If you spend a significant amount of time in your garage, whether it’s working, exercising, or just hanging out in a converted space, it can get pretty uncomfortable during the colder months especially if it is uninsulated.
A portable gas or electric heater is the best way to warm up your garage. It requires minimal setup and you can move it around the garage with you.
To find the best heaters for a garage, we compared several heaters on factors like heat output, fuel type, and temperature controls. All our top 5 picks are highly rated by customers, they are easy to use, and they come with multiple safety features.
What You'll Learn Today
- What To Consider When Buying The Best Heater for Garage
- Best Heaters for Garage
What To Consider When Buying The Best Heater for Garage
1. Electric vs. gas heater
The first thing to decide is whether you want an electric or gas heater.
Small 1500W electric heaters plug into a wall outlet, while higher wattage ones need to be hardwired by a professional. While small electric heaters require no installation, heat output is lower with a 1500W heater able to warm a small space up to 150-200 square feet. They are ideal for small 1-car garages, and even then, you need to keep the heater close to you.
If you have a larger garage and you want an electric heater, get a hardwired one.
Portable gas heaters typically run on propane. You can connect it to a propane bottle or tank. Gas heaters can produce a lot more heat than electric heaters, making them ideal for large garages, uninsulated garages that get really cold, and places with extra-chilly winters.
Two other things to consider when picking between an electric or gas heater is cost and safety.
- Electric heaters are safer to run indoors since they do not have any emissions. If you get a propane heater, make sure it has an oxygen depletion sensor with auto shut-off. Also check that you have adequate ventilation and install a carbon monoxide detector.
- Gas heaters are cheaper to run compared to electric heaters, particularly for heating a large garage for a prolonged period.
2. How much space can it heat?
For garages under 500 sq. ft., get a plug-in 1500W electric heater (ideal for 200 sq. ft. or smaller) or a gas heater with an output between 4,000 and 12,000 BTUs.
For garages bigger than this, get either a hardwired electric heater rated at a minimum 5000W or a gas heater with an output above 12,000 BTU. Most manufacturers will indicate the recommended square footage on their product description, so you should be able to pick a perfectly sized heater for your garage.
Note: If you have a large garage, you can still get a small heater and position it close to you. We recommend an infrared/radiant gas or electric heater as it will be more efficient and warm you more effectively compared to a forced air heater.
3. Temperature controls
Whichever garage heater you get, it should come with temperature controls so you can adjust how warm you feel and how much fuel or electricity it uses.
Some heaters offer 2-3 heat levels, while others have a thermostat so you can pick a precise temperature.
4. Safety features
All heaters are potentially hazardous; here are the must-have safety features to look for.
- Oxygen sensor in gas heaters to detect when oxygen levels are low and automatically shut-off the heater.
- Tip-over auto shut-off in gas and electric heaters.
- Overheat protection in gas and electric heaters.
- Protective grill or guard in gas and electric heaters.
Be especially careful with propane heaters. When buying, make sure you get one that is designed for safe indoor use. It’ll have more safety features compared to outdoor-only propane heaters.
Don’t forget to install a carbon monoxide detector in the garage and ensure you have adequate ventilation. Do not rely only on the oxygen depletion sensor in the propane heater.
Best Heaters for Garage
1. Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater MH9BX
If you need a small propane heater for a 1-car garage, we recommend the Buddy Heater MH9BX from Mr. Heater. It has a heat output between 4,000 and 9,000 BTU, enough to warm a space of up to 225 square feet.
The Buddy Heater uses infrared technology, making it quieter and more efficient compared to forced air heaters. You can adjust between the low (4,000 BTU) and high (9,000 BTU) temperature setting.
It comes with a 1lb propane bottle that lasts 6 hours on low and 9 hours on high. If you want longer-lasting heat without having to keep changing bottles, you can hook it up to a 20lb tank, though you’ll need to buy a flexible hose and filter.
The Mr. Heater Buddy heater is designed for portability and durability. It’s compact, easy to carry around, and tough. When you are not using it in your garage, it’s great for the porch, as an indoor emergency heater, or for camping.
