Best Wall Mounted Patio Heaters – Don’t Let the Cold Stop You!
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The arrival of cold weather doesn’t have to freeze your favorite outside activities. The best outdoor wall mounted electric patio heaters will keep the outdoor party going long after the leaves have fallen.
From basic element heaters to models that can be adjusted by remote control, they’re small and unobtrusive yet powerful enough to keep your entertainment area toasty and your guests happy.
The best outdoor wall mounted patio heater is the Colliford Wall-Mounted Heater. This heater uses infrared radiation, has a decent heat output or wattage of at least 900 to 1500 W, and is safe to use in damp outdoor spaces.
In this article, I’ll give you an honest review of all the best wall-mounted patio heaters you can add to your porch, listing the pros and cons of each one. I’ll also offer a guide to help you decide which one might be best for you and your patio. So, let’s get into it!
Best Wall Mounted Outdoor Heaters Review
$129.99
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$161.10
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$699.99
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Wattage:
900/1500 watt settings
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1500 watts
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500/1000/1500 watt settings
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900/1800 watt settings
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3000 watts
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- Two Settings
- Remote Control
- Waterproof
- Overheat Protection
- Remote Control
- Timer
- Overheat Protection
- Three Settings
- Remote Control
- Timer
- Overheat Protection
- Heavy Duty and Waterproof
- Two Settings
- Beautiful
- Overheat Protection
- Incredibly Effective
- Remote Control
- Overheat Protection
Our Top 5 Outdoor Electric Wall Mounted Patio Heaters
Check out these heaters if you want to stay toasty on your patio this winter and avoid getting a heater that doesn’t even make a dent in the cold. I tried and tested each one, plus a few duds that didn’t make the list, to find the best one for my outdoor spaces.
So, here are my favorite wall mounted patio heaters and some reasons why they are great options:
1. Best Overall Wall Mounted Patio Heater: Colliford Wall-Mounted Heater
I tested this outdoor electric heater mounted on the wall above my patio doors, with the cable fixed with cable grips running into an outdoor power socket alongside the door frame. It didn’t feel like I was short on cabling, but you should check the distance between the space you want to heat and the nearest socket.
This small heater has three different heat levels, which is great for use in chilly spring and fall weather, too. This heater uses is infrared heat, not convection, so it won’t be lost to the wild if you mount it outdoors on a patio.
You can stick it to a wall or a ceiling, increasing your options in a tight space. Comparing the best wall-mounted outdoor heaters, this heater’s main drawback is the size; it’s pretty wide compared to alternatives.
However, for the price and effectiveness, this one is the best outdoor and wall-mounted electric patio heater.
Pros
- Offers three different variations of heat
- Can be mounted to a ceiling if space isn’t readily available
- IP65 waterproof rating means you needn’t worry about the rain
Cons
- The longer design takes up additional space
- Heavier than you’d expect for an aluminum design
- No rotation or movement for heating wider areas
2. Best Value: Trustech Patio Heater
This heater is small but does a fantastic job, and it’s quite a bargain. It’s one of the best outdoor electric patio heaters for enclosed spaces like sunrooms and screened-in porches, though it’s also suitable for close-range patio lounging.
The built-in LCD is good for seeing when you’ve reached the desired temperature. However, you’ll probably want to keep it chugging away for wide, open spaces.
But if you don’t, there’s a timer you can use to shut it all down automatically — I found this great for when I’ve got guests and a million other things to think about.
My main gripes are that you can’t leave this exposed to the elements, as it isn’t waterproof, plus it sucks a lot of power. The highest setting may dim your lights if you have a limited outdoor power supply or generator.
And while the timer is great, I wish it could remember your settings between uses.
Pros
- Covers a large area
- You can use the timer for auto shut-off
- Built-in LCD screen clearly displays the temperature inside the room
- Comes with a remote control
- The power cord is long enough
Cons
- Not suitable for all-weather use
- Looks cheaper than my favorite heater, above
- Sucks a lot of power on the highest heat settings
- The timer doesn’t “remember” your preferences from one day to the next.
3. Best For Small Spaces: Trustech Outdoor Patio Heater, Infrared Heater with1500W, Remote Control, and Timer
This is the best electric wall mounted patio heater for your outdoor spaces if you want a compact and light design. This one is easy to move around, which makes it really easy to install. And it has two great features that more than make up for the negatives.
