Written by Tom Scalishi | Updated 6:53 AM, September 10, 2021

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Whether you spend the cold months in the workshop through hobbies, or the maintenance work you have to do can’t wait for warm days, the time in the garage will be better when you feel comfortable. Use the best gas garage heater to eliminate the cold, instead of suffering from freezing fingertips.

These convenient, clean-burning heaters use natural gas or propane to pump heat into your garage space to keep you, your vehicle, and your tools warm when the temperature drops. This guide will help you choose the best gas garage heater for your store or garage.

Garage heaters can be a great addition to the home, but not everyone is fully familiar with them. Consider these points when buying the best gas garage heater for your garage, barn, or workshop. Safety, fuel source and portability are important factors to keep in mind.

The three main types of gas garage heaters are forced ventilation, convection and radiation. The forced air heater sucks in cold air from the space, heats it, and then pumps it back. The convection heater (also called blue flame) heats the surrounding air, and starts a circulation heater in which warm air rises and cold air circulates. Radiant heaters project heat onto objects in the space, making them an excellent choice for heating workbenches.

In addition, these heaters come in two variants: direct ventilation and no ventilation. Direct ventilated heaters discharge the gas to the outdoors, while exhaust gas from unventilated heaters enter the heated space. Direct ventilation heaters are more expensive and more challenging to install, but unvented heaters can irritate those who are particularly sensitive to odors and fumes.

There are other non-electric heaters, such as kerosene burning options.

When selecting products based on fuel sources, please note that there are two options for natural gas and propane. Both are effective, but in some cases, one may be better than the other.

If the home already has a natural gas supply, a natural gas heater is a good way to heat the garage. Natural gas burns cleanly and has sufficient supply.

For garages that are not on the natural gas grid, propane may be a better choice. Propane also burns cleanly, but it is easier to obtain in bottles than natural gas. Many gas stations, grocery stores, and home improvement stores have bottle changing stations that can replace empty cans with full cans.

It is important to understand that propane and natural gas heaters are not interchangeable. The nozzles or nozzles that provide gas to the flame on each heater are of different sizes, and you wouldn’t want to use a propane tank on a natural gas heater without a conversion kit.

Remember, if you don’t want to use fossil fuels, you can also use an electric garage heater.

Choosing the best gas garage heater may depend on the preference between stand-alone and installed units. Users can place free-standing heaters wherever they want, allowing them to concentrate heat in specific areas. This can be a big benefit, especially when using smaller heaters in large spaces.

The installed unit will not go anywhere, which has advantages and disadvantages. These devices are usually installed on the ground to ensure their safety and freedom from interference. As long as they are large enough to heat the entire space, they are a very convenient choice. However, if they are too small, cold spots will appear in the garage.

Buying the best garage heater requires attention to the capacity or output of the equipment. Described in BTU (British Thermal Unit), the heater's capacity can help determine the most suitable space for it.

Larger garages and barns will require a large high-output heater with a BTU rating between 80,000 and 100,000. These heaters can usually handle garages north of 2,000 square feet.

Smaller garages don't need so much firepower. For connected one-car or two-car garages, a 30,000-BTU device is usually more suitable. Very localized heat, such as above the workbench, may only require 5,000 BTU.

The best gas garage heaters burn clean, efficient, and easy to use, but they are not without safety issues. Gas heaters installed in garages will definitely increase the possibility of accidents and injuries.

To help reduce the risk of accidents, many of the best gas garage heaters have safety features, such as child safety locks, which prevent children from accidentally igniting the heater. In addition, the low oxygen shutdown will detect when effective and safe combustion cannot be performed, thereby turning off the heater completely.

It is also very important to ensure that the carbon monoxide detectors in the home and in the garage are working properly. A well-maintained and operating gas heater can achieve "ideal combustion" without the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning. However, poorly functioning heaters cannot burn effectively and can cause unsafe CO accumulation. Carbon monoxide detectors will alert you when dangerous levels of carbon monoxide accumulate in your home or garage, which may be the result of many different factors. Since carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, these detectors are sometimes the only way to determine the problem.

Finally, it is essential to keep flammable materials away from the heater. The garage space is full of flammable objects, flammable liquids, and other hazardous materials. If they are near a gas heater, they may cause a fire.

Depending on the style, the best gas garage heaters have convenient features that make them more useful or easier to use.

A mounting unit compatible with an external thermostat makes it easier to control the garage temperature. Setting the thermostat to the preferred temperature will ensure that the heater turns on and off, and maintains that temperature in the space. In addition, the remote control makes it easier to adjust the temperature.

For portable devices, the temperature control knob allows the user to adjust the flame output to balance warmth and fuel efficiency, stretching a bottle of propane as much as possible.

The simplicity or challenge of installing a particular gas garage heater can be a factor when shopping. People who wish to disassemble the heater and heat the space immediately may prefer a portable device that only needs to be screwed onto the propane tank. Those looking for a more durable solution may prefer the installation unit, which will require a more complicated installation process.

Installing fixtures usually requires special brackets attached to the ceiling or wall. In addition, if these devices are exhausted, they need to make a hole in the wall for the exhaust pipe to pass through. If you need to connect to a gas pipe, it is best to rent this process to a plumber.

Buying the best gas garage heater has become easier. Below is a list of some of the best products on the market. When comparing these products, be sure to keep the most important shopping considerations in mind. From choosing the best fuel source to the right size, any garage listed below has an option.

For small and medium-sized garages, Mr. Heater's 30,000-BTU natural gas heater is worth a try. This blue flame convection heater can provide enough heat for 1,000 square feet of space, providing uniform warmth throughout the space. It is equipped with hardware that can be mounted on a wall or leg for independent applications.

