Prices from Amazon AU, updated daily. Swipe or use the arrows for more.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to amazon.com.au. If you buy through one of these links iFix may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change which products we recommend. We focus on what actually lasts based on 16 years of repair-shop experience.
Quick summary6 picks
- Freestanding PoleLENOXX Infrared Heater Free-Standing… about$84.952000W.
- Under the TableMaxkon 1000W Lantern-Style Freestanding Infrared Heater about$114.951000W.
- Wall or CeilingMaxkon 2000W Wall or Ceiling Infrared Heater about$129.992000W.
- Remote + TimerMaxkon 2000W Carbon Fibre Infrared Heater… about$249.992000W.
- No Power NeededOnlyfire Outdoor Fire Pit about$290.78
- Covered AlfrescoHeatstrip Intense 2200W Outdoor Alfresco Radiant Heater about$479.952,200W.
Heat people, not air: why infrared is the only thing that works outdoors
A fan heater on a patio is a joke the wind is in on. It warms a parcel of air, the breeze takes that air over the fence, and you have paid to heat the neighbour's yard. Convection needs containment. A patio has none. Radiant infrared skips the air entirely: the element glows, the energy travels in straight lines, and it only turns into heat when it lands on something solid. Skin, a jumper, the table top, the dog. The air in between barely warms at all, which is exactly why it survives a breeze that would defeat any convector.
That mechanism sets every rule that follows. Radiant intensity falls away with distance roughly by the inverse square, so sitting twice as far from the element gives you about a quarter of the warmth. It needs line of sight, too. Sit behind a mate and you are in his shadow, thermally speaking. And it only warms the side of you facing the element: warm face, cold back at the edge of the coverage. None of that is a fault. It is the physics you are buying.
Most of the infrared picks here are rated at 2,000W or 2,200W at full power, and the compact Maxkon lantern is a 1,000W unit. The big ratings are not a coincidence: the Heatstrip is listed at 2,200W, close to the whole rating of a 10A outlet, and the Onlyfire fire pit uses no mains power at all. A standard Australian 10A wall socket is good for 2,400W, so 2,000W is about as much as any plug-in heater can draw with a sensible margin, and a 2,200W unit on a plug leaves under 10 per cent spare. On running cost, at the rough Australian average tariff of 33c per kWh (check your own bill), a 2,000W element flat out costs about 66c an hour. At 1,000W, about 33c. A three-hour dinner on full power is around $2. That is the honest number, with the assumption stated, and it is what to weigh against swapping a gas bottle every few weeks. For the real figure on your own unit, a plug-through meter from our smart energy monitor guide will log it to the cent.
Quartz versus carbon fibre: what the glowing bit actually is
One of the picks uses a quartz tube (the LENOXX), two use carbon fibre (the Maxkon, and the compact Maxkon lantern, whose listing names carbon fibre heating elements), and the Maxkon wall heater is listed with a halogen tube, a lamp-style element that works on the same principle. A quartz element is a resistive wire sealed inside a quartz glass tube, often with a halogen gas fill. It runs hot and bright, a hard orange glow, and reaches full output within a couple of seconds. The shorter-wavelength infrared it produces travels well through air and lands with real punch at a couple of metres. It also lights the patio up like a servo forecourt, which some people hate and some stop noticing. The Heatstrip's listing names a carbon filament infrared element, and the Onlyfire burns wood pellets, so neither is covered by this comparison.
Carbon fibre elements run a woven carbon filament at a lower surface temperature. The glow is dimmer, still visible, and the output sits at longer wavelengths that clothing and skin absorb readily. The Maxkon listing claims heat in 5 to 10 seconds, which matches how these elements behave. Carbon fibre is generally sold on a longer service life than quartz halogen because there is no fine tungsten filament to thin out and snap, and that is a reasonable part of why the Maxkon costs roughly three times the LENOXX. Reasonable, not proven. The listing does not state an element life figure and I would not invent one.
In the workshop, the element is the consumable either way. A quartz tube that goes dark has usually broken its filament, often after a knock while hot, or from years of thermal cycling. A hairline crack lets air in, the filament oxidises, and it is gone. Replacement tubes for common industrial lengths exist, but marketplace units frequently use odd lengths and proprietary end caps. The lamp holders matter as much as the tube: ceramic blocks with spring contacts that lose tension after enough heat cycles. A loose contact at 8A arcs, the terminal blackens, and the unit presents as a dead element when the tube is fine. Before you buy, look for the tube length, whether the end caps look standard, and whether the brand sells a spare at all.
