Best Heater for Tent Camping Reviews

Taking the best safe tent heaters for camping is paramount. If you are determined to camp in fall and winter, you need a means to keep warm.

Thankfully, you can buy many camping heaters on amazon.com. Also remember to pack your camping and travel coffee mug. You will need your piping hot drink.

If you would like to know the safest portable tent heaters, you can check the few listed below on Amazon.com.

Here they are:

Mr. Heater F215100 Little Buddy

Mr. Heater F274830 Big Buddy MH18BRV

OPolar 1500 Watt Portable Heater

 

Winter camping is beautiful. You might even have the best campground for camping to yourself. All that white snow, the crisp clean air makes you think clearly. Besides, you will also bring your camping coffee maker, so you should keep warm.

Of course, you could always buy a 3-season camping tent for two that is rated for extreme temperatures, but then, that would not sufficiently keep you warm.

You need to buy a tent heater for camping. If you are like me, and you do not missing an outdoor rendezvous because of nature, well, find a way to beat it.

 

Are Tent Heaters Safe? Tips for safety

Are tent heaters safe? Good question there. Even when camping in summer, when you want the high alpine air of the mountains, you may still feel the need to use a safe tent heater.

Camping tent heaters are basically safe, very safe indeed. However, you have a part to play in that safety. You have to take deliberate steps to ensure that you stay safe when camping.

As you seek safe tent heaters for camping, you may choose a gas tent heater, an electric tent heater, a gas tent heater or a wood tent heater. Each of these has its unique benefits, and disadvantages.

Take for example a gas or wood tent stove or portable heater for camping. They are some of the best ways to heat a tent without using electricity.

If you are doing dry camping in a place with no campsite facilities, you will have to bring your own tent heater. Battery-powered heaters will die as soon as the battery is drained. Wood heaters can use most of the wood that you can find in the woods.

But then, wood tent heaters are riskier than a battery powered tent heater. You have to be very careful how you use them lest you set your tent on fire.

Before you can say that tent heaters are safe, here are a few things to consider:

Keep carbon monoxide out of the tent

When you are camping in the cold, you will be tempted to cover all the vents and windows to prevent the escape of the warmth.

This is a wrong move! If you are using a gas or wood heater, you want to allow the fresh air in and let the carbon monoxide escape.

To burn solid fuel inside the tent, you must have a good flue. A flue is a duct pipe that acts as a chimney. It takes all the smoke from the fireplace and disperses it to the surroundings. If your wood or charcoal tent heater does not have this flue, do not use it inside the tent.

Using propane heaters safely

Is tent heater safe?

Propane tent heaters usually do not cause any problems with carbon monoxide. However, when there is a hitch with their operation, they will emit carbon monoxide at harmful levels.

Thus, before you take one for camping with you, make sure it is working correctly. If you do not feel too comfortable about burning propane inside the tent, you may look for a propane heater that can burn the gas outside the tent and funnel the heat inside.

If you have to use the propane tent heater inside the tent, keep it close to the vents. That way, any carbon monoxide emitted can escape.

Tip over protection for tent heaters

This is a good safety feature, but not all camping heaters for tents have it. Tent heaters with this safety measure are designed in such a way that if the heater tips over, they switch off automatically.

You may have to pay more money for this feature, but it is always better to pay more for more features than pay less for fewer features.

In case a tent heater tips over, the open flame could light up the tent. Even if the tent heater does not have a tip-over protection feature, a good portable propane heater for camping is safe and stable. It will not wobble and tip over at the slightest provocation.

Electric Tent Heater – safe tent heaters for camping

These are by far the safest tent heaters for camping. They are classy and with good care, they could last many years.

However, good as they are, they have some downsides. One of them is that they require to be powered up. Thus, you should look for a campsite that has electricity. You can also use a camping generator to power up your electric tent heater.

Even high wattage heaters for camping are safe. There is just the heat with no open flames. There are also no carbon monoxide emissions to worry about. You can sleep through the night in your tent with your tent heater on.

Battery powered heaters – are tent heaters safe?

Again, to the question of finding safe tent heaters for camping, we must look at battery-powered heaters. They work in the same way as the electric heaters, they are safe and they have no emissions whatsoever.

These heaters are not very common, but if you look hard enough, you will find them. At the same time, the varieties available in the market can mostly heat small spaces, which is perfect for camping tents for two people.

 

Safe tent heater reviews

You could also carry a sleeping pad and use it to insulate your sleeping bag. However, that might not be enough. If you aim to keep the cold from reaching your bones, buy a winter tent heater. You can also use to heat a room at home.

The best tent heaters come in all shapes, sizes and styles. They also come at different prices. Whether you are on a slim or a big budget, you are going to get a heater to keep you warm during camping.

