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Best Camping Tent Heaters (UPDATED 2022)

Best Camping Tent Heaters (UPDATED 2022) Leave a comment

Tim Baker is a travel junkie. He is really addicted to travelling and loves writing about his experiences and travel guides. When he is not travelling he is either writing his travel guides or enjoys playing tennis

Best Camping Tent Heaters

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Updated Jan 5, 2022

Camping Tent HeatersPriceOur VerdictCheck Price
Opolar 1500W Ceramic Space Heater$Best for Safety Features
TMS Portable Tent Heater$$$$Best for Multi-Functional
Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater$$$Best for Small Spaces

For as long as human beings have been living outdoors, whether permanently, or for fun, Mother Nature has thrown her fair share of curveballs as us. From sudden storms, to gale force winds, there’s really no telling what can happen while camping. That’s why having a good camping tent heater in your gear is an excellent weapon against the dramatic changes nature can dish out!

In order to save you time, as well as frustration, we’ve put together a list of the best camping tent heaters to make your life just a little bit easier. Taking into account both price and utility, as well as other customer reviews, we have selected three tent heaters that make up the top sellers and best reviews! Keep yourself comfortable while you camp with our top three tent heaters!

Check More Reviews On Camping Tents:

Top 3 Best Camping Tent Heaters

Opolar 1500W Ceramic Space Heater – Best for Safety Features

Details

Heater dimensions: 7.1” (18.03 cm) W x 5.9” (14.99 cm) D x 11.4” (28.96 cm) H. Cord length:5.9’ (179.83 cm). Item weight: 3.5 lbs (1.59 kg). Heater will maintain consistent heat as long as it is not the same temperature as the tent’s ambient air.Tip-Over switch will activate when it is tipped forwards, backwards, or on its side. Comes with a one-year warranty. ETL Certified.

Click here to see reviews and prices for the Opolar 1500W Ceramic Space Heater on Amazon

This ceramic space heater by Opolar is our top choice for a camping tent heater. This brightly colored (in yellow, or blue) ceramic heater is a compact way to keep warm. With an adjustable thermostat, coupled with three different settings (high heat, low heat, fan only), this nifty heater will make your camping trip a little cozier.

Whether you’re in a small tent, or rocking in one of the best camping tents for the entire family, the Opolar 1500W gets the job done! The small camping tent heater packs a hot punch, with built in safety features to turn off when it tips over to give you a little peace of mind! Not to mention it turns off on its own if it gets too hot!

The heater is super powerful, but incredibly quiet, with less than 50 db it is great for sleeping in your tent! It does need a power source, so make sure you have a generator or a portable battery with you. All things considered, this mighty little heater is a great choice for the next time you use your pop up camping tent!

Best Camping Tent Heaters

Pros

  • Portable
  • Durable
  • Affordable
  • All indoor spaces

Cons

  • Requires power source with chord
  • Can turn off on its own

What Buyers Like

The majority of reviews for this product rave about how compact and portable it is for them to use in a tent, in their offices, and also in many other places! A few reviewers noted how easy to use the thermostat is, as well as how it isn’t really loud! A few buyers loved how the Opolar fit well in their tents!

Final Verdict

This small heater is a great addition to all of your outdoor gear. Not to mention it can be used in pretty much every indoor space! Make sure you know your local fire codes for having these in your home, apartment, or even in a pop up camping tent on a campground!

We recommend this because it has all of the extra safety features so you don’t have to worry about it overheating, or being dangerous to sleep with the camping tent heater on! Not recommended for those who don’t have a traveling power source as you need to plug it in, but overall a great heater!

Best Camping Tent Heaters

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TMS Portable Tent Heater – Best for Multi-Functional!

Details

Heater dimensions: 18″ (45.72 cm) L × 10.25″ (26.04 cm) W × 11″ (27.94 cm) H; 26.5″ (67.31 cm) with Extension legs. If used indoors, tent must be well-ventilated. No small pop up camping tents. Burns wood, compressed logs, charcoal. Comes with stainless steel water kettle.

Click here to see reviews and prices for the TMS Portable Military Camping Tent Heater on Amazon

The TMS Portable Military Camping Wood Cooking Ice Fishing Cook Stove Tent Heater With Water Kettle Teapot, or the TMS, is a great camping tent heater because it not only serves as a heat source, but so much more!  You can cook with it, you can dry your clothes and gear, you can warm your body, and you can also make a lovely cup of tea! This lands at number two for our tent heaters for its ultra-functionality.

The TMS Portable Heater has interlocking flute pipes to get the smoke out, as well as a spark arrestor for added safety! Constructed from strong rolled steel, this heater and stove sets up in minutes. Whether you’re visiting baby sloths in Costa Rica, or camping in the Alps, this is an amazing tool for your camping trip!