IPX4, IP44, IP65: what the water ratings promise and what they do not
An IP code has two digits. The first is protection against solids (fingers, wire, dust), the second is protection against water, and an X means that digit was not claimed. So IPX4, the LENOXX, means splashing water from any direction with no dust claim. IP44, on both the Maxkon and the Maxkon lantern, adds protection against objects over 1mm (a wire, a small finger) plus the same splash resistance. The Heatstrip's listing gives no IP rating at all, which is worth knowing before you leave it outside. IP65, which the Maxkon wall heater claims, means dust tight and protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction. The Maxkon wall heater's listing states IP65 but also calls it splash water protected, so check the rating label when it arrives. None of those ratings means the heater can live out in the rain. They describe an enclosure surviving a test rig for a set time, not a winter on the coast.
In practice: IPX4 and IP44 belong under a roof, a verandah, a pergola with a solid top. Sideways rain in a gust is a splash. A storm emptying onto the head of the unit is not. IP65 is the rating you want if the heater will stay mounted under an open-sided carport and take weather, and the Maxkon wall heater's listing claims it, which makes it the candidate here for a more exposed spot, once you have checked the label. But every one of those ratings applies to the heater body only. Not the plug. Not the lead join lying in a puddle. Not the wall socket with a cracked cover. The weakest point of an outdoor heater installation is almost always the connection you made.
The second thing the rating does not promise is corrosion resistance. IP protection is a day-one property. Corrosion is a day-500 problem, and on the Central Coast the salt air is unkind. We see green crust on terminal screws, rust blooming under alloy casings where the powder coat chipped, and water tracking down the supply cord into the switch housing of freestanding units stored upright outside. The mechanisms are the same ones in our explainer on water damage and electronics, only slower. Store freestanding units under cover and check the cord gland every few months.
Mounting height, tilt angle and the circle you actually warm
Only one of the six listings states a coverage figure: the 2,000W freestanding Maxkon claims a 1.8m radius and a 120 degree spread. Treat the Maxkon figure as an anchor for the 2,000W units, because the physics does not care about the badge. A 1.8m radius is a circle about 3.6m across, a four-seat table with the heater at one side, not a long trestle with twelve people on it. People at the far end of a long table are outside the useful zone of a single 2,000W unit, and no setting on the remote changes that. The answer for a long table is two heaters at two points, on two separate circuits, which means hanging a second unit and giving it its own outlet.
Height and tilt decide whether that circle lands on people. The LENOXX has an adjustable stand height and a 45 degree head tilt. The Maxkon lantern is a compact unit with a ring handle that its listing says fits under a table, so treat it as a close-range heater for feet and legs rather than a way to warm a group. Think in torsos: aim the element at the chests of seated people about 1.5 to 2m away, not at the tops of their heads. Aim a 2,000W head straight down from 2m and you get a hot scalp, cold shins, and someone shuffling their chair every ten minutes. Tilt it so the beam crosses the group at chest height and the same 2,000W feels like far more. For the wall-mounted Maxkon, the manual's clearance distances from the ceiling and from anything combustible are the law for your install, and they matter more than the height number. Mount it on the side of the area that blocks the prevailing breeze, because the warm air next to your skin does blow away even if the radiant heat does not.
The 10A socket, the extension lead, and the powerboard that is not invited
A standard Australian general purpose outlet is rated at 10A, which at 240V is 2,400W. A 2,000W heater takes 83 per cent of that, continuously, for hours. So: one heater, one socket, nothing else in it. No double adaptor. No powerboard, even a good one with its own breaker. Never two heaters sharing an outlet, which flatly rules out running two 2,000W units off one socket: together they draw about 17A, well past what a 10A outlet is rated to carry. Behind the socket a 16A or 20A breaker usually feeds several outlets, so a patio heater plus an outdoor fridge plus the kettle on one circuit is a trip waiting to happen. If it trips once, the circuit is full.
Extension leads are where most of the trouble lives. Use a lead rated for 10A with heavy conductors, the shortest one that reaches, and if it is on a reel, unwind the whole thing. A coiled lead under an 8A load cannot shed heat and I have seen the insulation gone soft along the inner turns. Keep the join between heater plug and lead socket off the ground and under the roofline, because that join has no IP rating at all. After the first hour, feel the plug. Warm is normal. Hot enough that you pull your hand back means a poor contact, and poor contacts get worse. Every outdoor circuit should be on an RCD (safety switch) at the board. Press its test button before the first cold night.
On compliance, portable heaters sit in the higher-risk tier of electrical equipment in Australia, so a legitimate unit carries the RCM mark (the triangle with a tick) on its rating label, with the supplier details. When the box arrives, photograph that label before you throw any packaging out. If there is no RCM mark, or the plug is a travel adaptor fitted over foreign pins, send it back. This is a heater that will sit at 8A for three hours a night all winter, and I have had enough dodgy adaptors across the bench, the kind covered in our bad chargers explainer, to know how that ends.
