How to Choose the Best Electric Patio Heater

The best electric patio heater is the one sized to your space, rated for how exposed it is, and mounted where it can reach people. Get those three right and any good brand will keep you warm. Get one wrong and even the most expensive heater disappoints.

This guide walks through those decisions, then names the electric patio heaters we recommend for each kind of patio. If you are still deciding between electric, propane and natural gas, start with our patio heater buying guide.

Our Electric Patio Heater Picks at a Glance

Plan on 20 to 40 Watts per Square Foot Outdoors

Electric heaters are rated in watts, and outdoors you need roughly 20 to 40 watts for every square foot you want warm. Use the low end on a sheltered patio and the high end where it is open or windy.

The manufacturers' own figures land in that range. Bromic rates its 4,500 W Platinum for 143 sq. ft. and its 6,000 W Tungsten for 160 sq. ft. Heatscope works on about 28 watts per square foot for protected spaces and 37 for open ones. Infratech's coverage chart runs higher still, because it assumes the heat has to reach you from a mounting height of 7 to 12 feet.

So a 12 by 15 foot covered patio, 180 sq. ft., needs somewhere around 3,600 to 7,200 W. That is usually two heaters rather than one big one, which also spreads the warmth more evenly across the seating. Treat the rule of thumb as a starting point and then check the heater's own coverage chart, because mounting height changes the answer more than anything else.

Mounting Height Decides How Much Heat Reaches You

Infrared heat travels in a straight line and spreads as it goes, a bit like the beam of a flashlight. Mount a heater higher and it covers a wider area, but less warmth arrives at each chair.

Every model has a set mounting range. Infratech lists 7 to 12 feet for its W and WD heaters, and Bromic asks for at least 6 feet on a wall and 8 feet on a ceiling for the Platinum and Tungsten. Below about 12 feet, angle the heater toward the seating rather than pointing it straight down on people's heads.

Dual-element heaters such as the Infratech WD and the larger Bromic Tungsten models carry two heating elements in one housing. They are the ones to choose for higher ceilings or bigger areas. Some can also be wired to a duplex switch for a half-power setting, as Infratech's CD Series can.

A Plug-In Heater Tops Out at 1,500 Watts

A standard 120V household outlet can only supply about 1,500 W, so that is the ceiling for any plug-in electric patio heater. That is enough for a small enclosed space or an outdoor spot of about 5 by 5 feet, so think one or two chairs rather than a whole patio.

The upside is that nothing has to be wired in. If the ceiling is already finished and running a new circuit isn't practical, a plug-in heater is how you add heat. The King Electric SmartWave 24-Inch is the one we'd suggest. It comes with a 6-foot cord and a standard 15 amp plug, is rated for indoor and well-protected outdoor use, and mounts on a wall or ceiling with an adjustable bracket. Its carbon lamp is medium-wave, so it warms instantly with a soft orange glow; give it a covered spot.

A 1,500 W heater draws 12.5 amps, more than the 80 percent of a 15 amp circuit that a single appliance should take. Put it on its own circuit, ideally a 20 amp one, rather than sharing an outlet with lights or a speaker.

Anything larger runs on 208V or 240V and is hardwired by a licensed electrician, the same kind of circuit as an electric dryer. That is where 3,000 to 6,000 W heaters live, and it is what most patios need. Plan the wiring before the ceiling is finished.

Match the Water Rating to How Exposed the Heater Is

The IP (ingress protection) rating has two digits. The first rates protection from dust, the second from water, and an X means that part was not tested. For a patio heater, the water digit is the one that matters.

• 4, as in IPX4 or IP54: protected against splashing water. Mount it under a roof, pergola cover or deep eave. Infratech and Bromic Tungsten heaters are rated IPX4, and the Bromic Platinum IP54.
• 5, as in IP55 or IP65: protected against low-pressure water jets, such as rain driven by wind. Heatscope rates the Pure IP65 for mounting with no roof overhead.

The rating is not the whole answer, so follow the maker's placement guidance too. Bromic rates the Platinum Marine IP55 but still recommends that it not be directly exposed to rain, snow or salt spray.

Browse every model rated for wetter spots in our weatherproof outdoor electric heaters.

Short-Wave Heats Fastest, Long-Wave Glows Least

Every electric patio heater turns all of its power into heat, so two 1,500 W heaters put out the same amount whatever is inside them. What differs is the wavelength of the infrared, and that decides how concentrated the heat feels, how fast it arrives and how much light comes with it.