Safety-wise, the Buddy heater has a built-in oxygen sensor, tip-over protection, and a thick wire grill at the front. Of course, you’ll also need to take your own precautions, including having good ventilation and a carbon monoxide sensor.
What we like about it
- Highly portable – you can move it around the garage to keep the heat close to you
- Powerful radiant heat output
- Easy to operate
- Refillable propane bottle
- Can also be attached to a propane tank
2. Dura Heat EWH5510 Electric Forced Air Heater
If you want an electric heater powerful enough to heat a large garage, get the Dura Heat EWH5510 electric forced air heater.
The 240V, 5000W heater produces up to 17,060 BTU, enough to warm a 750 square foot garage.
Being a 240V heater, this needs to be hardwired by a professional, so it’ll cost some money to install. It also doesn’t offer the same portability as a plug-in electric heater. On the upside, it offers powerful and even forced air heating throughout your garage.
The Dura Heat EWH5510 uses a thermostat for heat control, meaning you can select a precise temperature between 49 and 99 degrees. The heater comes with a remote, so you can lower or increase temperature without having to walk to the heater.
Build-quality is solid; the heater has a steel body that is set in a scratch-resistant cabinet. It can withstand a rough garage or workshop environment.
What we like about it
- Great for large garages
- Overheat protection
- Adjustable louvres for directed heat
- Can be mounted on the wall or ceiling – mounting bracket is included
3. Amazon Basics Ceramic Space Heater
If you want a cheap electric heater for a small garage, we recommend the Amazon Basics ceramic space heater. It’s a basic 1500W plug-in heater for spaces under 200 square feet, making it suitable for warming small garages.
Weighing just 3lbs, the heater is compact and highly portable, so you can use it anywhere in your home, not just the garage. There are only two temperature settings: high (1500W) and low (900W).
For safety, it has tip-over auto shut-off and overheat protection.
What we like about it
- Fast ceramic heating
- Great for small garages
- Highly portable – you can take it with you wherever you are in the house
- Affordable
4. Mr. Heater 18,000 BTU Big Buddy Pro Series Portable Propane Heater
Mr. Heater Big Buddy is the best choice if you want a powerful propane heater that can comfortably warm a 2-car garage.
Big Buddy’s 18,000 BTU output can heat indoor spaces up to 450 square feet. You can turn the heat down to low (4,000 BTU) or medium (9,000 BTU).
The Big Buddy heater comes with two refillable 1lb propane bottles with a combined runtime of 10.8 hours on low, 4.8 hours on medium, and 2.4 hours on high. You can also attach the heater to a 20lb propane tank.
Big Buddy is built just as ruggedly as the smaller Mr. Heater Buddy heater, making it suitable for use in rough environments like a garage workshop or outdoors. It’s also highly portable with a built-in handle to make it easy to carry around. So you can take it camping with you if you need a heater suitable for a large tent.
For safety, it has auto shut-off if it detects low oxygen levels or if it is tipped over. A thick grill on the front keeps curious kids and pets from burning themselves.
What we like about it
- Great for large garages
- Refillable propane bottles
- Can be hooked up to a 20lb propane tank
- Easy to use piezo ignition
5. Dreo 1500W Portable Electric Space Heater
The Dreo space heater has about the same heating capability as the Amazon Basics heater. Both are rated at 1500W and can warm spaces under 200 square feet.
However, the more expensive Dreo heater comes with more advanced features and a nicer-looking design. The most notable one is a programmable digital thermostat, meaning you can select a precise temperature between 41 and 95 degrees. It even has a remote control so you can adjust temperature without having to walk up to the heater.
For faster temperature adjustment, you can also choose between low, high, and medium. There’s also an eco and fan-only mode.
The Dreo heater can oscillate 70 degrees for even heat distribution. But you can turn the oscillation off when you want the heat directed in one direction only.
Safety features include overheat protection and tip-over auto shut-off.
What we like about it
- Designed to spread heat faster compared to similar space heaters
- Thermostat for precise temperature control
- Quiet motor and blade design
- Highly portable