Tip-over switches, pull cords and remotes: the controls that fail before the element
A tip-over switch is a gravity device: a weighted plunger or a ball in a cup that holds a contact closed while the heater is upright and opens it once the unit leans past a set angle. The LENOXX lists one. The Maxkon lists a built-in tip and collision sensor, the same job with a different name, and the Maxkon lantern lists a 360 degree tip-over safety switch with automatic shut-off. The Heatstrip listing mentions neither, so check the manual. Test it cold, on day one, by tilting the unit until it clicks off, and again each winter. The failure I see is the plunger sticking: dust, spider eggs, corrosion on the shaft. Stuck open means the heater will not start, which is annoying and safe. Stuck closed means it keeps running on its side, the one case the switch exists to prevent.
The Maxkon lantern's listing does not describe its controls at all: no word on a pull cord, a knob or a remote. That matters, because the control is what fails first outdoors, so look at the photos for a plain mechanical switch before you buy. If it is one, the weakness is the contacts, which can pit from arcing after years of switching. The Maxkon wall heater's listing text talks about a button and two power levels, though its photos appear to show a remote. The Maxkon uses a remote: an infrared receiver, a small control board, and a relay or triac doing the switching. Those boards are what dies from condensation. A warm housing cools overnight, moisture condenses on the board, and after a season the heater ignores the remote or drops out after a few minutes. The Maxkon's 0 to 24 hour timer is genuinely useful for the dinner you forget to switch off. The Heatstrip's listing does not describe its controls, so check what is in the box and keep any control electronics dry.
Remote-controlled heaters keep their control electronics powered whenever they are plugged in, so switch them off at the wall when you are finished, which also takes the receiver off the mains during storms. None of the five electric listings describes a thermal cut-out, so I am not stating that they have one. If a heater starts cycling off by itself, something is stopping heat leaving the housing, or it is mounted closer to a surface than the manual allows. Fix the cause. Do not bridge it.
Why most picks are Australian marketplace brands, and what that means for you
Let me name it. LENOXX and Maxkon are both importer labels. LENOXX is a long-running Australian importer brand, and Maxkon (all three of its heaters here) is sold through AUSWAY. The Heatstrip is sold through Glen Dimplex Australia and the Onlyfire by Amazon AU itself, so this section applies most to the first four. The importer labels are not factories in the way Dyson or De'Longhi are factories. They buy heaters from contract manufacturers, badge them, hold stock in Australia and sell through Amazon AU. You will notice the same chassis under more than one label. That is not a scandal, it is how plug-in patio heaters are sold here, because the established appliance names mostly do not bother with this end of the market.
It has consequences you should walk in knowing. Warranty runs through the seller, and the Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply regardless of how small the brand is, which is your real protection. Spare parts are close to non-existent: a replacement quartz tube is whatever you can match by length and end cap, and a dead control board is usually the end of the unit. The differences between listings at the same wattage come down to element type, controls, IP rating, and how the seller handles a problem, not the name on the front. Read the spec list rather than the marketing line, and assume anything not stated was left out for a reason.
What I actually do: buy the listing with the most specific specification sheet, photograph the rating label and serial on day one, test the tip-over switch before first use, and keep the box for the return window. Treat the first winter as the warranty test; a bad joint or a damp board tends to show itself in the first season. Outside that window, the Central Coast repair bench can usually tell you in ten minutes whether it is a $15 lamp holder or a dead board, so bring it into the Erina workshop rather than binning it. And if your outdoor area is more enclosed sunroom than open deck, a fan-forced unit from the ceramic fan heater guide may serve you better.
The 6 picks in detail
Prices are Amazon AU at time of writing (5 November 2026) and move week to week. Ranks are Amazon AU category sales ranks, checked the same day.
LENOXX 2000W Free-Standing Infrared Patio Heater, IPX4
ASIN B08YJLQ3GD • $84.95 • Sold by Aussie discounts on Amazon AU
This is the one most people should start with, and the Amazon AU rank agrees: #1 in Outdoor Heaters at time of writing, at $84.95. It is a 2,000W quartz radiant head on a height-adjustable freestanding pole with a weighted base, and the listing gives it a 45 degree tilt on the head and a tip-over switch. That is the whole feature list, and I mean that as praise. There is no remote, no timer and no control board to corrode. You plug it in, you point it at the table, and the quartz tube is glowing at full output in a second or two. For a covered balcony or a verandah with a solid roof, that is almost exactly the job description.