Best Camping Tent Heaters

Pros

  • Great for long term camping
  • Works well in bigger tents
  • Can cook with it
  • Stays warm for longer
  • Doesn’t need power source

Cons

  • Safety concerns for sleeping with it burning
  • No small pop up camping tents, well-ventilated tents only

What Buyers Like

The customer feedback for this camping tent heater is great, especially for cold weather camping and ice fishing. Great to warm up wet socks, or to make a good meal.

A lot of customers were not only happy with what they got, but happy for the price that they got it at! Buyers also liked how well it worked in large canvas tents, for long hunting trips, and for warming up the whole family!

Final Verdict

There are a lot of positives for the TMS heater and stove. You can use it to cook with, as well as heat your large, well-ventilated tent. We would recommend this for people who like to go camping long term, and also for people who like to get the most out of their investments!

The paint on this particular model does burn off, so a lot of customers commented on how they repainted with high-heat paint, which is an incredibly easy fix.

Not recommended for people who only use small pop up camping tents! This product is great for so many practical camping applications, that’s why it falls at number two on our top three list!

Best Camping Tent Heaters

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Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater – Best for Small Spaces

Details

Fuel Consumption/Burn Rate (Gal/Hr) at 4000 BTU = 0.044 Gal/Hr, at 9000 BTU = 0.099 Gal/Hr. Ceramic burner tile mounted with shock absorbing insulation for durability and easy replacement.
Heater dimensions:7” (19.56 cm) x 13.4” (34.04 cm) x 15” (38.1 cm). Weight: 9.44 lbs (4.28 kg).

Click here to see reviews and prices for the Mr. Heater Indoor Safe-Portable Propane Heater on Amazon

The Mr. Buddy heater is a great camping tent heater for all types of tents! This heater can provide 4,000 to 9,000 BTU radiant heat for spaces up to a whopping 225 square feet (68.58 square meters)!

You can run away to one of the top winter season getaways, or you can dive head first into nature’s cold season with this spectacular heater to keep you warm!

The Mr. Buddy heater is great for a medium two person tent, great for larger family tents, or even for small, personal tents because of its many safety features. The auto shut-off will turn off the heater if it is tipped over, the pilot light goes out, or if it also detects low oxygen levels! The fold down handle, and the swivel-out regulator make this easy to use, and very portable.

We recommend this as our number three pick for keeping you warm during those chilly summer nights, or while camping in winter weather! Please use caution when using propane, the propane tank is not included with this product! All in all, with the safety features, the easy thermostat, and the low oxygen detector, you can be sure that the Mr. Heater will keep you warm!

Best Camping Tent Heaters

Pros

  • Great for all types of tents
  • Safety features
  • Portable
  • Works well in winter weather

Cons

  • Propane can make some people uncomfortable for long periods of time
  • Need to purchase propane separately

What Buyers Like

This Mr. Heater, or Mr. Buddy heater, has gotten so many rave reviews for how effective it is in the great outdoors! Especially from hunters, ice fishers, and people who like to camp all year round. However great the reviews were for how well it worked, it was nothing compared to how many people were so excited that it was powerful and lasted through the night!

Lots of reviews and comments from buyers about camping, but a lot of people also loved it for their homes, offices, and to use if the power went out!

Final Verdict

This is number three on our list because it is durable, safe, and a smart purchase for anyone needing a camping tent heater! We don’t recommend this product for someone who is uncomfortable with using propane. Altogether, our number three of the best camping tent heaters on the market right now for tight spaces, including your favorite camp site getaway!

Best Camping Tent Heaters

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Camping Tent Heaters Buyers’ Guide

How To Choose the Best Tent Heater

Now that you’re aware of the top camping tent heaters on the market, the following section will focus on helping you narrow down the options.

To make the best choice of heater that will heat your tent efficiently and in a safe way, pay attention to the following factors when comparing the best tent heaters.

Heat Output

Each camping heater you come across will have a BTU rating. It stands for British Thermal Units and tells you how powerful a gas powered heater is and the kind of heat it puts out.

The BTU rating to go for will depend on the size of the tent you will be camping in and how well insulated the tent is. The bigger the tent, the higher the BTU rating the heater should have in order to warm the tent effectively.

Similarly, a small tent only needs a small heater with a low heat output of 500 to 3000 BTU. A two-person tent or larger requires 5000 BTU and above. For example, a heater with a BTU rating of 4000 to 9000 is suitable for tent spaces up to 225 square footage.

Electric tent heaters don’t have a BYU rating. The heat output for electric camping tent heaters is indicated in wattage. This rating tells you how much electricity a heater draws and is a good indicator of the amount of heat the electric heater puts out.

