Patio Heater
Best Outdoor Heater for a Covered Patio: 6 Electric Patio Heater and Gas Picks That Mount Under a Roof
Oct
The best outdoor heater for a covered patio fits your roof height and seating area. We’ll walk you through six electric and gas picks, their mounting options, and the clearances you need to plan for.
The best outdoor heater for a covered patio mounts on the ceiling or wall, points toward your seats, and fits the clearance beneath your roof. A covered patio is the easiest outdoor space to heat because the roof holds warmth in. That roof also makes choosing the wrong outdoor patio heater easy. Tall freestanding propane towers with tip-over switches and glass tubes do not belong underneath it. Every heater we sell is made for mounting. These six picks from Bromic heating and Detroit Radiant heaters are grouped by roof height and patio size. Prices come from our product pages.
Jump to a Pick
- Low roof, 8 to 9 feet: Bromic Platinum Smart-Heat 2300W, the best electric patio heater, $1,483
- Low roof on a budget: Detroit Radiant ELX 24 inch electric, from $515
- Standard roof, 9 to 12 feet: Bromic Cobalt Smart-Heat Electric 6000W, the best value ceiling heater, $682
- Standard roof, big patio: Bromic Tungsten 500, propane or natural gas, $2,026
- Covered patio with light and ambiance: Bromic Eclipse Smart-Heat Electric, $2,766
- Tall cover, 12 feet and up: Detroit Radiant DSRS 9 foot tube heater, $2,457
- Covered patio heater questions we hear most
First, measure the roof of your outdoor space
Measure from the patio floor to the underside of the cover. Under about 9 feet, choose an electric heater with small clearances, mounted on the wall or recessed. From 9 to 12 feet, almost anything can mount on a pole at the right height. Above 12 feet, long tube heaters make sense for restaurant-sized spaces. Then count your seating groups. Plan for one heater per table or sofa group, aimed toward it from about 8 feet up. Two groups need two heaters. Our guide to how many patio heaters your space needs includes a sizing table.
Six picks for the best outdoor heater for a covered patio
1. Low roof, 8 to 9 feet: Bromic Platinum Smart-Heat 2300W, the best electric patio heater, $1,483
The Platinum Electric panel is designed for low-clearance and semi-enclosed spaces, including most covered porches. You can choose black or white. The slim panel mounts flat to a wall, hangs from a short pole, or recesses flush into the ceiling for the look of a light fixture. Nothing burns, so it can also go in a screened porch. The 2300W size suits one seating group. For bigger patios, the higher wattage options are the 3400W at $2,130 and the 4500W at $2,681. This is our best overall patio heater.
2. Low roof on a budget: Detroit Radiant ELX 24 inch electric, from $515
The ELX electric infrared strip mounts on a wall or ceiling from 6 feet above the floor. It has the smallest clearances in our lineup. The single-element size needs 12 inches above and 16 inches to the sides. You can tilt it toward your seats. It is made in Michigan and comes in black or brushed stainless, starting at $515. The 33 inch and 46 inch lengths suit a bench or bar. It gives off a little light along with the heat. Choose the standard element if you want softer light.
3. Standard roof, 9 to 12 feet: Bromic Cobalt Smart-Heat Electric 6000W, the best value ceiling heater, $682
A standard patio ceiling gives you room to hang a heater on a bracket at the right height. The Cobalt 6000W electric heater offers the most heat per dollar we sell for this setup. It is rated for outdoor areas up to 160 square feet and mounts on a wall or ceiling. On a ceiling, it needs 8 feet from the floor to the bottom of the heater. The 4000W costs $568 and covers 130 square feet. Both work with the Bromic dimmer and remote control to lower heat output once the patio is warm, so you can adjust the amount of heat. They need their own 240 volt circuit and a licensed electrician.
4. Standard roof, big patio: Bromic Tungsten 500, propane or natural gas, $2,026
Gas is allowed when your covered patio is open on the sides. One Tungsten 500 gas heater covers up to 215 square feet from a pole about 8 feet up. Natural gas and propane versions cost the same. Check the space above the heater. If the roof is less than 42 inches away, add Bromic’s heat deflector from the product page’s accessories list. Wind up to 8 mph does not bother it. A safety shutoff turns it off if the flame goes out. For a breezier covered area, the sealed Platinum 500 gas model costs $2,580 and is wind-rated to 12 mph.