The adjustable head is the feature that earns its place. Quartz is bright and directional, so being able to drop the beam from a standing-height pole down across seated chests is the difference between a warm group and a hot ceiling. Set it so the element sits a little above head height when seated and tilt it down until the glow lands on torsos about 1.5 to 2m away. The weighted base and tip-over switch handle the accidental kick from a chair leg. In the workshop, the things to watch on a unit like this are the lamp holder contacts and the cord gland at the base of the pole. Both are easy to inspect each winter and both are the usual cause of a unit that dims or flickers.
IPX4 means splash resistant and nothing more, so this is not a unit to leave on an open deck in weather. Wheel it under cover or inside when you are done, and keep the plug and lead join off the ground. Running cost at the rough Australian average of 33c per kWh is about 66c an hour flat out, and there is no half-power mode on the listing, so that is the figure. It is the least complicated heater here and, for that reason, probably the one with the fewest ways to go wrong.
Honest caveats: one heat setting only, no remote and no timer, so it is on or off. IPX4 is splash resistance for covered areas, not weather protection. The listing does not state the coverage radius, the quartz tube length, the cord length or whether a thermal cut-out is fitted, so check the current listing for anything you need before you order.
Best for: A covered balcony or verandah where one seated group needs warmth without any electronics to look after.
Power: 2,000W, single setting • Element: Quartz, radiant • Type: Freestanding, adjustable stand height • Head angle: 45 degree adjustable • Water rating: IPX4 splash-proof, covered outdoor areas • Safety: Tip-over switch, weighted base • Price: $84.95 at time of writing • Rank: #1 in Outdoor Heaters (Amazon AU)
Check current AU price
Maxkon 2000W Carbon Fibre Infrared Freestanding Heater, IP44
ASIN B09XHYLRBW • $249.99 • Sold by AUSWAY on Amazon AU
At $249.99 the Maxkon is the priciest of the first four picks by a wide margin, and it is the 2,000W pick built around a carbon fibre element. The listing claims heat in 5 to 10 seconds, a 1.8m coverage radius and a 120 degree spread, which makes it the only one of the first four picks that tells you how big a circle it warms. Two power modes, 1,000W and 2,000W, are switched from a remote, there is a 0 to 24 hour timer, a built-in tip and collision sensor, and an IP44 rating. It sits at #30 in Amazon AU's Outdoor Heaters category at time of writing. You are paying for the element and the controls, so those are the things to judge it on.
The carbon fibre element is the reason to pick it over the quartz LENOXX. Lower surface temperature, a softer glow rather than a servo-forecourt orange, and longer-wavelength output that clothing absorbs well. Carbon elements are also sold on longer service life than halogen quartz tubes because there is no fine metal filament to thin and break, though the listing gives no life figure so I will not either. The 1,000W mode matters more than it sounds: most nights on a covered patio you do not need the full 2,000W once people are settled, and half power at the rough Australian average tariff is about 33c an hour instead of 66c. The timer means the thing switches itself off after the guests leave.
The trade-off is the control board. A remote means an infrared receiver and a small PCB inside the housing, and that board is what fails on the remote-controlled heaters we see, usually from overnight condensation rather than rain. IP44 covers splashes, not dew forming inside a cooling enclosure. Keep it under cover, switch it off at the wall after use, and if it ever starts ignoring the remote or dropping out after a few minutes, the board is the first suspect. The stand height range is not stated on the listing, so if you need to drop the head to a low lounge setting, confirm that before ordering. At 66c an hour flat out, or 33c on the low mode, the running cost is the same as the quartz LENOXX; you are paying for comfort and controls, not efficiency.
Honest caveats: the priciest infrared heater here, about three times the LENOXX. IP44 is splash protection only, so it still lives under a roof. The remote and timer add a control board that is more vulnerable to condensation than a pull-switch. The listing does not state the stand height range, the cord length, or a thermal cut-out.
Best for: A covered entertaining area where you want a softer glow, a half-power mode and a timer, and you will look after the electronics.
