9 best patio heaters to bring a toasty glow to any garden or outdoor space

This Kettler lantern looks fantastic – it is obviously well made and has a premium finish. It’s also heavy, meaning it didn’t blow over. Despite it only going up to thigh height on an adult, it kicked out an impressive amount of heat and we could feel it warming our whole body, even when we were sitting away from it.

You can set it to rotate as it heats you, or it can be static. This is easy to control via a switch on the top. If we’re being really picky, we’d have loved a remote control, too. The back of the heating element is backed by a heat reflector, meaning you won’t lose any heat in the wrong direction, either. One point to note is to keep an eye on young kids around it – the dial is very appealing to them, and it’s at their height.

For just shy of £50, this heater offers amazing value. We were impressed with the finish, too, with the heat part of the casing covered in a velvety cool-touch fabric. This meant we weren’t terrified of getting singed as we moved the heater around the garden, which we were able to do with ease, as the heater is small, relatively lightweight and has a handle.

Otherwise, this table-top patio heater is a no frills option. There is no remote and it’s not the most powerful. However, we found when we placed it in front of a small group of people on the garden sofa, it cast a nice warm glow and enabled us to sit and enjoy the evening without shivering. What more do you need?

This table-top model is bigger than we were expecting it to be. It’s designed to sit on your garden table and cast heat downwards. Because it’s so big, the weighty bottom stops it toppling over. We would recommend you use this on quite a large table, too – bistro tables aren’t going to be able to take this heater.

It looks fantastic, though, and we loved that it has a touch sensor, so you can easily adjust the intensity of the heat it’s kicking out. If standing up to operate the switch is too much effort, there’s also a remote control. We found this table-top patio heater is perfect for larger gatherings, keeping us warm after a big family barbecue. However, you do have to have a cable trailing over to the heater.

A decent height and power output mean this is a pretty good option if you’re looking to warm a decking or patio area. The heater is freestanding and kicks out an impressive 1,600W of warmth, despite the device taking up a relatively small footprint. A weighted base stopped it from toppling over, but you’re going to want to store this away in very high winds.

There are three heat settings on this, and a remote to control them. We liked that we could gradually increase the heat output as the evening grew chillier, without having to get up from our seat. The back of the heating element is covered in a heat reflector, so you get maximum benefit, too.

Don’t want to give over any real estate in your garden to a patio heater? This wall-mounted one is ideal. It heats up in seconds and blasts out a lovely ambient temperature, which we felt even when sitting a distance from it.

While you may initially be put off by the permanence of wall mounting a heater, we found the process pretty easy. You can angle the heater on the bracket for added flexibility, too. You’re only really limited by the fact it needs plugging in, and it’s better for areas that are relatively close to a flat wall. GTech does recommend you take the unit down over winter, but it’s small enough to slide into a drawer or nook of the shed with ease.

There’s much to love about this patio heater. For a start, it looks fantastic, providing a real focal point above our garden sofa area. The modern, cantilever design is handy, too, as it doesn’t require the pole to be plonked in the middle of the area you want to warm.

The quality of the build is fantastic. It’s rust-proof and weatherproof and has frost halogen lamps that reach a toasty 1,800W. You can also use it as a light, which works separately to the heat lamp.

We rated it highly for ease of use, too. It comes with wheels, so you can move it out of the way if things get very windy, and there’s a remote to control the power of the heat and the light.

We really liked this little portable heater. A handle on the top means it’s easy to reposition as much as you want. While the weighted base limits the potential for it falling or being blown over. The flexibility of this portable heater is a real selling point, too – we put it on our coffee table outside, but it’s just as good on a dining table or on the floor.

It kicked out a decent amount of heat, but keep in mind that it’s a 360-degree design – great for the middle of a group, but if it’s next to a wall, you’re going to lose a fair amount of heat out the back. There is only one heat setting, and no remote – which is fine if you’re after something simple, and the price reflects this. Dunelm claims this patio heater is good for up to four square metres, and we found our testing aligned with that.

For ultimate flexibility, this heater can be mounted on the accompanying pole or to the wall, making it a versatile option. It is a powerful heater, with the capability of 2,000W, so you can keep a really good-sized area warm. There’s a touch sensor that enables you to cycle through three heat settings, and the height of the pole is adjustable, so you can bring it closer if you’re in a smaller group. The price tag for this heater is very reasonable, especially considering the finish. It may not be the most attractive design in this round-up, but it packs a punch when it comes to features.

Love to party? This Kettler garden heater has been designed just for you. It includes LED lights that offer up different colours and modes, and a wireless Bluetooth speaker. While the Kettler Ibiza comes in two sizes, we tested the loftier version – perfect for larger areas and groups of people.

Although the lights and the speaker are fun touches, we focused on its heating abilities above all else. The heater has a powerful output of 3,000W, heating a huge area pretty quickly. It also has a heat reflector panel at the back, which bounces all the heat outwards for maximum efficiency. The kalos heat element emits a lovely soft rose-gold glow, too, which we really liked for adding to the atmosphere.