The best patio heater for a windy area is an infrared heater mounted on a wall, ceiling or post, ideally electric. Infrared heat warms people and surfaces directly instead of warming the air, so a breeze cannot simply carry it away. No patio heater wins against strong wind, though: gas heaters carry published wind limits of around 10 mph, and every heater covers less ground in a breeze. A windbreak on the open side will do more for a windy patio than an extra heater.
Here is how wind affects each type of heater, which ones we recommend, and how to set them up. You can compare every model in our electric patio heater and gas patio heater collections.
Our Picks for Windy Patios at a Glance
| Heater | Type | Why it suits wind |
|---|---|---|
| Infratech WD Series | Electric, medium wave | No flame, mounts flush or on a wall, soft glow that wind cannot blow out |
| electricSchwank | Electric, medium wave | No flame, mounts 6 to 14 feet high for larger patios |
| Bromic Tungsten Electric | Electric | No flame, wall or ceiling mounted |
| Calcana High Output | Natural gas or propane | Flame sealed inside a steel tube |
| Sunpak S34 TSH | Natural gas or propane | Overhead, made to cover the open side of a patio |
| Bromic Tungsten Portable | Propane or natural gas, portable | Anti-tilt switch and flame failure device |
Why Wind Steals the Heat
Wind carries off warm air, not radiant heat. A heater warms you in two ways: by heating the air around you, and by radiating infrared heat that your skin and clothes absorb directly. A breeze sweeps warm air away almost as fast as a heater can make it, but it cannot blow away radiant heat on its way to you.
That is why open-flame heaters struggle most. A classic mushroom-style or glass-tube flame heater sends a large share of its heat straight up as hot air, and in a breeze that heat is gone before it reaches the table. A heater with a reflector that aims infrared heat down at people loses far less.
Every heater still covers less ground in wind. Infratech's own sizing chart notes that heaters "may provide less than average coverage in extremely cold or windy conditions", and Schwank says the same of its electric heaters. Plan on more heaters, mounted closer together, on an exposed patio.
Electric Infrared Heaters Hold Up Best
Electric heaters have no flame to blow out, so the only thing wind changes is how much heat reaches you. Mounted on a wall or ceiling, they also cannot tip over. For a windy patio with power available, electric is the first choice.
Choose medium or short wave, not long wave. Electric heaters differ in the wavelength they emit, and long-wave and far-infrared panels lose the most in a breeze. Heatscope calls long wave "extremely susceptible to wind," and RADtec warns that in exposed areas the spread of its far-infrared panels "may reduce by 1/3," recommending its medium wave heaters instead. Short wave heaters warm the fastest and most intensely but glow brightly; medium wave quartz heaters, like Infratech's, trade a little intensity for a soft glow. You can filter our electric patio heaters by infrared type.
Check the water rating too. Wind usually comes with rain. Our electric patio heater guide explains which heaters can sit out in the open and which need a roof.
Gas Heaters Have Real Wind Limits
Gas heaters are rated for light wind only. Bromic's manuals rate its overhead Platinum and Tungsten gas heaters for winds up to 10 mph, Bromic rates its portable gas heater for 8 mph, and the Sunglo A270 lists "wind exceeding 10 mph" as a reason its pilot will not stay lit. Above that, expect the heater to lose heat, or to go out.
A sealed flame handles wind better than an open one. Calcana heaters burn inside a steel emitter tube, so the flame is protected from wind, and Calcana sizes its heaters for wind under 15 mph. Wind still pulls heat away from the people below.
Mountain patios get a second hit: altitude. Above 2,000 feet, gas heaters put out less heat because the air holds less oxygen (Calcana derates its heaters 4% per 1,000 feet), and they must be set up for the elevation, so tell your gas fitter how high you are. Electric infrared heaters are not affected by altitude, which makes them the safer pick for a windy patio in the mountains.
