Best wood pellet patio heaters

When the weather gets colder, there’s little more comforting and relaxing than a wood pellet patio heater. These heaters emit more heat than most other heaters, are affordable to run, don’t require electricity, and produce little smoke. As an added bonus, you can even toast your marshmallows above the chimney. 

The best wood pellet patio heater for most people is the Wood Pellet Products Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater. It has a stainless body that provides safety, and it can burn continually for 3 hours straight. It also comes with glass panels to admire the fire through, and a 450 Square Foot (41.8 square meters) heating radius.

The Wood Pellet Products Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater may not be ideal in every situation, and a different wood pellet patio heater may be better for you and your lifestyle. Although none of these models are meant for grilling or smoking, they will keep your patio warm when you need it without having to clean out a fire pit.

• If you’re budget-focused, go with the QSTOVES Outdoor Wood Pellet Patio Heater (available on Amazon.com).
• If you’re an avid camper and want to take your wood pellet patio heater with you on trips, go with the Wood Pellet Products Lil’ Timber® Patio Heater (available on woodpelletproducts.com).

In this article, we’ll discuss each of the best wood pellet patio heaters listed, talk about why the Wood Pellet Products Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater is the best wood pellet patio heater that doesn’t require electricity, and go over each product’s pros and cons. Check out our top 5 picks for the best wood pellets for heating.

Best Overall: Wood Pellet Products Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater

Coming in first on our list of best wood pellet patio heaters is the Wood Pellet Products Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater. These wood pellet heaters are unique in design and will be the attraction at every gathering that you host at your home.

This heater is encased in a stainless steel body that adds protection to curious children and missteps that result in accidental grabs onto the heater. With this safety cage, you never have to worry about accidentally burning yourself.

The Wood Pellet Products Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater gives off 90 000 BTUs of energy, which is a lot higher than propane patio heaters. It’s capable of giving off warmth to around 450 square feet (41.8 square meters), meaning that your patio will be warm wherever you move around it.

If you stand near the heater, your whole body will get warm—not just your head nor just your feet. The wood pellet heater radiates heat throughout its structure and will keep at it for about 3 hours if it’s filled to capacity with 30lbs (13.6kgs) of pellets.

Depending on the weather temperatures outside, you can adjust the heat with the damper control knob, allowing you to use the heater all year round. Perfect for sitting on the patio at night.

Regardless of all its heat, it requires no electricity or gas. After a long usage period, you’ll barely experience any smoke and will only be left with a cup size of ash.

Pros

• Unique, safe design.
• Gives off 90 000 BTUs of energy.
• Emits heat to around 450 square feet (41.8 square meters).
• Provides heat throughout its height.
• Only requires eco-friendly wood pellets.
• Lasts for 3 hours with a capacity of 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) of pellets.
• Eco-friendly.

Cons

• Although it’s an investment, it’s pricey. 
• Instructions to assemble it are generally vague.

Budget-Friendly: QSTOVES Outdoor Wood Pellet Patio Heater

If you’re looking for a more conventional design and a budget-friendly heater, the QSTOVES Outdoor Wood Pellet Patio Heater is the best one for you.

With this heater, you can be sure to get more out than what you put in in terms of quality. It gives off 106,000 BTUs of energy for the low price of less than $1 per hour on wood pellets to fuel it. However, it gives off a heat radius of only 10 feet (3 meters), which is less than the Big Timber Elite® Heater.

The heater leaves little waste and is smoke-free and eco-friendly. You can leave your campsite without any evidence that you were there and have no smoke smell in your hair.

You can expect around 3 hours of burn time on just 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of fuel. It comes with a 6-month warranty. 

Pros

• Budget-friendly.
• 106 000 BTUs.
• 3 hour burn time on 20lbs (9kgs) of fuel.
• 6-month warranty.
• Readily available on Amazon.

Cons

• You can’t adjust the temperature.
• It provides a smaller heat radius.
• It doesn’t have an aesthetic design.

Portable: Wood Pellet Products Lil’ Timber® Patio Heater

If you’re an avid camper and want to take your wood pellet heater along to keep you warm during those cold seasons, then the Wood Pellet Products Lil’ Timber® Patio Heater is the best option for you.

It offers similar features as the Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater, but it’s just smaller, easier to transport, and much cheaper. 

It gives you a smaller heat radius of 300 square feet (27.8 square meters), and it can burn for 90 minutes on 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms) of pellets. However, you can refill it to burn for longer.

Pros

• Has similar features to the Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater but is smaller.
• Easy to transport.
• Affordable.
• Has a safety cage for protection.
• Warms you from top to bottom.

Cons

• Less burn time and smaller pellet capacity.
• Smaller heat radius.

Key Takeaways

After considering the heat radius, the heat adjustment feature, the wood pebble capacity size, the unique design, and the BTUs of energy produced, I found that the Wood Pellet Products Big Timber Elite® Patio Heater is the best patio heater for most people. Regardless of the extra cost.

However, the other wood pebble patio heaters don’t fall far behind and may prove to be the best heater for your lifestyle. Weigh up the pros and cons to make the best decision for yourself.