Outdoor Patio Heaters: Shapes and Sizes to Meet Your Needs

By Laura Christianson

I love to sit outside on my patio in the evenings. Problem is, it’s chilly.

My neighbors have a couple of outdoor heaters, and let me tell you, those babies really crank out the heat. Being a cold-blooded person, I decided it was time to invest in my own patio heater. I was flabbergasted by the variety of stylish (yes, I said stylish) heaters.

You can get propane, natural gas, or electric, portable or permanent. You can put ‘em on your patio, balcony, or terrace or in your gazebo, garage, or shed. Stainless steel and hammered bronze are the hot (pun intended) finishes this year.

Rich’s understands the needs of us always-cold Western Washingtonians, so they stock a full line of outdoor heaters. Not only that, but many are fully assembled and they’ll give you a demo, right there in the store. Prepare to warm up, quickly!

Here are a few of the models I discovered while I wandered around Rich’s Lynnwood showroom. I’ll start small and move up to the 7-foot tall ones later in this article.

Aura 1200 Watt heater

This little guy, which would be perfect for mounting in a garage or shed, cost $199.99 + tax when I was in Rich’s.

Parasol Electric Patio Heater

It doesn’t spin like a ceiling fan, which would be kind of dangerous, but this indoor-outdoor infrared heat lamp has three burners. This umbrella heater folds up when you’re not using it.
 
Arizona portable stainless steel tabletop heater

I love this little guy, which was $149.99+ tax during my recent trip to Rich’s. I’m showing you two shots: the manufacturer’s image, and a shot I took of it on a patio table, so you can see just how portable it is.

Portable hammered bronze stainless steel heater

Like its cousin above, only dressed up.

Pub table with built-in electric heater

I really, really like this one, and asked the folks at Rich’s to demonstrate it for me. The tabletop warms up and you can set mugs of coffee or tea or whatever on the table and they’ll stay warm. Additional heat flows through the vertical tube, keeping your legs and body toasty while you enjoy the sunset.

87-inch tall hammered bronze patio heater with table

Now we get to the big guys! Imagine the pub table above, only much, much taller.

88'" tall tapered stainless steel heater with table

Tall, sleek, and sexy. Can a heater be sexy? This one is.

Quartz glass tube – stainless steel

This one wins my award for best futuristic-looking heater. (This model also comes in hammered bronze.) I haven’t seen it in action, but I’ve been told by the knowledgeable salespeople at Rich’s that flames shoot up the quartz tube in the middle.  Who knew a heater could provide entertainment?

Heat up at Rich's

Stop by any of Rich's five Puget Sound showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Southcenter, and Silverdale. Many of our outdoor heaters are on the showroom floor and available for you to test.

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