Tips For Buying The Best Outdoor Propane Heater & Fire Pit

Extend your time spent outdoors with a propane fire pit and/or standing patio heater. Unlike wood, propane produces no smoke or smell, and heat is quick and easy to access. Just open the propane valve, press the igniter button and voilà, you have fire! Here are my tips for buying the best outdoor propane heater and fire pit.

In This Post

What To Consider When Buying a Propane Fire Pit or Standing Heater

• Propane Pros & Cons
• Key Features To Look For
• Buyer Beware

Propane Heaters

• PROPANE FIRE PITS
• PROPANE FIRE PIT TABLES
  • Flame/Wind Guards
  • Pit Covers
  • Protective Fire Pit Covers
• STANDING PROPANE HEATERS
  • Covers For Standing Heaters
  • Focused Heating

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IMPORTANT: No matter where you live, please check the local regulations…there may be limitations on what type of heating devices you can have, how big and how far from your home it needs to be.

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What To Consider When Buying a Propane Fire Pit or Standing Heater

Propane Pro’s	Con’s
– No smoke – No smell – No embers flying around – Easy to turn on/off at a moment’s notice – You don’t have to worry about having dry wood on hand to burn	– Propane fires do not give off as much heat as a wood burning fires – You need to keep a spare propane tank on hand

Key Features To Look For

The most important features to consider when buying a propane fire pit or standing heater are:

• Objective – Are you looking for ambiance or heat?
  • Let’s be real, all fire pits lend ambiance to a space. But if you want a unit that gives off a nice amount of heat, that will influence the number of BTUs (British Thermal Units) you want. More on BTUs next.
  • If warmth is your main objective, you might want to consider a wood-burning fire pit because wood burns hotter than propane. You can learn more about them in my Best Wood Burning Heaters post.
• BTUs (British Thermal Units) – If you want a propane heater or fire pit that produces significant heat, look for a unit with high BTUs. The greater the BTUs, the larger the flame and, therefore, the more heat the unit will generate. Propane fire pits and heaters generally range from 30,000 to 100,000 BTUs.
• Space – Before you buy, measure the area where you plan to use the heater or fire pit. If space is tight, such as on a terrace, you might consider buying a radiant heater. Learn more about my Indoor/Outdoor Radiant Heaters post.
• Safety – It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, you should adhere to the manufacturer’s suggested minimum distances from buildings, ceilings, furniture, and other structures. If using in an enclosed area, like a lanai, pagoda or apartment terrace, be mindful of the height of the roof and keep it at a safe distance from walls, screens, etc. 
• Longevity – Once you find a propane fire pit or heater that works for you, make it last by protecting it from the elements with a cover when not in use. 

Buyer Beware

Read the descriptions and fine print before you buy. Some fire pits can accommodate the propane tank, while others can not and some come with a separate propane tank holder. Some fire pits do not include fire glass (the rocks around the gas ring) or a fire/wind guard (the glass wall around the flame). So know what you’re getting before you buy.

Propane Fire Pits

When a friend of mine got a propane fire pit table and I immediately had pit-envy. I didn’t have room on my patio for a big rectangular fire pit table like hers, so I shopped around for a propane fire pit with a small footprint.

I found the perfect propane fire pit for our patio: a simple column-style that’s only 23 inches in diameter and 28 inches tall, see images below. It’s by Bali and puts out 50,000 BTUs. This fire pit has adjustable feet for uneven patios/decks, the propane tank hides away inside, it’s easy to move around, and it gives off a nice amount of heat. We love it.

When I purchased this fire pit in 2020, I thought it was reasonably priced at $209 since it included the blue fire glass and shipping. As of this update, the Bali propane fire pit is currently listed on eBay (where I bought it) for $279 and Amazon for $239 on sale, regularly $300.

Propane Fire Pit Tables

Propane fire pits tables are beautiful as well as functional. I wish I had space for one. Like everything else, they are available in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors.

Based on your style, space and budget, you can easily get lost down the rabbit hole looking (yes, I got a little lost). Amazon, eBay, Home Depot and Overstock all have similar, if not the same, options so compare prices before you buy.

I really like this 50,000 BTU square fire pit table by Legacy (pictured above left). It’s 28″ square and comes with a burner lid so it doubles as a table when not in use. As of this writing, it is $199 on Amazon, where it has glowing reviews and 4.6 stars from over 2,300 ratings!

