Many of us will have eaten outside at a restaurant, sipped a cold beer outside a bar or enjoyed canapes in the open air at a wedding reception, and been surprised quite how cold it had become when we leave. The reason, as no doubt everyone noticed, is the commercial patio heater. More and more venues are making use of these units to be sure their customers enjoy the outdoors as long as they can.
If you have seen outdoor patio heaters in action, you have probably been impressed - these are heating units designed to do a job (to keep people warm outside as though it were a balmy summer night) and they do it very well. Naturally a lot of us start wondering if we could pull the same trick at home....
This being a commercial world, there is no problem getting a gas patio heater for your own yard or garden. The good news is that the same manufacturers who serve the business world also serve the home market. It means you get the same quality throughout the range.
You may not actually need or want the same sized heater that the local bars use, so you can select a smaller size (and pay less for it). But you do want the safety features you find in commercially available patio heaters - look for safety cut outs (in case the unit gets knocked over), for example.
Go to the main manufacturers and you should get a safe and hard wearing quality product for your own home.