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Best patio heaters & fire pits for your garden to keep you warm this year

These are the best outdoor fire pits, electric heaters and gas towers to make your garden or patio more cosy at night

Senior Lifestyle Editor

Are you making the most of your outdoor spaces? You may be wondering, how do I keep my garden or patio warm on cold days and evenings? Enter: the outdoor patio heater.

"Gardens come alive in the summer, with alfresco lunches, sun-soaked play dates and languid evenings lit up by fairy lights and citronella candles," says HELLO! Online Homes Editor Rachel Avery. "To ensure you can utilise your outdoor space for as long as possible this year, a patio heater is a wise addition. Whether you go for gas or electric, these are an ideal way to combat the evening chill and create a cosy atmosphere for hosting."

And there are even more perks to adding a garden heater to your outdoor space. “Investing in a patio heater allows us to spend an extended amount of time in our gardens, helping to prolong our evenings and encourage us to be a part of nature, which can be great for our mental health,” explains outdoor heating expert Georgette Beacham of BigDug.co.uk.

“With the British weather being constantly unpredictable, incorporating a patio heater into your garden can avoid the evenings being cut short, even if the weather changes. BiGDUG saw an initial spike in sales during the pandemic in 2020, and there has been a steady rise ever since, with freestanding options being a particularly popular choice due to factors such as versatility.

With the cost-of-living crisis and more people spending time at home, it appears that many of us are carefully investing what money we do have into our gardens, enabling us to really make the most of our outside environment.”

Choosing a patio heater: My experience

I bought an outdoor heater during lockdown and it has proven to be one of my pandemic purchases that I still love today. I learned that every inch of my home can be levelled up to be useful all year round, and my outdoor heater is perfect when I want to sit on my terrace on cold or chilly nights.

After carefully measuring my terrace, I began researching my best options, and, after ruling out wall or ceiling heaters due to the layout of my space, opted for the Blumfeldt Venice electric heater. I chose to go with electric because I didn't want to have to worry about gas canisters for a tower style heater. The Venice not only had specs - size and heat radius - that ticked the boxes for what I was looking for, but also because it was within by budget - costing around £220.

Last but certainly not least, I chose it because I wanted a patio heater that wasn't just functional, but also stylish.

I bought a Blumfeldt lamp-style patio heater during lockdown so I could use my outdoor space more often year round

While my Blumfeldt patio heater has mixed reviews online, the most frequent complaint seemed to be that the heat didn't radiate enough for larger spaces. (As a shopping expert I can tell you that the best reviews to check out are the three-star ones - that way you generally get the pros and the cons!)

I was looking at heating a smaller area, so opted to take the chance and am glad I did.

In fact, my patio heater made me think even more about creating warmth in my outdoor space. Adding to the ambience I had created with an affordable set of fairy lights, I also bought an inexpensive tabletop bioethanol fireplace to add another level of cosiness.

Which patio or garden heater should you buy?

If you're wondering what the best patio or garden heaters to buy are, the top options are electric heaters, gas heaters and Love Island-style fire pits (even the Prince and Princess of Wales have one!)

With a host of outdoor heaters available these days, there are plenty of options that will add instant warmth to your patio or garden.

For my edit of the best patio heaters, I took some main points into consideration:

Top ratings and reviews: Since I haven't been able to try each patio heater personally, I scoured scores of patio heater reviews and ratings from verified shoppers on trustworthy retail sites including John Lewis, Homebase, Wayfair and Amazon to help me evaluate the best options to buy.

Style: While of course function comes first, I didn't leave style considerations out since patio heaters are usually a very visible element in your outdoor space. Aesthetics are important if you are trying to create the most relaxing and comfortable garden, patio or terrace that you'll want to spend more time in.

Price: While patio heaters can run up into the thousands, not everyone is ready or able to majorly splash out on outdoor heating. So you'll also find patio heaters that are affordable for smaller budgets.

Brand reputation: While it's great to find a bargain, brands that we love and trust that have established reputations are our main go-to - so you'll find such reliable outdoor heating specialists like Blumfeldt, Kettler and La Hacienda on the list.

There are certainly plenty of functional-looking models on the market, but if you’re looking for something that’s not just effective, but will also add a chic touch to the decor of your patio or garden, we've taken a look at the best outdoor heaters with great reviews that look and work great, too.

Which are the best patio heaters?

The short answer is: It depends! With so many aspects to consider when deciding which to buy, you first need to decide what your priorities and needs are, from energy efficiency to how much space you need to heat and of course what your decor inspiration is, from rustic to modern, relaxed or formal. There are even patio heaters with built-in Bluetooth speakers and lights for the ultimate garden party vibe.

Star Electric Heater with LED Light & Bluetooth Speaker, £129.99, Amazon

Choosing a patio heater: My experience

Which patio or garden heater should you buy?

Which are the best patio heaters?

What is the most efficient patio heater?

Can you use a patio heater on decking?

What is the best outdoor electric heater?

Best standing electric patio heaters

Best hanging patio heaters

Best tabletop patio heaters

Best wall-mounted heaters

Best parasol patio heaters

What is the best outdoor gas heater?

Best small or under table patio heaters

What is the best outdoor bioethanol fireplace?

What is the best outdoor fire pit or chiminea?

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