Would a patio heater 元気づける up your 荒涼とした Bank Holiday? From firepits to スピードを出す／記録につける burners, we put the outdoor warmers to the 実験（する）?

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After a glimpse of the sun, the 天候 has turned ― just in time for the Bank Holiday. But you can still eat al fresco by 投資するing in one of the many new patio heaters on the market.

From firepits to スピードを出す／記録につける burners and heaters with remote 支配（する）／統制する light 影響s, retailers are 報告（する）／憶測ing a 殺到する in sales. ALICE SMELLIE puts a 選択 to the 実験（する）.?

With summer 急速な／放蕩な approaching, Femail's Alice Smellie (pictured) put a 選択 of?patio heaters to the 実験（する）

The best for longevity?

Hacienda Hudson Garden Fireplace, £179, johnlewis.co.uk (below, left)

This is a h eavy, steel garden heater which has a useful shelf underneath to 蓄える／店 enough 支持を得ようと努めるd to last a drinks party.

How’s it heated? Charcoal or 支持を得ようと努めるd ― about 15 small スピードを出す／記録につけるs in an evening.

判決: It was 平易な to light and I loved the fact that this heats you from 最高の，を越す to toe. 誘発するs are 含む／封じ込めるd within the fireplace, so I didn’t feel worried about the children. Although it was too 激しい for me to move about, my husband managed it. We were tempted to 誘拐する this one. 8/10

Both the?Hacien da Hudson Garden Fireplace (left) and the Belmont 解放する／自由な Standing Bio-Ethanol Fireplace (権利) 燃やす 支持を得ようと努めるd or charcoal

Best for country cottages

Gardeco Four Elements Chiminea, £159.99, hayesgardenworld.co.uk (above, 権利)

Chimineas are outdoor clay ovens which were 初めは used in Mexico for cooking and keeping warm. Now popular as outdoor heaters, this one is above waist 高さ. The lid must be 除去するd when the 解雇する／砲火／射撃 is lit.

How’s it heated? 支持を得ようと努めるd or charcoal ― but don’t overload it. You also have to cure, or 準備する the oven by 燃やすing a 独房監禁 スピードを出す／記録につける on 最高の，を越す of a 層 of sand and 許すing it to 冷静な／正味の. This is to 妨げる the clay from 割れ目ing, but the 過程 has to be repeated twice more, which takes an afternoon.

判決:?The chiminea was 平易な to light ― we placed some small 乾燥した，日照りの スピードを出す／記録につけるs on scrunched-up newspaper. Just don’t forget to 除去する the lid so that the smoke can 注ぐ out. I forgot to, which was the cue for yelling from my husband. 8/10

Best for the eco friendly?

Belmont 解放する／自由な Standing Bio-Ethanol Fireplace, £149.99, alfresia.co.uk (below, left)

An elegant, portable, 黒人／ボイコット steel fireplace which handily can be used inside or outside.

How’s it heated? This runs on bio-ethanol 燃料 ― a clean transparent 燃料 that produces heat, but no odour or smoke, and which I ordered 分かれて, costing £4 for 1 litre (ekofuel.org).

判決: I 注ぐd about half a litre of 燃料 into the 貯蔵所 in the fireplace and lit it with a long match. The 炎上 was faint in the 早期に evening light and it took ten to 15 minutes to reach 頂点（に達する） heat.

Although it was warm, it never became intensely hot. This appears to be as economical as スピードを出す／記録につけるs as we left it 燃やすing for an entire evening on just a half litre of 燃料. It was still going at 11pm before we turned in for the night. I also liked the fact that it’s smoke-解放する／自由な. 7/10

The simple?Belmont 解放する／自由な Standing Bio-Ethanol Fireplace (left) can be used both inside and outside, while the striking?Athena LED 加える Gas Patio Heater (権利) is pricey but could be handy at a party because of its wheels

Best for big parties

Athena LED 加える Gas Patio Heater, £349.99, gardenfurniturecentre.co.uk (above, 権利)

This gas-解雇する／砲火／射撃d pyramid heater produces a 劇の 炎上 保護するd by a wire mesh. 始める，決める behind the base are LED lights, the colour of which can be changed using a remote 支配（する）／統制する.

How’s it heated? A 15 kg butane gas 瓶／封じ込める (£73.74 for a new 瓶／封じ込める and £33.75 for the refill, calor.co.uk) sits within the base. It’s recommended that this is not left unattended. Just turn on the gas and 圧力（をかける） an ignition button.