You’ve got an automatic shutdown for when the heater senses that it’s overheating, as well as a timer you can set so it’ll turn off by itself if you forget to do it when the night ends.
As far as the downsides go, it can be quite loud. It makes a humming sound that’s hard not to notice. So, if you are sensitive to sound, this might not be the one.
Also, the mounting brackets are pretty flimsy, though you can at least remedy this by just buying some separately — don’t let it put you off.
Pros
- Really lightweight and doesn’t take up much space;
- Three settings — low, medium, and high heat output for varied weather
- Automatic shutdown when the area reaches the desired temperature
- A 24-hour timer lets you rest easy if you forget to switch it off when you turn in for the night
- Waterproof and safe for outdoor use
Cons
- The mounting brackets are fairly flimsy
- Less powerful than my top two heaters
- At lower heat output settings, this heater tends to hum
4. Best for Damp Areas: Thermoflow Far Infrared Heater with Timer & Remote, HS1800NA 1800W / 900W Plugin
This wall mounted outdoor electric heater is a little larger and heavier than some of the others, so you’ll need to make sure you make good use of the mounting brackets and attach it firmly.
Still, you won’t need to worry about mounting it within arm’s reach as there are no manual controls. Don’t misplace the remote, or you’ll be stuck with an attractive ornament you can’t use.
There’s a built-in timer with 1, 2, and 4-hour limits, or you can just have it run indefinitely until you switch it off. The safety feature will also kill the power if the element hits 248 degrees Fahrenheit, keeping you safe from fire hazards.
I marked this one down mainly due to the heat output. There are only two different settings, and while the highest — 1800W — is more powerful than the 1500W offered by some of the above, more impressive heaters, it just never seems to get as warm as those.
Pros
- The most stylish of the heaters I looked at
- The timer comes with multiple settings to choose from;
- Overheat protection set at 248 degrees Fahrenheit protects against accidents
- Comes with two heat settings
- Black anodized aluminum is IPX4 water-resistant and anti-glow to preserve the style
Cons
- Only has two heat settings — 900 and 1800W
- Again, this is also lacking any manual controls on the unit itself
- Slightly heavier and thus harder to install than the other contenders
5. Most Powerful Heater: Commercial SunWave Ultra Quartz Infrared Patio Heater 3000W 220-240V with Remote
This outdoor wall mounted electric heater is a powerhouse of radiant heat, perfect for large spaces and open patios. It’s quite large, so you’ll need to find a good place for it, but once you get it going, get ready for the coziest winter ever!
One thing I liked about this electric heater is that the power cable is plenty long enough to reach an extension socket — within reason, of course.
I also appreciated that you can install multiple of these heaters yet still only use a single remote control for all of them by pointing it directly at the one you want to control.
On to the drawbacks. The main niggle for me was that the heater doesn’t have a standard USA plug. Instead, it’s a three-pronged plug, meaning you’ll need an adapter. I also found the instructions to be of little use during installation. And, of course, don’t mount it too close unless you want a sun tan.
Pros
- Decent length of cord for reaching the outlets
- Up to 3000W output, the highest I’ve reviewed
- The Remote is compatible with more than one heater installed simultaneously
- In addition to remote control, there are manual controls built into the device itself
Cons
- Mounting instructions can be a little difficult to follow
- Up close, this heater can almost be too much
- Doesn’t have a standard USA plug, so you’ll need an adapter
- You may need to upgrade your electrical system to accommodate this beast
What Wall Mounted Patio Heater to Choose?
‘Wall mounted heater‘ is a pretty broad term for a whole bunch of different products.
You’ve also got the freestanding and ornamental heaters, but we’re not going to discuss those here. The great thing about wall mounted patio heaters is that you don’t even notice they’re there. They take up no space, leaving more room for guests or other decorative pieces.
The main differences to look out for when choosing a wall mounted patio heater are:
- Infrared vs convection. Some heaters give off a warming infrared glow, while others don’t.
- Wattage or heat output. Some emit a great deal of warmth, while others are mild and better for small spaces. Generally, you want your heater to have around 25 watts of heat per square foot of your patio.
- Weather resistance. Many patio heaters can chug away happily in the heaviest rainfall, while others need protection from the elements.
What’s the Difference Between Infrared and Electric Outdoor Patio Heaters?