Power: 2 modes, 1,000W / 2,000W • Element: Carbon fibre infrared • Warm-up: 5 to 10 seconds (listing claim) • Coverage: 1.8m radius, 120 degree angle (listing claim) • Controls: Remote, 0 to 24 hour timer • Water rating: IP44 • Safety: Built-in tip and collision sensor • Price: $249.99 at time of writing • Rank: #30 in Outdoor Heaters (Amazon AU)
Check current AU price
Maxkon 2000W Wall, Ceiling or Tripod Infrared Patio Heater, IP65
ASIN B0F487JVSY • $129.99 • Sold by AUSWAY on Amazon AU
The Maxkon wall heater is the odd one out here: a halogen heater that mounts up out of the way rather than standing on a pole. The title lists wall, ceiling or tripod mounting, and the listing gives it two power levels, 1,000W and 2,000W, a halogen tube behind an aluminium reflector that it says heats in under 5 seconds, and an IP65 rating, at $129.99 and #23 in Amazon AU's Outdoor Heaters category at time of writing. That rank is the reason it earns the slot: it is a proven seller in a category where most listings are not. Mounting it frees the floor, which matters on a small verandah, and there is nothing to knock over.
Do the electrical sums before you mount it. 1,000W is about 4A and costs roughly 33c an hour at the Australian average of 33c per kWh, and 2,000W is about 8A and 66c, so like every heater here it wants an outlet to itself. With only two steps, a mild night means choosing between half power and full power. The listing quotes a tube life of about 10,000 hours, which is the maker's figure, and I would not bank on it. It gives no weight, size, cord length or plug type, so check where the outlet is before you pick the spot, and keep to the manual's clearances from the wall, the ceiling and anything combustible.
The listing states IP65, but its own mounting note describes the heater as splash water protected, which is not what IP65 means, so photograph the rating label when it arrives and trust that over the listing. Even at IP65 the rating covers the heater body, not the plug or the lead join, so keep the join under the roofline. Switch it off at the wall when you are done, and let a halogen unit cool before you touch or move it.
Honest caveats: the listing says IP65 but describes the heater as splash protected, so check the label. It does not state a tip-over or thermal cut-out, a weight, a cord length or a plug type. It does not say whether the wall bracket or tripod comes in the box, so check before you order. The listing text describes a button and two power levels, but the photos appear to show a remote, so confirm what is in the box and whether there is a timer. This one sells through a third-party storefront (AUSWAY) rather than Amazon itself, so verify the details on the current listing before ordering.
Best for: A covered pergola or verandah where mounting the heater on the wall or ceiling frees up the seating, and where you can run power to the spot.
Power: 2 settings, 1,000W / 2,000W • Element: Halogen tube, aluminium reflector • Type: Wall, ceiling or tripod mount (per title) • Warm-up: Under 5 seconds (per listing) • Water rating: IP65 listed • Controls: Button, two levels • Size and weight: Not stated on the listing • Price: $129.99 at time of writing • Rank: #23 in Outdoor Heaters (Amazon AU)
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Maxkon 1000W Lantern-Style Freestanding Infrared Heater, IP44
ASIN B0D14NXCB4 • $114.95 • Sold by AUSWAY on Amazon AU
The Maxkon lantern is a different idea from the other freestanding picks: a compact 1,000W unit rather than a pole-mounted 2,000W head. The listing gives it carbon fibre heating elements that it says deliver infrared warmth within 3 seconds, 360 degree heating, a steel body it calls cool-touch, a 360 degree tip-over safety switch with automatic shut-off, an IP44 rating, and a matte black lantern shape with a ring handle, at $114.95 and #9 in Amazon AU's Outdoor Heaters category at time of writing. It sells through AUSWAY rather than Amazon itself.
At 1,000W the running cost is easy to work out: about 33c an hour at the rough Australian average of 33c per kWh, and roughly 4A of current, which makes it the lowest-wattage electric heater on the page. The listing says it fits in a small space, even under a table, and its title calls it an under-table heater, so think close-range warmth for feet and legs rather than a heater that covers a whole seated group. The listing does not give a coverage radius, a stand height or a cord length, so check that the heater can sit within reach of its own outlet.
What the listing leaves out matters as much as what it says. IP44 covers splashes, not weather, so this is a covered-area heater that comes inside or under a cover when you are done. The listing does not say how it is switched: no word on a knob, a remote or a timer, and it states a single 1,000W rating with no other power levels. It lists porches, garages, balconies and BBQ areas as places to use it, so a covered balcony and a garage both suit.
Honest caveats: a 1,000W heater warms a small area, so it is not the pick for a long table or a big pergola. IP44 is splash protection only, so keep it under cover and store it inside. The listing does not describe the controls, and gives no coverage radius, stand height, cord length, plug type or thermal cut-out. This one sells through a third-party storefront (AUSWAY) rather than Amazon itself, so verify the details on the current listing before ordering.
Best for: A covered balcony, porch or under-table spot where one or two people want close-range warmth from a compact, low-wattage freestanding unit.
