What’s the best patio heater for your garden..
Adding a heat source to your patio gathering area is a great way to extend the amount of time you can spend outside in the evening – and especially during a summer like this, when the sun has barely shown its face!
But what is the best type of patio heater for your needs?
Choosing the best type of patio heater for your needs depends on factors such as efficiency, safety, environmental impact, and aesthetics.
There are three types of heater you can consider: electric, gas and wood burning. The type you choose will depend upon how close you are to a power source, whether you want overhead, stand or table top heating, and how handy you are with the firelighters.
Electric patio heaters
Without doubt, if you can, opt for an electric infrared patio heater. Infrared heaters target their heat at people, rather than simply heating up the air around us, wasting a lot of energy – not to mention the reduced carbon emissions of electric heaters over gas or wood-fired.
The other electric heater option you will find is a halogen heater, which, like infrared heat up very quickly, but have their drawbacks. They don’t emit heat in the same way as infrared, and so to feel warm, you have to stand quite close and, as the heat isn’t as efficiently distributed by the heater, you may find only one part of you gets warm. They also create a fierce, red light, which isn’t very attractive and can even dazzle the eyes – which isn’t great when the rest of the space is in a more muted light. Finally, they get very hot, so take care when handling them, don;t leave them on for extended periods, and remember to turn it off at the power source when your night is over.
There are three types of infrared electric heater to consider – wall-mounted, table top or free standing. All will rely on how long a cable you can safely run from a power source.
Wall mounted infrared patio heaters
If you’re short on floorspace, or want to keep an outdoor heater well out of reach of children and pets, then a wall mounted electric patio heater could be a suitable option.
The most complicated thing about a wall mounted heater is the actual mounting of the heater, so when you’re choosing yours, read the instructions carefully and check you have the necessary tools – especially if you’re drilling into masonery.
Choose a spot that overlooks the most common configuration of seating, so the maximum number of people get maximum benefit, and before you hang it, check whether it has a remote control or push button control. If it’s the latter, don’t mount it too high!
We have heard good things about this one, from Blumfeldt.
Free standing infrared patio heaters
It is here you have the widest range of designs, and aesthetic differences, so it won;t be hard to find one you find attractive, as well as delivering the function you want.
The benefit of a freestanding patio heater is that it is as portable as the length of the cable you are running it off. The drawback, of course, is that it’s trailing an electric cable across a patio or lawn, which could be a trip hazard. Also when choosing, consider how easy to knock over they might be. If it’s simply for placing in one spot on a patio, this widens your height and shape choices over one that you want to move around.
Some freestanding heaters will have a column heater, and some will have an overhead heater.
An overhead heater is perfect for heating a corner space, and sits neatly behind a sofa set to heat its occupants. A column style heater throws its heat horizontally, so is no use behind a sofa and is best placed in front, where it has a wider heat spread. You can find so many different designs and price points that finding one to suit your needs will simply be an exercise in Googling. We rather like this very stylish one, Operanic Thor. The heat panel is raised up a little, so aims at those sitting on sofas, not their ankles, and will heat diners around a table too, and it has five levels of infrared, and a remote control too, for easy management.
Table top infrared patio heaters
There are many benefits to a table top patio heater, not least its portability (within the range of its power cable, of course) These heaters are designed to heat in a 360 degree circle, and because they’re designed for use in the centre of a table, they don’t need to be hugely powerful as they’re located close to those who want to feel the warmth. A lower wattage means a lower power usage, and less impact on your electricity bill. Some are designed to heat 360 degrees, and some you can switch to a half circle, making them great for popping on the table in front of your outdoor sofas, too. We like this one – the Blumfeldt Portable – not only does it work at 600w or 1200w, allowing you to manage the heat output at close quarters, but you can have it rotating at a full 360 degrees, or at 120 degrees, so it only heats where you want it to. This actually makes it pretty brilliant for inside use during the winter, in your home office, meaning no need for centrally heating the entire house just for you and you ca take it with you room to room when it’s time for lunch!
Gas patio heaters
The greatest benefit of a gas patio heater is that they are totally portable – in as much as you can have it set up in any area of your garden and patio as you want. They are pretty heavy though, and gas bottles weigh A LOT, so bear this in mind. You also can’t use them in a covered space – so not under an awning or gazebo, as they produce carbon monoxide, which is incredibly dangerous, not to mention it’s a ‘greenhouse gas’, so the opposite of environmentally friendly
You can use butane, propane or patio gas cylinders, but each type of gas uses a different valve type on the heater, so you can’t go swapping around depending on the price of a gas bottle – once you’ve bought your heater, you’re tied to one type. The price of gas bottles shot up last summer, and hasn’t dropped. Not a lot of gas is used in an evening however, so you’ll get plenty of nights warmth from one bottle. If you have a gas barbecue, make sure you get the same valve type in your patio heater, if this is your choice, as you can then just swap the bottle onto the heater when you’re done cooking, and extend the night’s fun.
The other caveat around gas heaters, of course, is they heat the air around them, not just the objects in the space, so you’re paying to heat empty space, which isn’t so cost efficient.
Wood burning patio heaters
Chimeneas, firepits, fire bowls – all offer pleasure both visually and in the production of heat. A circular fire bowl or firepit will throw a good amount of heat in a wide circle, warming everybody in proximity. They’re brilliant for gathering around in deckchairs, and chatting, sticking marshmallows on sticks and making s’mores*. There’s something primevally satisfying about gathering around a real fire, allowing the flames to hypnotise you and talking long into the night.
You can find fire pits in small to extra large sizes, and with or without additional grills. When making your choice, consider first the size you need – and don’t overestimate it! People need space to back away when they’re hot, if they wish, or pull their chairs around to avoid the direction of smoke. And, for obvious reasons, you can’t put it undercover, or underneath low hanging trees – the rising heat is super hot, and can cause conflagrations just from convection heat alone.
We love a good fire pit, they definitely have their place in the social calendar for gathering friends at home, but they are a very specific occasion option – very much for casual gatherings where people know you’re planning a firepit and will dress appropriately. It’s impossible not to come away with every item of clothing smelling of smoke, and your hair too! If you have teens, they’re brilliant – but be sure to teach them the basics of building the fire, how to safely add wood, and what to do if it gets out of hand. Always keep a bucket of water close by, and if you’re putting it on the lawn, set some loose paving flags below, or it will scorch the grass, which is not an outdoor look you want to go for!
*Fire pit’s more recipe you can’t get wrong
You will need:
One packet of Rich Tea or Digestive biscuits
One square of milk chocolate per biscuit
One large marshmallow per biscuit
One long, thin skewer per person – we recommend specific marshmallow toasting forks, the longer the better if you have children involved. These ones, from Amazon, telescope, so are ideal.
Method
First, prepare your biscuits. Take two biscuits, and place a square of chocolate on one of them.
Next, place your marshmallow on a skewer and hold it above the flames (not in!) and rotate. Marshmallows can scorch quickly, so keep a close eye and keep them moving.
As soon as you get some browning and bubbling around the sides of the marshmallow, stick it to the biscuit with the chocolate on top, clamp the other biscuit over the top and withdraw your skewer.
If you prefer, use chocolate digestives instead of a separate piece of chocolate (chocolate coating on the inside, obvs!), or really luxe it up by adding a dollop of peanut butter to the chocolate piece, or some Biscoff spread.
Enjoy!
Eddie – Friday 25th August 2023. (Image used from Brundretts Road, Chorlton).
