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.
Full review
A standard tower heater at a lower price
Bob Vila describes this as a standard patio tower heater about 7 feet tall: a round base that holds a 20-pound propane tank, a pole, a burner and a round shield that reflects heat down. The review says its 46,000 BTU output is about the same as most other tower models and that what sets it apart is price. It also notes eight color options, more than most competitors offer.
Assembly and lighting
The reviewer assembled it in about an hour and found the parts and hardware clearly labeled. The included flat wrench was hard to grip the bolts with, so a socket wrench went faster, and a Phillips screwdriver is needed but not supplied.
Lighting means holding the control knob in and pressing the piezo igniter. Bob Vila reports it tended to start in one or two attempts, and the same knob adjusts the flame once it is lit.
How far the heat reaches
Bob Vila's reviewer used the heater through a fall, winter and spring. On high and within 6 feet it was a little too warm with outdoor temperatures in the 50s, and it kept the reviewer comfortable without a jacket in the low 40s. Near freezing it was not enough for long periods of sitting without warmer clothing. Beyond about 9 feet it gave little warmth, and wind narrowed the range further.
Maintenance after a year
After more than a year of reliable starts the heater began going out when the knob was released. Bob Vila traced that to build-up on the thermocouple tip. Cleaning it was easy but meant removing a few screws to open the burner housing. The review suggests buying a cover, since none 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
- +Piezo ignition usually lit in one or two attempts
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
- −Little warmth beyond about 9 feet
How it compares
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.
Rating sources
Our 3.7 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
