6 Best Gas Garage Heaters to Get Hot

We compiled the 6 best gas garage heaters and found that the Mr. Heater F260550 is the overall best gas garage heater.

At Hack My Garage, we don’t simply put the highest ticket items at the top. We look through each item carefully and determine what the best purchase would be for each use case.

You’ll be given an overview, a list of pros and cons, and anything else to watch out for before you spend a single cent on gas garage heaters.

You won’t have to spend hours comparing and contrasting, we’ve already done the hard work for you.

The Mr. Heater F260550 is the best gas garage heater, it has 50,000 BTUs and can heat up to 1250 SQ.FT.

It’s perfect for any large garage environment like a workshop or for heating your entire home. Even consumers with uninsulated garages were happy with its performance and ability to save you on your electric bill.

If you only have a one-car garage or need a heavy-duty gas heater that’s capable of heating 2000 sqft, check out the reviews below.

Our Top Picks

Best Gas Garage Heater

*This unit requires proper ventilation and CO2 detection when installed in a garage

It’s a heavy-duty heater that will take care of any sized garage up to 1250sqft.

You’ll have an ample 50,000 BTUs to heat a 2 or 3-car garage during the chilliest of winters.

The low-profile design only requires a 1-inch clearance from the ceiling.

It has either vertical or horizontal venting allowing you to mount it wherever you’d like in your garage. Included are 2 angle brackets to hang this unit on the ceiling.

If you’d like to use propane as well as natural gas, it includes a conversion kit to do just that.

Safety is always a concern, this unit comes with an oxygen depletion sensor which will shut the unit off immediately should oxygen reach critical levels.

A thermostat and electronic ignition are included. You will have to hook this unit up to a 120v socket only for lighting and fan purposes.

You’ll be given a 3-year warranty on parts and burners and a 10-year warranty on the heat exchanger.

One thing you’ll need to watch for is this heater requires to be installed 8 feet above the ground. Make sure to measure your garage before installation.

Purchasers of this unit mention that they were able to heat their UNINSULATED garage with no problem.

Sadly, some reviewers mention that they encountered issues with Mr. Heater’s customer service.

Overall, Mr. Heater F260550 is the best gas garage heater around. It’ll heat your garage without too much effort and it’s ceiling mounted so you can save floor space. You’ll be able to work year-round in your garage, no problem.

Best Wall Mounted Gas Garage Heater

The Dyna-Glo Overhead is the perfect gas garage heater for a 500 sq. ft garage.

You’ll be able to install this directly on your wall so it can keep you warm while you’re at your workbench.

You won’t need to plug this unit in anywhere, the ignition works solely on its own.

An adjustable thermostat is included to ensure you can keep your garage at your desired temperature.

Please do be aware that this unit requires up to 30 inches of clearance in-between the unit and the ceiling for your safety.

Purchasers of this product said that it easily heated their 2.5 car garage in around 20 minutes.

One drawback is that without any safety features, you will need to have proper ventilation in your garage and monitor CO2 levels. I advise you do this regardless of any gas heaters you purchase.

Best Heavy Duty Gas Garage Heater

*This unit requires proper ventilation and CO2 detection when installed in a garage

The Big MAXX Mr. Heater F260560 has 80,000 BTUs and is a perfect fit for any garage workshops, barns or construction sites.

You’ll be capable of heating a 2000 sq. ft space with this unit.

Included with this purchase are the heater, 2 angle brackets for ceiling mounting, and a liquid propane conversion kit. It does NOT come with a thermostat, hose, or regulator.

Make sure to switch it to the “kit” option if you’d like the hookup kit to go along with it.

You’ll be able to choose vertical or horizontal venting so you can mount this gas heater in the perfect area.

It does require a 120v power outlet to power the ignition and the fan, so make sure to install it near an outlet.

One thing to watch for is that this unit is required to be 8 feet off the floor with an inch clearance from the ceiling for safety.