The difference between infrared and other electric wall mounted patio heaters is how they generate heat. Infrared patio heaters use a glowing-hot heat element, or radiation, to heat a space. Other heaters, such as convection heaters, work like heated fans to disburse warm air.
Our most-loved heaters are a combination of convection heaters and infrared heaters. Convection heaters deliver warmth by heating the air and blasting it downwards. That warm air then rises above the cold air.
However, when heating a patio, you might want to stick with an infrared, electric, outdoor wall mounted heater.
How Do Infrared Heaters Work?
Infrared heaters work by heating the air through radiation using a hot filament. By radiating warmth like an electric stove, they offer direct heat instead of just blowing warm air out into the open.
Now, don’t freak out like I did when I saw the word ‘radiation’ on the box. This isn’t like having a nuclear reactor on your patio.
All objects radiate heat when they’re surrounded by cool air. It’s a totally normal concept and is completely safe.
We all absorb heat radiated from the sun and radiate heat into the air when it’s cold outside. So, the infrared heat given off by infrared heaters is no different from any electric radiators, underfloor heating, or towel rails you have in your home.
The type of heater you choose is completely up to you. There aren’t huge differences between the two. Because convection heaters heat the air directly, it can irritate some people with sensitive skin, for example. But this aside, they’re very similar products.
Until fairly recently, most heaters used convection because it was safer. After all, who wants a boiling hot piece of metal exposed inside the home? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen, especially around kids or pets.
However, modern designs superheat a filament protected inside a metal casing, making it much safer than it used to be. So, many people choose infrared instead of convection. It’s all about personal preference.
Picking the Best Wall Mounted Outdoor Patio Heaters
Your typical wall mounted outdoor heater will use the filament – or ‘element’ – I mentioned above. They’ll usually heat it to anywhere between 300 and 2600 degrees Celsius.
Obviously, you don’t want this anywhere near you or your guests, so it’s normally protected by a metal grill. But for extra protection, it’s also good to mount them on the wall, which is why I much prefer these to freestanding heaters.
When it comes to outdoor spaces, radiated heat is your friend. Convection heaters don’t really perform well in wide-open outdoor areas, as they diffuse hot air to the coldest spaces.
The hot air won’t stick around for long if you’re not in an enclosed space. But for enclosed spaces with protection against the wind, they can be just as good as infrared heaters, which is why I’ve not ruled them out.
Mounting Your Outdoor Heater
As we’re only looking at the best outdoor electric wall mounted patio heaters and not the freestanding type, you will have a small DIY job on your hands. The good news is that these heaters almost always come with brackets. The bad news is that these can sometimes be too flimsy to rely on.
You should aim to install your heater at a safe distance from the ground. I recommend testing on a safe, ground-level surface to work out the effective and “safe” ranges — the range at which you can bask in its heat without getting scalded.
Once you’ve worked this out, mount it to brick or wood, depending on the instructions provided by the heater.
Frequently Asked Questions About Outdoor Patio Heaters
When investing in a heater, you want to be sure that you get something you’ll actually use. Otherwise, all that money is going down the drain.
So, if you still have questions and want to get a better idea of how these outdoor heaters work, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about them – and all the answers.
Infrared patio heaters with a high wattage, like the Commercial SunWave Ultra Quartz Infrared Patio Heater or Dr. Infrared Indoor and Outdoor Heater for Patios, with a 3,000 watt output, heat open outdoor spaces very efficiently.
You can put a wall heater on an outside wall as long as the manufacturer’s instructions do not indicate otherwise. For an outdoor heater for areas like patios, be sure to read the product description or box to look for details about whether it’s safe to use outdoors or not.
Wall heaters are worth it since they radiate heat from above, preventing the heat from escaping before it can warm you up. They are also safer since they will not heat the floor or furniture but warm the air.
What Is the Best Wall Mounted Outdoor Heater?
So, to wrap things up, my clear favorite here was the Colliford Wall-Mounted Patio Heater. It’s an infrared heater, meaning it won’t dry out the air, nor will it blast all the heat away into the atmosphere, leaving you with no benefit.
It also had the best waterproofing of the more affordable heaters, and the levels of heat available through the various settings catered for both mild and cold weather — it didn’t leave me shivering or sweltering under the heat.
More On Winter
It is really a great and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
No problem Craig, thanks for reading!
Most air conditioners require a vent.
Sure do, thanks!