Propane vs. Electric Patio Heater: Which Should You Buy?

Short version: if your outdoor space is covered and there's power nearby, buy electric. If it's an open deck or a big yard with no convenient outlet, buy propane. That covers about ninety percent of the decision, and the running costs are close enough that they shouldn't be what tips you either way.

The other ten percent is where it gets interesting — and where I see people spend $3,000 on the wrong thing every autumn.

So here's the honest comparison, including the running-cost math I had to work out for myself because nobody publishes it in a straight line.

Propane vs. Electric Patio Heater: Quick Feature Comparison

Propane vs. Electric Patio Heater: Head-to-Head Comparison

Heat: electric is more targeted, propane is broader

Both types are infrared, which is the only thing that works outdoors. A convection heater outside just warms the sky.

Electric infrared is directional. It heats what's in front of it — people, chairs, the table — and it does it the instant you switch it on. Point it at the seating and it's genuinely effective. Point it at a wall and you've heated a wall.

Propane throws a wider, softer circle. Better if people are spread out, less efficient if they're all on one bench.

Wind: electric wins, and it isn't close

This is the one that surprises people. Infrared travels as radiant energy, so a breeze doesn't blow it away — the same reason you feel the sun on a cold windy day.

A propane heater relies more on heated air near the unit, and a stiff wind strips that off. If your deck is exposed, a big propane heater can feel oddly disappointing on the exact night you needed it.

Running it: electric is quietly cheaper

Everyone assumes propane is the cheap one. Let's do the math.

A 4,000W electric heater draws 4 kilowatt-hours per hour. At around 17 cents a kilowatt-hour — roughly the US average, so swap in your own rate — that's about 68 cents an hour. A four-hour evening is under $3.

A 20 lb propane tank holds about 430,000 BTU. A 40,000 BTU heater gets roughly 10 to 11 hours out of it. At $20–25 a refill, that's about $2 an hour.

So electric runs at something like a third of the cost. Neither is expensive, because a patio heater is only on when people are outside — but if someone tells you propane is the economical choice, they haven't run the numbers.

Hassle: nobody wants to swap a tank in November

Electric has nothing to refill, nothing to store, and nothing to run out of halfway through an evening.

Propane means keeping a spare cylinder, noticing when it's low, and being the person who goes to swap it. If the heater's for a rental property, it also means a guest running out at 9pm on a Saturday and messaging you about it.

Installation: this is where electric costs you

Here's the catch, and it's a real one. Most mounted electric heaters need a dedicated hard-wired circuit, not a regular outlet. That's an electrician, and you should price it in before you compare the two.

A portable propane heater needs nothing. Take it out of the box, attach a tank, done.

So the sticker price says electric is cheaper. The installed price sometimes says otherwise. Get a quote first.

Space: mounted electric disappears, propane takes up floor

A wall or ceiling mounted electric unit takes zero floor space, can't be tipped over, and can't be dragged somewhere it shouldn't be. On a small deck that's decisive.

A freestanding propane heater has a footprint and a base, and on a tight patio it competes with the furniture you're trying to keep warm.

Do Electric Patio Heaters Actually Work Outside?

Yes — as long as you match the wattage to the space and mount it where it can see people.

The reason electric heaters get a bad reputation outdoors is that people buy an underpowered one, hang it too high or too far back, and conclude the technology doesn't work. It does. It's just line-of-sight.

Rough guide from what I sell: a 4,000W unit comfortably covers a small covered patio. 6,000W handles a full deck. Two smaller units at opposite corners of a seating area beat one big unit at the edge of it, every time — because you're covering the space from two angles instead of one.

Patio Heater vs. Fire Pit: Do You Need Both?

They're not really competing, and I say that as someone who'd happily sell you either.

A fire pit is the thing people gather around. It's the photo, the focal point, the reason everyone's outside in the first place. It's also only warm on the side facing it.

A heater is infrastructure. Nobody looks at it, and that's the point — it just makes the space usable while the fire pit does the emotional work.

If you only buy one and you want atmosphere, buy the fire pit. If you only buy one and you want the space genuinely usable in November, buy the heater. Most people who are serious about outdoor space end up with both, and that's the correct answer.

How to Heat an Outdoor Patio: What I'd Actually Do

1. Work out whether it's covered. Roof or pergola with power? Mounted electric, almost always. Wide open? Propane.
2. Measure the seating, not the patio. You're heating people, not square footage. A 20 x 20 deck with one bench in the corner needs one heater aimed at the bench.
3. Get the electrical quote before you buy. This is the step people skip and then regret.
4. Buy two smaller rather than one huge. Better coverage, and if one fails you're not cold.
5. Put it high enough to be out of the way, low enough to be felt. Roughly 7 to 8 feet for most mounted units.

Final Verdict

• Covered patio or pergola with power → electric infrared, mounted. Start at the Eurofase 4000W at $825.
• Bigger covered deck, 4 to 8 people → one 6,000W unit, or two smaller ones at opposite corners.
• Open deck or yard, no outlet → propane, and I'll be straight with you: a wheeled propane heater is the right answer here and it isn't something I stock right now. Look for at least 38,000 BTU, a tip-over shut-off and a weighted base, and don't pay extra for a finish that's going to live outside anyway. If you'd rather not sort through it yourself, tell me the space and I'll tell you what to look for.
• Exposed and windy → electric if you can possibly run power to it. Wind will beat a propane heater.
• Rental property with guests → mounted electric, every time. No flame, no tank, nothing to knock over, nothing for a guest to run out of.
• Want a real flame without the tank → a plumbed gas unit. The Travis Tempest Lantern starts at $1,995 and runs off your gas line, so there's nothing to swap out.
• Restaurant patio or a space heated every night → commercial grade. That's the IR Energy EvenGLO at 47,000 BTU, built to run continuously.

The whole range is on the patio heater page, from $825 up.

And if you'd rather just tell me the size of the space, whether it's covered, and whether there's power nearby — message me and I'll tell you what'll work. Including the times the answer is a cheaper unit than the one you were looking at.

— Kristin, Founder, Optimal Outdoor Oasis