A parasol heater is going to be your perfect solution if you are wanting to spend time enjoying your garden on lovely summer evenings, but are wanting a way to take the chill out of the air as the evening draws in. Parasol heaters are fantastic inventions because they take all of the positives out of a patio heater, but are then designed in a way that allows you to secure them onto a parasol!
There are a number of reasons why a parasol heater is a good option for your garden. Firstly, they are a great option for if you don’t have a considerable amount of floorspace on your patio. Not only this, but because the parasol heater will be positioned directly over where you are sitting, you can guarantee that you are going to make the most of the heat – rather than with a standard patio heater where it is going to be limited as to the space that it can cover. We also like the fact that they are raised away from the ground, so you don’t need to worry about young children or pets getting too close!
It can be so frustrating having friends over for a summer evening meal outside and having to rotate who sits at each end of the table to keep warm. So if this is what you are wanting to avoid this summer then look no further – we have included a parasol heater buyers guide with all the key features you need to consider, along with some of the best parasol heaters we have found.
Best Pick Parasol Heater – Gasdepot Real Flame
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In A Hurry?
If you have a summer gathering planned and are wanting to be able to make the most of your garden soon, then this is the part of the article for you. Filled with all the essential information that you need before you buy!
Size and Weight
The size and weight of the parasol heater that you decide to purchase is going to be really important – as you need to know that your parasol is going to be able to work with the parasol heater. Check for the size of the parasol heater – some will come with circular bulbs that will stay at the centre of the parasol whereas others will come with longer “strip” bulbs that will travel further out on the parasol. The strip bulbs are generally going to cover a wider area thanks to the bulbs spreading out over the parasol, but this does mean that you need a larger and stronger parasol. Some have a diameter of around 50cm whereas others go all the way up to 130cm in diameter.
You also want to check the weight of the parasol heaters as some of them can be quite heavy! This is fine for a larger, stronger parasol that is going to be able to take the weight, but older, more delicate models are potentially going to be damaged by having the heater connected to the spindles of the parasol!
Power and Bulbs
It is important to check how powerful your parasol heater is going to be as this will determine the heat that it is going to give up and how warm it is going to be able to keep you and your guests! We would recommend looking out for at least 500W bulbs as this is going to give a reasonable amount of heat. All parasol heaters that we have considered are mains powered so you are going to need to make this a consideration too…make sure to think about how long the cable is and whether this is going to reach to a plug socket that you can use. Some cables are around 2m in length which should be long enough for many gardens.
Don’t forget to also check how many bulbs actually come with your parasol heater! It is no use the parasol heater being 500W if it actually only comes with one bulb as this is still going to leave you rather limited as to the space that it can cover. We would recommend looking for models that come with at least 4 bulbs as these can then be spread at right angles around the parasol. However, there are some 2 bulb models that have stronger bulbs that will be able to spread a similar amount of heat. Some are going to offer up to 2000W of power when all the bulbs are used together and therefore heat, which is going to cover a considerably larger space.
TOP TIP: Make sure to check exactly how your bulbs work and heat you up. Some will work using infrared technology which means that they are specifically designed to heat YOU through the infrared rays rather than heat the air around them. This is really going to impact the type of heat that you feel from the bulbs when in your garden!
Best Budget Parasol Heater – Donyer Hanging Heater
- ※ 2 Heating Modes ：① 800W low heating; ② 2000W high heating
- ※ Real Fast：Rapid Heating get warm in 3 seconds.
- ※ Easy for installation：1m adjustable chain can disassemble and adjust the distance at any time and the most appropriate height for hanging is 70.9in to prevent children and pets from touching
- ※ Parameters：ΦA=42cm,2KGS,220-240V,50Hz,2000W, Heating scope: 65sq ft
- ※ For indoor and outdoor activities：Can be installed on indoor and outdoor ceilings, such as living room, garden, balcony, outdoor terrace and camping BBQ area；with UKCA/CE/GS/LVD/EMC/IP24 certificate
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Build Material
Always check what the parasol heater is going to be made from! Although your parasol heater is going to have SOME protection from the elements with the actual parasol, it is still going to need to be weatherproof!
We would definitely recommend looking out for parasol heaters that are made from stainless steel or aluminium as these are going to be strong, durable and safe from rust. For added protection, look to see whether the metal is powder coated as this will help to avoid any wear and tear from particularly bad weather conditions!
You may also find that some parts of your parasol heater are made from plastic. Some of the best parasol heaters will come with a plastic “cover” over the main part of the appliance which helps to provide an extra waterproof layer!
TOP TIP: We really like parasol heaters that have polished metal interiors as this helps to reflect the light from the bulbs to give more of a glow.
Fitting Your Parasol Heater
It is important to check how you actually fit your parasol heater, as they are all going to be different. Not only this but many parasols are designed differently, so some will be compatible with parasol heaters whereas others won’t be.
