Electric Patio Heater Reviews & Deals
We’ve reviewed the best electrical patio and outdoor heaters available on the market so you don’t have to!
Electric patio heaters tend to have the edge on gas heaters as they offer a lower upfront cost and on-going costs can be as little as 6p per hour for models with an economy mode. Most outdoor & garden electric patio heaters will cost between 14.7p @1kW and 29.4p @2kW to run per hour.
As well as being substantially cheaper than their gas counterparts, they also have a lower impact on the environment. The vast majority of electric heaters on the market are also weatherproof, meaning you can enjoy the heat when it starts misting (IPX4) or even in torrential downpours (IPX5+). Keep an eye out for the ingress protection rating (most are IPX4 and above).
Infrared patio heaters are particularly economical to run and energy efficient as they work by generating heat via electromagnetic waves which cause molecules to oscillate and these releases energy in a similar way that the sun works. With the key difference being they do not release harmful ultraviolet rays and cannot produce the harmful effects like skin damage and melanoma.
Halogen patio heaters are similar to infrared heaters, but work on a shortwave spectrum and required the user to be closer to the heater, providing a lower distribution of heat. As a result users can occasionally complain about a “burning scalp” sensation or experience dry eyes. We recommend that if you’re looking at a halogen heater you choose one with an oscillating feature to stave off the effects of the concentrated heat.
Carbon fibre patio heaters provide a wide area of heat and an extremely long element life. Although the upfront cost is usually higher than a halogen or quartz heater, the on-going running costs are much lower!