Here are reviews of the best heater for tent camping:

Mr. Heater F215100 MH4B – Best heater for tent camping

This is one of the best heaters for camping tents. It is very safe for indoor use. It is small, portable yet very effective.

At the same time, it is a propane powered stove, so that means you will have to carry a propane tank with you. But not to worry because it will be worth the effort.

This tent heater can heat a big area, up to 95 square feet. This is thus the best choice for you if you are going camping as a family, perfect for big family tents.

You will be required to buy a disposable cylinder of Propane gas, mostly one pound in capacity. This one will have to be bought separately.

This camping propane heater indoor is geared towards camping safety. Even when you have it on inside as you sleep, you should have no fear at the back of your mind regarding your safety. The camping tent heater is totally safe. It is little wonder then that this one has received many reviews on the internet.

When you combine a safe tent heater for camping with the best flashlight for camping, you can have peace of mind knowing that all of your lighting and heating needs have been safely taken care of.

Nothing beats camping when you have peace of mind. Mr. Heater is your perfect companion for that. It is an effective small propane heater for tent.

Pros

• Has 2 setting for heat amount – 4000 and 9000 BTU per hour
• Has automatic shut off for low oxygen
• Saves space when in storage thanks to foldable handle
• Has a wire guard for extra safety
• Automatic shut off should the carbon monoxide levels rise
• Small, compact and totally portable camping heater for tent

Cons

• Lets off small amounts of carbon monoxide
• Can’t be moved around when in use. Small bump will put it out

 

Camco 57331 Olympian Wave-3

With a heat range of between 1600 BTU and 3000 BTU per hour, you can choose the most appropriate for your tent, RV or car. This lamp is rated for indoor use.

 If you are looking for catalytic camping heaters for tent use, you will love that it can be mounted on the wall at home, or in your RV.

However, if you are doing tent camping, then you will most probably have to set it on the floor somewhere.

This heater uses a HD-5 propane gas, and it produces a very comfortable heat wave that permeates the air inside the tent.

The carbon monoxide levels are very low and it has an automatic shut off should there be a lot of carbon monoxide due to poor ventilation.

 

Pros

• Low fuel consumption – 1/8 pounds per hour on high heat setting
• Consumes 1/15 pounds of fuel per hour on low setting
• You can add leg stands to spread heat upwards
• Comes with 3 year warranty
• Has a high quality electric sparker that can last 20,000 uses
• Can be hung on the wall or set somewhere on the floor
• Silent heat

Cons

• Has low heat output even at high setting – 3000 BTU
• Not good for extreme winter camping

 

Mr. Heater F232025 MH9BX Buddy – winter camping tent heater

Would you like to bring Mr. Heater F232025 MH9BX Buddy along for your camping vacation in winter? You will love the high heat output and you will agree that indeed, this is one of the safest heaters for camping.

Heat output is rated at between 4000 and 9000 BTU. It has very low, negligible emissions such that it is rated at almost 100% fuel burning efficiency. That is quite high and the good thing is that you can heat a lot of space.

Just imagine camping with a camping tent heater that can warm about 230 square feet effectively. This heater should serve you perfectly well if you are camping with your family in one of those huge family tents from Coleman or elsewhere.

This is not rated as one of the safest winter camping tent heater for nothing because it packs some safety features. For example, if it is tipped over, it will automatically shut off thereby eliminating the risk of a fire starting.

Like many of the Mr. Heater tent heaters, it connects to the propane tank by a swivel-out regulator. Propane tank is not included in the heater.

Pros

• It is compact and portable
• High heat output – up to 9000 BTU
• Very low carbon monoxide emission
• Can be used in wide living spaces – up to 200 square feet
• Sold with a warranty of one year
• Lasts a long time
• Very safe – shuts off if tipped
• Can be used at home and at campsite

Cons

• Doesn’t come with propane tank
• Should only be used in stable conditions – no golf carts or sail boats

 

Texsport Portable Outdoor tent safe propane heater

It is small, it is cheap and it does what it is supposed to do. That is all the more reason why you should buy this Texsport Portable tent heater. It is one of the safest tent heaters for camping.

And you know what the best thing about this winter camping tent heater is? It uses both 16 oz and 14 oz disposable propane tanks. At the high heat setting, it can produce up to 3000 BTUs.

It comes with the basic safety features, but they work. For example, it will automatically shut off if it trips and falls over.

If the flame goes off, the fuel supply cuts out too. It is very stable on its “feet” and it is made of long-lasting material – copper with stainless steel finish.

Pros

• Good for heating a small cabin or tent
• Tent safe but with ventilation
• Large plastic base for stability
• Burner lasts long as it is made of stainless steel
• Light, easy to carry along
• Uses disposable one-pound propane bottles
• Cheap

Cons

• Has propane emissions – do not use where there is no ventilation
• Only heats a small area – less than 3000 BTU

 

TMS Military Tent Wood Stove – safe camping heaters for tents

Anything with the term military in it means rugged, simplistic yet very effective and that is exactly what you are going to get with the TMS Military tent wood stove.

