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Patio heater buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

Amazon.co.uk mixes towers, wall bars, and hanging lamps as if they were the same appliance. A patio heater buying guide starts with the body you can fit, then the wattage and weather code printed in more than one place. The shelf price comes last. The [patio heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/patio-heater) holds the eleven listings and their scores. Named picks are on the [best patio heater](/hub/portable-heaters/patio-heater/sub/patio-heater-best) page. Peter F. checked those listings on 19 October 2026 and did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Amazon.co.uk mixes towers, wall bars, and hanging lamps as if they were the same appliance. A patio heater buying guide starts with the body you can fit, then the wattage and weather code printed in more than one place.

Our top picks

Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater

Best overall

Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater
8.2/10about £48.99
View offer
Donyer Power Donyer Power HCH2000DIV

Best value

Donyer Power Donyer Power HCH2000DIV
6.3/10about £33.99
View offer
Knightsbridge Knightsbridge HEOD1309BK

Alternative

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge HEOD1309BK
7.9/10about £40.04
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are heating
  2. 2.Tower, bar, or hanging lamp
  3. 3.Watts and weather codes that disagree
  4. 4.Plug, lead, and spares

What you are heating

An electric patio heater in this set is a radiant lamp. It warms the person and the chair it shines on. It does not heat the air of a whole garden the way a 10–13 kW bottled-gas mushroom is sold to do. If the job is two people on a bench under a cover, one lamp in the 1.3–2 kW band is the right class. If the job is an open lawn with no socket, that choice is the electric versus gas page. Mounting comes before wattage. Coverage lines such as 200 square feet on the Harrier are seller claims.

Tower, bar, or hanging lamp

A tower is the heater you might move. The Harrier is freestanding or wall-mounted, 2,000 W, IPX4, 9 kg, at £48.99 with 4.4 from 342 reviews. The Donyer HDYBHCH2000DI has 4.2 from 425 reviews at £69.99, and its voltage field says 110 V. A tower you cannot plug into UK mains is not a saving. A wall bar stays where you fix it. The Devola DVPH2400B (£119.99, 4.1 from 262) and DVPH2000B (£109.99, 4.4 from 157) list a remote, a timer, and Wi-Fi. The Donyer HCH2000DIV at £33.99 is the lightest bar. The SOUTHEATIC TW30R at £179.97 is the 3,000 W bar, with 4.7 from 11 reviews. The Knightsbridge is a 282 g head with a 3 m UK lead and a 1.8 m minimum height. If the seats are under fabric, clearance and fuel are on the gazebo page.
Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater

Testsieger

Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater
8.2/10about £48.99
View offer

Watts and weather codes that disagree

Read the title and the heat-output field together, then trust the plate. Both Devola heat-output fields say 1,200 W against 2,400 W and 2,000 W titles. The Donyer HCH2000DIV title says 2,000 W and the field says 1,500 W. The Harrier, the Knightsbridge at 1,300 W, and the SOUTHEATIC TW30R steps of 1,000 / 2,000 / 3,000 W agree with themselves. IPX4, IP24, and IP34 mean splash protection, so the heater belongs under shelter. Waterproof with no code, which is all the TW30R prints, is not an IP rating. The Devola 2 kW title says IP65 and the special-feature field says IP24. Several Pro Breeze reviewers say the instructions say indoor use only. A 110 V field on the Donyer tower has to be checked on the plate, because UK mains are 230 V.

Plug, lead, and spares

Great Britain domestic equipment is supplied with a BS 1363 plug. Electrical Safety First lists patio heaters up to 13 A and 3,000 W, and it says not to plan the installation around an extension lead. Outdoor sockets should be at least IP44 and on an RCD. The SOUTHEATIC TW30R can use that whole allowance, so it should not share the socket. The Harrier states 1.8 m, and reviewers often say that does not clear the base once the pole is up. The Knightsbridge states 3 m with a UK plug, on one heat setting and no IP code. The Pro Breeze states 182 cm. The Daewoo claims 5 m, and the only review says the cord was not that length. The Knightsbridge names a replaceable RS7 lamp, and the cheap Donyer’s reviews include bulbs dead within about a month.

Common questions

Should I buy a wall bar, a ceiling bar, or a freestanding tower?
Buy a tower if you will move the heater, and buy a bar or a hanging lamp if the seats stay put. The Harrier is listed as both freestanding and wall-mounted. The Donyer HCH2000DIV title says wall or ceiling, while its mounting fields say floor, so do not assume a stand is in that box. A hanging lamp still needs a structure that can carry it.
What do IPX4, IP24, IP34, and IP65 mean outside?
IPX4, IP24, and IP34 are splash ratings, so use a sheltered patio. IP65, where the listing and the manual agree, is a tighter weather claim and still not a licence to wash the heater. If the title says IP65 and another field says IP24, as on the Devola DVPH2000B, the plate and the manual decide.
Why does a title say 2,400 W when the specification says 1,200 W?
Amazon’s heat-output field and the product title are filled separately, and on both Devola listings they disagree. The Donyer HCH2000DIV does the same thing at 2,000 W in the title and 1,500 W in the field. The number that matters on the circuit is the one on the rating plate, read before you share a socket.
Do I need a remote?
You need a remote only if you cannot reach the switch once the heater is mounted. In this set the remotes are a frequent complaint, including dead units and Wi-Fi that works only near the router. The Harrier, the Knightsbridge, and the Daewoo do not state a remote. The Donyer HCH502 pull cord has its own failures.
Is a 3 kW heater too much for a 13 A plug?
Electrical Safety First puts patio heaters at up to 13 A and up to 3,000 W. A 3 kW heater can use that whole allowance, so it should be the only load on the socket. The SOUTHEATIC TW30R is the 3,000 W listing here, at £179.97 with 11 reviews and no IP code.

Related pages

How to use a patio heater

Patio heater

Best patio heater if the lead and the IP code agree

Electric vs gas patio heater for the site you have

Patio heater for a gazebo: height, fabric and fuel

Sources

Public UK sources for plugs, weather codes, LPG and the hourly arithmetic. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. Ofgem — Changes to the energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First — Patio heaters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Electrical Safety First — Ratings of electrical appliances (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. legislation.gov.uk — Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Liquid Gas UK — CGS 04 (August 2020) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE — Carbon monoxide FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Energy Saving Trust — Summer energy saving (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. BSI — BS EN 60335-2-30:2009+A13:2022 (retrieved 19 October 2026)