillable base are the two features that matter in practice — one so you can move it, the other so it does not go over. It is the default pick and the one to beat.

What’s good

  • 46,000 BTU under a reflector heats a seating circle, not just a focal point
  • Wheels — you can move it off the patio when it rains
  • Water-fillable base adds stability without permanent weight
  • The cheapest full-size heater from a brand with returns behind it

Trade-offs

  • 20 lb propane tank is not included
  • Wind cuts its effective range sharply
  • Painted steel will mark where the burner housing heats
  • Tall and top-heavy if the base is left empty
TypeFreestanding propane patio heater
Heat output46,000 BTU (per the listing)
MobilityWheels, per the listing
BaseWater-fillable, per the listing
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#2Best for covered spaces

Dr. Infrared Heater Portable Infrared Indoor/Outdoor Space Heater

Electric infrared solves the two things people actually hate about propane heaters: refilling tanks and the hard limit on where you can run one. It plugs into a socket, it produces no combustion products at all, and it can be used in a garage or a covered porch where a gas heater should not be. The honest trade is reach — infrared warms what it is pointed at, so it heats a person on a chair beautifully and an open lawn not at all.

What’s good

  • No tank to refill and no combustion products at all
  • Safe to use in a garage or covered porch where gas heaters are not
  • Warms people directly rather than heating the air around them
  • Cheap to buy and simple to run

Trade-offs

  • Needs a power outlet within reach
  • Heats only what it points at — useless for an open circle
  • Electric running cost is higher per hour than propane in most areas
  • Wattage and coverage area are not published on this listing
TypePortable electric infrared heater
FuelElectric — no tank, no combustion
UseIndoor and outdoor, per the listing
WattageNot published on this listing

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#3Most output

GasOne 50,000 BTU Stainless Steel Propane Patio Heater

Fifty thousand BTU is the highest rating in this group, and stainless rather than painted steel is the right call for anything that lives outdoors in a wet climate. Those two things together are the argument: more output and a body that will still look acceptable in three winters. It costs more than the Amazon Basics and does the same job slightly better and for longer — a reasonable trade if the heater is going to be used every week.

What’s good

  • 50,000 BTU — the highest rating of the heaters here
  • Stainless body handles damp far better than painted steel
  • Wheels fitted, per the listing
  • Standard reflector design with widely available spares

Trade-offs

  • More expensive than the painted-steel equivalents
  • Stainless still discolours around the burner housing
  • Tank not included
  • Same wind limitations as every patio heater
TypeFreestanding propane patio heater
Heat output50,000 BTU (per the listing)
MaterialStainless steel
MobilityWheels, per the listing
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#4Best looking

EAST OAK Pyramid Patio Heater (48,000 BTU)

A pyramid heater puts a tall column of visible flame behind glass, so it does the job of a patio heater and the job of a fire feature at once. That is worth real money to some people and nothing at all to others. On pure warmth per dollar the mushroom heaters beat it; on atmosphere nothing else in this category comes close. Forty-eight thousand BTU is a competitive rating, and the glass tube is the part to treat carefully.

What’s good

  • Visible flame column — it looks like a fire feature, not an appliance
  • 48,000 BTU is a strong rating for the category
  • Narrow footprint compared with a mushroom reflector
  • Stainless and glass rather than painted steel

Trade-offs

  • Costs roughly double an equivalent-output mushroom heater
  • The glass tube is the vulnerable part — covers matter
  • A tall flame column throws heat up as well as out
  • Tank not included
TypePyramid / glass-tube propane patio heater
Heat output48,000 BTU (per the listing)
MaterialStainless steel with glass flame tube
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#5Best permanent install

Dr. Infrared Heater DR-239 3000W Wall/Ceiling Infrared Patio Heater

The permanent-install answer: a 3,000 watt IP55-rated infrared bar that bolts to a wall or a pergola beam and heats the space under it on a switch. Mounted overhead it takes up no floor space, nothing can be knocked over, and there is no tank. That is close to ideal for a covered patio or a balcony. It needs a suitable circuit and a competent install, which is the real cost — the heater itself is not expensive for what it does.

What’s good

  • 3,000 W mounted overhead — no floor space, nothing to knock over
  • IP55 weatherproof rating stated on the listing
  • No tank, no combustion, no refuelling
  • Heats the area beneath it consistently

Trade-offs

  • Needs a suitable circuit and a proper electrical install
  • Fixed in place — it heats one spot forever
  • Listing states 208-240V, so check your supply before buying
  • Running cost is real at 3,000 W
TypeWall or ceiling mounted electric infrared heater
Power3,000 W (per the listing)
Weather ratingIP55 (per the listing)
ModelDR-239
MountingWall or ceiling, per the listing

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#6Best for a garage or tent

Mr. Heater 18,000 BTU Big Buddy Heater

Double the Portable Buddy's output and the ability to run two 1 lb cylinders at once, which turns a two-hour heater into an all-evening one. It is the right size for a garage, a workshop, a large tent or a covered porch — still not an open patio. The same caveats apply and apply harder at 18,000 BTU: combustion heater, enclosed space, carbon monoxide alarm, every single time.

