Patio Heaters

A good patio heater turns a deck you use five months a year into one you use ten. BBQ Kitchen Pros carries electric, natural gas and propane outdoor heaters from Bromic, Infratech, Sunglo, Sunpak, Sunstar, Napoleon, Twin Eagles and Dimplex, in wall-mount, ceiling-mount, freestanding and portable styles, along with the brackets, controls and parts to install them the right way. Whether you need one heater for a bistro table or a full outdoor heating plan for a restaurant deck, you talk to the owner, not a call center, and he has installed these heaters for 20 years.

Shop by type: Electric Patio Heaters · Gas Patio Heaters · Wall & Ceiling Mounted Heaters · Freestanding Patio Heaters · Accessories · Mounting Brackets

Shop by brand: Bromic · Infratech · Sunglo · Sunpak · Sunstar · Napoleon · Twin Eagles

Patio Heater Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right Outdoor Heater

Choosing a patio heater comes down to four decisions: the fuel, how much heat you need, where it will mount, and which brand fits your space and budget. Get the first two right and the heater will serve you for 10 to 15 years. Get them wrong and you end up with a cold patio and a high bill. This guide walks through each decision using the heaters we sell and install every week, with links to the collections where you can compare models side by side.

Electric vs Gas vs Propane Patio Heaters

Every outdoor heater on this page runs on one of three fuels, and the fuel decides most of what follows: how it installs, where it can go, and what it costs each evening.

Electric patio heaters

Electric patio heaters are the right choice for most covered spaces. The infrared element gives off heat the moment you switch it on, nothing burns, and the clearances are small enough to mount under a pergola beam or a porch ceiling. They come in three voltages. 120V units such as the Infratech C-Series 33-inch 1500W (from $641) run on a standard dedicated circuit, while 208V and 240V units from 2000W to 6000W are hard-wired and deliver two to four times the heat. Electric heaters are also the quietest option and the only type you can dim: Bromic Smart-Heat dimmers and Infratech analog or digital controllers let you run a 6000W heater at half power on a mild evening and full power when the temperature drops.

Natural gas patio heaters

Natural gas patio heaters are the workhorses of large open patios and restaurant decks. Once the gas line is in, fuel is cheap and never runs out mid-dinner, and a single Bromic Platinum 500 (rated at roughly 40,000 BTU) warms about 120 to 170 square feet. The trade-offs are a professional install, larger clearances, and the need for open ventilation. A gas patio heater is not for screened porches or anywhere a roof can trap combustion gases. Bromic's Platinum and Tungsten gas models are the best-selling natural gas patio heaters we carry, and both are also made in propane versions.

Propane patio heaters

A propane heater is the no-install option. Freestanding propane patio heaters stand on a weighted base with wheels, hold a standard 20 lb tank, and go wherever you need heat tonight. Expect roughly 10 hours of run time per tank at full output on a 40,000 to 48,000 BTU unit. Look for an anti-tilt safety switch that cuts the gas if the heater is knocked over, a thermocouple that closes the valve if the flame goes out, and a cover for the off-season. For a premium portable, the Bromic Tungsten Smart-Heat Portable puts a commercial-grade radiant burner on a wheeled base.

How Much Heat Output Does Your Patio Need?

Heat output is the number most people get wrong, usually by buying one heater where two were needed. Infrared heat fades quickly with distance, so the real question is not how big your patio is but how many seats you want to keep warm.

Sizing by square feet: BTU and watts

Use these rules of thumb for a covered patio in a mild climate, then confirm against the coverage chart on each product page:

• 1,500W electric (120V): about 25 to 40 square feet, a bistro table for two.
• 3,000W electric: about 60 to 80 square feet, a four-seat dining table.
• 4,000W electric: about 80 to 100 square feet, a six-seat table or a lounge set.
• 6,000W electric: about 120 to 160 square feet, an eight-seat table or two lounge zones.
• 25,000 BTU gas (Bromic 300 series): about 80 to 100 square feet.
• 40,000 BTU gas (Bromic 500 series): about 120 to 170 square feet.
• 40,000 to 48,000 BTU freestanding propane: a circle roughly 10 to 15 feet across.

Roughly 3,412 BTU equals 1,000 watts, so a 6000W electric heater and a 20,000 BTU gas heater put out similar energy; the gas heater simply throws it further because the burner runs hotter. On an open deck or a windy site, step up one size or add a second heater rather than mounting one unit higher. Heaters mounted above about 8 feet lose noticeable warmth at seat height.

Covered patios, wind and open decks

A roof or pergola can double the effective output of a patio heater, because it stops warm air escaping and reflects some of the infrared back down. Wind does the opposite. If your patio catches a breeze, favor electric or gas heaters mounted on the windward wall and aimed across the seating, and avoid tall freestanding propane heaters, which lose heat upward and can tip in gusts.

Mounting Options: Wall, Ceiling, Freestanding and Portable Patio Heaters

Where the heater goes matters as much as what it is. Our Wall & Ceiling Mounted Heaters and Freestanding Patio Heaters collections split the catalog by this decision.

