5 of the Best Camping Heaters for 2025: What to Look For and Where to Buy
Top 5 camping heaters | Camping heater features | Alternatives for camping heaters
Why stop camping when the temperatures drop? Although we know many of you love camping in warm weather, our founding members of the Camping and Caravanning Club happily pitched their tents in the snow back in 1906, and they had a brrr-illiant time.
Winter camping can be a wonderful adventure. Keep yourself warm by packing extra layers of clothing, a few fluffy blankets and a winter tent. If you’re still a bit cold, consider investing in a camping heater that is suitable for your tent or camping unit. With a portable heater to hand, you can enjoy camping all year round.
How to safely purchase a tent heater?
There aren’t many purpose-built camping heaters on the market, so it’s important to check whether the camping heater you’re looking to buy is safe to use in a tent.
Wood, charcoal, petrol and gas heaters should not be used inside a tent unless the tent and heater are designed to work together safely, like a wood-burning stove with a flue in a tent with a stove hole. Fuel-burning heaters can be a fire risk and can produce invisible but deadly carbon monoxide.
Low-power electric heaters can be used in tents at night if you follow our advice on using electricity safely on the campsite here.
Why do you need a camping heater?
There are few things worse than not being able to sleep during your camping trip due to being too cold. Wearing multiple thin layers of clothing can help, along with sleeping off the ground on an insulated camping mat. However, even with all these measures in place, you may need some extra warmth, and that’s why you need to purchase a well-built camping heater.
What to look for when buying a camping heater
With a wide variety of camping heaters available on the market, it can be overwhelming to know which one is the right one for you. We've collated a list of the things to look out for when choosing your new camping heater:
- Safety
- Size
- Adjustable
- Dual-purpose
- Heating output
The first question to ask is, is the camping heater safe to use in a tent? Look for camping heaters with a bigger base, which makes them more stable, and for safety features such as a tip-over switch or cool outer housing.
Tents are damp places, especially in winter, so it’s important to keep your heater off the damp ground and make sure there are no exposed wires inside that could be damaged by humid air. Stand-alone heaters designed for bathrooms can meet this requirement.
Consider the size of your camping unit and the amount of space the heater would take up. A small, compact heater will also be easier to pack in the car and transport on your holiday.
Depending on how cold the weather is, you might want to adjust the temperature of your heater. Look for a heater with thermostatic control, so you can set the temperature you are comfortable with.
As well as heating the air in the winter, some electric fan heaters can help keep you cool in the warmer months too.
The last thing you want is your heater tripping the hook-up supply on your campsite, so make sure it’s rated at 2kW (2,000W) or less. Remember that the campsite’s electricity supply is not the same as at home—using the heater will restrict the amount of electricity you can use for other appliances at the same time.
Our favourite camping heaters
Now you know what a camping heater is, why you need one and what to look for, check out some of our favourite camping heaters currently on the market. Keep your eyes peeled for our member-exclusive offers and discounts too!
- Kampa Diddy Portable Heater
- Outdoor Revolution Eco Compact Electric Heater
- Outwell Katla Camping Heater
- Quest Bahama Dual Purpose Oscillating Fan Heater
- Quest Oil Filled Radiator (800W)
Despite its small size, the Kampa Diddy Portable Heater disperses plenty of heat in a short amount of time. With its 3-pin plug, you can plug this small, compact heater in and camp confidently and warmly throughout autumn and winter.
View this camping heater, prices from £29.95
Controlled by a modern digital control panel, the Outdoor Revolution Eco Compact Electric Heater is engineered to warm small spaces quickly. The heater’s compact shape and size make it easy to pack and transport on camping holidays. This heater is a great companion in both summer and winter, as it blows cool air as well as warm air using its oscillating fan feature.
View this camping heater, prices from £39.99
The Outwell Katla Camping Heater, with an adjustable thermostat and two power settings, will keep you warm during the typically unpredictable Great British weather. It also has a cold setting, meaning it can be used as a fan during the summer. The remote control provides simple operation.
View this camping heater, prices from £49.99
This traditional fan heater has the added advantage of turning the fan on its base, so the warm air reaches more parts of your camping unit. The Quest Bahama Fan Heater also shuts off automatically if it gets too hot or tips over.
View this camping heater, prices from £26.99
This small but sturdy oil-filled radiator is light enough to carry (with its in-built handles) and only consumes 800W. It will take longer to heat the space than a fan-style heater, but it will use less electricity and keep warm for a while when it’s switched off.
Alternatives for camping heaters
While investing in a reliable electric camping heater is an excellent way of staying warm on your camping trip, there are alternative ways to keep the cold out:
1. Hot water bottles or heating pads
These cheap and simple bottles can make all the difference in getting a good night's sleep. Add a flask to keep some water warm on hand and transfer it if you get cold – all of a sudden, you have a personal heater.
2. Electric blanket
Use an electric blanket to warm up chairs or a bed; when it's bedtime, either remove it to warm another bed or switch it off and unplug it – you may be surprised how warm you get.