Outdoor Electric Fireplaces

An electric fire is the easiest way to put flame outside. No flue, no gas, no smoke, no spark arrestor and no cleaning out. It lights from a switch and it works in a shelter where a real fire would need a chimney.
Read this before anything else: sheltered, not weatherproof
Every unit in this range is IPX4 splash resistant. That means splashes, not rain. It belongs under a roof overhang, a pergola, a porch ceiling, a balcony above or a carport. It does not belong on an open lawn, and no electric outdoor fireplace is right for one.
If your patio takes rain at an angle, add a small hood or move the unit under the cover. That single decision is the difference between a fire that lasts eight years and one that fails at the control board in two.
Which one suits which space
Covered patio or terrace: a freestanding unit with heat, aimed at the seating. Porch: something slim enough to fit between the posts without blocking the walkway. Garden wall or outdoor chimney: an insert that fills an opening you already built. Terrace with floor space at a premium: a wall-mounted panel that takes none. Small walled courtyard: a compact table-height unit, because enclosed courtyards are the best case for electric outdoors.
Heat, honestly
All of these run a 1,500W element rated at 5,200 BTU. Outdoors that output does less than it does indoors, because warm air leaves. Expect to be comfortable a metre or two from the fire on a still evening, and expect a breeze to take most of it.
The fixes that work are cheap: a windbreak on the windward side, the unit lower rather than higher, and a second unit rather than a bigger one. Two fires facing each other beat one large fire every time, because you are heating people rather than air.
At the US average of about 15 cents per kWh, full heat costs roughly 22 to 23 cents an hour. A gas patio heater costs several times that and heats a radius whether anyone is in it or not.
Power, and the one real safety point
Use a weatherproof outdoor socket with RCD or GFCI protection on the circuit. Route the cable in a drip loop so water runs off rather than into the plug. Do not run an extension lead across wet paving; if the run is long, have an outdoor socket fitted. It costs less than the fire and removes the risk entirely.
Winter
Cover it with a breathable cover and disconnect the power at the socket. Never wrap it in plastic, because condensation under a sealed cover does more damage than rain on a breathable one. Bring the remote indoors.
Everything ships tracked in 2 to 5 business days: flat $50 under $1,000, free over $1,000, with a $150 minimum order. If you are unsure whether your space is sheltered enough, send us a photo on the contact page and we will tell you honestly.