With spring well and truly with us and more opportunities to meet up and dine out upon us, many people are considering how to make their gardens a more comfortable place to eat, drink and relax safely with friends and family.

Given that the typical British springtime is still not terribly warm, especially in the evening, a BBQ outdoor heater is a tempting purchase, as it helps to heat the area around your garden, keeping you and your guests comfortable without having to dress in layers.

There are many kinds of outdoor heater, and many factors to consider when buying one. Here are the main considerations to make.

 

Power Source

There are many different patio heaters, of different shapes, sizes, BTU (British Thermal Unit) values and levels of portability. The most important part of an outdoor heater is how it generates heat, which is either electrical or utilising natural gas.

The former relies on mains power or in some very rare cases batteries and uses electrical resistance to generate heat, whilst gas heaters work as burners that radiate heat around an area, using either a gas main or gas bottle as the energy source.

If you have a gas main in your home, a natural gas heater will heat the area very quickly, and small bottles are available for tabletop heaters, whilst electrical heaters take some time to warm the ambient air.

If you plan on camping or otherwise transporting your heater, then you will need a heater with a portable supply.