A basic patio heater might suit your needs fine, but if you want a little more finesse from your outdoor warmth then it's worth considering what other features might make alfresco living more enjoyable. If you’ve ever been to the Alps in winter, you will have experienced the sudden warmth on your body when the sun peeks through the clouds. One minute it’s freezing cold, the next you’re unzipping your skiing clothes because it almost feels like a summer’s day on the Costa del Sol. That, in a nutshell, best describes how infrared heating works. Carbon infrared heater got its name because the elements are made of carbon fibre, just like Edison's first light bulb. The name is actually quite misleading, because a carbon fibre lamp also contains halogen gas and is a type of halogen lamp. The characteristics of the lamp give longer service life and lower element temperatures. This gives softer radiant heat and can be experienced as warmer. Tests have shown that a carbon infrared heater heats the skin more efficiently and is therefore experienced as warmer despite a lower output. Halogen infrared heater If we find any major problems with how well the products function, they don’t make it onto our list.

If you want to know more about the efficiency of infrared heating, please read my article: Everything I learned about infrared heating efficiency.

There’s also a useful remote control included, as well as an on/off button on the side of the heater itself, and a total of 1800W of power which combined with an aluminium reflector makes for a very effective heat source. Quartz and other infrared heaters can get very hot, up to 1000 degrees Celcius (1800 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher for industrial heaters. Residential heaters are normally encased in cabinets that will not get too hot and can be touched.

A quartz heater is an electric heater that produces infrared (IR) radiation to provide warmth. Quartz heaters are available as indoor space heaters, outdoor patio heaters, or a heater designed for industrial purposes. This plain-white, safety glass-fronted model from Herschel serves as a towel rail, too, and comes with two chromium towel holders that make it the perfect model for bathrooms. The Select XLS is IP44-rated for low-velocity water sprays, but it will need to be professionally installed. Here’s an example. Let’s say you install your portable quartz heater next to the television and aim its wonderful warm rays toward the couch. If your heater only has an efficiency of 80%, 20% of the energy input is converted into heating the air. This heat will rise to the ceiling, and will not reach the couch. Infrared heating panels are only suitable for indoor use. They do not function well when there is a breeze, as their heat output is not intense enough.When it comes to the appearance of infrared panels, Mirrorstone has a lot to offer. The company’s range includes regular white panels, mirrored panels, panels with set images, and custom-image photo panels.

If you're looking for a cheap patio heater, then the Devola Core 2kW Freestanding Patio Heater is a budget option that does the job. Investing in one of the best patio heaters on the market can be a great way to maximise time spent al fresco and extend your enjoyment of your outdoor space. Cheap infrared panels are a good option for people who simply can't afford a high-end product. But, as the saying goes, you pay for what you get. The patented DeskClimate can be retrofitted for all desks with enough free space under the worktop and combines the advantages of a fan, a fan heater and infrared heating in just one unit. Infrared radiation comes in different so-called wavelengths. This works similarly to the different colors of visible light, which is also caused by different wavelengths.

Unlike fan heaters, which heat the air by using a lot of electricity (while also blowing dust around the home), infrared heaters have no moving parts and, just like the sun, the heat they emit cuts right through the air to alight on objects in the room – be that a living thing or a solid item. The following table shows the differences between quartz, and carbon infrared heaters as well as infrared panels. Common to both types of heaters is the medium wave spectrum. Many materials are especially receptive to infrared waves from this region of the light spectrum. The use of infrared heaters therefore contributes to the accelerated drying of water and other solvents and to economical processing of plastics and glass. The affordable Swan Wall Mounted Patio Heater can be mounted either vertically or horizontally on a suitable outdoor wall for year-round use, or attached to the ceiling if you have a suitable covered outdoor area. If you have a compact outdoor space that's short on floorspace, you don't like the idea of a tabletop heater cluttering your outdoor dining table, or you want a patio heater that will remain well out of reach of young children and pets, then a wall mounted patio heater could be a great option.

In this article, I will explain the difference between quartz heaters, carbon infrared heaters, and IR panels. I will discuss their:Beyond that, this versatile, compact, and affordable patio heater is very hard to fault, which is why it tops our list of the best patio heaters you can currently buy. Some infrared heaters are portable and have and can be installed anywhere you have a wall outlet available. Other heaters are designed to be mounted in a fixed spot.