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Best Garage & Workshop Heaters: Our Editors Are Testing Now

We've hauled five heavier-duty electric and propane heaters into real uninsulated garages, workshops and sheds to find out which ones actually make a cold space workable — and which ones look good on the box but leave you shivering. We're evaluating raw warmth output, stability under long runs, wind and draft tolerance, and how much hassle the setup actually involves.

Rankings determined by testing data, performance, and user feedback — not manufacturer payments.

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Devon OkaforGarage & Outdoor Heat Editor12 years experience · 500+ products reviewed

Is your garage so cold in winter that you can barely grip a wrench — or step inside at all without a heavy coat?

Have you bought a portable heater only to find it barely takes the edge off, or trips the breaker the moment you plug in something else?

Garage and workshop heating is genuinely different from heating a bedroom or living room. The spaces are larger, often uninsulated, full of draughts, and the stakes are higher — a heater that just about manages indoors can be completely useless in a concrete-floored two-car garage on a January morning. We're working through the top five garage and workshop heaters right now in real spaces, and we'll tell you plainly which ones are worth the money.

Important note about how we compare:Heaters Tested is an editorial publication that earns a small commission when readers purchase via our affiliate links. This never influences our ratings — we apply the same evaluation approach and criteria across every product we review.About our methodology

We're currently testing the top 5 Garage Heaters on the market.

Devon has had five electric and propane heaters running in his own uninsulated workshop and a single-car garage for several weeks now — living with them through cold spells, long weekend sessions and the kind of real use that reveals what spec sheets hide. He's also been comparing notes with readers who've shared their own garage-heating frustrations.

Our editors are running hands-on evaluations now. Drop your email below to be notified the moment our verdict lands.

What we evaluate

  • Raw heating output and reach — does it actually warm the space to a workable temperature, or just the corner nearest the unit?
  • Stability on long runs — how it performs over several hours of continuous use, including overheat cut-off behaviour and whether it cycles off too early.
  • Setup and installation reality — what the setup genuinely involves: wiring, mounting, propane connections, clearances — not just what the manual promises.
  • Safety features and build quality — tip-over protection, cool-touch surfaces, ventilation requirements and how solid the unit feels after weeks of use in a rough environment.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of heater is best for an uninsulated garage?
For uninsulated garages, you generally want a higher-output heater — at least 5,000 BTU for a single-car garage and upward of 10,000–17,000 BTU for a two-car or workshop space. Forced-air propane and electric infrared heaters are popular choices because they heat the space quickly rather than slowly warming the air. We've been running multiple styles in real uninsulated garages to see which delivers usable warmth the fastest.
Is a propane or electric heater better for a garage?
Both have real trade-offs that depend on your setup. Propane heaters push more heat into a space faster and don't need a dedicated circuit, but they require ventilation and ongoing fuel costs. Electric heaters are safer for enclosed use and simpler to run, but a high-wattage unit needs a proper circuit — a 240V outlet in many cases. We're evaluating both types in our current round of hands-on testing to give you a straight answer for different garage sizes and situations.
How many watts or BTUs do I need to heat a garage?
A rough rule is roughly 10 watts (or about 34 BTU) per square foot in an insulated space, and noticeably more in an uninsulated one. A 400 sq ft single-car garage with no insulation can easily need 6,000–8,000 watts or 20,000+ BTU on a cold day. That said, ceiling height, door gaps and local climate all shift the number. Our upcoming review covers specific heater outputs alongside the real garage sizes we used them in.
Are garage heaters safe to leave on overnight?
Most permanently mounted electric garage heaters are designed for extended run times and are generally fine with proper clearances from walls and ceiling. Portable propane heaters are a different matter — they produce carbon monoxide and should never run in an enclosed space without ventilation, and most manufacturers advise against leaving them unattended. We note safety specifics for each unit in our reviews, including overheat cut-offs and tip-over switches we've checked ourselves.
Can I use a regular space heater in my garage?
A standard 1,500W plug-in space heater will struggle to warm most garages — they're sized for insulated rooms of around 150 sq ft. In a draughty uninsulated garage you'll mostly be heating the air immediately around you. That said, for a small insulated workshop or to take the edge off while you work close to a bench, a quality ceramic tower or infrared heater can do a decent job. We're including a couple of crossover picks in our current evaluation for exactly this use case.
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