Best Commercial Patio Heaters for Restaurants, Bars and Hotels

For most restaurants, bars and hotels, the best commercial patio heater is an overhead infrared heater, electric or gas, mounted on the wall, ceiling or a pole. Overhead heaters keep the floor clear for tables, run every night without tank swaps, and avoid most of the fire code limits on propane. Portable propane heaters still earn their place on open patios with no power or gas line, as long as they meet the rules below.

Here is what to buy, how many you need, and what to settle with your electrician, gas fitter and fire marshal before you order. You can browse every model in our commercial patio heater collection.

Our Commercial Patio Heater Picks at a Glance

Overhead or Portable?

Overhead heaters are the default for commercial patios. They free up floor space for seating, stay put, and switch on from a wall control, so staff are not wheeling heaters around or swapping tanks during service. Electric and natural gas models also run as long as the power or gas is on.

Portable propane heaters are for open patios where you cannot run power or gas. They are also the most regulated option. Most US cities use the International Fire Code, which in its 2021 edition (Section 605.5) says portable propane patio heaters must:

• Stay at least 5 feet from buildings, exits, and combustible awnings or overhangs
• Never be used indoors while connected to a tank, inside tents or canopies, or on balconies
• Use a tank no larger than 20 pounds, and never have tanks swapped while the public is present
• Be listed, with a tilt switch that shuts off the gas if the heater tips more than 15 degrees

Many cities also require a permit. Seattle, for example, has a permit specifically for portable propane heaters at bars and restaurants, which also requires the heaters to be listed to ANSI Z83.26 and a fire extinguisher within 50 feet. Rules vary by city, so check with your local fire marshal before you buy portable heaters. That 5-foot rule alone rules out most patios that sit against the building.

Electric or Gas?

Electric is the easier install for most commercial patios. There is no gas line to run, no combustion, and electric heaters can be mounted closer to ceilings and even recessed flush. They are also the simplest choice for an enclosed space, because they burn nothing. The trade-off is that you need enough electrical capacity: a 6,000 W heater draws about 25 amps at 240V.

Gas puts out more heat per heater. A Bromic 500-series gas heater covers about 215 square feet, against roughly 120 to 145 for a 6,000 W electric heater from Infratech or Bromic, which matters on large, open patios. Gas heaters need a gas fitter, a licensed installation, and open air: most are rated for outdoor use or partially enclosed patios only.

Running cost depends on your local utility rates. Natural gas is usually the cheapest to run, while propane and electricity tend to land closer to each other. Our gas patio heater guide and electric patio heater guide walk through the details.

Order the Right Voltage

Electric patio heaters come in 120V, 208V, 240V, 277V and 480V versions, and the heater must match the circuit. Many commercial buildings are wired for 208V rather than the 240V common in homes, so have your electrician confirm the voltage before you order. Infratech is blunt about mixing them up: a 240V element connected to 208V "will warm, but not glow orange or generate sufficient heat." Infratech, Bromic and Schwank all make 208V models at the same wattage, so a 208V building simply needs the 208V model. Infratech's 277V and 480V heaters are for commercial use only.

Gas at Altitude

Above 2,000 feet, gas heaters need to be set up for the elevation. Bromic, Sunpak and Sunglo tell the installer to follow the local code or the National Fuel Gas Code there, and Bromic's Platinum Gas and portable manuals call for a different gas orifice at altitude. Calcana derates its heaters 4% per 1,000 feet. If you are in Denver or the mountains, tell your gas fitter the elevation before the heaters are connected.

How Many Heaters Do You Need?

There is no heaters-per-table rule. Manufacturers size heaters by the area they cover at a given mounting height, then adjust for wind and cold.

• Calcana rates its High Output PH-75 to cover about 12 by 12 feet on its own, and in its own example eight of them heat a 28-by-42-foot patio.
• Infratech's 6,000 W WD and CD heaters cover about 11 by 11 feet at 8 to 12 feet high, less in cold or windy weather and more in a protected space.
• Bromic's Tungsten Electric covers up to 144 square feet for the 6,000 W model.

A few placement rules make a big difference:

• Heat from two sides. Schwank recommends heating a seating area from two sides rather than one.
• Mount off to the side of a table, not directly above it. Infratech recommends angling heaters toward guests rather than aiming them straight down on heads and shoulders, unless they are mounted above 12 feet.
• Cover the open, windward side first. Sunpak notes its heaters work best where heat loss is greatest, such as the open side of a semi-protected patio. Space heaters closer together on breezy patios.
• Keep heaters at a sensible height. Most overhead heaters mount between 7 and 12 feet. Too low and they are hot on heads; too high and the heat never reaches the table.

If you send us your patio's dimensions, ceiling height and available power or gas, we will lay out the heaters for you.

