Electric Patio Heaters

An electric patio heater is the heater you can put almost anywhere: under a pergola, on a screened porch, over an outdoor kitchen, even in a sunroom or garage. There is no flame, no tank and no exhaust, so the clearances are small and the install is a circuit, not a gas line. BBQ Kitchen Pros carries more than 140 electric patio heaters from Infratech, Bromic, Dimplex, Twin Eagles and Napoleon, from a 1,500W plug-in unit for a bistro table to 6,000W dual element heaters for a restaurant deck, plus every controller, dimmer and mounting frame that goes with them. Free shipping on orders over $99, no sales tax outside New York, price match, and you talk to the owner when you call.

Why Choose an Electric Patio Heater

Every heater on this page is an infrared electric heater. A quartz or carbon element glows and throws infrared heat that warms people, chairs and flooring directly, the way sunshine warms you on a chilly day, instead of heating the air and watching it blow away. That is why electric infrared works outdoors at all, and why it is the right choice for covered and semi-enclosed outdoor spaces where gas cannot go. The practical advantages add up:

• Instant heat, no warm-up: the element is at full output within seconds of switching on.
• Nothing burns: no carbon monoxide, no open flame, no propane tanks to swap, so most units are UL listed for indoor and outdoor use.
• Small clearances: typically 18 to 36 inches to combustibles, against 3 feet or more for gas, so they fit under pergola beams and porch ceilings.
• Dimmable: electric is the only patio heater type you can run at 50 percent on a mild evening, which halves the cost and extends element life.
• Cheapest to install and run on a covered patio: a dedicated circuit by an electrician, then about $0.26 to $1.02 an hour depending on wattage.
• Clean looks: slim housings in black, stainless, white, bronze or beige, flush-mount frames that recess into a ceiling, and decorative fascias that make the heater part of the design.

The trade-off is wind. Electric infrared is pure radiant heat with no hot air behind it, so on a fully open, breezy deck a gas heater will feel warmer at the same distance. If that describes your space, compare our propane patio heaters and natural gas patio heaters.

Types of Electric Patio Heaters

Wall-mounted electric patio heaters

The most common install. The heater mounts 7 to 8 feet up on a wall or post, angled down 30 to 45 degrees at the seating, and stays out of the way of chairs, kids and dogs. Wall mounting works for every series we sell: Infratech C and CD, Bromic Tungsten, Platinum and Cobalt, Twin Eagles and Dimplex. It is also the easiest to wire, since the circuit comes through the wall behind the bracket.

Choose wall mounting if there is a wall or post within 8 to 10 feet of the seating and you want the simplest install.

Ceiling-mounted and flush-mount electric heaters

Ceiling mounting puts the heater directly over the table, which gives the most even warmth across a dining area. It uses a bracket, a drop pole for high ceilings, or a flush-mount frame that recesses the heater into the ceiling so only the face shows. Infratech's W-Series and WD-Series are built for flush mounting; Bromic sells ceiling recess kits and suspension poles for Tungsten and Platinum. Plan the wiring before the ceiling is closed.

Choose ceiling or flush mounting for a finished pergola, a covered outdoor kitchen, or anywhere the heater should disappear.

Freestanding and portable electric patio heaters

A portable electric heater needs no installation. The Napoleon Phantom is a 1,500W freestanding infrared heater that plugs into a standard outlet, and the Bromic Eclipse Smart-Heat Portable pairs a 2,900W heater with a dimmable LED light on a wheeled base for high-end patios and event spaces. Portable units cover a smaller area than mounted ones, so treat them as a heater for one table or a reading corner.

120 volt plug-in vs 240 volt hardwired

Electric patio heaters come in two electrical classes, and the one your space supports decides your shortlist. 120V (sometimes written 110V) heaters top out around 1,500W, draw 12.5 amps, and can plug into a dedicated 20-amp outdoor outlet: the Infratech 33-inch C-Series and W-Series, the Dimplex DLW 1500W and the Napoleon Phantom. 208V and 240V heaters run 2,000W to 6,000W, deliver two to four times the heat, and are hardwired to a dedicated circuit by an electrician; 277V and 480V versions exist for commercial buildings. If you only have a standard outlet, start with a 120V unit; if you are building or renovating, run a 240V circuit and buy once.

How Much Heat Output Do You Need?

Heat output in watts sets how large an area a single heater keeps comfortable. Infrared fades quickly with distance, so size to the seating zone, not the patio, and plan one heater per zone. These are manufacturer coverage figures for the heaters we sell, mounted at the height in the manual on a covered patio:

• 1,500W (120V): about 25 to 40 square feet, a bistro table for two or a reading chair.
• 2,000W to 2,500W: about 49 to 65 square feet, a four-seat table.
• 3,000W to 3,500W: about 64 to 108 square feet, a four- to six-seat table.
• 4,000W to 4,500W: about 100 to 143 square feet, a six-seat table or a lounge set.
• 5,200W to 6,000W dual element: about 121 to 160 square feet, an eight-seat table or two lounge zones.

