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Warm your outdoor living spaces and keep the heater out of harm’s way with a hanging patio heater. These heaters look like hanging lights – and indeed halogen heaters put out a warm yellow glow – but they emit heat downwards to you and your guests below.
I look at a variety of hanging heaters, both halogen and infrared, that add practical warmth and a touch of style to your patio.
I review each models pros and cons and discuss their features and our recommendations. My Buyer’s Guide address the 5 most important issues to know about before you make your final choice of hanging patio heater.
Best Pick
Runner-up
No products found.
Best Hanging Patio Heaters Reviews
1. DONYER POWER Electric Hanging Patio Heater (800W/2000W)
Best Pick
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The DONYER POWER Electric Hanging Patio Heater may look like an UFO from the 1950s but it puts out enough heat for you to remain warm on cool summer nights on your patio.
The black heater is a slightly domed shape with a smaller part-dome above it and an inverted V of metal mesh (silver coloured) below. The cup-like protuberance below this is where the pull cord attaches to the heater. This cord is how you select the heat setting and turn the light off. All-in-all, this heater looks stylish, whether you put it outdoors or indoors.
You have a choice of two heat settings – 800W or 2,000W. Perhaps use the highest setting initially to take the edge off the cool air and then turn it down to the lower setting (pull the cord!) to maintain the warm air. The heater has a waterproof rating of IP24, which means that it is protected from water spray from any direction. It can’t handle a direct downpour so putting the heater under an overhang or in a gazebo is your best vet. Anyway, you have to find somewhere to hang it from with the (included) 100cm chain and hook.
This DONYER POWER Electric Hanging Patio Heater suffers from one of the most common problems with any electric hanging heater – a short power cord. Chances are that you need to provide your own waterproof extension cord to plug it into your outdoor outlet.
Pros
- Circular black halogen ceiling heater with 800W and 2,000W heat settings.
- Black metal with silver coloured grid.
- Pull cord turns the heater on/off and sets the heat setting.
- Two halogen heating tubes with 360° heating.
- Hanging chain is 100cm long.
- Power cord is 160cm long.
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
- Waterproof rating of IP24 – handles rain and snow.
- Dimensions: 43cm (diameter) and 25.5cm (height).
Cons
- Power cable is too short.
Our recommendation
The design of the DONYER POWER Electric Hanging Patio Heater is a popular one. There are several other companies selling the same design under different brand names. The slightly UFO-looking heater in black and silver gives you two heat settings (800W and 1,000W) with a pull cord to switch between them and to turn the heater off. I like that you receive a long chain that gives you the option of securing your heater from high up.
The DONYER POWER Electric Hanging Patio Heater is my choice for Best Pick of the hanging patio heaters in my review.
2. Blumfeldt Heat Square Infrared Patio Heater with Remote Control (1,000W/2,500W)
Runner-up
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No products found.The Blumfeldt Heat Square Infrared Patio Heater is different in a number of ways than the other hanging patio heaters in our review. The look, however, is somewhat similar. It’s a square part-dome with a silver protective mesh underneath. And below this is a thick black disk. But look closely and you see that there’s no pull cord to control the heater.
The lack of pull cord is because you operate this heater from an On/Off switch actually on the heater body. And using a remote control. Yes, you can hang this heater safely out of the way and use the controls on the remote to select the heating setting, to turn it off and to use the built-in white 1W LED light.
No products found.All this already sets this Blumfeldt heater apart from others. This is also an infrared heater, not a halogen one. Two heat levels – 1,000W and 2,500W – are available from the two infrared carbon heating elements. IR heat warms people and things directly without wasting energy on heating the surrounding air. So you feel warmer faster. We’ve already mentioned the white LED light available to you as IR heat doesn’t produce light.
As usual, this heater is waterproof to the IP24 rating, which is splash proof. If you hang it under a shelter, such as the eaves or in a gazebo, it should be safe. With your purchase, you receive two hanging hooks and a 50cm chain, which is generally long enough for most outdoor spaces. However, the power cord is still relatively short at 1.5m. If you take advantage of the remote control and hang this heater high out of the way, you definitely need a waterproof extension power cable.
No products found.Pros
- Square black infrared patio heater in an aluminium casing.
- Two heat levels – 1,000W and 2,500W – from the infrared carbon fibre heating elements.
- Covers a 40 m² area with a 5m range.
- Separate built-in white 1W LED light.
- Metal mesh protective cover in silver colour.
- On/Off switch on the heater itself.
- Remote control lets you fully operate the heater from away.
- Waterproof to the IP24 rating.
- Comes with 50cm hanging chain and two hooks.
- Power cable is 150cm long.
- Dimensions: 43cm (diagonal width) and 30cm (height).
Cons
- Large Europe to UK adapter is fitted.
- Short power cable.