Gas still makes sense on a large patio with a gas line and some shelter. Mount gas heaters overhead or on the wall, put them on the open, windward side, and add a windbreak. Our gas patio heater guide covers fuel, cost and installation.
Mount It or Anchor It
A mounted heater cannot blow over. Wall, ceiling and post-mounted heaters are the safest choice where wind is regular. Calcana adds that suspending its heaters by chains is not recommended in windy areas, because the heater swings.
If you need a portable heater, choose one with a tilt switch. A tilt switch shuts off the gas if the heater tips, and most fire codes require one for portable propane heaters in commercial use. The Bromic Tungsten Portable has an anti-tilt switch and a flame failure device. Some portable heaters, such as the Sunglo A270, do not list one.
Keep portable heaters out of strong gusts. Move them to a sheltered spot, or turn them off, when the wind picks up. A heater rated to 10 mph is not built for a gusty afternoon.
Block the Wind First
A windbreak does more than an extra heater. Sunpak says that "windbreaks can be extremely effective in increasing comfort and reducing heating costs," and IR Energy recommends natural or built wind barriers wherever possible. Glass panels, a solid fence, a privacy screen, dense planting or drop-down patio curtains on the windward side all help.
Put the heat where the wind comes in. Sunpak recommends placing heaters where heat loss is greatest, such as the open side of a semi-protected patio, and Schwank recommends heating seating from two sides rather than one.
The Best Patio Heaters for Windy Areas
Infratech WD Series: Best Overall for Windy Patios
The Infratech WD Series is a dual-element electric heater from 3,000 to 6,000 W that mounts on a wall or ceiling or sits flush in the ceiling. Its medium wave quartz elements give a soft glow that Infratech says "will not blow away in windy conditions." A 6,000 W model covers about 11 by 11 feet at 8 to 12 feet high, less in cold or windy weather. For coastal patios, where wind and salt air go together, the WD Series also comes in marine-grade stainless steel.
electricSchwank: Best for Large, Exposed Patios
electricSchwank heaters use medium wave quartz elements, run up to 6,000 W, and mount 6 to 14 feet high. Single and dual-element models in 120V to 480V versions let you cover a large patio with fewer gaps, which matters when wind shrinks each heater's footprint.
Bromic Tungsten Electric: Best for Covered Patios That Catch a Breeze
The Bromic Tungsten Electric puts a quartz-tube element behind a honeycomb grille, from 2,000 to 6,000 W, and mounts on a wall or ceiling. With no flame and no tank, it suits a covered patio or pergola that is open on one or more sides. Our Bromic heater guide covers the sizes and the controller each one needs.
Calcana High Output: Best Gas Heater for Wind
Calcana High Output heaters burn natural gas or propane inside a sealed steel tube, so there is no open flame to blow around and no red glow. Output modulates between 50% and 100%, and Calcana certifies them for outdoor use in wind, rain and snow down to -40°F. Mount them on a wall, ceiling or post rather than on chains.
Sunpak S34 TSH: Best for the Open Side of a Patio
The Sunpak S34 TSH is a two-stage overhead gas heater, 34,000 BTU on high and 25,000 BTU on low, made for commercial patios. Sunpak's own placement advice suits a windy site: put the heaters on the open side of the patio, where the most heat is lost, and pair them with a windbreak.
Bromic Tungsten Portable: Best Portable Heater for a Breezy Patio
The Bromic Tungsten Portable is a 38,500 BTU freestanding gas heater with ceramic burners, an anti-tilt switch and a flame failure device, which shuts off the gas if the flame goes out. It runs on a 20 lb propane tank, or on natural gas through a quick-connect line, and its spark ignition runs on a battery, so it needs no outlet. Bromic rates it for about 215 square feet and for wind up to 8 mph, so park it out of the worst gusts.
Need Help With a Windy Patio?
Every windy patio is different: which side the wind comes from, what is overhead, and whether you have power or gas. Email support@patiofever.com with your patio's dimensions, photos and which way the wind blows, and we will recommend the heaters and where to put them.
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