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November 1, 2022
By Bryan Oliver
Indoor heaters. Outdoor heaters. Kerosene. Propane. Electric. When it comes to instant warmth, there's a lot to choose from. So which one is right for you? Our Heater Buyer's Guide will help you find the right style and size for your needs.
Step 1: Choose Your Fuel
Electric heaters are among the most affordable and easiest to maintain. They come in a very wide range of sizes from compact units designed to heat smaller rooms, to shop heaters, to fireplace-style units designed to keep a large living room warm.
Propane heaters are more powerful and work faster than electric heaters, but because they use an open flame, they should only be used outdoors or in areas with excellent ventilation. They vary in size from small tank-top models to wall-mounted units and permanent fixtures, so it's easy to find the right one for just about any job. Our propane heaters range from 3,000 to 400,000 BTUs.
Kerosene heaters utilize a wick to soak up and burn kerosene. They are typically portable, and capable of producing over 200,000 BTUs without the need for dedicated ventilation. They are capable of heating large areas like garages and warehouse, and can be used for home heating in the event of a power loss (depending on state laws). Our kerosene heaters range from 50,000 to 210,000 BTUs.
Wood stoves provide effective heat while cutting fuel costs, but require dedicated ventilation. Some stoves burn either wood, wood pellets, or coal, and some even offer the benefit of a top cooking surface. Wood and pellet stoves are available in a wide variety of sizes capable of heating small cabins to modern homes.
Natural gas is one of the cheapest fuel options available, generally costing 20% to 50% less than the equivalent amount of electricity or propane. They require a gas hook-up and permanent installation, but often don't need venting (depending on state laws).
Step 2: Things to Consider
Electric Space Heaters: Convection vs. Infrared
Combustion Space Heaters: Indoor vs. Outdoor
Propane and natural gas heaters are a viable choice for emergency heating in the event of a power outage, but there are some things to consider:
Combustion Space Heaters: Vented vs. Unvented
Considerations regarding safety and legality need to be made when considering a combustion (propane, kerosene, wood, natural gas, etc.) space heater:
Features to Look For
There are a number of safety and convenience features to consider:
Step 3: Choose the Right Size
What kind of BTU output do you need? It all depends on the size of the space and how much warmer you want it to be. We put together this handy cheat sheet to make it easy:
1. How large is the are being heated in cubic feet? Calculate area dimensions as follows: Length x Width x Ceiling Height = Total Cubic Feet
2. How much does the ambient temperature need to be increased? Calculate as follows: Desired Temperature Current Temperature = Desired Temperature Increase
3. Calculate the BTUs required to achieve your desired temperature. Calculate: Total Cubic Feet x Desired Temperature Increase x 0.133 = BTUs required.
This should give you a good idea of what you need.
We also put together a simple sizing chart to give you a rough estimate:
Originally published January 1, 2019. Bryan is a veteran copy writer, avid shooter, and The Guide's resident internet junkie. He is both a dedicated outdoorsman and an avid indoorsman - for every minute he spends hunting and hiking, he spends two on the computer. He'll be bringing you the choicest YouTube clips and bite-sized nuggets from around the web.