Propane vs electric patio heaters: coverage, heat, and cost

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Choose a standing propane heater for an open patio where one unit needs to warm a group without nearby power. Choose a placement-rated electric infrared heater for covered seating, focused warmth, lower operating friction, and better wind behavior. Check the exact manufacturer's clearance and placement instructions before installing either type.

Why cover rules out propane

Standing and tabletop propane heaters are open-sky appliances. Manufacturers specify overhead clearances that any roof violates, the tops run hot enough to damage or ignite material above them, and combustion produces carbon monoxide that accumulates in covered spaces. This is not a cautious over-reading; it is what the manuals say. Covered seating means electric, chosen from units rated for the placement.

Where propane wins, in the open

• Raw output. A standing unit delivers around 46,000 BTU, roughly nine times what a 1500W electric panel can draw from a standard outlet. Nothing electric on a normal circuit heats a seating circle.
• No wiring. It works at the end of a garden, on a driveway, anywhere a tank can go.
• The fuel already exists. Most standing units run the same 20 lb tank as a gas grill.

Where electric wins

• Safety under cover, which is the whole category of covered patios, porches, and garages.
• Zero fuel errands. No tank refills, no cylinder runs, no running out mid-evening.
• Wind behaviour. Infrared warms bodies and surfaces directly, so a breeze does not carry the heat away the way it strips convected warm air.
• Per-session cost. At typical utility rates, 1500W for an evening costs well under what the equivalent propane hours do, and dramatically less than 1 lb cylinders.

The honest matrix

Your seating	Buy
Open patio, group circle	Standing propane
Open, one dinner table	Tabletop propane
Covered patio or porch	Electric infrared, placement-rated
Garage or workshop	Electric infrared
Exposed and windy	Infrared where it reaches; otherwise a fire pit

Many patios sensibly end up with one propane and one electric unit doing different jobs. Our best patio heaters guide holds picks for all three formats, scored the same way.