The problem with propane heater reviews is that many times, they only cover one or two models and usually not the ones you’re interested in. In this review of propane heaters, I’m going to try and cover a wide selection to help you find the one that is right for you. Every thing from wall mounted home propane heaters to the monstrous forced air propane heaters designed for large buildings and construction sites that will heat up a shop or job site quickly. I’ll be looking at several features and benefits of each, like any good propane heaters review would. My sources will be a variety of information gained from the manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers via their online reviews. This can be a great source of product information and it wouldn’t be very smart to ignore it.

Portable Propane Heater Reviews

The first type of propane heaters I’ll be looking at are portable propane heaters. These are the type of heaters that you can carry from room to room or even out on a boat or in a duck blind. Typically a portable heater does not put out as much BTU’s as other types of propane heaters, but their call to fame is that they are portable. You can take one camping or to a ball game or even in your treestand. In this category, you’ll find all types of portable propane heaters, everything from small burners that may put out 5000 BTU to larger units that may put out as much as 25,000 BTU.

My favorite propane heater is the Big Buddy portable propane heater. I’ve had one since 2007 and it seems every year I find more and more uses for it. I’ve used it to heat up a cold room in my home as well as for main heat in my Mothers house when an Ice storm knocked out power for nearly a week. We just closed off the hall and bedrooms and this little portable propane heater kept the Living Room, Dining Room and Kitchen at a comfortable 70 degrees.

I especially like it because it can take two one pound cans of propane or with the optional hose, filter and regulator, you can hook it up to a 20 pound can or larger tank! It also has three heat selections, low – medium – high, as well as a battery operated fan. The fan helps push out the warm air. You can also buy a 110v converter for this fan and run it off of household current. But if you’re using it to heat a home where the electricity has went off during the Winter, those batteries are going to come in very handy!

As for safety, the Big Buddy has a tip over device that shuts the flame off. I’ve tried this safety feature and it works just as advertised. Gives you a great sense of peace knowing if this propane heater got knocked over that it would shut off before causing a fire.  I’ve also used this heater on camping trips and it comes in handy as a heater in a tent. It’s UL listed for indoor use which is a huge plus because most propane heaters, even portable ones, are not listed for indoor use. It’s something you’re going to want to look at when considering which portable propane heater to buy.

Forced Air Propane Heater Reviews

Forced air propane heaters are the type you generally see used during construction or in large buildings. These can run on propane or kerosene, but since we’re talking propane heaters here, we’re naturally be reviewing the liquid gas models! These types of heaters can have BTU ratings everywhere from 35,000 all the way up to 250,000 BTU’s. Obviously the larger the BTU you go, the more the unit will cost and the more it will cost to run. But then again if you need heat and need it fast, these are the units you want.

Mr. Heater, the maker of the Big Buddy portable propane heater above, makes several models of forced air heaters. Some of the smaller units can run on tanks as small as 20 pounds. While others may be able to run on the smaller tanks, most people will want to run them off larger tanks.

The Mr. Heater Hero model is a small cordless heater with a rechargeable battery. This is a 35,000 btu heater that you can take anywhere. It’s compact and can run up to 5 hours on one charge.

One of the largest propane heaters I’ve seen is the Dyna Glo 650,000 BTU model. Yeah, you read right. 650,000 BTU! Now this thing will throw out the heat! But just remember, the more BTU’s, the more propane you’re going to use. But if serious heat is what you needed and you need it yesterday, this baby can warm up next week, today!

It’s designed to heat up spaces as large as 13,500 square feet! It’s also portable thanks to it’s flat free 12″ solid wheels and comes with a very attractive warranty. It’s both UL and CSA approved. If you have a warehouse or construction project you need warmed up, give this Dyna Glo propane heater a try.

 Vent Free Propane Heaters For The Home

With today’s rising energy cost, more and more people are looking to alternatives to ridiculously priced home heating oil and electric. For this reason, more and more home owners are turning to propane to heat their home. Some are just adding vent free propane heaters to a room that is naturally cold while others may be using these type of heaters to heat a basement or upstairs room.

You want to make sure you get a heater that is large enough to heat the room or area that you’re looking at. But on the other hand, don’t get a heater too large as it will keep cycling on and off. Plus an overly large heater can be a danger, so be careful and measure the square footage of the room or area you’d like to heat with propane heaters.

Most propane heaters that are designed to be used indoors are what they call “vent free”. I’m not sure of the technology, but vent free heaters are generally UL listed as being safe to use indoors without a huge carbon monoxide building. I think it has something to do with the way it burns the gas efficiently. Some other propane heaters require a flue to take the spent gasses to the outside along with the carbon monoxide. I always preferred a flued heater but I do understand that some people prefer the flue-less type due to their convenience in locating them and not having to run a flue.

