10 Best Tent Heaters 2020 [Buying Guide]

Your Authors and Guides

Heather
Patton

Jennifer
Trimbee

Samantha
Dewitt

How to Pick Your Tent Heater

Want the best tent heater for your upcoming, cold-weather trip? Keeping warm in the winter can be difficult without a little bit of help. So we compiled a list of all of our favorite camping heaters to help keep you cozy warm. When looking for a great tent heater, we picked six important stats to help you choose the right one for you. Here are those things you should look for when shopping:

Area: How big of an area does the heat cover? A heater has to work harder to move the heat around the space, requiring more fuel and a bigger heater, too.

Type: What sort of fuel does it use? There are electric models, battery-powered heaters, and even propane and gas models. Make sure the type is right for you.

BTU: BTU is a term that describes the amount of power that a heater uses. If a heater on this list doesn’t have a number here, it means it is an electric model.

Weight: How much does your heater weigh? If you will be carrying it around hiking or in a backpack to get to your camping site, weight can be very important to you.

Size: Make sure the heater won’t take up too much space in your backpack, tent, or cabin. Size is measured in inches, length by width by height.

Warranty: How long is your heater covered by the manufacturer? Warranties usually cover defects in the original product and keep you safe from lemons.

Top 10 Products

Now that all of that is out of the way, we’re going to head onto the heater reviews. If you’re in a hurry, then you can just check out the top two picks; the first will be our number one Top Pick and the inexpensive Budget Pick. Now, let’s get to those tent heater reviews!

Mr. Heater Buddy

We love the Mr. Heater Buddy! It’s an adjustable propane heat source for all of your camping needs. It heats up to 225 square feet, giving everyone in your tent plenty of warmth. It’s clean burning and approved for indoor and outdoor use. It’s one of the best tent heaters we’ve found that’s nearly 100% efficient; no wasted energy here! You can change the BTUs from 4,000 to 9,000, great for when you need just a little heat or a lot. The Buddy uses one-pound propane tanks and they last for four hours on the low setting. The Buddy is a fairly lightweight 10 pounds and is perfect for any small space where you need a little more heat. And, it comes with some great safety features like low-oxygen sensors and tip-over shut offs, too!

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Mr. Heater Little Buddy

Want something a little smaller? Well, Mr. Heater’s Buddy also has a Little Buddy! At half the weight and a much smaller size, the Little Buddy can keep everyone in your tent warm and cozy. At 3,800 BTUs, it can only heat a 95 square foot circle, but that should be more than enough for you and your tent! This indoor-safe heater is an inexpensive choice for the hiker looking to save some weight, space, and money. It’s our favorite little tent heater for sale! It can really heat things up for about 5.5 hours on a one-pound propane tank. It has all of the safety shut-offs you want for a small space and has a wire guard to keep you and your things from getting too close to the heat. It’s a great bargain for a great tool!

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Texsport Portable Propane Heater

The Texsport Portable Propane Heater isn’t kidding around when it says that it is “portable!” At 3 pounds and measuring 6 by 9 by 10.5 inches, this little heater is ready to go wherever you are heading. It looks a little like a little fan sitting on top of a propane fuel tank. It burns at 2,890 BTUs, covering about 100 square feet of space. It has a few great safety features too; the Texsport has a wide base to help prevent falls, and an auto shut-off shuts the propane down if the flame goes out. The whole thing is mostly made of aluminum and stainless steel, making it durable and strong. It’s a great addition to any tent, camper, or other tiny space that needs a little spark.

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Comfort Zone Personal Heater

Looking for an electric model? If you aren’t interested in propane for safety reasons, then you should stick with the Comfort Zone Personal Heater. It’s an electric heater that is only 3 pounds and measures quite small. It’s a little bigger than the size of a small, square tissue box, but does the work of a much bigger heater. It has adjustable heat and a quiet, fan-only setting. It’s made from durable metals surrounded by a heat-friendly plastic casing. The hot air is spread around by a high-powered fan that makes this model very powerful, yet small. While it does have to be plugged in to work, the Comfort Zone Personal Heater still makes for a great tent heater if your campsite has access to a generator or socket. It’s safe, lightweight, powerful, and our very favorite electric tent heater!

