A summer evening in the garden. Family and friends around for a barbecue.  Perhaps just you and your partner relaxing in the cool summer air, enjoying a glass of your favourite drink, as the sun goes down.

As the air cools and the light starts to fade, it’s time to light your new patio heater. You don’t have a patio heater? Then now is the time to decide which type to buy.

Patio heaters come in various shapes and sizes. The vast majority are fuelled by gas, although you can also buy electric. Choices include full height patio heaters or table mounted. We have reviewed several different versions.

Hotspot Bullet Stainless Steel Garden Patio Heater
This top of the range full height heater from Hotspot is made almost entirely of stainless steel. The gas bottle fits inside the base and powers a burner producing up to 12Kw of adjustable heat. Heat and light is thrown over a 6.5 metre circle. Free standing, this heater is ideal for commercial use or in a private garden.

Lifestyle Orchid Full Height Patio Heater
Again, this is a full sized patio heater, measuring 2.1m high, but finished in painted steel and available in several colours. The stainless steel burner produces between six and 12.5Kw of heat and the bottle fits through a door in the base. With an anti-tilt devise which shuts off the gas feed, there is also a safety pilot assembly.

Lifestyle Lotus Table Top Patio Heater
Designed to be used on a table, you will need a patio table with a central hole. The Lotus slots through the hole and fitted to the table. You need to place the gas bottle under the table and connect using a suitable regulator to the heater. Standing 1.3m high from the table, there is a generous 12.5Kw of heat from the stainless steel burner. Finished in green, this is a great way to heat and light your patio table for those intimate evening meals in the garden.