King Electric Patio Heaters

King Electric SmartWave infrared patio heaters warm people and objects directly rather than heating the air, which is why they keep working outdoors where a convection heater cannot. Outputs span a range suited to spot heating or a whole area, and every model mounts to a wall or ceiling for indoor or outdoor use.

Authorized Dealer • Full Warranties • Free US Shipping

Need help choosing the right model?
Get expert guidance on fuel type, sizing, and installation.
866-713-2399 (Call / Text)
Get Expert Help
Compare

Sale

King Electric SmartWave 60-Inch 4500 Watt Infrared Radiant Patio Heater with Remote

Sale price $1,317.07 Regular price $1,712.19

View details
Compare

Sale

King Electric SmartWave 42-Inch 3000 Watt Infrared Radiant Patio Heater with Remote

Sale price $1,085.70 Regular price $1,411.41

View details
Compare

Sale

King Electric SmartWave 24-Inch 1500 Watt Infrared Radiant Patio Heater with Remote

Sale price $829.19 Regular price $1,077.95

View details

King Electric SmartWave Infrared Patio Heaters

King Electric SmartWave infrared patio heaters heat by radiation rather than convection. That single fact is why they work outdoors, and it is the reason to choose one over a heater that warms the air.

King Electric has built heaters in Seattle since 1958 and is still family owned, which is worth knowing mostly because it explains the product: these are specified for commercial and industrial spaces first, and the residential patio is a use they also serve rather than the one they were designed around.

Radiant heat is what works outside

A convection heater warms the air around it, and outdoors that air moves away before it reaches anyone. Infrared radiates directly to people and objects, so a breeze does not carry the warmth off. It is also why the heat is felt immediately, with no warm-up.

This is the same reason an outdoor electric fireplace does not warm a patio: a fireplace is fan-forced convection, and a patio heater is infrared. They are different appliances doing different jobs, and the pairing that works is a fireplace as the focal point with heaters covering the seating.

Sizing and mounting height

Outputs run from 1500 to 4500 watts, and higher output covers more ground from the same height. But mounting height is the specification that decides whether any of it works: too low and the heat lands in one patch, too high and it disperses before anyone feels it. The recommended height is in each model's manual.

Total heat or spot heat

These are rated for indoor and outdoor use, and they are built to do either job: heating a space outright, or spot heating one part of it. Spot heating is the underrated use. A workshop bench, a doorway, or one end of a covered patio can be made comfortable without heating the whole volume, which is exactly what infrared is good at and what a convection heater cannot do efficiently.

See outdoor electric heaters for every brand, patio heaters for gas options too, or mounted patio heaters for the wider mounting category.

Frequently Asked Questions about King Electric Patio Heaters

Why infrared rather than a regular heater?

Infrared radiates heat to people and objects directly instead of warming the air. Outdoors that is the whole difference: warmed air drifts away on the slightest breeze, while infrared keeps reaching you because it never depended on the air.

Which wattage do I need?

Match the output to the area you want covered, not to the size of the patio. Higher wattage covers more ground from the same mounting height. The coverage figure for each model is on its product page, and it assumes the recommended mounting height.

How high should it be mounted?

To the manufacturer's recommended height for that model. Too low concentrates the heat in a small patch and can be uncomfortable; too high spreads it until nobody feels it. This is the specification people most often ignore and it decides whether the heater works.

Do they need a dedicated circuit?

Higher-wattage models generally do, and the requirement varies by model and voltage. Confirm it before installation, because the electrical work is the part that is expensive to change afterwards.

Can they be used indoors?

Yes, these are rated for both. Indoors they suit spaces that are hard to heat conventionally, such as garages, workshops and entryways, for the same reason they work outside.

Will they survive the weather?

They are built for outdoor exposure, and mounting them under cover still extends their life. Follow the clearances in the manual, particularly overhead, which people underestimate on a covered patio.