What is a Commercial Patio Heater? That’s tough to answer because the definition of “commercial patio heaters” has been diluted by the many manufacturers and web sales sites who claim they are providing commercial products. Here, a “commercial” patio heater creates a lot of carbon monoxide and little heat. 

Snapped close by in the same mall on the same evening, this third “commercial” patio-heater image shows just how flimsy a so-called commercial heater can be, and it is also flaring out polluting yellow flames. Even a commercial product that is poorly maintained could create soot. But if a product has a tendency towards poor performance then I question the quality of the product's design. 

In this mall I saw two heaters of one specific "commercial" brand and I have included pictures of them both. When you are purchasing gas patio heaters, suffice to say that if the heater is $329, or doesn’t have a brand name, it is certainly a looooong stretch to call it commercial quality. At Alfresco Heating, we carefully review and select our products before we sell them. The only portable propane patio heaters that we have tested and deem to be of commercial quality are SunGlo and Kindle Living. If you manufacture a commercial product and you would like us to test it, or if you simply want some good advice, then please contact us.