Camping heaters have changed the lives of those who travel to the coldest places on Earth. Yeah, you heard it right. When camping, people get themselves a camp, food, and other essential things needed. A tent heater is one of them. They keep the tents warm and are good to go-for travelers. What makes them more interesting is their small size. They are easy to carry and do not occupy much space in the bag while touring around.
Now you must be thinking about where to get these heaters from? Don’t worry, there are many in the market. Choosing the perfect one among many can be hectic. However, they come in different styles, colors, sizes, features, and budgets. A huge variety allows people with different demands to pick one of their choices.
So, without further ado let’s move forward. In this article, we are going to talk about some of the best battery-operated heaters, and why should you go for them? Let’s begin with our favorite pick!
Our Top Picks
Here we are going to talk about the top 5 camping heaters of 2024.
1. SereneLife Portable Generator – Best Overall
Our favorite pick is the Serene Life portable generator. It comes with dual AC outlets and a USB. They offer a charging facility for phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras. Also, this product offers 3 charging modes i-e, you can charge it through a solar panel, wall socket, and car socket. Moreover, the upgraded power capacity of 42000 mAh is there. It has an emergency backup for traveling.
Also, it comes with a built-in battery (1) indicator and LED flashlight. This product is safe to use. It plays a great role in traveling to mountains, beaches, and other colder parts of the world. To talk of the design, it’s perfect. While outdoors, this product has the capability of providing a short-term solution for devices with low batteries. Lastly, it’s a small-sized bomb, packed with a lot of features, making life easier.
Pros:
- Gas free
- Comes with 3 charging portal
- Perfect for home away emergency power supply
- High-end generator with 3 outputs.
Cons:
- Makes an annoying noise when used in AC mode
- Difficult to charge large appliances
2. Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer
This product is mentioned in the list of “Best Portable Power Station for Use In the Outdoors”. It’s one of the amazing and easy-to-carry lithium power generators. 518-watt battery, USB ports, DC ports, AC outlet, and a carport are the features which some with his product. The structure of the product looks like a basketball with easy-to-carry handles. It’s best for road and mountain trips. Furthermore, it won’t let your appliances run out of charge.
Also, you can charge this tent heater through solar energy (2). The Wall socket and carport are there to charge it as well. The product’s interior and exterior design is so cool, which makes it easy and safe to carry. This is a no-noise product and provides the power supply with peace. With all these features, you can get this product. Thanks to modern technology for providing us with such an amazing product!
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Different ports for charging
- Highly durable
- AC charging compatible
- Noise-free
Cons:
- Very expensive
- Availability of sunny environment to use it
3. Lasko 6405 Space Heater
Lasko has come up with an amazingly designed product. It gives a modern yet antique look and you can place it as a decorous item in any corner of the house. With every product come features, so do this one. It’s an efficient heater with a spectacular performance. And of course, one cannot ignore the design. It comes with an iron stand on which you can place it. The stand beautifies the look of the heater.
To talk of features, it’s fully assembled, provides oscillation, and has an adjustable thermostat. It includes an automatic turn-off timer. It offers oscillation to wide coverage. Not only this, it gives 1500 watts of warmth with a set of low and high temperatures. Also, beware. You must not plug the heater into any other cord device. Such as a cord reel, surge protector, power strip, or dual adapter outlet.
Pros:
- Provides oscillation for broad coverage
- The beautifully designed ceramic heater goes with the decor of the home
- Offers 1500 watts of warmth.
Cons:
- Overuse can cause the heater to spark
4. Honeywell HeatBud Ceramic Space Heater
First of all, the design of this heater is very cute and modish and comes with spectacular features. Some of them include providing warmth to the person and are good for home, school, or office use. Comes with one easy button and 2 wattage heat settings. The heating process is smooth and easy. It consumes only 250 wattages and has an overheat protection with a cool handle. Since peace and comfort are part of life, this heater has all to offer. You can take it wherever you go, and enjoy it!
This is a pocket-friendly product and can stop you from spending extra money on other expensive heating appliances. You can place it in the living room, guest room, or wherever you sit with your family and enjoy the warming effect of this space heater. Moreover, this heater is a go-to product if you are in search of something which offers energy and money-saving feature. So, there you go!
Pros:
- Has a manual control and two heat settings
- Cool handle, overheat protection, and a tip-over switch
- The quick and easy warming effect
- Highly durable
- Fully assembled
Cons:
- Letting it on for the whole night can cause damage
5. COSTWAY Oil Filled Radiator Heater
Do you want an immediate and effective warmth from the cold atmosphere? You are in the right place. Costway brings you an amazing heater with loads of features. The features include 3 heat settings and an adjustable thermostat, allowing you to set your heating requirements as needed. It’s packed with an overheat protection and a tip-over switch. In case, if the overheating happens, the heater turns off itself, thus preventing the damage.