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Tooluze Camping Butane Heater

Here’s something a little different. The Tooluze Camping Butane Heater is powered by butane! It consumes about 100gm per hour, making it and its power source ultra portable, even if you plan to use it for several hours. Made from ceramic for safety, the Tooluze can heat up your tent with just 600 BTUs of power. The sturdy, bottom-heavy 5.4-pound body makes it hard to knock over while still keeping it lightweight enough for camping. The body swivels for maximum heat distribution. Unlike propane and electric models, this heater can put off fumes, so your tent will have to be properly ventilated for this to be safely used in a confined space. But it is great if used properly and even has a few additional features to help keep you and your family safe.

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Camco Olympian Wave-6

Want a silent heater for your tent? The Camco Olympian Wave-6 is as quiet as they come; its wave heaters don’t have any fans to create movement and noise. It heats up to 230 square feet, making your tent into a tropical getaway, even in colder weather! The thermostat is adjustable from 3,200 to 6,000 BTUs, depending on how warm you want your tent, camper, or even that small rooms in your home. It’s equipped with safety shut-offs to prevent propane discharge. The Camco can even be wall mounted if you have a wall to mount it to! But that isn’t even our favorite part! This heater is nearly 100% efficient so you know that you won’t be wasting any propane. And that makes the Camco a sweet deal!

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Zodi Outback Gear X-40

Looking for a rugged heater that is made of all metal? Then check out the Zodi Outback Gear X-40! This sweet camping model is far too heavy for backpacking at over 30 pounds, but it is such a great investment for avid cold-weather campers. If you have a tent, camper, or even a cabin in the woods, this little guy is ready to heat up any 400 square feet of space. You can use it inside without having to worry about fumes. You’ll need a little propane and some electricity to keep it going, but this thing can heat up a room in almost no time flat! You can connect it to five-gallon tanks for hours of heat. And we love that this little baby is even made in the USA!

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Allegro Industries Tent Heater

Yet another great electric tent heater ready for your powered campsite, work tent, or generator! The Allegro Industries Tent Heater features a 120-volt motor that blows hot air around to a 300-square-foot area. That’s big enough for a whole flock of tents! It can heat up the air around it by up to 50 degrees to keep you toasty warm. It weighs 14 pounds and measures out to 12 by 12 by 8 inches. With this compact design, you can keep it around in your car or camper for whenever and wherever the weather turns chilly. This little guy is safe too; it’s both CSA dna UL approved. The heavy duty box design is nearly impossible to tip-over. It’s ready for your next camping trip!

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Honeywell 360 Degree Heater

The adorable Honeywell 360 Degree Heater is the tiny, three-pound heater you have been looking for! It heats all the way around its little body, heating up a 200 square foot area all by itself. This is an electric model that plugs into any standard outlet. It blows hot air with fans; while this model isn’t silent, the noise isn’t too loud, even in quiet spaces. The Honeywell 360 has some great safety features, including an automatic shut off if it gets too hot or tips over. It has two settings and an adjustable thermostat to get the heat you want when you want it. The plastic outside stays cool so you can move it around while you’re getting your tent ready. This little guy is sturdy, safe, and has incredible power considering its tiny size!

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Mr. Heater MH12B

And another Mr. Heater product! This model is the MH12B. Like its brothers, it’s heated by propane. It’s a little bigger and heavier, coming in at 9 pounds and measuring out to 10 by 15.5 by 16.5 inches around. The rugged box is great for any camping needs, whether indoors or outdoors. We wouldn’t recommend this for a tiny, two-person tent, but it works great for larger areas. This heater covers up to 300 square feet and swivels for maximum coverage. You can run this guy off one-pound propane cylinders or upgrade to a 20-pounder instead. Guess what else? It’s super safe! This Mr. Heater even has a cool-grip handle to make sure you can move it safely around. It also has tip-over and low-oxygen shut offs, too. We love it for its safety and its cozy warmth!

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About the Author

Samantha Dewitt

Expert Researcher and Writer

Samantha Dewitt is a lead researcher and writer for GeekWrapped, writing under a pen name. She gets excited about pet, baby, and science products and has over 12 years of experience.

Best Tent Heaters

Top 10 Buying Guide

Our Recommendations

Mr. Heater Buddy

Mr. Heater Little Buddy

How to Pick Your Tent Heater

Top 10 Products

Mr. Heater Buddy

Mr. Heater Little Buddy

Texsport Portable Propane Heater

Comfort Zone Personal Heater

Tooluze Camping Butane Heater

Camco Olympian Wave-6

Zodi Outback Gear X-40

Allegro Industries Tent Heater

Honeywell 360 Degree Heater

Mr. Heater MH12B

About the Author

TOP PICK

Mr. Heater Buddy