This ventless heater is simple to install, and because of its electronic ignition, it is also easy to start. It has a variable output switch that allows the user to control the temperature. It also has a low oxygen sensor that shuts down the device, and because it uses convection, it is safer to install in a narrower area than a radiant heater.

Heating a small space does not require a large budget. The heater has the ability to heat small spaces, safety features for safe operation, and an affordable price tag. The device can accept a 1-pound vial of propane, but the adapter hose will hang it on a standard-sized propane tank.

This radiant heater can generate 4,000 to 9,000 BTU and can heat objects up to 225 square feet, making it an attractive choice for small shops and single-car garages. Its non-ventilated design means it can be used indoors or outdoors, and its close to 100% efficiency means it will not waste precious fuel. It will also turn off if the heater tip over, the indicator light goes out, or a low oxygen condition is detected.

If a small temporary repair in a large garage or shop does not solve the problem, please check Mr. Heater's F260560 Big Maxx natural gas installation heater. This 80,000-BTU natural gas heater can heat up to 2,000 square feet of space. The rear fan draws cold air into the device, pushes it through the heat exchanger, and then forces it into the space for rapid heating.

A gap of 8 feet is required under Big Maxx, so it is equipped with the necessary brackets for mounting to the ceiling. It also comes with a propane conversion kit, which can be changed to propane fuel if the user wishes. Although the device is thermostatically controlled and directly ventilated, the items needed to perform these two operations are purchased separately.

When it comes to getting the most value from gas garage heaters, Dyna-Glo's gas-free ventilated wall heaters are worth considering. This 30,000-BTU blue flame heater will generate warm, uniform convection heat in a 1,000 square foot space. And, because it burns at 99% efficiency, this natural gas heater provides an economical way to stay comfortable.

This ventless heater comes with the hardware needed to mount it on the wall. It also has three adjustable heating settings on the top of the device, allowing users to adjust the ideal temperature. There is a battery-powered electronic ignition device that can be started easily, and a low oxygen cut-off switch that shuts off the device when a dangerously low oxygen level is detected.

Not all ceiling-mounted units are large and useful. For medium-sized spaces, Mr. Heater's F260550 Big Maxx natural gas unit heater can answer calls. This forced air heater generates 50,000 BTU of heat and can quickly heat garages and small barns up to 1,250 square feet. The included ceiling bracket makes it very easy to hang it from the ceiling.

The Big Maxx kit also includes the necessary equipment to change this heater from natural gas to propane, allowing users to decide which fuel source they want to use. The device does require a ventilation kit and a thermostat, both of which are purchased separately.

For overall versatility, ease of use and heat output, we recommend Mr. Heater Vent Free Natural Gas Heater, but if you need a heater with a larger space, then Mr. Heater Big Maxx is a good choice.

These recommendations reflect the importance of obtaining stable and reliable heat from a reliable power source in cold temperatures. It is important to note that certain heating methods are not suitable for small spaces with poor ventilation, which is why we offer natural gas and propane options to meet specific needs. In addition, we narrowed our search to include three heating methods: forced ventilation, convection, and radiation. Each method generates a different kind of heat in the room, and some people think that this kind of heat is more effective than others.

Another major factor that we consider for these recommendations is the total area of ​​the device that can be heated. Some products are suitable for large two-car garages and small work sheds and even campers. Overall, our favorites have taken safety measures to ensure safe operation, whether they are free-standing heaters or mounted on the wall.

Even if you are familiar with the best gas garage heaters on the market, you may still have some questions about these heaters. Below is a collection of some of the most frequently asked questions about gas garage heaters, and the answers to clear them. Check if there is an answer to your question below.

As long as you follow the manufacturer's instructions for use and installation, gas garage heaters are safe. Just make sure to ventilate the devices that need it, and make sure that the carbon monoxide detector is working properly.

Yes, there are many propane fuel heaters that can safely and effectively heat the garage.

Depending on the specific product, some propane heaters do require ventilation, while others do not. It is helpful to check the manufacturer's usage and installation instructions.

The answer to this question depends on where you live. If you experience very mild winters, you may only need 30 BTU per square foot, while in very cold climates you need twice as much.

A 500-square-foot garage may only require 15,000 BTU in a warm climate, while the same garage may require 30,000 BTU in a cold climate. If the space is poorly insulated, these numbers may increase substantially.

Gas appliances, especially furnaces and heaters, have an average life span of 15 to 20 years. Remember that factors such as regular maintenance or humidity levels can affect the life of the heater.

Bob Vila has been an American handyman since 1979. As the host of the beloved groundbreaking TV series, including "The Old House" and "Bob Villa's House", he is popular and has become synonymous with "do it yourself" home improvement.

Throughout his decades-long career, Bob Vila has helped millions of people build, renovate, repair and live better every day-a tradition that continues to this day, providing professional and easy-to-use home advice. The Bob Vila team distilled the information they need to know into project tutorials, maintenance guides, tool 101, etc. Then, these family and garden experts thoroughly research, review, and recommend products that support homeowners, renters, DIYers, and professionals in their to-do lists.

Tom Scalisi is a freelance writer specializing in the home design, architecture, tools, and automotive industries. He has been in these industries for more than 15 years as a contractor and commercial construction mechanic. In addition to his career, Tom also enjoys mountain biking, camping, beekeeping and fishing. Tom is also an avid racing and baseball fan. He lives in the Hudson Valley in New York with his wife, three children and three dogs.

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