There are two main ways that you will find parasol heaters fit to your actual parasol. The first way is by fitting to the main pole of the parasol. This is usually achieved with a clamp that can be adjusted and fitted around various thicknesses to secure to the parasol. We particularly like these models because they will allow you to find exactly the right height to give you the level of heat that you need. The only real downside is that you need the fittings to be really good quality to make sure that they are going to be compatible with a variety of parasols and stay in place – but we suppose you would be foolish for not wanting good quality fittings regardless!
The other type of fitting are parasol heaters that connect to the outer structure of the parasol. These are going to need to be lighter as they are attached to the weaker parts of the parasol, but they are a great way to spread the heat over a wider area so are perfect for larger parasols and when you have more people that are wanting to share the heat!
If you are wanting the best of both worlds then look out for a pole fitted heated but that spreads out like a fan. These will have the benefit of the wider distance for the heat coverage whilst still being fitted to the central pole of the parasol.
TOP TIP: Most good quality parasol heaters will advise what size of parasol they are going to be able to fit to. This usually ranges from poles of around 20mm up to around 60mm.
The Best Parasol Heater Features
If you are splashing out on a parasol heater then it makes sense to find the best one that you can for your money! Here are some of the features that particularly stood out to us in the best parasol heaters!
- Heat settings – Some of the best parasol heaters will have a range of settings to choose from rather than just on and off! This will include the number of bulbs that you have on and the power that they are giving off at any particular time. The best will come with individual ON/OFF buttons so that your guests can control their own bulbs depending on how they are feeling!
- Adjustable height and angles – As well as models offering adjustable heat settings, some of the best parasol heaters will allow you to adjust the height and the angle of the bulbs (this is usually only for models where the bulbs are secured to the trunk of the parasol rather than the outer spindles). This allows you to vary the intensity of the heat even more by moving the bulb closer and further away!
- Safety grid – Make sure to check the parasol heater comes with grids covering the bulbs. Even though the heaters are going to be at a reasonable height it is always better to be safe than sorry, so a safety grid will just help to avoid anyone coming into direct contact with the bulbs.
- IP23 rating – This is the safety rating that you are going to need to look out for if you are wanting to make sure that your parasol heater is going to be waterproof enough to be able to cope being left outside!
- Bulb glow – Some parasol heaters will give off a really nice glow that helps to light up your patio or outdoor table as well as warming up you and your guests! Look at the colour of the bulbs and the light that they are going to give off!
- Adaptable fittings – You may find that at some point you are wanting to put your parasol away, but still want to be able to use your parasol heater through the winter. Well fear not – some models will come with adaptable fittings that will allow you to fix your parasol heater to a wall instead of a parasol should you so wish!
- ON/OFF Switch – This sounds obvious but some parasol heaters can actually only be controlled by being plugged in or not, which can become a real inconvenience.
- Coverage – Check the coverage that is offered by the parasol heater as this is so important! Some will offer up to around 30mᒾ coverage which is a great coverage for most gardens.
- Fold away design – It is particularly useful to find a parasol heater that comes with a fold away design. These will literally fold into the centre pole of the parasol so that you don’t have to remove the heater every time you want to put the parasol down!
Best of the Rest
- Powerful 1800w with 2 heat settings
- Infrared elements heat the body
- Exceptional long life, infrared elements provide more than 5000 hours of heat
- IPX3 rated for outdoor use
- Black steel construction
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- 4 x 500w bulbs making it perfect for heat distribution throughout your gazebo or parasol
- Extra long 5m power cord for convenience
- Can be used on any heavy duty gazebo and parasol
- Heavy Duty commercial grade Gazebo / Patio heater weighing 3.4kgs
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- The patio heater comes with Chains and hooks for quick adjustment of height if required
- The outdoor heater provides both heat and light for outdoor living space.
- The outdoor heaters for garden are with black aluminium frame with mesh for protection
- With CE certification and IP24 waterproof grade to prevent the garden heater from light rain or liquid. Two Heat Setting(1000W,2000W)
- Overall Size: 43L x 43W x 25H cm.
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Frequently Asked Questions
What warranty will parasol heaters come with?
Parasol heaters will normally come with around a 2 year warranty however we did find some models that offered up to a 5 year warranty. It is rare that you will find the parasol heater warranty covers the bulbs so check the average lifespan of the bulbs to make sure that you aren’t going to be replacing these regularly.
Can you get a solar powered parasol heater?
At the moment, the only parasol heaters that you will find are mains electric powered due to the amount of power that is needed to get a decent amount of heat from the bulbs. Solar powered patio heaters are available but these tend to be considerably more expensive and at the moment aren’t quite as powerful.
How do parasol heaters work?
Parasol heaters work using infrared heaters. Infrared rays are released from the bulbs and these heat up objects (including you) rather than the air themselves. This makes them safe to be used under parasols as you don’t need to worry about them heating up the air around the parasol and causing damage!
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