What’s good

  • 18,000 BTU covers a garage or a large tent properly
  • Runs two 1 lb cylinders, or a 20 lb tank with the right hose
  • Variable output rather than one fixed setting
  • Same proven Mr. Heater safety features

Trade-offs

  • Still a combustion heater — a CO alarm is mandatory, not optional
  • Hose and filter for a 20 lb tank are extra
  • Heavy and bulky next to the Portable Buddy
  • Not a substitute for a patio heater in open air
TypePortable radiant propane heater
Heat output18,000 BTU (per the listing)
FuelTwo 1 lb cylinders, or 20 lb tank with a hose (hose not included)
ModelBig Buddy

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

Go deeper in Patio Heaters

Narrower picks, model reviews and guides for exactly what you’re shopping for.

How to choose a patio heater

Answer the covered-space question first. If there is a roof, a canopy, a pergola with a solid cover or a garage door above you, a propane heater is the wrong product unless the manufacturer specifically rates that model for it. Combustion in a partly enclosed space produces carbon monoxide, and it is odourless. Electric infrared has no combustion at all, which is why it is the default for covered porches, balconies and garages. Everything else in this list is secondary to that.

Then pick the form factor. A mushroomheater with a reflector spreads heat down over the widest circle and is the most heat per dollar — it is what restaurants use because it works. A pyramid heater puts a visible column of flame behind glass and does the job of a heater and a fire feature at once, for roughly double the money and a fragile glass tube. A tabletop unit runs on a 1 lb cylinder and warms the two or three people actually at the table. A wall or ceiling mounted infrared bar takes no floor space and nothing can knock it over, but it needs a proper electrical install and heats one spot forever.

Read the BTU rating as flame size, not as warmth. The gas heaters here run 46,000 to 50,000 BTU and the difference between them matters far less than where you stand. Wind is the real variable: it cuts the effective range of any outdoor heater sharply, and no specification on any listing accounts for it. If your patio is exposed, a windbreak will do more for you than another 4,000 BTU.

Check the safety features are actually stated.A tilt-over shutoff and a flame-failure cutoff should be standard on any gas heater, and the better listings say so explicitly. On the portable radiant heaters — the Mr. Heater Buddy family, which people use in garages, tents, ice shelters and hunting blinds — the tip-over switch and oxygen depletion sensor are part of why those models are so widely used. They are not a substitute for a CO alarm. Nothing is.

Budget for the tank and the cover. None of the freestanding gas heaters include a 20 lb propane tank. All of them live outdoors and all of them last longer under a cover. And if you are weighing a heater against a flame you can sit around, read propane vs electric for the running-cost side, and carbon monoxide and outdoor heaters for the part that actually matters.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best patio heater?

For an open patio, the Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU propane heater — the standard restaurant-style mushroom at the lowest sensible price, with wheels and a water-fillable base. For a covered porch, balcony or garage, an electric infrared heater instead, because it produces no combustion products and a propane heater in a covered space is a carbon monoxide risk.

Can you use a propane patio heater under a covered patio?

Generally no, unless the manufacturer specifically rates that model for covered use. Burning propane in a partly enclosed space produces carbon monoxide, which is odourless. The CPSC reports more than 200 accidental non-fire CO deaths a year in the United States linked to consumer products. Electric infrared is the right answer under any roof, and if you do run a fuel-burning heater in a covered space, use a CO alarm.

How many BTU do I need in a patio heater?

For a typical residential patio, anything in the 46,000 to 50,000 BTU band is plenty, and the difference between those numbers matters far less than wind and how close people sit. Treat BTU as an indicator of flame size rather than a promise about warmth at your chair — no listing's rating accounts for an exposed site, and a windbreak usually does more than extra output.

Are electric patio heaters expensive to run?

Usually more per hour than propane, though it varies by region and by tariff. A 3,000 watt infrared bar running for an evening is a real line on a bill. What you get for it is zero combustion products, no tank to refill and no refuelling trips — which is why it is the right choice under a roof even where it costs more per hour than gas would.

Patio heater or fire pit — which should I buy?

A heater warms people: a reflector pushes heat down over a seating circle and nobody has to face it. A fire pit makes a focal point everyone turns toward, and warms whichever side of you faces it. If the goal is extending the season on a deck, buy the heater. If the goal is people sitting outside together in the evening, buy the pit.

Sources

  • CPSC — Carbon Monoxide Information Center — The US Consumer Product Safety Commission on carbon monoxide: “More than 200 people in the United States die every year from accidental non-fire related CO poisoning associated with consumer products,” and its standing recommendation to “Install battery-operated CO alarms or CO alarms with battery backup on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas” (accessed October 7, 2026)
  • FTC Consumer Advice — Online Shopping — FTC guidance for buying online: “before you buy something online, shop around and check out sellers and products,” note the exact manufacturer or model number when comparison shopping, and pay by credit card so a bad order can be disputed (accessed October 7, 2026)

Elsewhere on Coal & Char