Safety Features

Using a heater in the enclosed space that is a tent has its own fair share of risks. Not only can poor ventilation lead to suffocation or carbon monoxide buildup, but there is also the risk that the tent fabric can catch fire.

For these reasons, heaters for camping should come equipped with the following safety features:

  • Automatic tip-over shutoff: This automatically switches off the heater if the heater is tipped over. This prevents the tent from catching fire in the event that the heater tips over without you noticing.
  • Automatic overheating shutoff: This heater goes off automatically if the temperature exceeds a certain level. Besides ensuring safe heating of a tent, this feature also preserves fuel and protects the tent heater itself from damage.
  • Automatic low-oxygen shut-off: A sensor detects low oxygen levels inside the tent and the heater goes off automatically to prevent suffocation or carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • A stable design: The heater should sit low to the ground. The low center of gravity ensures the heater sits stable and isn’t susceptible to tipping over, as long it’s placed on a sturdy surface.
  • Cool to touch and built-in handle: T prevent accidental burns, the heater should run cool to touch. This is especially important when camping with kids or pets. An integrated handle gives you a way to lift and move the heater easily and safely.

Fuel Source

Propane, butane, wood, and electricity are among the fuel sources camping tent heaters utilize. Each fuel source has its pros and cons as follows:

  • Electric camp tent heaters are the safest types of heaters to use in a tent. Since they burn clean without giving off toxic fumes, they don’t pose the risk of suffocation. However, electric tent heaters require plugging into a power outlet. This limits their use to camping grounds with electrical power hookups. You can’t use them when camping off the grid.
  • Gas-powered tent heaters are powered by propane or butane. This means that you can use them when camping in remote locations. All you have to do is bring enough fuel cylinders along. On the negative side, butane and propane tent heaters use oxygen to create heat. Unless the tent is well-ventilated and the heater has an oxygen sensor, the heater can deplete the amount of oxygen in the tent leading to suffocation or carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Wood-burning camping tent heaters are also available if you prefer to not lug along fuel. The rely on dry twigs and branches as a source of fuel. The downside is that wood fuel can be hard to find in some locations and firewood is too bulky to bring along. Burning wood also emits fumes thus wood heaters should only be used in a well-ventilated environment.

Size and Weight

As with any other camping gear, portability is an important consideration when choosing a heater for tent. Think about how you will be transporting it to and from the camping site and choose a heater with a convenient size and weight.

When car camping or base camping, you can afford to bring along a larger more powerful heater. If you’re going backpacking or hiking, though, you will need the lightest and most compact tent heating solution available.

Wood burning stoves and small gas tent heaters that run on propane or butane are lightweight and easy to carry on your back.

Be sure to take the source of furl into consideration as well. For example, you will have to lug along propane or butane canisters to fuel a gas-powered tent heater.

Noise Level

A heater with a low noise level is preferable for use in the great outdoors. It allows you to relax and savor the peace of nature. Some people also find the white noise heaters give off soothing.

While all heaters will emit a certain level of noise, some heaters are quieter than others. Fan-forced heaters or heaters that utilize a blower to disperse heat produce the most noise.

Some manufacturers provide a decibel noise rating for their heaters. You can also find out if a heater makes too much noise by reading the tent heater reviews left by other campers who’ve already bought and used the heater.

Energy Efficiency

Fuel is limited when out camping so an energy efficient heater is essential. It should produce heat for a long time without consuming too much fuel.

Besides choosing the right BTU output for the size of your tent, go for a heater that allows you to adjust the heat output to low, medium, or high depending on the temperature inside the tent.

Tent heaters with a thermostat allow you to maintain the optimal temperature inside the tent while conserving fuel or electricity.

Durability

A camping tent heater should be rugged enough to be withstand the rigors of camping. It will be packed in a car, transported over rough terrain, exposed to the elements, and bumped and dropped often. The last thing you want is a heater that fails you when you need it most.

For reliability and durability, the heater should be tough enough to survive bumps, drops, and harsh weather without breaking or failing. Heaters made of steel fit this bill perfectly.

Ceramic heating elements are resilient, while the handle should be sturdy and firmly attached to the heater.

Best Camping Tent Heaters That Meet Your Needs

You can shop until you drop, but these heaters are some of the best in the business. Whether you’re looking for something a little more durable and useful, something that can heat your tent all night, or something with quality safety features, these 3 best camping tent heaters will certainly get you what you need!

 

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Tim Baker is a travel junkie. He is really addicted to travelling and loves writing about his experiences and travel guides. When he is not travelling he is either writing his travel guides or enjoys playing tennis

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