Power: 1,000W • Element: Carbon fibre infrared (per listing) • Type: Freestanding portable, lantern shape with ring handle • Warm-up: Within 3 seconds (listing claim) • Heating pattern: 360 degree (per listing) • Safety: Tip-over switch with automatic shut-off • Water rating: IP44 • Controls: Not described on the listing • Price: $114.95 at time of writing • Rank: #9 in Outdoor Heaters (Amazon AU)
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Onlyfire FP042 Wood Pellet Fire Pit and Patio Heater
ASIN B0C89LHRXD • $290.78 • Sold by Amazon AU
The Onlyfire is the odd one out in this guide: it is not an electric infrared heater, it is a wood pellet fire pit sold as a patio heater, at $287.36 from Amazon AU. The listing describes a glass flame tube 37.4 inches tall (about 95cm) and 4 inches across (about 10cm) with a 360 degree view of the flame, a 6.2 lb (about 2.8kg) pellet hopper that burns for up to 2 hours, and an ash tray. The title also calls it a rocket stove. Amazon AU shows no category rank for it at time of writing, so there is no sales-rank signal to lean on.
What it does is the one thing nothing else here can: it needs no power point. That makes it the only pick for a spot with no outlet, and the listing pitches it at patios, camping and beach nights. It competes with the electric heaters on atmosphere, not on proven warmth. The listing gives no heat output, no coverage radius and no running cost, so I cannot tell you how many people it warms, and I will not guess. Pellets are a running cost the electric picks do not have, and a 2 hour hopper means topping it up through a long evening. The listing recommends softwood pellets for a better flame and less tar build-up, and says it smokes less than a traditional fire pit, which is a comparison, not a claim of no smoke.
Safety is where it differs most from the rest of the page. Anything burning pellets belongs in open air, well clear of a roof, pergola, awning or fence, and not on a balcony. Check your council and fire authority rules before lighting it, and leave it alone on a total fire ban day. The listing describes weather-resistant, high-temperature metal construction but gives no weight, base size or tip-over protection, so stand it on level, non-flammable ground. There are no electronics to fail, which is the one real advantage over the remote-controlled heaters above. The parts that wear are the metal body, the glass tube and the ash tray, and the listing does not mention spares for any of them.
Honest caveats: this is a fire pit, not an infrared heater, and it does not replace one under a roof. The listing gives no heat output, coverage, weight, base size, tip-over protection or spare parts. It burns for up to 2 hours per hopper and makes some smoke. Amazon AU shows no category rank for it, so there is no sales history to check.
Best for: A backyard or camping spot with no power point, where you want a visible flame and will keep it well clear of any roof.
Fuel: Wood pellets, softwood recommended • Power: No mains power needed • Flame tube: Glass, 37.4 inches tall, 4 inches across (per listing) • Burn time: Up to 2 hours per 6.2 lb hopper (per listing) • View: 360 degree flame • Extras: Ash tray • Heat output and coverage: Not stated on the listing • Price: $287.36 at time of writing • Rank: No category rank shown (Amazon AU)
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Heatstrip Intense 2200W Outdoor Alfresco Radiant Heater
ASIN B0B345CCKW • $479.95 • Sold by Glen Dimplex Australia on Amazon AU
The Heatstrip is the priciest pick here at $479.95, and Amazon AU shows no category rank for it at time of writing, so there is no sales-rank signal to lean on. The listing calls it an outdoor alfresco radiant heater, the Intense 2200W in the White Range, with a carbon filament infrared element that it says gives high performance instant heat. It is pitched at undercover protected and semi-exposed outdoor locations, and the listing offers the line in two models, a 2,200W and a 3,200W. It sells through Glen Dimplex Australia rather than Amazon itself.
Do the electrical sums first. At 2,200W it draws about 9.2A at 240V, most of what a standard Australian outlet can supply, and costs about 73c an hour flat out at the rough average of 33c per kWh. The listing says the 2,200W unit is easy DIY installation and that the 3,200W model must be installed by a licensed electrician, but it does not say whether the 2,200W unit plugs into a power point or is wired in, how it mounts, or how heavy it is, so confirm those before you order. Like every heater here it wants an outlet or circuit to itself.
The warranty is the other reason to look: the listing states three years residential and two years commercial. It places the heater in undercover protected and semi-exposed locations but gives no IP rating, so do not treat it as weatherproof. The element is a carbon filament infrared type, and the listing does not state a service life, a replacement element or whether there is a remote or timer, so I am not claiming any of those.
Honest caveats: the priciest pick here by a wide margin, and Amazon AU shows no category rank for it, so there is no sales history to check. The listing gives no IP rating, no remote or timer, no mounting method, weight, cord length, tip-over protection or thermal cut-out. It does not say whether the 2,200W unit plugs in or is wired in. It sells through a third-party storefront (Glen Dimplex Australia) rather than Amazon itself, so verify the details on the current listing before ordering.
