Head-to-head · Best Patio Heaters

Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Outdoor Propane Patio Heater vs Ninja Fireside360 Outdoor Heater and Fire Pit

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Ninja Fireside360 Outdoor Heater and Fire Pit comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.0 vs 3.7). Ninja Fireside360 Outdoor Heater and Fire Pit is best for: Buyers who want a propane fire pit that also throws heat sideways for people standing or in high chairs. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #3 in Best Patio Heaters

Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Outdoor Propane Patio Heater

3.7

1 source$157.49as of Oct 11

Amazon Basics' 46,000 BTU propane tower is a plain mushroom-top heater on wheels. Bob Vila's reviewer used one through a fall, winter and spring and stayed comfortable within 6 feet of it with temperatures in the low 40s. After more than a year it began struggling to stay lit until the thermocouple was cleaned, and no cover is included.

Strengths

— 46,000 BTU output; comfortable within 6 feet in the low 40s in Bob Vila's use
— Wheels on the base
— Clearly labeled parts; about an hour to assemble

Watch-outs

— After more than a year it struggled to stay lit until the thermocouple was cleaned, per Bob Vila
— No cover included
— Plainer looking than other tower heaters

$157.49 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Patio Heaters

Ninja Fireside360 Outdoor Heater and Fire Pit

4.0

1 source$449.99as of Oct 10

The Ninja Fireside360 is a propane fire pit with a separate 360-degree heater ring, rated at up to 80,000 BTU. Tom's Guide found it close to ready out of the box and praised heat that pushes outward on every side, but the heater sits high, so people in low chairs get cold legs, and it occasionally failed to light.

Strengths

— Heater ring pushes warmth outward on all sides, per Tom's Guide
— Close to ready out of the box: battery, ceramic rocks, propane tank
— Separate knobs give flame only, heat only, or both

Watch-outs

— Sometimes hard to light, most often the heater rather than the flame
— Premium price
— No handles for lifting

$449.99 · Buy at sharkninja.com Full review →

How they stack up

Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Outdoor Propane Patio Heater

The Amazon Basics heater is a conventional propane tower with a 46,000 BTU rating, above the 40,000 BTU Hiland HLDS01 but without the Hiland's quartz glass flame tube. The pellet-fed Solo Stove Tower is rated at 72,000 BTU and the Ninja Fireside360 at 80,000 BTU.

Ninja Fireside360 Outdoor Heater and Fire Pit

The Fireside360 is the only product here that is a fire pit as well as a heater, and at 28.8 inches tall and 39.9 pounds it is far shorter and lighter than the 80.5-inch, 104-pound Solo Stove Tower. Its rating is 80,000 BTU, against 46,000 BTU for the Amazon Basics tower and 40,000 BTU for the Hiland HLDS01, both of which heat from above head height.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU Outdoor Propane Patio Heater	Ninja Fireside360 Outdoor Heater and Fire Pit
Heat Output	46,000 BTU	Up to 80,000 BTU
Fuel Type	Propane (20-pound tank)	Propane
Ignition	Piezo	—
Dimensions	32.1 x 32.1 x 91.3 inches	21.8 x 21.8 x 28.8 inches
Mobility	Wheels on base	—
Weight	—	39.9 pounds (advertised)
Modes	—	Flame, heat, or both

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