Our recommendation
The Blumfeldt Heat Square Infrared Patio Heater provides infrared heat rather than heat from halogen heating tubes. Infrared heat covers a wider area than that from halogen heaters. This heater has heat selections of 1,000W and 2,500W, one of the most powerful units in my review. But the remote control also sets this heater apart. Control both the heater and the integrated LED light from your remote unit, without having to get up and reach up to the heater itself.
The Blumfeldt Heat Square Infrared Patio Heater is my choice for Runner-up in this review and I think having the remote can be very useful.
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I reviewed other outdoors heaters as an alternative to these hanging patio heaters. Check out my Top 3 Best Parasol Heaters to Warm your Cool Evenings, Top 6 Best Table Top Patio Heaters and Top 6 Best Wall Mounted Garden Heaters, Buyers Guide & Reviews articles.
3. Bitorquatos Outdoor Patio Electric Heater (800W/2000W)
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No products found.The Bitorquatos Outdoor Patio Electric Heater (800W / 2000W) is similar in style to our Best Pick, the Donyer model. However, this one’s shape is a little more curved giving a more organic feel to the design. And it’s waterproof to the IPX4 rating – it can handle splashes of water but not a full-on rainstorm.
No products found.The pull cord hanging down from the heater adjusts the power setting and turns the heater off. You have the choice of using the 800W halogen heater or turning it up to the full 2,000W, depending on how chilly you are. The 2,000W setting is at full heat in three seconds, so this is almost instant heat.
Keep in mind that these halogen heaters also put out a warm and gentle ambient light as they heat up; you may not need any other patio lighting for a romantic evening.
No products found.This Bitorquatos unit has several notable features not often found on hanging patio heaters. The wire used is a high-quality copper wire that doesn’t heat up. You don’t have to worry about parts of the power cable melting. The second feature addresses the common problem of the hanging heater moving around on its chain in the wind. By using a mountaineering buckle, the Bitorquatos unit stabilises the heater on the (short) 21cm chain to stop it from swaying as much.
Pros
- Circular halogen ceiling heater with a sloping design.
- Two heat settings – 800W and 2,000W – from two halogen heating tubes.
- Waterproof with an IPX4 rating.
- Puts out a gentle and ambient light as well.
- Pull cord adjusts the heat setting and turns the heater off.
- Feel heat within three seconds after turning it on.
- Hanging chain is 21cm long.
- Suitable for both indoors and outdoor.
Cons
- Short power cord.
Our recommendation
The Bitorquatos Outdoor Patio Electric Heater (800W / 2000W) has a style to fit in with most patio and gazebo decors. It’s splash proof so does better under some shelter if it rains heavily. The choice of two heat settings gives you control over how warm you want the surrounding area to be, and it warms up to the 2,000W setting in a few seconds.
No products found.
4. Outsunny 1500W Garden Electric Halogen Patio Heater (1,500W)
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No products found.The Outsunny 1500W Garden Electric Halogen Patio Heater adds a colourful touch to your outdoors décor with a bright red half-sphere upturned bowl and silver protective mesh. The soft yellow light emitted by halogen heaters reflects even more warmly off the red colour.
Unlike the other heaters in this review, this Outsunny model operates at only one temperature. The single halogen heating ring produces 1,500W of power to heat up to 9m2 of the surrounding area. This is actually quite a hot temperature, as it’s 75% of the highest setting of some of the other products in our review.
There’s the usual pull cord to turn the heater On and Off. The hanging hook and chain are also included as is the short power cord. If your outdoor power outlet is more than 1.3m away from the heater, you need to have a separate waterproof outdoors extension lead.
Pros
- Bright red, halogen, outdoors, hanging heater made of aluminium.
- Rounded dome shape with metal protective mesh.
- One heat setting at 1,500W.
- Pull cord to turn heater On/Off.
- Heats 9m2 .
- Power cord is 1.3m long.
- Come with hanging chain and hook.
- Dimensions: 40cm (diameter) and 30cm (height).
Cons
- Short power cord.
Our recommendation
The Outsunny 1500W Garden Electric Halogen Patio Heater provides you with only one heat setting – but it’s at a relatively powerful 1,500W. The bright red rounded half-dome shape makes you smile and adds a touch of pizzazz to out outdoors décor. You control the heater through the regular pull cord, but this time it’s just one pull for On and another pull for Off.
No products found.
5. Outsunny Adjustable Power Halogen Electric Light Heater (1000W/2500W)
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The Outsunny Adjustable Power Halogen Electric Light Heater is styled slightly differently to the other halogen heaters we review. It’s a shallower half-dome in a matt black colour with a matching matt black metal protective grid. Like the other heaters. it has two halogen heating rings, but the ones in this model are more powerful.
Additional similarities to our other models in this review are the pull cord that you use to control the heater. This is where you select from the two heat settings and also turn off the heater. The waterproof rating is the standard IPX4 – safe from water splashes but not from pressure sprays. Keep in mind though that the sloped design of the heater lets water run off it onto the ground, so that’s additional rain protection. And, unfortunately, there’s the usual short power cord, so you probably need to have your own waterproof extension lead.