What to Look For in a Commercial Patio Heater

• Listing and certification. Gas patio heaters should be listed to ANSI Z83.26/CSA 2.37, the standard for outdoor gas infrared patio heaters, and some cities require it. Electric heaters should carry a UL or ETL listing.
• Corrosion resistance. Within reach of salt air, choose marine-grade 316 stainless steel. Infratech, Calcana and Bromic all offer marine-grade versions.
• Wind performance. Infrared heat warms people and surfaces directly, so it holds up in a breeze better than heat that warms the air. Every heater still loses ground in strong wind, and gas heaters have wind ratings: Calcana sizes its heaters for wind under 15 mph and Bromic's overhead gas heaters for up to 10 mph. Windscreens help more than extra heaters.
• Controls and zones. On a large patio, you want heaters on separate zones so you can heat the occupied tables only. Electric heaters can be dimmed with the right controller; most overhead gas heaters are on or off, with a few offering high and low.
• Clearances. Check the clearance from the top of the heater to the ceiling and to anything combustible. Low-clearance heaters such as Calcana's fit under pergolas and awnings where other gas heaters cannot.

The Best Commercial Patio Heaters

Infratech WD Series: Best Electric Heater for Covered Dining Patios

The Infratech WD Series is a dual-element electric heater built for larger spaces and mounting heights of 7 to 12 feet. It comes in 3,000 to 6,000 W and in 208V to 480V versions, and it can be flush mounted into a ceiling for a clean finish. Infratech uses medium-wave quartz elements that give a soft glow rather than a harsh light, and every Infratech heater is UL listed and made in the USA. For coastal locations, the WD Series also comes in marine-grade stainless steel. The CD Series is the same dual-element heater in a surface-mount housing.

Bromic Tungsten Electric: Best for an Industrial Look

The Bromic Tungsten Electric puts a quartz-tube element behind a honeycomb grille with a polished reflector, in black or white. It runs from 2,000 to 6,000 W, with 208V, 240V and 277V options, and Bromic covers the elements for 7 years. Like every Bromic heater, it needs a separate switch or controller. Our Bromic heater guide covers which one.

electricSchwank: Best for Large Patios and Venues

electricSchwank heaters run up to 6,000 W, in 120V to 480V versions, and mount 6 to 14 feet high, which suits high ceilings and large spaces. Schwank builds them for restaurants, hotels and stadiums, and its supremeSchwank gas heaters are certified for both indoor commercial and outdoor use.

Calcana: Best Gas Heater for Pergolas and Awnings

Calcana High Output heaters burn natural gas or propane inside a sealed steel tube, so there is no open flame or red glow, and they need as little as 6 to 8 inches above the heater to the ceiling. Output modulates between 50% and 100%, up to 75,000 BTU on the largest model, and Calcana certifies them for outdoor use down to -40°F. Calcana builds them in Alabama and Alberta. For semi-enclosed spaces, the Calcana Standard Output spreads the same heat over a longer tube and can be vented.

Sunpak S34 TSH: Best Gas Heater for Open Patios

The Sunpak S34 TSH is a two-stage overhead gas heater, 34,000 BTU on high and 25,000 BTU on low, controlled from a wall switch. Sunpak says its heaters raise the comfort level outdoors by 5 to 10°F. It is rated for indoor or outdoor commercial installation, though not for use in homes, and comes in stainless steel or black.

Bromic Tungsten Gas: Best for Perimeter Heat on Covered Terraces

Bromic Tungsten Gas heaters mount on the wall or a ceiling pole, angled into the space, and glow a soft red from their ceramic burners. The 300 model puts out 26,000 BTU and the 500 puts out 43,000 BTU. They plug into a standard 110V outlet for ignition, and an optional heat deflector cuts the clearance above to 14 inches. The Platinum Gas is the same burner behind a black glass front.

IR Energy evenGLO: Best Portable Heater

The IR Energy evenGLO is a 46,000 BTU portable propane heater with a 316 marine-grade stainless steel emitter and a tilt switch that shuts it off past 15 degrees, which most fire codes require. IR Energy rates one heater for a comfort circle about 24 feet across in calm conditions. The Bromic Tungsten Freestanding is a sleeker 38,500 BTU alternative with its own anti-tilt switch.

Bigger Than a Patio?

For warehouses, loading areas, garages and very large covered spaces, look at tube heaters such as NDUSTRIA, made by Roberts-Gordon for warehouses, manufacturing plants and aircraft hangars. They heat large, high-ceilinged spaces better than patio heaters, but they are overkill for an intimate dining terrace.

Send Us Your Patio and We Will Size It

The right setup depends on your layout, what is overhead, and whether you have gas or the right electrical service. Email support@patiofever.com with your patio's dimensions, ceiling height and photos, and we will recommend the heaters, how many, and where to mount them.

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