The design of this heater is quite compact, nice, and goes with any sort of home decor. Moreover, instead of fan oil, it is used as a heat source, which makes it less noisy. So, it’s good to use while you’re working or sleeping. This heater has a leakage-free design, which means it prevents the leakage of oil. And is made of high-quality iron. Another thing which makes it interesting is that it has 4 wheels attached. This way you can take the heater anywhere by moving it, and enjoy it!
Pros:
- Has 3 heat settings
- Overheat protection safety
- Made with good quality iron
- Leakage free
- Includes caster and a handle for carrying it
Cons:
- If leakage happens, it can lead to a hazard.
Choosing The Best Camping Heater: A Buying Guide
Types of Heater
There are 3 types of heaters, which are propane, butane, and electric. Each one of them has different features, advantages, and disadvantages. They equally play a perfect role in keeping the tents warm. However, let’s take a tour;
Propane
These are portable heaters and are considered good for camping. They do not require any fitting of gas pipes etc. You can carry them with you and they easily offer warmth in high-altitude areas.
Butane
These are also known as gas heaters. They produce carbon monoxide and can only be used in a place where there is proper ventilation. Otherwise using it indoors without ventilation can be hazardous.
Electric
They work on electricity. The electrical energy converts into heat energy and provides warmth. Hence, this one consumes a lot of electricity, thus making you pay more bills.
Among the above three types, propane is the best suitable heater for camping.
Size & Weight
While camping you need to take care of the load of baggage you carry. If the camping does not include long mountain hiking, then you can carry the extras with you. But if the hiking is gonna be long, then you must take care of the stuff’s weight. It includes the size and weight of the tent, utensils for cooking, clothes, and how can one forget a heater? Portable camping heaters come in various shapes and sizes.
The size and weight of these heaters vary. You can carry the smaller one easily. Not only this, but they include overheat protection, safety features, and USB ports for charging the devices. However, tent heaters keep the tents warm and give a soothing environment. Now you must be thinking about which heater to go for? Don’t worry, we have discussed the top 5 heaters. You can take an idea from them.
Safety Features
These heaters are not complex tools to use. They are packed with a lot of safety features. Every other tent heater today brings safety features. They are a must to buy when going on an adventure. Since tent heaters are going to be used in a closed and small environment. Make sure you choose the one which has an automatic shutoff or a tip-over switch option. Such heaters upon overheating shut off themselves to prevent damage.
Heat Output
Since tent heaters are the best buddies of the campers when it’s so cold. Here we will let you know about the heat output. The output of a tent heater is measured in BTU. For small-sized camps, 1000 to 5000 BTUs work the best. While for large camps 7000 BTUs or more than that work efficiently. They also have options for adjusting the temperature. So, you can change the temperature accordingly.
What is a BTU?
It’s a unit of heat. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1 degree F.
Are Combustion heaters measured in BTU?
Yes, the combustion heaters are measured in BTU. The propane heaters or the ones that use natural gas have a BTU of about 2500 to 20,000 or more. Although the smaller tents have less BTU as compared to the large tents.
Electric tent heaters are measured in wattage:
As electric heaters consume a lot of wattages, you can keep a check on them. It is mandatory to know how much wattage it consumes. This will tell you how much energy it consumes and the energy it produces too. In terms of using them at home, if they consume extra wattage, they can blow the socket fuses. So, make a wiser choice.
People Also Ask
Q.How does a camping heater work?
A.As they are portable heaters, you can carry them to your tents. They can be charged through solar energy and a car USB port. When their charging is full, you can turn them on and adjust the temperatures accordingly.
Q.Do tent heaters save money?
A.Yes, tent heaters are pocket friendly to some extent. The solar ones do not consume electricity and hence are light on the pocket. Electric ones are costly because they consume a lot of electricity by turning electrical energy into heat energy.
Q.What’s the cost of tent heaters?
A.The price of these heaters ranges between 75$ to 350$. Although, each heater comes in various sizes with different features. The more the features, the more the price. And the lesser the features, the lesser the price.
Q.Are the camping heaters safe to use?
A.Yes, they are safe to use. They come with a built-in safety system which is the availability of a tip-over switch or an automatic turn-off system. Upon overheating, they turn off automatically to prevent any haphazard. Also, the heaters which work on oil should be used in a place where there is ventilation. They produce carbon monoxide which can cause suffocation if there’s no ventilation.
Q.How effective are tent heaters?
A. They keep the tents warm and are good for immediate heating. They are highly effective and work with more efficacy if a tent is well insulated.