This is a more powerful heater – that it, it puts out more heat – as the heat settings are a choice of 1,000W and 2,500W (compared to the usual 800W and 2,000W). The heat spreads further and raises the temperature quicker.
Pros
- Circular, slightly domed outdoors halogen heater in black metal.
- Two heat settings – 1,000W and 2,500W.
- Two halogen heating tubes.
- Metal mesh protective cover.
- Puts out a warm amber glow of light.
- Pull cord adjusts heat setting and turns heater off.
- Hanging hook and chain provided.
- IP24 waterproof rating.
- Dimensions: 47.7cm (diameter) and 37.5cm (height).
Cons
- Short power cord.
Our recommendation
The Outsunny Adjustable Power Halogen Electric Light Heater has two more powerful heating rings than some of the other models I review. Ignore the “Infrared” in the sales website’s title, this is still a halogen heater but it has heating rings of 1,000W and 2,500W. It’s waterproof to splashing water and comes with the hanging chain and hook.
Buyer’s Guide for Hanging Patio Heaters
My Buyer’s Guide covers the 5 main issues to think about when looking around for the best hanging patio heater for your outdoors space.
Heat
Thinking about what heat you need comes in two parts: the type of heat and how much.
Type of heat
Patio heaters usually produce heat from either halogen heating tubes or infrared tubes. The heat produced in each of these ways is different. Infrared heat is in the form of electromagnetic waves and is invisible to the human eye. These waves are absorbed by the surrounding people and objects which them heat up. Time and energy aren’t wasted in heating up the surrounding air.
Halogen heating tubes emit a warm amber light when they’re heated. They give off a fierce shortwave heat which heats up the surrounding environment, including the air. You need to be near the heater where the air has been warmed to feel the heat.
How much heat / energy consumption
This is a tough question. Most models of hanging patio heater have a choice of two heat settings; the lower setting is usually between 800W to 1,000W and the upper setting around 2,000W to 2,500W. manufacturers and online reviewers suggest using the upper setting to take the edge off the cool air and then turning the heater down to the lower setting to maintain the warmth. Or even turning the heater off until it’s needed again. After all, you’re using electricity.
Both halogen and infrared heaters warm up quickly, so the difference in power may affect how far away from the heater you can feel the heat.
Weatherproof / IP rating
As with all outdoors electric appliances, you want your patio heater to be weatherproof. All the models in our review have a waterproof rating of IPX4 or IP24. The last number relates to the waterproofness, and this rating certifies that the heater can withstand water splashes from all angles.
As you’re probably going to hang the heater from some kind of structure that gives it a bit of shelter – and as the shape of the heater encourages water to drip down to the ground from it – your hanging heater should be OK out in light rain.
Remote control
No products found.The most usual method of turning the heater on to one of the two heater settings and turning it off is via a pull cord hanging down from the heater body. In fact, most of the time there are no switches on the body of the heater at all. My Runner-up choice – the Blumfeldt Heat Square Infrared Patio Heater – operates via a remote control and also has an On/Off switch on the heater itself. As long as you don’t lose the remote control, you’re fine, as the heater doesn’t have a back-up pull cord.
Location
All the models of patio hanging heaters we look at come with hanging chains and hooks. Some chains are longer than others so if you want to place your heater really high up you may need some additional chain. Bear in mind that heaters on longer chains are apt to swing more if they’re caught by gusts of wind. But heaters can’t be too high up that the people underneath don’t feel the warmth.
The length of the power cord was an issue with all the hanging heaters (whether in our review or not) we looked at. They’re just short – around 1.3m. Chances are that you need to have a waterproof outdoors extension cord to hang your heater anywhere useful.
Safety features / considerations
We’re all about safety and, quite frankly, we didn’t find any safety features on hanging heaters. We heard of a feature that turns the heater off if it falls, but that seems to be found on wall heaters.
You’re on your own to build safety into your hanging outdoor heating. Here are some ideas: put it out of range of kids and fold the pull cord up out of the way; make sure the heater is up above standing head height; don’t use it in really windy weather if it swings a lot.
And always look for 3rd party certification from recognised agencies as to the electrical, material and waterproof ratings.
Final Conclusion
Hanging patio heaters after safely out of the way, as long as you place them higher than head height. Our review looks mainly at the more popular halogen heaters but we do include an infrared model, and that one has a remote control to operate it. Most of the models we review let you select from two heat settings, so you can adjust the output to suit how cool the evening (or even day) is.
My choice for Best Pick of the Best Hanging Patio Heaters is the DONYER POWER Electric Hanging Patio Heater. This UFO-like heater offers you a choice of two heat settings and is easy to adjust using the pull cord.
My Runner-up is the Blumfeldt Heat Square Infrared Patio Heater with Remote Control. Infrared heat warms people and objects immediately without wasting energy on the intervening cold air. Plus, you control everything from a remote control unit.
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Last update on 2024-12-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