Best for: An undercover or semi-exposed alfresco spot where you want a premium radiant heater with a long warranty, and you can confirm how it mounts and connects before you buy.
Power: 2,200W (a 3,200W model also exists) • Element: Carbon filament infrared • Type: Outdoor alfresco radiant heater • Use: Undercover protected and semi-exposed locations (per listing) • Install: Easy DIY for the 2,200W unit (per listing) • Warranty: 3 years residential, 2 years commercial (per listing) • Water rating: Not stated • Mounting and weight: Not stated on the listing • Price: $479.95 at time of writing • Rank: No category rank shown (Amazon AU)
Check current AU priceSide-by-side comparison
| Product | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| LENOXX Infrared Heater Free-Standing… | ~$84.95 | Lowest-cost freestanding start, one heat level |
| Maxkon 1000W Lantern-Style Freestanding Infrared Heater | ~$114.95 | Compact 1,000W lantern for close-range warmth, IP44 |
| Maxkon 2000W Wall or Ceiling Infrared Heater | ~$129.99 | Wall or ceiling mount with IP65 listed |
| Maxkon 2000W Carbon Fibre Infrared Heater… | ~$249.99 | Carbon fibre with a remote and 24 hour timer |
| Onlyfire Outdoor Fire Pit | ~$290.78 | No power needed: a wood pellet fire pit |
| Heatstrip Intense 2200W Outdoor Alfresco Radiant Heater | ~$479.95 | Carbon filament radiant heater with a 3 year residential warranty |
What we see fail in the workshop: outdoor patio heaters
A patio heater is a resistive element, a switch, a frame and a cord, so the failure list is short and repeats. It is also an appliance that spends its life outside, cycling from red hot to cold and damp every night, which is exactly the regime that loosens joints and corrodes contacts. These are the three faults that account for almost every unit that crosses the bench, in the order we see them.
Dead or flickering element, which is usually the holder
The tube goes dark or starts flickering and the owner assumes the element is gone. Half the time it is the lamp holder. The ceramic end blocks hold the tube with spring contacts, and after a few hundred heat cycles the spring loses tension. A loose contact carrying 8A runs hot, arcs a little every time the unit vibrates, and the terminal slowly carbonises until the tube flickers, then dies. The tube itself tests fine. Replacing holders is quick work if you can get the parts, and for a quartz tube that really has broken its filament, the question is whether the length and end caps match anything available. On the marketplace brands that is a coin toss, which is why I tell people to check for spares before they buy.
Corroded terminals and a cord gland that gave up
Salt air plus heat cycling is a corrosion engine. We open units that have lived on Central Coast decks and find green crust on the terminal screws, rust creeping under the powder coat of the alloy housing, and verdigris on the earth connection, which is the one you least want compromised. Freestanding units stored upright outside are the worst for it, because water tracks down the cord into the switch housing through a gland that has gone hard and cracked. None of this is what the IP rating tested for. It is the slow version of the same ingress, and the fix is a cover, dry storage, and a look at the gland and terminal screws every autumn before the first cold night.
Control boards and tip-over switches that stop behaving
On remote-controlled units the complaint is that the heater ignores the remote, or drops out after a few minutes, or will not come out of standby. That is the control board, and the cause is almost always condensation forming on it as the housing cools overnight, then corroding tracks and the receiver. Pull-switch units skip this failure entirely, which is a big part of why I rate them outdoors. The other control fault is the tip-over switch: a plunger or ball that sticks from dust or corrosion. Stuck open, the heater will not start and people think it is dead. Stuck closed, it will keep running on its side. Test it by tilting the unit cold, at the start of every winter, and if it does not click off, do not use it until it does.
Decision tree: which one should you actually buy?
- Covered balcony, one small table, you want the least to go wrong? → The LENOXX at $84.95. Single 2,000W quartz head, tilting, tip-over switch, no electronics. Point it at chests and get on with dinner.
- You want half power most nights, a softer glow and a timer that switches it off for you? → The Maxkon at $249.99. Carbon fibre element, 1,000W and 2,000W modes, 0 to 24 hour timer and a 1.8m coverage claim. Keep the remote and the board dry.
- Covered pergola or verandah with a solid ceiling to hang from, and you can run power to the spot? → The Maxkon wall heater at $129.99. 1,000W and 2,000W settings, wall, ceiling or tripod mounted, and a listing that states IP65. A second unit needs its own outlet.
