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Your patio should be a unique place where you and your guests can relax and take life easy. You want it to be a hospitable and enjoyable space where everything is close to perfect.

Emerging research suggests that eating outdoors is more popular than dining inside. People prefer to enjoy their meals outside where they can inhale the fresh air and take in the view.

One ever-present potential problem though is the weather, which can make trying to eat outdoors down right miserable. However there are some actions you can take to ameliorate this problem. There are solutions available to counter those chilly evenings that follow what began as a warm sunny day.

Using a propane patio heater can extend the time that you and your guests are able to get together and enjoy the outdoors later into the cool evenings, and later into the fall season. There are several options available to choose from when searching for the best propane patio heater for your situation.

Number one, you have to figure out which general design of outdoor propane patio heater is best for your situation. An in-ground heater with an underground gas connection that is permanently affixed in-place might be a good option if you happen to live someplace where it is almost always cold, like way up in the Rockies or something.

But it is much more likely that a more suitable and universal alternative, like an easily transportable freestanding outdoor propane patio heater, would be the better choice. Portable propane heaters generally make more sense than the solidly affixed heaters since they can be moved to any level area where additional heat is needed at the time. The flexibility and convenience of a portable unit is further enhanced with its comparatively inexpensive cost.

Secondly, you need to calculate how much heat will be required to warm the area you want to keep comfortable. Most outdoor propane heaters list their heating area by specifying the heating radius, as a number of feet, from the heater because they spread their warmth in a circle.

You should determine where the most central point to place the heater would be and measure out from there the distance that you want to keep warm.

Thirdly, you will want to take into account the overall look of the outdoor propane heater to decide what will look the nicest on your patio. Would you prefer a brightly colored heater that is the center of attention or will a more inconspicuous unit blend better with your existing patio dcor?

Modern propane patio heaters are available in a myriad of shapes and colors. You can choose from bright-colored modern designs, stylish mute-toned heaters and even some that can be disguised and hard to spot.

Today's outdoor propane patio heaters are extremely safe and should perform well for many years without any worry. Following the guidelines and observing the cautions that are included with the unit are all that is necessary. Nearly all recently manufactured patio heaters are equipped with mechanical turn-off thermostats to shut down the heater once a certain temperature has been reached. The unit then automatically restarts when the space has cooled down again.

When shopping for an outdoor propane patio heater consider the pros and cons of each of the following types of heater designs:

Freestanding outdoor heaters - wherever you need heat the most you can place one of these portable units. These heaters are capable of warming areas with a radius of up to 20-feet.

Tabletop outdoor heaters - one of these will keep all the guests at your patio table nice and toasty. They sit in the center of your outdoor table and are easily portable from one location to another.

Hanging or wall-mounted heaters - these can hang on a wall or from the ceiling to heat everyone below.

In-ground outdoor propane heaters - these are the in-ground permanently installed units that require an underground gas line. Their greatest benefit though is that they eliminate the need for refillable propane tanks.