6 Best Portable Outdoor Heater For Sporting Events

Benefits of Using a Propane Heater

The following are some of the most significant benefits you can enjoy if you choose a propane heater over other heating solutions.

Convenience

Propane heaters are more convenient than heaters that use electricity, mainly if you are in an emergency. If you have an outdoor activity in areas where there is no electricity, then propane heaters would provide the best heating solution.

Furthermore, propane heaters are more convenient than electric heaters because one does not need to worry about the risk of power supply blackouts.

Portability

Propane heaters operate without an electric connection; therefore, one can carry them to any location. They are ideal for use in construction sites, sporting areas, or even camping zones.

Moreover, most propane heaters are suitable for screened porches. You can check this guide on best heater for screened porch to help pick a unit for your outdoor space.

Cost-Effectiveness

Using propane heaters is more cost-effective than running heaters that utilize electricity. Additionally, small propane heaters require far much less maintenance than electric heaters.

If you factor in the cost of purchasing and storing propane tanks and the low maintenance requirements of the propane heaters, then you will realize that it is more effective to run propane heaters than electric ones.

Few Controls

Propane heaters have regulators that one can use to change the rate of burning of the gas. Most brands have three heating options: low, medium, and high.

You can adjust the heating performance of your propane heater to suit your needs. Having a few controls mean that operating propane heaters is a straightforward process.

How much Propane does an Outdoor Heater Use?

An outdoor heater may burn a 20lb propane tank for 10 hours. This is because a standard 20lb propane tank has an equivalent of 430,000 BTUs. A typical outdoor propane heater has a BTU rating of 40,000.

Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Portable Propane Heater

The following are essential things that you should consider when choosing a portable propane heater for outdoor activities.

Safety Features

The best portable outdoor heaters for sporting activities have inbuilt safety features, including auto shut-off, tip-over protection, and a protective guard.

The protective guard is a metallic structure built around the heater’s burner to prevent fire outbreaks. The auto-shutoff feature instantly switches the flow of gas to the burner if the flame goes out accidentally. The tip-over protection helps to avoid accidents of fire when the heater falls accidentally.

Portability

Highly portable heaters have compact designs and carrying handles. Because you may have to use mobile and disposable propane tanks, consider the kind and size of tanks that your heater uses.

Although large propane tanks are more convenient to use than smaller ones, they present portability. Go for small and light heaters and use equally small disposable propane tanks to ensure that you move your heating equipment quickly.

Capacity

The capacity of propane heaters refers to the amount of heat energy that it produces when running. It would help if you had a high-capacity ceramic heater to warm large spaces.

On the contrary, you need a small-capacity heater to warm small outdoor spaces. Thus, it is necessary to match your heater’s capacity with the space that you need to heat.

The capacity of heaters ranges anywhere from 26,000 BTUs to 43,000 BTUs. Large heaters can provide sufficient warmth to heat spaces that as big as 1,000 square feet.

Check the heating capacity of the devices before you settle on one that can warm your space appropriately.

Propane Heater Safety Tips

Although propane heaters can be quite useful when you need to carry out outdoor heating for sporting activities, they can be quite dangerous. Propane gas is a highly flammable substance. If the gas leaks, fire accidents that may cause severe damage can occur.

Here are a few safety tips for using propane heaters.

• Keep combustible materials away from the heater. Fabric, paper, and plastics can quickly catch fire if they come into contact with the hot surface of your propane heater. Because such materials are common in outdoor environments, ensure that you keep them as far away from your heater as possible.
• Conduct regular maintenance. Check your heater for any visible faults because such problems can quickly snowball into disasters. Check for any gas leakages and seek professional help to correct such defects before using your heater.
• Always place your heater on a stable and robust flat surface. Some heaters have strong bases that keep them off from falling if one knocks them. Even though most modern propane heaters have tip-over protection features, keep them on stable surfaces to prevent falls.
• Cover your heater and store it properly when not using it. Proper storage of your heater is necessary to avoid the accumulation of dust and other particles on its surface. Such particles can damage the way your heater functions when they accumulate on the surface of the burner.

Best Portable Outdoor Heater For Sporting Events

1. Mr. Heater F274800 MH18B Portable Propane Heater

The Mr. Heater MH18B is a small compact, and highly versatile propane heater for common outdoor activities, including sporting and construction.

It has three heating settings that let you personalize its performance according to your needs. You can choose from the three options of low, medium, and high to ensure that the heater runs optimally.

This heater has all the advanced safety features that you would expect to find in a modern propane heater for outdoor activities. Notably, it has an Oxygen Deficiency Sensor that prevents carbon monoxide formation when oxygen levels in the air fall. The sensor triggers the heater to shut off if the oxygen percentage in the air gets depleted instantly.

Additionally, tip-over protection plays a critical role in keeping this heater safe. Given its small size and compact design, the heater is prone to falling when knocked. Luckily, this sensor prevents the occurrence of accidents when a fall occurs.

Pros

• It has several inbuilt safety features, including a low oxygen sensor and tip-over protection
• Highly portable because of its compact design and a handle
• You can personalize its heating by choosing from three options

Cons

• Relatively small heating area of about 450 square feet only

2. Mr. Heater F215100 MH4B Little Buddy Heater

The Mr. Heater F215100 MH4B is designed to provide effective heating in small and enclosed outdoor spaces. One can adjust the projection of this heater to 45 degrees to direct the heat to the desired spot.

