Gas vs Electric Patio Heater: Which Heating Choice Fits Your Outdoor Space?

Gas or electric is the first choice when you buy a patio heater. It affects placement, evening running costs and who installs it. We sell both kinds from Bromic and Detroit Radiant. Here is the comparison we give customers on the phone, including what each does well and what it costs. We will help you match one to a screened porch, open deck or restaurant patio.

Gas or electric patio heater: the short answer

Choose electric if your outdoor space has a roof or screens. It also suits you if you want the heater tucked into the ceiling or want to avoid gas. Choose gas for an area with open sides where you want the most warmth per heater. It also makes sense if a natural gas line is already near the patio. Propane heaters use a propane tank instead of a line. They cost the most per evening. Here is how those choices compare.

How gas and electric patio heaters make heat

Both kinds of outdoor heater here use radiant heat, sometimes called infrared. They warm people and furniture directly, like sun on your face, instead of warming the air. Outdoors, warm air blows away and radiant heat does not. The difference is the fuel source. An electric patio heater sends power through a glowing element behind a screen or glass panel. A gas patio heater burns natural gas or propane against a ceramic or metal face, or through a long tube. The face glows. From your seat, they feel similar. The differences are size, placement and cost.

Heat output: a gas patio heater covers more outdoor space

A single gas heater warms more patio than a single electric one. The Bromic Tungsten 500 covers up to 215 square feet. The smaller Tungsten 300 is rated for 160 square feet. The electric Cobalt 6000W reaches 160 square feet, and the 4000W version reaches 130 square feet. On a big open deck, one gas heater does the job of one and a half electric ones. The Detroit Radiant tube heaters are 9 to 21 feet long. They warm a whole row of restaurant tables from one gas connection. Electric models suit tighter spaces. The slim Bromic Platinum heaters need the least room above them of anything we sell. That makes them a common choice for low porches.

Where an electric patio heater or gas heater can go

• Under a roof: Both work with the required clearances. Electric needs the least space. Gas needs open sides for airflow and more room above the heater. Bromic sells a heat deflector for gas units with less than 42 inches above them.
• Screened porch or enclosed patio: Choose electric only. There is nothing to vent and no ventilation to plan. Bromic rates its electric heaters for enclosed spaces. Detroit Radiant explicitly limits its gas patio heaters to outdoor use at homes.
• Open deck or pergola: Both work. Gas handles wind better here. The Bromic Platinum gas heater keeps working in wind up to 12 mph.
• Restaurant patio: We usually suggest natural gas heaters for long runs. Electric suits the bar or corners with low ceilings. Many restaurant patios use both.
• Near salt water: Choose electric, specifically the marine-grade Platinum. Standard stainless steel pits near the coast.

For placement advice and clearance figures, read our guide to using a patio heater on a covered patio.

Operating costs: an evening on propane, natural gas or electric

An electric heater draws power only while it is on. Radiant heat lets you heat the seats instead of the whole yard. The Cobalt 4000W uses 4 kilowatt hours per hour at full output, so your electric rate gives you the hourly cost. The optional dimmer lowers that further. Natural gas costs less per hour of heat in most of the country once the line is installed. Propane costs the most. Detroit Radiant’s own spec sheet says a 20 pound cylinder costs four to five times as much to run as natural gas.

Installation also matters when comparing operating costs. Every electric heater here is wired in by a licensed electrician. The Bromic models need their own 208 or 240 volt circuit. The Detroit Radiant strips use the voltage you pick. The 24 and 33 inch sizes offer 120 volts. None plugs into a wall outlet, and even the Eclipse Portable ships without a plug. A natural gas heater needs a gas fitter and a line. It also needs a small electrical supply for the switch. A propane heater needs a tank and hose. For mounted models, that is the cheapest installation of the three. Propane costs the least to set up and the most to run. Natural gas costs the most to set up and the least to run. Electric sits in the middle for both.

Looks, controls and noise

Electric heaters are slim. The Platinum Electric comes in black or white and can recess flush into a ceiling. The Eclipse hangs on a pole with a ring of dimmable light around it. Gas heaters are bigger boxes with a visible glow, which some people prefer. Both kinds use a wall switch or the Bromic on/off controller, sold separately. Electric heaters can also use the optional Bromic dimmer. It adjusts heat in 1 percent steps from a phone. Gas heaters are either on or off. Neither makes noise, though a gas heater has a soft hiss up close. Gas heaters need a yearly burner check. Electric ones need a wipe.

Propane vs electric patio heaters, and natural gas vs propane

The gas vs electric patio heater decision also depends on which gas you can use. Customers ask the fuel type question two ways. For propane vs electric with no gas line, choose electric for a covered or screened patio. Propane suits an open, large patio. You can order the Bromic gas heaters for propane at the same price. For natural gas vs propane, use a gas line if one is within reach. The heaters are identical apart from the fitting. You never carry a tank, and running costs drop by several times. Propane models suit a patio far from the house or a rental where you cannot install a gas line.

Questions people ask

Does a patio heater work in an open space that acts like a wind tunnel?

Yes, but wind still affects performance. These radiant heaters warm you and furniture directly, like sun on your face, rather than warming air that blows away. Bromic rates the Tungsten gas heaters and the contoured Tungsten Portable for winds up to 8 mph, and the Platinum gas heaters up to 12 mph. Detroit Radiant notes reduced performance above 3 mph. On a windy deck, go one size up or add a windward windbreak rather than a third heater. Owners say blocking the side where wind enters helps more than a bigger heater. Gas heaters still need open sides for air.

How often does the propane bottle need changing on a patio heater?

The Bromic Tungsten Portable runs about eight hours per propane tank. The tank sits inside its base and is sold separately. Mounted Bromic gas heaters come in propane models that a gas fitter connects to your propane supply. The Detroit Radiant heaters use piped natural gas or propane, with no tank to refill at the heater. Natural gas means no bottles to carry. Detroit Radiant says using a 20-pound propane cylinder costs four to five times as much as natural gas. Electric heaters use power only while on and need no refills.

Which is safer around small children, an electric or a gas patio heater?

A mounted heater of either kind stays out of reach and cannot tip. A freestanding heater can be bumped or tipped. The Bromic gas heaters require eight feet from floor to heater bottom. The Bromic electric heaters mount at least six feet up on walls or eight feet on ceilings. Electric heaters have no flame or exhaust and need no venting. Bromic rates them for enclosed spaces. Gas heaters need open sides for air and stay outside indoor rooms. Manufacturers require installation by a licensed electrician or gas fitter, as appropriate, and warranty coverage depends on it.

Choosing the right patio heater for your outdoor space

• Small covered porch: Choose one Platinum Electric 2300W at $1,483. The Cobalt 4000W at $568 is the plainest option.
• Screened room or sunroom: Choose electric, no exceptions. The Cobalt and Tungsten Electric ranges start at $568.
• Open deck, 200 square feet or so: Choose one Tungsten 500 gas at $2,026. Use natural gas if you have it, or propane if you do not.
• Patio far from the house: Choose the propane Tungsten 300 at $1,775. The Tungsten Portable at $2,360 suits spaces where you cannot drill into anything.
• Restaurant patio: Use Detroit Radiant tube heaters on gas for rows of tables, from $2,457. Choose electric Platinum or Detroit Radiant ELX strips for the bar.

After choosing electric or gas, work out the count with our examples of how many patio heaters your space needs. Browse electric patio heaters, natural gas patio heaters and propane patio heaters, or call us about your space. We offer free shipping on most brands (exceptions apply), no sales tax (except WY), and real people to talk to before you order. Your space is what settles the gas vs electric patio heater choice.