If you’re looking for something rectangular (above center and right), this 50,000 BTU table by U-Max is $350. I think it’s a great deal because it comes with a flame/wind guard, a pit cover/burner lid, and a waterproof cover! It has a 4.6-star rating from 2,000 reviewers on Amazon.

Flame/Wind Guards

I highly recommend getting a flame/wind guard for your fire pit if it doesn’t come with one. A flame/wind guard is a fire-safe glass structure that goes around the flame. The glass adds an element of safety by keeping people’s things (like scarves) and pets (wagging tails) from catching on fire, especially if you buy a low cocktail table.

The above 20″ flame/wind guard by Bali wasn’t available when I bought my fire pit. The one I purchased is by Celestial Fire Glass and we’ve been very happy with it. It’s 17″ round, 6″ tall and cost around $100 on Amazon, where there are several sizes and shapes to fit most fire pits. Celestial Fire Glass has great reviews and the guard was easy to assemble. Try Vevor for square and rectangular guards. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, Home Depot also has lots to choose from. 

Tip: A trick I picked up while reading the reviews is to assemble the flame/wind guard upside. When you get one, you’ll see why.

Pit Covers

The pit cover serves three functions:

1. It prevents the fire pit from filling with water when it rains, and important function since a flooded burner won’t light.
2. A pit cover also keeps the protective fabric cover from sagging into the fire pit opening and pooling with water when it rains.
3. Lastly, a pit cover allows the fire pit double as a table when not in use.

An acrylic top can be ordered in a variety of different sizes, shapes and thickness. The circular one I ordered from Source One is 22” in diameter (my fire pit is 23″) and ¼” thick. It arrived quickly with a protective blue film that peeled off easily. Round acrylic covers can be ordered from 4″ to 48″ in diameter and from 1/16″ to 1″ thick. Square and rectangular sizes are also available in several 1/4″ and 3/8″ thick.

Protective Fire Pit Covers

I purchased my cover separately from Amazon and it fits perfectly over my fire pit with the clear acrylic top on. Of course, now Bali makes one specifically for my fire pit. But if your propane fire pit doesn’t come with a cover, there are dozens available on Amazon in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Standing Propane Patio Heaters

The best outdoor propane heater is the standing patio heater. We used to see them only at restaurants, hotels, etc., but they soared in popularity due to COVID-19 when everyone wanted to eat outside. Now, they’re widely available if you want one (or two) for your backyard.

Patio heaters come in two styles: pyramid and round. I bought a round heater because, in my experience, they give off more heat.

Round Patio Heaters

I got a great deal on Wayfair on a 47,000 BTU heater back in 2021 paying only $120. It’s currently on sale for $141. Photo #1 above is Amazon’s own 46,000 BTU heater, which has a 4.5-star rating from almost 11,000 reviews! It’s available in four colors with a starting price of $126 on sale, regularly $145, including shipping.

I really like the 50,000 BTU heater (image #2) by Hykolity because it comes with a reflector similar to the Sweet Heat heat-focusing reflector below. It’s available in two colors and is currently on sale for $120, regularly $130. Another good option is the Hampton Bay 48,000 BTU torch heater (#3), which has over 2,200 reviews at Home Depot and sells for $249.

Pyramid Patio Heaters

See More

Looking for a patio heater in a specific style or color? Start your search here on Amazon, Overstock or Home Depot.

Covers For Standing Heaters

After measuring my heater and researching covers, I bought one by AmazonBasics for $37 that fits perfectly.

Focused Heating

An excellent add-on for your round patio heater is a heat-focusing reflector called SWEET HEAT. It’s a simple but brilliant idea…a sheet of metal that attaches to the top of the round heater cap via 3 clamp screws. It takes less than 5 minutes to put on (just be sure to remove the protective film before attaching).

Just FYI, my heater cover does not fit with the Sweet Heat on. So measure your heater with it on before buying a cover or plan on taking the Sweet Heat off before you cover it, which is not a big deal. Also, there are a lot of Sweet Heat knock-offs now so be careful what you buy. 

Portable Radiant Heaters

Please let me know if you buy any of these outdoor heaters or if you have another you really like and would recommend.

All prices are accurate and items in stock (unless noted otherwise) at time of publication.