Moreover, it has a relatively long run time of about 6 hours. This runtime can provide warmth in small spaces during simple activities, including sports and even camping.

Operating this heater is a breeze. It has very simple-to-use and perfectly positioned control buttons that you can use to change how it functions without much trouble.

Besides, you will find it easy to carry this heater from one place to another. It has a compact design and uses disposable one-pound propane cylinders.

However, this heater must be used when it is in a stationary position. You cannot run your Mr. Heater F215100 MH4B in a moving vehicle because of the danger of fire outbreaks.

Pros

• Easy control comprising of simple-to-use on and off buttons
• Effective heating because its angle can be adjusted to up to 45 degrees
• Highly portable because of its small size

Cons

• The heater cannot be used in moving vehicles

3. Mr. Heater 540 Degree Tank Heater

This heater is perfect for use in a broad range of outdoor settings, including construction sites, sporting venues, and camping locations. It is the ideal combination of compact design and powerful heating capacity.

Its high BTU rate of 45,000 and a 360-degree heater enable the device to provide maximum heat instantly. Moreover, it ensures that the heat is evenly distributed across the area in which the heater is used for your comfort.

Moving around with this heater is as easy as you can imagine. If you have a way of transporting your 20lb propane tanks, you can carry your heater along.

But as is the case with all devices, the Mr. Heater Corporation 540 Degree Tank heater is not without faults. It would be best if you kept it out of people’s reach, particularly when it is not connected to the propane tank. The heater can easily get damaged if it gets knocked and falls.

Pros

• Powerful heating capacity of 45,000 BTUs
• The 360 degrees header burner enables the heater to distribute heat evenly and rapidly
• It can be conveniently connected atop a 20lb propane tank using the bracket that can rotate in all directions

Cons

• The heater can fall if it is knocked when not fastened on a propane tank

4. Mr. Heater Corporation F242915 MH45T Tank Top Heater

The Mr. Heater F242915 MH45T is a highly reliable and powerful heating solution for large outdoor environments. Its design, which comprises three heating elements, ensures that the device generates massive amounts of heat quickly.

It has a BTU rating of 45,000 when operating on the high mode. This is enough heat energy for providing sufficient warmth in small to medium-sized outdoor sporting areas.

The heater has an easy-to-use regulator that adjusts the amount of propane that gets to the burner. You can change the settings across three low, medium, and high settings, thus achieving personalized heating using this device.

It is relatively safe to use your Mr. Heater F242915 MH45T. It has three automatic shuts off switches that help prevent the outbreaks of fires if the heater falls accidentally.

Thus, you do not have to worry about accidents in the field when your heater and the propane tank get knocked by heavy objects or people.

Pros

• It has a regulator for adjusting the amount of propane that gets burned to produce heat
• The auto shut off and tip-over protection features provide added security
• High heating capacity suitable for large outdoor spaces

Cons

• It lacks a carrying handle

5. Texsport Portable Outdoor Propane Heater

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One of the most outstanding features of the Texsport Portable Outdoor Propane Heater is the range of built-in safety features. The heater has an automatic switch-off valve that swings into action if the flame goes out suddenly. Therefore, it prevents wastage of propane gas and the possible occurrence of fires because of leaked fuel.

The burner of the heater is correctly enclosed in a protective grid. This safety feature also minimizes the chances of fires if any flammable object gets into contact with the burner.

Apart from safety features, this heater has other features that make it an ideal outdoor heating solution. Notably, it is effortless to carry and use, thanks to its compact size and a relatively stable base. The base comprises heavy paddling that minimizes the heater’s chances of falling over when it gets knocked.

The only significant drawback of this heater is that it has a relatively low heating capacity. When operating on its maximum heating mode, it only reaches a BTU rating of 2,890. This heating capacity may be insufficient for large outdoor spaces.

Pros

• Excellent safety features including a grid to prevent burns
• The base is padded for maximum stability
• Highly portable because of its compact design

Cons

• A slightly low heating capacity that reaches 2,890 BTUs only

6. Dura Heat TT-360 Propane Heater

The Dura Heat TT-360 Propane is one of the most reliable heaters for outdoor activities. It is suitable for providing warmth in large outdoor spaces that measure about 1,000 square feet.

More so, the burner’s round design ensures that the heat is distributed across all areas of the space in which the heater is placed. Thus, one feels warmth instantly when this heater is switched on.

Using the Dura Heat TT-360 Propane is a breeze. For starters, you can use a matchstick to light the burner. Moreover, you only need to keep the propane tank stable for the burner to operate effectively.

The regulator comes in handy when you need to adjust the heating performance of your burner. You can change from low to high heating settings according to your requirements at any time.

However, this heater requires ideal weather conditions to operate well. If the weather is windy, you will not get the best from this heater.

Pros

• Exceptionally durable, thanks to the use of rust-resistant materials
• Easy to connect to the tank and light using a matchbox
• Effective and all-round heating, thanks to the design of the burner

Cons

• Requires ideal weather conditions to operate effectively