5 Best Heaters for Tailgating and Sporting Events (Portable)


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In this article we will discuss the best heaters for tailgating. I don’t want to make it sound simple, but there really is an easy winner for me. This is the heater that I own and recommend as best portable heater for tailgating (affiliate link takes you to Amazon). Here is mine:

portable-heater-lit

It is an Enerco Mr. Heater 45,000 BTU Tank Top Heater. This is the current price of this Mr. Heater 45,000 BTU Tank Top Heater at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon).

It puts off a very good amount of heat and is honestly just super simple to setup. Even the initial setup is easy, and this heater does not need a power supply. You will, of course, need a propane tank. Here’s what you do:

  • Step 1: Unbox it and find the 3 screws and connect the bracket to the heater unit (very easy, 2 minutes) and then twist-tighten the bracket to your propane tank.
portable-heater-box
portable-heater-setup
Bottom 3 screws. Top 2 come attached.

Step 2: Connect the hose to the tank:

portable-heater-hose

Step 3: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and light the heater. Usually takes me about 60 seconds to light. Here is mine lit:

portable-heater-lit
portable-heater-lit-close-up

Again, it really was an easy choice for me. This is perfect for a tailgate and it gives you something to huddle near to take care of the nasty chill. Be careful, it does get very hot.

Click here to buy this Enerco Mr. Heater tank top heater available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon). In this article we will discuss that Mr. Heater Tank Top Heater and also discuss other good options (including smaller options) so that you can find what is right for you.

**If you are getting ready to tailgate and want to read about how to setup TV at your tailgate, visit our article: Tailgate TV Setup.

Best Tailgating Heaters

You’re getting ready to brave the cold, like a true fan. You were fine with double-gloves and maybe a couple packs of those worthless hand warmer things, but you’ve been overruled, and so here you are shopping for portable space heaters.

Of course, it won’t just be “cold”, here comes the winter blast to turn your tailgate or bleacher-experience into an Antarctic camp site. So it’s time to buy a heater to take with you. These are the 5 best heaters for tailgating:

  • Mr. Heater Tank Top Heater 45,000 BTU (F242540)
  • Mr. Heater Portable Propane Heater (MH18B)
  • Mr. Heater Little Buddy 3800-BTU Propane Heater ( F215100 MH4B)
  • Mr. Heater 45000 BTU Triple Tank Top Heater (MH45T)
  • Dura Heat 360 Degree Tank Top Heater

In this article we will discuss the five best portable outdoor propane heaters that you can use for your next winter tailgate or sporting event. For your reference, here is the max output (in btu’s) of some common household items so that you can compare them to the strength of some of the portable outdoor heaters listed below.

Output (BTU)
Wood-Burning Stove60,000-100,000
Backyard Fire Pit50,000-70,000
1500w Indoor Space Heater5,100

It also worth mentioning that you might want to double check stadium guidelines to see if they have a policy regarding heaters or any of the associated components.

You can visit our tailgating resources page by clicking on this link where we list our helpful articles on the best equipment to own for tailgating as well as information-based how-to articles on how you can improve your tailgating experience.

**Disclaimer: There is no way to know what weather elements you may be dealing with, or what your specific setup will be, so for safety purposes make sure that you use these heaters only as instructed by the manufacturer.

Portable Outdoor Propane Heaters Ranked 1-5

#1: Mr. Heater Tank Top Heater 45,000 BTU (F242540)

***Best for Large Tailgates***

  • Our Choice: Best Heater for Tailgating
  • Attaches to top of propane tank
  • Max Outpout 45,000 BTU
  • Tip-over Safety Shut-off
  • All Necessary Fittings Included
  • 360 degree heat radius
  • Outdoor Use Only
  • No Electricity Required
  • Mounts to 20 pound propane tank
  • Propane Tank Not Included
  • Item Weight (minus propane tank): 5.5 pounds

This is the heater that I own and as I said at the top, easy winner for me. This is the current price of this Enerco Mr. Heater tank top heater available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). We chose it for these three main reasons:

  • It has a strong max output that works for a larger tailgate
  • Its design does not take up a lot of space
  • It does not require electricity

Depending on where you tailgate, space may not be a huge issue. But for many people, the tailgating space is quite small so the vertical burner on this heater does not take out space side-to-side. Here is mine:

portable-heater-lit
portable-heater-lit-close-up

This unit is very simple to setup (detailed at top of article) and has variable heat settings of 30,000/36,000/45,000 BTUs that you can adjust. This unit has a 9+ hour run time on a full 20-pound propane tank. No electricity is required to run this unit.

Again, the max output is 45,000 btu. For comparison, a common backyard firepit is in the 50,000-70,000 btu range, so you will be getting a somewhat comparable output of heat.

If you have a smaller tailgate of 2-3 people, or if you are going to a high school sporting event, you will likely want something a bit smaller that doesn’t require you to bring a 20-pound propane canister. Next, we will give our recommendations for small tailgates and personal outdoor heaters.

#2 Mr. Heater (MH18B) Portable Propane Heater

***Best for Small 2-4 Person Gatherings or High School Sporting Events***

  • Our Choice: Best Heater for Tailgating with a small gathering
  • Easy-carry handle
  • Output: 4000 to 18000 BTU/Hr (much less output than #1 above)
  • 1-2 hour run time (on 1-pound propane cylinders)
  • Tip-over safety shut-off
  • Needs 4D Batteries
  • No electricity required
  • Shorter Run Time
  • Item Weight: 11 pounds (without propane tanks)

If you are wanting to run a heater for multiple hours for multiple people, I would highly suggest the first heater we discussed. But if you are looking to have a small heater that you can place near a 2-3 person gathering of lawn chairs for an hour or two, this will work just fine.