判決: My children, 老年の six, eight and ten, gasped in awe at the 炎上 狙撃 上向きs and they loved the remote 支配（する）／統制する lights. But we had to stand reasonably の近くに to feel the heat ― any more than a metre away and I was reaching for my cardie. にもかかわらず its 激しい 外見, wheels on the 底（に届く） meant we could move it around easily. That would be handy at a party. 8/10

Best value

Square スピードを出す／記録につける Burner, £34.99, dunelm-mill.com and Dunelm 蓄える／店s 全国的な (below, left).

This steel スピードを出す／記録につける burner comes as a flat pack which slots into place like a jigsaw. It’s surprisingly 激しい and solid considering the 予算 price and is raised off the 床に打ち倒す so that it won’t scorch the grass.

How’s it heated? Either スピードを出す／記録につけるs or charcoal ― pile them in.

判決: I put six small スピードを出す／記録につけるs in the burner and lit them. Within ten minutes, there was a 猛烈な／残忍な heat. My children were thrilled and started toasting marshmallows. But the downside is the 量 of smoke. It wouldn’t stop 大波ing and getting in my 注目する，もくろむs. 6/10

Both the?Square スピードを出す／記録につける Burner (left) and the?Kamino By Morso (権利) use up plenty of 支持を得ようと努めるd on each use

Most 望ましい

Kamino By Morso, 普通は £1,569, from today £999, morso.co.uk (above, 権利)

A 強健な (100 kg) cast-アイロンをかける 支持を得ようと努めるd-解雇する／砲火／射撃d outdoor heater, which also has a 取調べ／厳しく尋問する so you can cook on it. It stands over 長，率いる 高さ and a chimney channels the smoke out of the 最高の，を越す.

How’s it heated? スピードを出す／記録につけるs ― about 15 over the course of an evening.

判決: This was the best looking by far, but, boy, is it expensive! However, not only did it look good on the patio, it was 平易な to light and 燃やすd 井戸／弁護士席 into the evening.

In spite of it 存在 激しく 冷淡な, we were still sitting around it at 10pm. The chimney takes away any smoke and it 放出するs a 広大な／多数の／重要な 取引，協定 of heat. Here, you get what you 支払う／賃金 for. 9/10

Best for summer parties

解雇する／砲火／射撃 Mountai n 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する with Built-in Halogen Patio Heater, £99, alfresia.co.uk (below, left)

A 一連の会議、交渉／完成する metal （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する standing at over 3 ? ft with a built-in cylindrical halogen heater as the pedestal. This is surrounded by a mesh which 確実にするs you won’t touch the direct heat.

How’s it heated? There’s a 5m cord to plug into the mains.

判決: This 供給するs warmth for 明らかにする 脚s ― and a place to 残り／休憩（する） a drink! 9/10

The?解雇する／砲火／射撃 Mountain 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する (left) and?（米）棚上げする／（英）提議する 最高の，を越す Electric Patio Heater (権利) are both compact - perfect for a small 集会

Best for dinner a deux

（米）棚上げする／（英）提議する 最高の，を越す Electric Patio Heater, £189, fishpools.co.uk (above, 権利)

This small heater is 始める，決める into a rattan base and sits on the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する.

How’s it heated? Plugs into the mains 経由で a 3m long lead.

判決: The family all sat outside for supper, which is usual for the beginning of May. When I switched on this neat little heater, it felt like sitting in the sun and the warmth radiated far enough in every direction to keep us feeling cosy from the waist up. 6/10

Best for 集会s

解雇する／砲火／射撃 Mountain Firepit with 巡査-影響 bowl, £64.99, alfresia.co.uk (below)

A 巡査-plated bowl on a sturdy wrought-アイロンをかける stand with a metal mesh half-moon fireguard to 保護する from 誘発するs.

How’s it heated? 支持を得ようと努めるd or charcoal ― about 15 スピードを出す／記録につけるs over the evening again. Within five minutes, there was a toasty warm 解雇する／砲火／射撃.

判決: The only problem was the smoke, which I would smell on my hair and 着せる／賦与するs. 7/10

The 解雇する／砲火／射撃 Mountain Firepit is a 巡査-plated bowl on a sturdy wrought-アイロンをかける stand?with a metal mesh half-moon fireguard