Outdoor Heating

Outdoor Heating for Year-Round Outdoor Living

The well-considered outdoor space does not close in October. A thoughtfully specified heating solution extends a patio, terrace, or pool deck into the cooler months — and in mild climates like San Diego, keeps an outdoor room genuinely usable through all four seasons. Our outdoor heating collection spans the full range of what that requires: gas fire pit tables that anchor a lounge arrangement, freestanding and wall-mounted electric infrared heaters for covered structures, and directional radiant heating systems engineered for both residential and commercial outdoor environments. Browse the full outdoor furniture collection to build the complete picture.

Outdoor heating is not a single category with a single solution. The right choice depends on the structure of your space, your fuel preferences, local permitting requirements, and whether the heating element should serve as a design focal point or recede into the architecture. The sections below cover each major type — fire pits, freestanding patio heaters, and mounted infrared systems — with enough specificity to make an informed decision before you select.

Gas Fire Pit Tables

A gas fire pit table occupies a different category than a standalone heater. It functions simultaneously as a furniture piece — typically at coffee table or dining table height — and as a controlled heat source, with a burner element recessed into the table surface and fed by a propane tank or natural gas line. The result is a piece that anchors a seating arrangement visually while providing warmth at the center of the group.

POLYWOOD fire pit tables bring the brand's signature durability to the format — composite lumber that does not rot, splinter, or require seasonal finishing, paired with stainless steel burner components rated for outdoor exposure. Starfire Designs approaches the category from a concrete and steel standpoint, producing heavier, more architectural fire tables suited to contemporary outdoor rooms where the material presence of the piece is part of the design intent. Browse the dedicated outdoor fire pits collection for the full selection of fire pit tables.

Gas fire pits require a fuel source — either a built-in propane tank compartment or a natural gas line connection. Propane is the more flexible option, requiring no permanent installation; natural gas offers continuous supply without tank management. Most pieces in this collection support both configurations. Check local codes before specifying natural gas in jurisdictions with restrictions on open flame on certain structure types.

Electric Infrared Patio Heaters

Where a fire pit table puts heat at the center of a seating arrangement, an infrared heater directs warmth toward people from above — mounted to a wall, ceiling, or freestanding post. The technology is meaningfully different from convection heating: infrared radiant heat warms surfaces and people directly, without heating the air between the source and the recipient. In an outdoor or semi-outdoor environment, where ambient air is not contained, this is a substantial performance advantage. Convection heat dissipates rapidly outdoors; radiant heat does not.

Browse the full outdoor patio heater collection for our complete selection of electric infrared heaters from Bromic Heating and Infratech.

Bromic Heating

Bromic is an Australian brand with a strong presence in premium residential and commercial outdoor heating. Their Tungsten and Platinum Smart-Heat series cover both gas and electric infrared configurations — wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, and portable — with heat output ratings suited to everything from a compact residential terrace to a large commercial restaurant patio. Bromic heaters are notable for their directional output: rather than radiating heat in all directions, they project it into a defined zone, which is a meaningful efficiency advantage in partially exposed outdoor environments. Select Bromic models integrate with smart home systems for programmable operation.

Infratech

Infratech is a California-based manufacturer specializing exclusively in electric infrared heating. Their product line is built around clean, minimal wall- and ceiling-mounted elements — single and dual-element configurations — that are as much a design decision as a functional one. Infratech heaters suit covered patios, pergolas, and outdoor rooms where the heating infrastructure should be present but not dominant. They are among the quietest-operating outdoor heaters available, with no flame, no fuel management, and no visible combustion. A preferred specification for architects and designers working on residential and hospitality projects where aesthetic integration matters.

Choosing the Right Outdoor Heating Solution

For uncovered or partially covered spaces where a social focal point is the priority, a gas fire pit table is typically the right answer. For covered structures — a pergola, a louvered roof system, an enclosed porch — an electric infrared heater mounted overhead is generally more effective and more appropriate from a safety standpoint. Many properties benefit from both: a fire pit table at the center of the lounge arrangement and mounted heaters overhead for the perimeter and transition spaces.

If you are specifying outdoor heating for a commercial environment — a restaurant terrace, a hotel pool deck, a rooftop lounge — the commercial patio heater category and our hospitality program are the right starting point. Patio Productions is ICFA-certified and has specified outdoor heating solutions for residential and commercial projects nationwide from our San Diego showroom since 2007. Our design team offers complimentary consultations for clients working through a complete outdoor room plan.