Everything about this stove says it is indeed military, or better yet, Spartan. It is one of the safe tent heaters for camping.

However, it has some awesome features that you will not find in the other stoves.

Consider for example, the detachable side cooking tube where you can bake a potato or any other foil meal, just like using a camping stove, only much better. How awesome is that? Bring dry wood along.

Pros

• Has a spark arrester so that sparks do not burn your tent
• Has stove pipe vent so that it can be used in tent
• You can use the grate for drying out some personal items like socks
• Has high ground clearance – tent floor is safe
• Portable
• Usable in areas where open camp fires are prohibited
• Spreads heat fast
• Very affordable

Cons

• Many people do not know how to use it
• Paint may peel off

 

Coleman SportCat PerfecTemp – best Coleman tent heater

Coleman has a high reputation when it comes to the manufacture of heaters for tents winter camping and other uses. It does not disappoint in its catalytic camping heaters for tents.

The Coleman SportCat PerfecTemp is one of the best products that you could ever buy for your cold season camping experience.

SportCat is perfect for a small, two or four-person camping tent. It produces 1500 BTU of heat.

This heater uses catalytic technology to produce a flameless heat that is not only safe, but is free of harmful emissions. It has a stable base to keep it standing perfectly still.

Pros

• • Good for camping
  • Small and compact
  • Safe, flameless heat
  • Very nice for a family camping tent
  • Wide base to keep it stable
  • Can heat up your tent for 14 hours using a 16 oz propane tank

Cons

• Can be hard to start
• Doesn’t have automatic shut off when oxygen is low

Lasko 754200 Ceramic Electric – Best electric tent heater

This is a ceramic heater with a wattage setting of between 900 and 1500 watts. Lasko is quiet and it has some wonderful safety features.

It can be used in the enclosed spaces like small to medium-sized tents, garages, RVs and so on. Lasko 754200 is your perfect camping companion during the cold season and you will be happy you brought it along. It can only be used when you are camping in a well-connected camping site.

It is the best electric tent heater, so you will need electricity to run it. This could be hard when you are camping. However, if you are at a campsite, you can use the heater very well. As you look for a good grill idea for camping, consider a tent heater that will keep you warm safely.

Depending on where you are going to use the electric tent heater, you can select the low heat setting, high or medium.

You will be happy to know that the Lasko 754200 heater has a thermostat that will control cut off the heat as soon as the set threshold is reached.

Pros

• It is electric
• It has a thermostat for safety
• Good for backyard camping
• Very safe
• Quiet operation – good for the bedroom

Cons

• Will increase your electricity bill
• Cannot be used in areas where there is no electric connection

 

Best heater for tent camping buying guide

What does the best heater for tent camping entail? It must be safe, must be from a renowned brand and it must be effective. I think tent camping is much more fun when you use a heater than when you do not.

Most people ask whether they can use a camping stove to heat up their tents, but that is not possible because a stove can be dangerous, and again, it will deplete your fuel faster.

When you are looking for camping heaters for tents, you want to know a few very important things. Here are a few things to consider:

Safety

Tent camping can be delicate. Therefore when you are using a portable heater for camping, you want to be sure that there is no spark generated that can light up the tent. If you fall asleep, will you sleep forever due to carbon monoxide asphyxiation?

You need heater for tent camping that has safety features such that when the level of carbon monoxide rises in the tent, it can automatically shut off.

The amount of space you want to heat

This is another consideration. If you will camp in a big family tent like this one, you want a high BTU heater, say, at least 2500 BTUs. Smaller heaters may only be good for small tents.

The usability

A good electric tent heater for camping tent should be easy to use. Just turn it on and you are good to go. However, the propane heaters can be quite something to set up.

Some may also give high emissions and you would like to avoid that. It should be easy to get started, and should give you a good number of hours of warmth from a 1-pound propane tank.

Source of power

Propane heater for tent are very popular, but they are not the only available options in the market. You want to know a few other things too.

There are electric heaters too. These can be connected to your car, and there are even wood heaters with spark arrestors. Do not limit yourself.

Portability

This is the whole point about tent heaters for camping, isn’t it? If it is too heavy, then it is not worth buying. Make sure it has a foldable handle too so that you can carry it easily from the car to the tent and vice versa.

Versatility

If you are an ardent hiking or camping enthusiast, you want safe tent heaters for camping for all seasons. Thus, you will probably be looking for one that has settings for high, medium and low heat radiation.

Price

I usually consider the price of the best heater for tent camping last because I believe it is better to pay more for more features than pay less for fewer features. Besides, there is a cheap tent heater out there.

Not to worry though, as there is a portable heater camping for every budget. Bring your camping flashlight too. You will need it.