Be forewarned that it operates on 1-lb propane cylinders (two of them), but you can purchase a hose and filter separately that will allow this unit to connect to larger propane tanks, which will obviously increase run time.

If you run this unit on high, continuously, and only have 2 one-pound propane cylinders, do not expect anything more than maybe two hours of run time. The batteries are used for a built-in fan to help blow the heat out instead of it rising straight into the air.

But perhaps you don’t need something that will last for 5+ hours. The positive about this unit is it is easy to move and doesn’t need a 20-pound propane tank to function. This may make it a more reasonable option for what you are looking for.

If you are going to a high school football game and propane heaters are allowed on-site, this might be a nice solution to keep you warm throughout the night. Very easy to pick up and move versus having to haul a large heater around. The weight of this item is 11 pounds.

#3 Mr. Heater Little Buddy 3800-BTU Propane Heater ( F215100 MH4B)

***Best For 1-2 Individuals***

  • Our Choice: Best Personal Heater for Tailgating
  • Smallest option
  • No Electricity Required
  • Output: 3800 BTU/Hr
  • Approximately 5-7 hours of run time (one 1-pound cylinder)
  • Propane not included
  • Similar output to that of a small indoor space heater
  • Tip-over safety shut-off
  • Swivel-top to adjust direction of heat
  • 1 heat setting
  • Item Weight: 5.91 pounds (without propane tanks)

This is the smallest option on the list and will be ideal only for people looking to find a small heater to sit next to their folding chair. This will not heat a large gathering of people.

This unit runs on 1 one-gallon cylinder of propane. It is easy to move and only weight approximately six pounds without the small propane canister.

If you are looking for something that will make you very warm, this will not do the trick. If you are just looking for something small to help chase away the chill, this will be a nice option for you.

The obvious thing to like about this option is it is very easy to move and you don’t have to worry about a large propane tank.

One drawback for this unit is it does not have a built-in fan so the heat tends to just rise straight up into the air. But again, if you are looking for a small heater to place next to you while you sit on metal bleachers, this unit should work for you just fine.

#4: Mr. Heater 45000 BTU Triple Tank Top Heater (MH45T)

  • Output: 10000 to 45000 BTU/Hr
  • Tip-over safety shut-off
  • Outdoor Use Only
  • No electricity required
  • Item Weight: 9 pounds (without propane tank)

This portable propane heater mounts to the top of a 20-100 pound propane tank (the propane tank is not included). By itself, the heating unit weighs only 9 pounds, so it is easy to transport. It’s a little under two feet wide.

The heater has three burners, which (when all three are on) has a max ouput of 45,000 btu. This means with all three burners going you will be getting almost the same heat output that you would get from a common fire pit.

If you mount this heater to a full, 20-pound propane tank (like the size that most gas grills use) you can expect to get a minimum of 9 hours of run time (likely you will get much more than that if you don’t always have it on the highest setting).

You can also consider the smaller 2-burner option, which mounts to 5-20 pound propane tanks in case you didn’t want to have to transport a 20-100 pound propane tank.

#5: Dura Heat 360 Degree Tank Top Heater

  • Attaches to top of propane tank
  • Max Outpout 40,000 BTU
  • Tip-over Safety Shut-off
  • 360 degree heat radius
  • Outdoor Use Only
  • Mounts to 20 pound propane tank
  • No Electricity Required
  • Propane Tank Not Included
  • Item Weight (minus propane tank): 6.4 pounds

This Dura Heat Tank Top heater is similar to the Mr. Heater we recommended at the top because this heater is also a single-heater unit that takes up very little space but produces a lot of heat.

So it also may be worth considering if space is an issue for you. It has a single burner that sticks up straight from the propane tank (in comparison to the three-burner product that we recommended at #4).

The max output is 40,000 btu, which is slightly less than the tank-top heater that we recommended at the beginning of the article. Again, for comparison, a common backyard firepit is in the 50,000-70,000 btu range, so you would still be getting a somewhat comparable output.

I personally would side with the recommended tank-top at the beginning of the article because many people consider Mr. Heater to be a very dependable brand of outdoor propane heaters. But if you are looking for a similar alternative, this Dura Heat product will do just fine as well.

Portable Heater: What to Consider?

Here is a list of a few things you will want to consider before you make your purchase:

Size: How much space will you have at your tailgate? Make sure that the tank-top that you choose does not take up too much space.

Setup: Tank-top options reguire a 20-pound propane tank. That means there is one more thing you might have to bring with you. Although the setup on most tank-top heaters is quite simple, lifting and transporting an extra propane tank may be a hassle.

People: How many people are you going to need to keep warm? If it is only a couple, you might be able to get by with one of the smaller units on the list above (perhaps one that does not need a 20-pound propane tank).

Temperature: Exactly how cold are we talking about here? If it is bone-chilling, negative wind chill out there, you will definitely want to consider one of the higher output options to make sure that you have enough warmth.

Venue: If you are simply attending a high-school or youth sporting event and wanting a heater to set next to your lawn chairs or on the metal bleachers next to you, tank-top will most definitely not be the option you will likely want to use. I would recommend a smaller more personal portable heater.

If you are hosting a tailgate party, here are some of our other resources to help you get the party going in the right direction:

Paul Johnson

Paul has been with us from our beginnings. He focuses on a wide range of sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB and golf.

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