Electric Outdoor Heaters or Fire Tables: Which Is Right for Your Space?

When the temperature drops, the right source of warmth can make the difference between heading indoors and staying outside for another hour. But an outdoor heater and a fire table do rather different jobs. One is primarily about delivering targeted warmth; the other combines heat with atmosphere and a natural focal point for a seating area.

For most outdoor spaces, the better question is therefore not simply which produces more heat. It is how you use the garden, where people sit, how exposed the space is and whether warmth, ambience or both matter most. Our electric outdoor heaters and fire tables offer two distinct ways to make cooler evenings more inviting.

When an electric outdoor heater makes sense

Infrared electric heating is particularly useful when you want warmth directed towards a defined occupied area. Unlike a conventional heater that attempts to warm the surrounding air, infrared technology transfers heat towards people and objects in its path. Outdoors, where warm air can quickly disperse, that can make it a practical way to improve comfort around a dining table or lounge setting.

Position is critical. Start with the furniture rather than the heater: work out where people will actually sit and then consider the mounting point and coverage. Beneath one of our aluminium pergolas, for example, the structure can provide a logical location for heating and lighting while helping define the area you want to use into Autumn and beyond.

The Infrared Pergola Outdoor Heater 2000W has a 2000W output and is specified for an area of approximately 15–20m². It can be wall or ceiling mounted, making it well suited to a planned outdoor room where the electrical supply and heater position can be considered before installation.

When a fire table is the better fit

A fire table is as much about the experience around it as the heat itself. The flame draws people towards the centre of a lounge arrangement, creates atmosphere after dark and gives the seating area an obvious focal point. That makes a fire table especially natural alongside outdoor lounge furniture, where people are sitting relatively close together and conversation is the centre of the evening.

It also remains useful when the flame is not required. Models such as the Cannes Fire Table include a lid that converts the central fire-pit area into usable table space, while the broad surround provides room for drinks or small plates. For an outdoor lounge, that combination of table and flame can avoid adding a separate coffee table purely for everyday use.

Heat versus atmosphere

If your main objective is dependable, directed warmth, electric infrared heating will often be the more logical starting point. If you want the flame itself to become part of the design and social experience, a fire table has the stronger role. It is important not to treat the two as identical heating products simply because both can make a cool evening more comfortable.

That distinction becomes clearer when you consider an outdoor dining area. Diners remain in relatively fixed positions and may benefit from carefully positioned infrared heat without sacrificing table space. A lounge area, by contrast, can be designed around the proportions of a fire table, allowing the flame to sit naturally at the centre of the furniture.

Can you use both?

Yes, and in a larger outdoor room they can complement each other. A pergola might incorporate infrared heating to improve comfort across the occupied area, while a fire table creates a separate visual focus within the lounge zone. The key is not to add features simply because they are available. Each should have a clear role in the way the space is used.

If your garden includes both dining and lounging, zoning becomes particularly useful. Heating can support the dining area while a fire table anchors the more relaxed part of the terrace. Our guide to creating an outdoor room looks more broadly at how furniture, shelter, cooking and comfort can work together rather than being chosen in isolation.

Think about wind and exposure

No outdoor heat source can completely overcome a badly exposed position. Before buying, spend time in the space during the part of the day you expect to use it and notice where prevailing winds come from. A heater needs a sensible relationship with the occupied area, while wind can affect the comfort and appearance of an open flame.

Where exposure is a recurring issue, shelter may deserve attention before additional heat. A pergola with compatible screening can help create a more controlled environment, while the right furniture position can take advantage of walls, planting or other existing protection without making the space feel enclosed.

Consider the practicalities

Electric heating requires an appropriate power supply and installation in accordance with the product instructions. If a pergola, outdoor kitchen or lighting scheme is already being planned, it is worth considering electrical requirements together so cables and controls do not become an afterthought.

Fire tables have their own practical requirements, including fuel, safe positioning and the clearances specified by the manufacturer. Our current gas fire tables use an adjustable flame and include a glass windscreen, but you should still follow the individual product instructions rather than assuming every outdoor layout is suitable.

Which should you choose?

Choose around the experience you want to create. For targeted warmth around a defined dining or lounge area, start with an electric infrared heater. For a relaxed seating area where flame, atmosphere and a central table all contribute to the setting, explore a fire table. If the space is large enough to contain distinct zones, the answer may be both.

For more detail on the fire-table side of the decision, read our guide to choosing the right fire table. The important thing is to plan warmth as part of the complete outdoor living space, alongside furniture, shelter and lighting, rather than waiting for the first cold evening and adding whichever heat source happens to be closest.