Most vent free heaters designed for a home are designed to attach to a wall. This makes them easily located just about anywhere in a home. Just be sure there is a gas connection in close proximity to hook up too. You also want to be careful not to install one of these heaters too close to flammable or combustible materials like furniture or curtains. You must use some common sense when performing the installation and try to visualize any dangerous conditions that may result from your installation.

Other types of vent free propane heaters are the cabinet type. You’ll find these are generally free standing propane heaters. Just like the wall mounted ones, you’ll need a dedicated propane line to hook up to them to supply propane to them. The nice thing about these are that the can be set away from the wall and other combustible materials. They also come in a variety of designs to help you match the heater to your decor. Now you have to love that!

They even make vent free propane heaters that resemble fireplaces. They come with the heater and then a faux cabinet with facing around it. These can really add some beauty to a room if you can’t have a real fireplace built or you just don’t want to go to all the expense and trouble building one yourself.

A great alternative to Patio Heaters is the fire bowls. These come in a wide range of styles from everything from a stand with a smallish fire pit at the top to low profile round or square bowls that are propane powered. These are real crowd pleasers and really add some stylish elements to any ones patio. You’ll be surprised at how fast the party crowd will gather around when you have one of these on your patio or deck.

Propane Patio Heaters

These have allowed many home owners to extend their enjoyment of their backyards even into the dead of winter.  These are generally free standing units that put out an amazing amount of BTU’s for their size. One can typically heat a standard size patio and they are pretty economical to use.

I prefer propane patio heaters that are made out of stainless steel to keep them from corroding and rusting. These are typically higher in cost, but they pay for their self in the long run in reduced maintenance costs. Some units will even come with wheels so that you can move them. Nearly all units will come equipped with a tilting safety device. This means that if someone was to know one over, or if the wind blew them over while they were running, a safety device would shut off the flame and fuel supply. Pretty nifty!

Infrared Propane Heater Reviews

These are probably my favorite type of heaters because I spend so much time out in my Garage and Shop. I use these to keep both comfortably warm on the coldest Winter days so I can spend my time indoors enjoying my hobbies. I’ve tried many a heater to heat the Garage and shop. Like most people, I started with those inexpensive electric heaters from Wal-Mart. But they just couldn’t keep up and they were always burning out before the Winter was over. I eventually went to a propane infrared heater and haven’t looked back!

Infrared propane heaters have a feature that I like and that is depending on the design, they can be located in a wide range of places. Since I don’t like a cluttered Garage or Shop, I like the ceiling mounted heaters. They can be found from 20,000 BTU’s all the way up to the monstrous 150,000 BTU’d propane heaters that are stationary. Just be sure to read the directions and follow all safety recommendations in the owners manual and make sure to use some common sense while installing your new heaters.

Infrared propane heaters come in a variety of shapes. You can find high efficiency tube heaters meant to heat Garages and such. They’re typically a little higher than the traditional square infrared heaters but they disperse the heat evenly and over a wider range. This helps if you have a wide garage or shop you need to heat. OR if you have a lot of cold bodies to warm up!

No matter which style of propane heater you choose, I can’t stress enough the importance of common sense and safety. Propane is a much more dangerous gas than natural gas in my opinion and it has been known to settle on pool in low spots of basements and garages just waiting for an ignition source. And from what I understand, it can sit in that pool for a very long time and still be explosive. If you have any doubt at all, you should open doors and windows and consider using a fan to disperse the dangerous gas.

I hope this propane heater reviews has helped you understand propane heaters better and helped you find the right heater for your situation. It’s not always easy finding just what you need, but with today’s market, there are a lot of heaters out there that will fit nearly any need. All one has to do is be proactive and look for them.

The problem is that many Consumers do not know the ins and outs of propane heaters. All they know is what they read on the box that the propane heater comes in.

I’m designing this website to help those who want quality propane heaters but don’t want to be saddled with junk or a propane heater that won’t do the job they needed it to.

The nice thing about propane heaters are that they are more efficient than electric heaters. In fact, electric is the most inefficient heat sources, so avoid it if at all possible. Also,  portable propane heaters are more versatile than electric heaters. You won’t need to carry extension cords. All you’ll need is a bottle of propane (or LP Gas as it’s called in some areas) which can be bought in many places including convenience stores and even at most Wal-Marts.

If you have questions about propane heaters, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to try and help.