Wall-mount and ceiling-mount patio heaters

Mounted heaters free up floor space and keep cords, tanks and bases away from kids and guests. Wall mounting at 7 to 8 feet, angled down 30 to 45 degrees, is the standard for electric units; ceiling and pergola mounting uses a pole or a flush-mount frame. Infratech makes flush-mount frames that recess the heater into a ceiling, and Bromic sells ceiling poles in several lengths for its Tungsten, Platinum and Eclipse models. Brackets are model-specific, so order them from our Patio Heater Mounting Brackets collection at the same time as the heater.

Freestanding and portable patio heaters

Freestanding patio heaters need no installation and move as the party moves. Portable patio heaters with wheels, like the Bromic Tungsten Portable and the Bromic Eclipse Portable, roll on a weighted base, while traditional mushroom-style propane heaters stand 7 to 8 feet tall. Give any freestanding heater at least 3 feet of clearance on every side and store it under a cover when it is not in use.

Tabletop patio heaters

A tabletop patio heater is a small propane or electric unit for a dining table or bar top. It warms hands and faces within a few feet and runs on a 1 lb cylinder or a standard outlet. Think of it as a supplement to a mounted or freestanding heater, not a replacement.

Infrared Patio Heaters vs Fire Pits

Fire pits are for ambience; patio heaters are for warmth. A wood or gas fire pit heats whoever sits within arm's reach and sends most of its energy straight up, while an infrared patio heater aimed at a seating area warms everyone in it evenly, with no smoke, sparks or ash. Many of our customers run both: a fire pit as the centerpiece and two or three mounted electric heaters doing the real work. If you are weighing the two, the deciding questions are whether you have a roof (fire pits cannot go under one, infrared heaters can) and whether you want the heater to disappear when it is off.

Bromic vs Infratech: The Two Brands We Install Most

Between them, Bromic and Infratech make up most of what sells on this page, and they are not interchangeable.

Bromic Smart-Heat: Tungsten, Platinum, Eclipse and Cobalt

Bromic heaters are the premium choice when the heater is part of the design. The Tungsten range is the value line: a black-finished electric element from 2000W to 6000W, plus 300 and 500 series gas heaters and a portable. The Platinum range adds a stainless steel body, a tighter heat pattern and marine-grade versions for coastal homes, in electric 2300W, 3400W and 4500W and gas 300 and 500. The Eclipse is a pendant or portable heater with built-in LED lighting and dimming for high-end hospitality spaces, and the Cobalt is Bromic's newest slim electric heater. Every Bromic electric heater works with Bromic Smart-Heat on/off and dimmer controls.

Infratech: C, CD, W, WD and SL series

Infratech heaters are the specifier's choice: quartz-element electric heaters made in California, available in 120V, 208V and 240V and in 33, 39 and 61.25-inch lengths. Single-element C-Series and W-Series units run 1500W to 4000W; dual-element CD-Series and WD-Series units run 3000W to 6000W; the SL-Series slimline fits a 29.5, 42.5 or 63.5-inch heater into a narrow profile for modern pergolas. Infratech's strength is control: duplex switches, analog dimmers, the Universal Control Panel and home-automation modules in our Infratech Switches & Controls collection let you zone an entire patio.

Sunglo, Sunpak, Sunstar, Napoleon, Twin Eagles and Dimplex

Sunglo builds classic natural gas and propane heaters, including the freestanding portable units many restaurants run. Sunpak and Sunstar make overhead gas heaters for commercial and large residential patios. Napoleon and Twin Eagles offer electric infrared heaters that match their grill lines for a coordinated outdoor kitchen, and Dimplex DLW radiant heaters (120V 1500W and 240V 3200W) are a lower-cost electric option with a clean white or black housing. Use the brand filter on the left to compare them.

What a Patio Heater Costs to Run

Running cost depends on your fuel price and the heater's output. The figures below assume $0.17 per kWh for electricity, $1.50 per therm for natural gas and $22 for a 20 lb propane refill; adjust for your local rates.

• Electric 1,500W: about $0.26 per hour.
• Electric 3,000W: about $0.51 per hour.
• Electric 6,000W: about $1.02 per hour, and roughly half that when dimmed to 50%.
• Natural gas, 40,000 BTU: about $0.60 per hour.
• Propane, 40,000 to 48,000 BTU: about $2.20 per hour, or one tank every 10 hours.

Electric heaters cost the least to install and run on a covered patio; natural gas wins for large open areas you use often; propane is the cheapest to buy and the most expensive to run. Over a season of 150 hours, that is roughly $150 for a 6000W electric heater against $330 for propane.

Patio Heater Safety: Clearances, Anti-Tilt and Automatic Shut-Off

Every heater we sell is certified for outdoor use, but how it is installed decides whether it is safe.

Parts, Controls and Mounting Brackets

A heater is only as good as its controls and mounts. Our Patio Heater Accessories collection carries Bromic on/off and dimmer controllers, Infratech switches, control panels and dimmers, ceiling poles, flush-mount frames, wall brackets, covers, and replacement elements, igniters and thermocouples. Replacing parts on an older heater? Send us the model number and we will match them.

Why Buy Your Patio Heater from BBQ Kitchen Pros

You talk to the owner, not a call center, and he has installed these heaters 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. Call 888-678-3530 for pricing on multi-heater installs; manufacturers let us quote better on two or more units.

Patio Heater FAQ