A single element heater runs one quartz element the full width of the housing; a dual element heater stacks two in one housing for roughly double the output at the same length. Two 4,000W heaters spread across a 12 by 16 foot dining area give more even warmth than one 6,000W unit in the middle, and on an open or windy site step up one size. Roughly 3,412 BTU equals 1,000 watts if you are comparing against gas.

Electric vs Gas vs Propane: Which Is Cheaper to Run?

Electric is the cheapest patio heater to buy and install, and on a covered patio it is the cheapest to run per hour of useful heat. Natural gas wins only on large open patios used most nights; propane is the most expensive per hour. The figures assume $0.17 per kWh, $1.50 per therm and a $22 propane refill, so adjust for your local rates.

Over a 150-hour season, a 6,000W electric heater costs about $150 to run, a 40,000 BTU natural gas heater about $90, and a propane heater about $330. Compare all three on the main patio heaters page.

Electric Patio Heater Brands We Carry

Infratech

Infratech heaters are made in California and make up most of this collection. The C-Series (single element, surface mount) and CD-Series (dual element) run 1,500W to 6,000W in 33, 39 and 61.25-inch lengths; the W-Series and WD-Series are the flush-mount versions; the SL-Series is a slimline for narrow soffits; and the Motif Collection adds laser-cut decorative fascias. All are 304 stainless steel, UL listed for indoor and outdoor use, available in 120V to 480V, and work with Infratech's switches, dimmers and control panels. From $606.

Bromic

Bromic electric heaters are the design choice. The Tungsten line runs 2,000W to 6,000W in black (from $798); the Platinum line (2,300W, 3,400W, 4,500W) hides the element behind tinted ceramic glass and comes in marine-grade versions for coastal homes; the Cobalt (4,000W and 6,000W, from $585) is the value entry; and the Eclipse adds a dimmable LED light. Every Bromic electric heater works with Smart-Heat on/off and dimmer controls.

Dimplex, Twin Eagles and Napoleon

Dimplex DLW radiant heaters (120V 1,500W and 240V 3,200W, white or black) are rated for indoor and outdoor use and are the lowest-cost route to a covered porch or sunroom. Twin Eagles 39-inch 2,500W and 61-inch 3,500W single element heaters match the Twin Eagles grill line for a coordinated outdoor kitchen. The Napoleon Phantom is the plug-in freestanding option for renters and small spaces.

Where Electric Patio Heaters Work Best

Because an outdoor infrared heater needs no ventilation, it goes places gas and propane heaters and outdoor fireplaces cannot. The spaces we install most:

• Covered patios and pergolas: the classic use, with heaters on the beams or ceiling over the dining table.
• Screened porches and three-season rooms: an infrared outdoor heater is the only type safe here, and it turns a porch into a December room.
• Outdoor kitchens: mounted over the bar or island so the cook and the guests both stay warm.
• Sunrooms, garages and workshops: indoor-outdoor rated models from Infratech, Dimplex and Bromic give instant heat where you stand without heating the whole space.
• Balconies and small gardens: a 120V plug-in heater or a 2,000W wall unit covers a bistro set where there is no room for a standing heater.
• Restaurant decks and rooftops: 277V and 480V Infratech heaters on zone controls keep an outdoor dining room open year-round with no tanks to swap.

If you are deciding between a heater and outdoor fireplaces or a fire pit, the fire is for atmosphere and the heater is for warmth: a fire pit warms the people within arm's reach, an infrared heater aimed at the seating warms everyone in it, and the two look good together. Many homes run both.

Quick picks: a small covered porch with an outlet, the Infratech 33-inch 1,500W 120V; a four- to six-seat covered dining table, a 3,000W to 4,000W Infratech C-Series or Bromic Tungsten on a dimmer; a finished pergola, Infratech WD-Series in a flush frame; a coastal home, Bromic Platinum Marine or Infratech Motif Marine; a restaurant deck, 6,000W dual element units on 277V with zone controls. Prices here run from $585 to $5,786, and multi-heater purchases save more through manufacturer project pricing.

Thermostats, Dimmers and Controls

Control is where electric beats every other type. A basic install uses a weatherproof on/off switch. The upgrade most customers thank us for is a dimmer: Bromic Smart-Heat dimmers and Infratech analog or digital input regulators let you run a heater at any output from 10 to 100 percent, which is how a 6,000W heater becomes affordable on a 55-degree night. For larger patios, Infratech's Universal Control Panel and home-management relay panels run six or more zones with timers from one location or a phone, and both brands offer modules for home automation systems. An electric patio heater with a thermostat is possible through these panels, though most owners prefer a dimmer and a timer, since infrared heat is felt rather than measured in air temperature. Shop Infratech switches and controls and Bromic Smart-Heat controls.

Installation and Weatherproofing

Why Buy Your Electric Patio Heater from BBQ Kitchen Pros

You talk to the owner, not a call center, and he has installed these heaters in homes and restaurants for 20 years. Orders over $99 ship free in the continental US, there is no sales tax outside New York, and if you find a lower advertised price we will beat it. Multi-heater projects get better pricing from the manufacturers, so call before you buy two or more.

Electric Patio Heater FAQ