The Mr. Heater F260560 is a great purchase if you require a heavy-duty gas heater to keep a garage workshop or a barn warm and toasty this winter.

The majority of purchasers enjoyed this product except a few expressed that Mr.Heater had poor customer service when they reached out for repairs.

Best Small Gas Garage Heater

*Operating this heater above 4500ft could cause it to malfunction

Have a small garage and need to heat around 250 square feet? Mr.Heater Natural Gas will do just that.

It is small but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come packing heat.

It has 10,000 BTUs which is more than plenty to heat a one-car garage. You might even get away with this unit in your 2 car garage if you don’t need a constant source of heat.

No space in your garage? You can mount this on the wall with the mounting bracket or leave it on the floor with the included floor feet.

You’ll still be able to enjoy the safety features of the low oxygen shut-off system and the CSA certification. The flame is ignited with the built-in Piezo ignition.

Purchasers of this product were fairly happy with their purchase and found that it was more than capable of heating a larger area than advertised.

The only issue with the Mr.Heater Natural Gas is that it isn’t suitable for use with thermostats.

You’ll be more than happy with this unit if you only need to heat your small garage with a gas heater.

Best 30,000 BTU Natural Gas Garage Heater

*Operating this heater above 4500ft could cause it to malfunction

Are you after a 30,000 BTU natural gas heater for your garage? The Mr. Heater MHVFB30NGT is capable of heating up to 1000 square feet. You’ll have no issue staying warm with this bad boy.

30,000 BTUs is a very powerful heater, so proceed with caution. If you’re only using this in your 2 car garage, it’s likely overkill.

You’ll still have all the safety features with the low oxygen shut-off system and CSA certification.

Install this garage heater on the wall to save space or use the included feet stands to make it a floor unit.

If you decide to put it on the floor, leave about a foot in between the wall to give the unit some space to heat efficiently.

These gas heaters are certified vent-free, but I would always make sure that I had proper ventilation for safety.

Be aware that Mr.Heater does not ship a 3/8 connector or hose along with their units any longer if you do purchase.

The Mr. Heater MHVFB30NGT has 30,000 BTUs of natural gas-fueled heat ready to make any garage an enjoyable environment this winter.

Best Gas Alternative Garage Heater

If you don’t want to bother with gas and prefer going with a 240v option, the DIMPLEX DGWH4031G is an all-around great choice to heat your garage.

It has 4000 watts of stainless steel heating element power with a high-performance motor working to heat your garage right up.

The outside is made out of an epoxy powder-coated finish to ensure longevity.

You can install this unit on the ceiling or wall, whichever you prefer.

Adjust the swivel to pivot the heat in the direction you desire.

It comes with automatic overheat protection in case you were worried about safety. It also has a fan delay to make sure that the unit doesn’t stay hot after being turned off.

This heater requires a 6-20 NEMA plug, if you don’t have one then you can check out the other 120v heaters here.

You can heat your garage in many different ways this winter. The DIMPLEX DGWH4031G is one of the best options for an affordable price.

What to Look for in the Best Gas Garage Heaters?

Installation Costs

When looking into the best gas garage heater, you’re going to want to factor in installation cost. It can cost anywhere from $500 to $1000 to install gas heaters depending on where you live.

Professional installation is recommended, and if you aren’t comfortable working with gas, then it is advised that you do not take any risks.

You must take into account that a gas leak can be dangerous, and saving a few dollars isn’t worth your garage or any potential harm.

DIY ability

If you have worked with gas installation before, then you can check out what installing a gas garage heater would entail in your garage.

Again, I do not recommend doing it yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing.

You may need to source a permit to install your own gas heater, and you need to ensure that you vent the heater properly so that you avoid any fires and carbon monoxide buildup in your garage.

Heater Size

Roughly for a 400 square foot garage, you’ll need at least 8,000 BTUs to keep your garage heated. Depending on how well the construction of your garage is, you may need more or less.

For 1000 square feet, you’ll need around 20,000 BTUs to keep it warm. Consider getting a unit with a thermostat so that you can control the heat output as it can get quite toasty after a while and make your garage uncomfortable.