- A tight spot, one or two people, and you want a compact unit you can move? → The Maxkon lantern at $114.95. A 1,000W carbon fibre element, a ring handle, a tip-over switch and an IP44 rating. Keep it under cover and bring it inside after.
- You want a premium radiant heater for an undercover or semi-exposed spot, and the budget for it? → The Heatstrip at $479.95. A 2,200W carbon filament element, a 3 year residential warranty and a listing that calls it easy DIY installation. It gives no IP rating and does not say how it mounts or whether it plugs in, so confirm both before you order.
- No power point, and you want a flame more than a heater? → The Onlyfire at $287.36. A wood pellet fire pit with a glass flame tube, for open air only. It is not a substitute for an infrared heater under a roof.
- Your outdoor area is really an enclosed sunroom with windows on three sides? → Radiant is still fine, but a convector or fan heater will now actually work in there, and our our guide to ceramic fan heaters covers the options.
- The heater flickers, ignores the remote, or the tip-over switch will not reset? → Stop using it and bring it into our Erina workshop. Lamp holders, corroded terminals and condensation-damaged control boards are quick to diagnose in the workshop, and we will tell you straight if it is worth fixing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 2,000W patio heater cost to run per hour in Australia?
At the rough Australian average tariff of about 33c per kWh, a 2,000W heater on full power costs about 66c per hour. At 1,000W it is about 33c. Your own tariff will differ, so check the rate on your bill and multiply by the kilowatts. A three-hour evening on full power comes to roughly $2. If you want an exact number, a plug-through energy meter will log what the unit actually draws across a night, which is also a useful way to spot a heater that is drawing more than its label says.
Can I run two patio heaters off one powerboard or double adaptor?
No. A standard Australian 10A outlet is rated for 2,400W, and a single 2,000W heater already uses most of that. Two heaters on one socket, through a powerboard or a double adaptor, will pull well over the rating and at best trip the breaker, at worst overheat the board or the socket. Each heater needs its own outlet, and where possible each should be on a different circuit so that the heater, an outdoor fridge and the kettle are not all sharing one breaker. Two 2,000W heaters together draw about 17A, so plan two outlets and never share one.
What is the difference between IPX4, IP44 and IP65 on a heater?
The first digit is protection against solids and dust, the second is protection against water, and an X means that digit was not claimed. IPX4 is splash resistance from any direction with no dust claim. IP44 adds protection against objects over 1mm and keeps the splash rating. IP65 is dust tight and resists low-pressure water jets from any direction. None of them means the heater can sit out in the rain. IPX4 and IP44 units belong under a solid roof. IP65 units can stay mounted in a more exposed spot, but the plug and any extension lead join still have no rating at all.
Is quartz or carbon fibre better for an outdoor heater?
Quartz tubes run hotter and brighter, reach full output in a second or two, and throw shorter-wavelength infrared that lands with punch at a couple of metres. They also light the area up with a strong orange glow. Carbon fibre elements run at a lower surface temperature, glow more softly, produce longer-wavelength infrared that clothing absorbs readily, and are generally sold on a longer service life because there is no fine metal filament to break. Carbon fibre costs more. If you want instant, directional heat and do not mind the glow, quartz is fine. If you sit under it for hours most nights, the softer output of carbon fibre is easier to live with.
Can I use an extension lead with an electric patio heater?
Yes, with care. Use a lead rated for 10A with heavy conductors, the shortest one that reaches, and if it is on a reel, unwind it completely, because a coiled lead under load cannot shed heat. Keep the join between the heater plug and the lead socket off the ground and under cover, since that join has no water rating. Feel the plug after an hour: warm is normal, hot is a poor contact. Make sure the outlet is protected by an RCD safety switch and test the button before winter. Never put a powerboard or double adaptor anywhere in the chain.
Why does my patio heater flicker or go dim before it dies?
On quartz units that is usually the lamp holder rather than the tube. The ceramic end blocks grip the tube with spring contacts, and after years of heating and cooling the spring loses tension. A loose contact carrying 8A runs hot, arcs slightly, and carbonises the terminal, so the tube flickers and eventually stops. The tube itself is often fine. Corroded terminal screws produce the same symptom. If the unit is remote controlled and cuts out rather than flickering, suspect the control board and condensation. Either way stop using it, unplug it, and have it looked at before the next cold night.
Related buying guides
Patio heater flickering, dead, or ignoring the remote? Bring it in before you bin it.
Most patio heaters that die have a loose lamp holder, a corroded terminal or a condensation-damaged control board, not a dead element. Those are quick to diagnose. Walk it into our Erina workshop on the Central Coast and we will tell you straight whether it is a small part or the end of the road. Sixteen years of board-level repair work, and we would rather fix it than see it in landfill.
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