5. Covered patio with light and ambiance: Bromic Eclipse Smart-Heat Electric, $2,766
Under a roof, your heater sits at eye level when viewed from the next room. Its appearance matters there. The Eclipse heater with dimmable light hangs from a twin pole. A ring of dimmable light surrounds its 3000 watt heater. It has three heat settings and a remote control for both heat and light. It comes with a 24 inch pole. Five other pole and wall mounts let you fit it to your roof height. We would choose this for a covered dining patio that also serves as your evening living room.
6. Tall cover, 12 feet and up: Detroit Radiant DSRS 9 foot tube heater, $2,457
A high cover over a restaurant patio or large outdoor room suits a long heater hung high. The DSRS gas tube heater is 9 feet long and hangs 9 to 16 feet up. It warms an even strip below it. A low setting holds the space once it is warm. Its controls plug into a standard outlet, and it runs on natural gas or propane. The 16 foot DSRL tube heater costs $2,620 and heats a whole row of tables. Both are built for outdoor use under a cover, not indoor rooms.
Why all six are infrared heaters
If you are looking for the best outdoor infrared heater, these are the same picks we would show you. An infrared or radiant heater warms people and furniture directly instead of the air, the way the sun does. Every electric and gas heater we sell works this way. It is the only kind that makes sense outdoors because warmed air leaves through open sides and radiant heat does not. A roof makes it work even better by keeping some warmed surfaces from cooling off. Your choice comes down to fuel and mounting, rather than the kind of heat.
Mounted heaters: the clearance rule of thumb
Bromic electric heaters need 6 feet from the floor when wall-mounted and 8 feet when ceiling-mounted. Allow about 3 feet to the side from anything that burns. Bromic gas heaters need 8 feet from floor to heater, plus the deflector if the roof is within 42 inches. The Detroit Radiant designer gas heater mounts 8 to 12 feet up, with 13 inches above and 18 inches to the sides. ELX strips mount from 6 feet up with about a foot above. Each product page has a manual with that model’s exact figures for your electrician or gas fitter to follow. Our guide to placing a heater under a covered patio walks through porch types, including screened rooms and pergolas.
Electric or propane under a cover: the heater fuel question
Choose electric if your roof is low, the sides are closed or screened, or you want the heater to disappear from view. Choose gas if the sides are open and the patio is large, or you already have a nearby gas line. A propane tank works with any gas pick here, but a propane heater costs more per evening. Natural gas costs the least to run of these options. Our gas and electric patio heater comparison puts running costs side by side.
Covered patio heater questions we hear most
Can I run a covered patio heater on a regular 120 volt circuit?
Yes, you can order the Detroit Radiant ELX strip for 120 volts. An electrician wires it in, so it is not a plug in heater. The Bromic electric heaters need hardwiring to a 208- or 240-volt circuit like an electric dryer. With the ELX, wattage follows voltage, so match the mounting spot’s supply first. The Detroit Radiant DSRS and DSRL gas tube heaters heat with gas. Only their controls plug into a standard 120-volt outlet. Tell us your patio’s power supply, and we’ll say which heater fits.
Which covered patio heaters start the easiest?
Electric heaters have nothing to light. You turn them on with a wall switch, dimmer or remote. The Bromic Tungsten 500 and the Platinum 500 gas heaters light at once with direct ignition. There is no pilot light to tend. The Tungsten relights itself if the flame goes out. Its flame failure safety shut-off stops the heater if it does not relight. The Detroit Radiant tube heaters use hot surface ignition and have a self-diagnostic light.
Which heater holds up on a covered patio near the coast?
We suggest the Bromic Platinum Electric Marine heaters for coastal patios. Their 316 marine grade stainless steel resists salt corrosion. Ordinary stainless can rust in salt air. The heating elements are sealed inside. Choose 2300W for up to 65 square feet, 3400W for up to 108, or 4500W for up to 143. They mount on a wall or ceiling, in black or white. The warranty covers five years on land and three on a boat.
Buying guide wrap-up: choose your heater and mount it
Measure your roof, count your seats, and match them to these picks. Browse ceiling patio heaters, wall-mounted patio heaters, and electric patio heaters. You can also send us your floor-to-roof measurement and a photo, and we will tell you which heater fits. We offer free shipping on most brands (exceptions apply) and no sales tax (except WY). Real people are here to talk before you order. We can help you choose the best outdoor heater for a covered patio you will use all winter.