• Short-wave: the most intense heat and almost instant, but with a bright orange-red light. Halogen lamps work this way. Fine over a work area, distracting over a dinner table.
• Medium-wave: a soft glow with heat that still carries well, and the best all-round choice for most patios. Infratech and Schwank use medium-wave quartz elements, and Bromic's Tungsten is quartz too, despite the name: Bromic describes a steel coil in fused quartz with a soft glow and no harsh glare. Some carbon fiber lamps are medium-wave as well, such as the King Electric SmartWave, which warms instantly with a soft orange glow.
• Long-wave: no visible light at all, which suits sunrooms and bedrooms that face the patio. The catch is wind and warm-up time. RADtec says the reach of its long-wave carbon panels can drop by a third in moving air, and they take 10 to 15 minutes to reach full power, so keep them for sheltered spaces.

The element material does not settle the wavelength on its own: carbon can be medium-wave or long-wave depending on how the maker builds it. Go by the wavelength the manufacturer states.

Because infrared warms people and furniture directly, the way sunshine warms you on a cold day, it keeps working in a light breeze that would carry warm air away. Strong wind still steals heat from every heater, so plan extra wattage on an exposed site.

Look for a UL, ETL or CSA Safety Listing

Any heater you mount over people should carry a listing from a nationally recognized testing laboratory. UL, ETL (Intertek), CSA and SGS are all recognized by OSHA for this.

Infratech heaters are UL listed and made in the USA. Bromic's electric heaters are listed by ETL or SGS. Both are equally valid. What matters is that the listing is there, so check the specifications tab before you buy. For more on clearances and safe placement, read are patio heaters safe?

Electric Heaters Need No Vent, No Tank and No Gas Line

An electric heater burns nothing, so it gives off no fumes and needs no ventilation. That makes it the natural choice for screened porches, enclosed patios and covered restaurant terraces.

Several models are rated for indoor use as well, including Bromic Tungsten and Platinum, Schwank, RADtec and Heatscope. Indoor use still has limits. Bromic's Tungsten manual, for example, rules out bathrooms and laundry rooms, and every manufacturer sets minimum mounting heights and clearances in front of the heater. Only use a heater indoors if its own manual says it is rated for it.

The tradeoff with a hardwired heater is fixed placement: it stays where the electrician put it. A freestanding electric heater gives you more freedom. The Bromic Eclipse Freestanding stands on its own weighted base and plugs into a 240V outlet, so it can move between any spots wired for one. If you need to move heat freely around a large open patio or a venue, compare gas patio heaters, or read our gas patio heater guide.

Running Cost Is Watts Times Hours Times Your Rate

To work out what a heater costs to run, multiply its kilowatts by the hours you use it and by your electricity rate. A 3,000 W heater is 3 kW. At the mid-2026 US average residential rate of about 18 cents per kWh, it costs around 55 cents an hour.

Your own bill shows your real rate, and it varies a lot by state. Natural gas is usually the cheapest heat to run. Electricity and propane are closer, and which one costs less depends on where you live. Running a dual-element heater on half power, or a dimmer, brings the hourly cost down when you do not need full heat.

Plan the Controls with the Wiring

Most hardwired heaters, Infratech and Bromic included, are switched by a control you buy separately, so choose it before the electrician comes. Options range from a simple on/off switch to dimmers that set the heat level and smart home modules for app or voice control. Bromic's Smart-Heat range has its own dimmers and controllers, and you will find switches for other brands in patio heater accessories.

Which Electric Patio Heater Is Right for You

• A covered patio or pergola at home: an Infratech W or WD heater, sized to your mounting height. They can also be recessed flush into the ceiling so only the face shows.
• A patio where looks matter and you want very little light: Bromic Platinum.
• A large patio, high ceiling or restaurant: a dual-element heater such as the Bromic Tungsten 6000W or Infratech WD 6000W, and more than one of them. See our commercial patio heaters.
• No roof overhead: a heater its maker rates for open mounting, such as the IP65 Heatscope Pure.
• A sunroom or a space next to a bedroom window: a long-wave, no-glow heater from RADtec, kept out of the wind.
• Nothing to mount to: a freestanding electric heater. The Bromic Eclipse Freestanding needs a dedicated 240V, 20 amp outlet rather than a standard household one, so check what you have before ordering.
• One chair or a small bistro table, and only a standard outlet: a 1,500 W plug-in such as the King Electric SmartWave 24-Inch. Expect it to warm a person or two, not a whole patio.

For everything mounted overhead, browse overhead electric patio heaters.

Send Us Your Patio and We Will Size It for You

Sizing is where most patio heater projects go wrong, and it is the part we are happy to do for you. Send us your patio's dimensions, ceiling or mounting height and what is overhead, and we will recommend how many heaters you need, which model and where to mount them, at no cost. Request a free patio heating design.

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