Insulation of Your Garage

If your garage is uninsulated, then gas heaters aren’t going to be able to keep up with cold outside air seeping in as well as the hot air seeping out. Before you go and spend thousands on heaters and installation, ensure your garage is well insulated.

You may find that you don’t even need to purchase a heater after you insulate your garage. It’ll also be great during the summer when you can use air conditioning and keep the cold air inside.

Gas Lines

Before you go out and purchase garage heaters, ensure you have a gas line in your garage. You may already have one depending on how the homes are built where you live.

If you don’t, the average cost to install a gas line is around $554 according to HomeAdvisor. This as well as the installation cost add to the total cost of gas heaters and total, looks to be around the $2500-3500 range depending on if you need to hire professional installation.

Safety

Oxygen depletion sensors will turn the unit off if it detects the oxygen in the room falls below a certain threshold. You want to look for garage heaters that have safety options for peace of mind.

I would also recommend getting a carbon monoxide monitor just in case. If you’re working in the garage with vehicles, you may be subject to more chemicals in the air, and in tandem with a heater, it may increase the CO2 levels in your garage.

Warranty

A warranty is essential should anything go wrong with the mechanical parts in your gas heater. Mr. Heater offers up to a 10-year warranty on certain parts and a 3-year warranty on most others.

It’s important to buy from a brand you recognize as it’ll be easier to get your heater replaced if anything goes wrong.

Natural Gas Heater FAQ

1) What is the best location to put gas garage heaters?

You should place your garage heater in the coldest corner directed towards the center of the garage.

2) What is the best heater, natural gas heaters, or electric?

It depends on your personal needs. If you’ve got the knowledge to install 240v garage heaters and don’t mind paying for one, you can opt for electric. The issue with electric heaters is that they won’t be as efficient as natural gas or propane heaters.

If you have a natural gas line already installed and it isn’t much effort to hook up a heater to it, it is the cheapest way to heat your garage. You can burn wood in a stove as well, but due to the build-up of smoke and CO2, it is not a great option for heating a garage.

3) How much BTU does it take to heat a 2 car garage?

The rule of thumb for forced air gas heaters is 15,000 to 30,000 BTU to heat a two-car garage depending on how cold it is.

4) Is a heated garage bad for cars?

You’re doing yourself a favor by keeping your car warm with garage heaters. What you want to watch out for is when you park your car in the garage with snow or salt, you’ll start speeding up the rusting process. Other than that, your car should be fine in a heated garage.

5) What is the most efficient way to heat a garage?

It’s between a radiated floor unit or a forced air gas-powered unit hanging from the ceiling. Good thing you’re on the best gas garage heaters review page! You can also check out the best propane garage heaters if you’re interested!

6) What features should you look for in natural gas garage heaters?

1. You want it to be able to heat your entire garage without any issues. I recommend insulating your garage beforehand so that the hot air doesn’t escape your garage causing an inefficient heater!
2. It needs to have safety features. Any time you’re using gas or propane indoors, you want your heater to have a safety shutoff feature if the CO2 in the room gets too high.
3. You also want to get a garage heater that can be mounted. They reduce the risk of danger of being tipped over and say you on valuable garage space!

7) What safety features should my garage heater have?

Your garage heater should have a CO2 monitor so it shuts itself off if the CO2 buildup inside your home gets too high. If you pick up a bullet heater without one, then I do recommend leaving the garage door cracked a bit to let in air or picking up a CO2 monitor as well to go with your heater.

Final Thoughts

Depending on whether you want an electric heater, natural gas garage heater, or propane heater to remove cold air in your garage, you’ll find exactly what you need with our guides. All of them should have enough heat output to heat a normal-sized garage.

Just be careful with carbon monoxide buildup and keep your gas or propane tank outside for precautionary measures and you should be good to go. Also consider checking out our guide for best kerosene garage heater and propane garage heater.