Best Barn Heater Reviews of 2021
Heating a barn or garage in colder weather is an essential part of looking after livestock or animals that require that extra bit of heat during those colder months. Keeping a reasonable amount of heat in the barn while still keeping costs down is a real challenge for most farms or ranches. This is why we’ve selected 5 top heaters for barns that should provide a mixture of the best heat, as well as value for money and keeping electricity costs down as much as possible. We have selected a range of different heaters, some with different heat methods, attachments and even safety ratings. Take a look below and see what fits the bill for your heating requirements.
Please note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.
Top 5 Rated Comparison Table
Image | Heater | Volt | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Editors Choice | 240 | |
 | 120 | ||
 | - | ||
 | 240 | ||
 | 120 |
Reviews of the Best Barn Heaters
Comfort Zone has produced this large ceiling mounted heater that I think rightly deserves the number 1 spot on the list.
The ceiling mounting is ideal if you’re short of space in your barn, especially considering it’s a larger than normal model. The design is sturdy, and strong thanks to its heavy gauge steel build. It’s easily adjustable, with the angle of the airflow simple to move around or temperature easy to control thanks to the dual knob thermostat. The safety of this model has also been taken very seriously by Comfort Zone with a built-in sensor that automatically turns the heater off if it starts to overheat.
One of the problems that crop up with this model is quality control. There are quite a few reports of the model being shipped to customers with the fan blade being loose. The other small niggle is installation, with installation being slightly more tricky due to it being a ceiling mounted heater.
If you’re short of space and looking for something to hang from the ceiling that provides a powerful source of heat, then as long as you’re ok hard-wiring it in, this should be your first choice.
Pros
- Powerful heat
- Ceiling mounted
- Sturdy design
- Adjustable
- Safety sensor built-in
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- Instances of the fan blade being shipped loose
- May be a bit tricky to install
The Stiebel Eltron is a close runner up that mounts to the wall rather than the ceiling and is much smaller in design.
This sleek-looking compact model is very light in design and attaches to any wall fairly easily. It also has a silent design, which helps ensure that any animals in the barn are not put off or spooked by the heater. A built-in thermostat and frost protection is also part of this design, ensuring that it adjusts accordingly to the room temperature. The design screams quality and is designed to last many cold winters.
This is a well designed, quality model, but it’s not going to provide enough heat on its own to keep a large barn of space warm. It’s great for maintaining a low level of warmth during colder periods but is more suited to complimenting another heat source. There are also cheaper options that are more powerful in terms of heat provided out there.
A great option if you’re looking for a long-lasting, extra heat source. It may, however, not be a sole long-term solution for heating larger barns or garages.
Pros
- Small, sleek design
- Easy to install
- Long-lasting
- Plenty of useful settings available
- Quiet operation
Cons
- Not ideal as a sole heater for larger barns or garages
- Slightly on the expensive side for the heat provided
Another wall-mounted heater comes from Heat Storm, who have come up with this infrared smart heating solution.
The design is very modern and has an electronic display screen, making use of smart technology, allowing you to wireless control the temperature from your smartphone. With 1500 watts of power, it’s designed for 300 sq as a main heater for any space. It’s also designed with portability in mind being reasonably small and light, making it easy to move anywhere around your barn and install. Safety is also a great concern for Heat Storm, that’s why the unit always remains cool to touch, even when running for long periods. The product is also ETL Safety Certified, guaranteeing that everything is thoroughly tested for safety issues and concerns.
With all smart technology, there's the risk of things not being compatible or working properly, and this can be the case with the Wi-Fi install on the Heat Storm. The Wi-Fi can sometimes be a bit of a hit and miss and may not provide the connection required. Although it puts out a good source of heat, it’s not going to heat larger spaces on its own.
A good all-round pick that incorporates modern smart technology with built-in Wi-Fi and smartphone capabilities. Again, this shouldn’t be your choice if you’re looking to heat a large barn or space, it should only be for smaller-medium sized areas or used to complement other heaters in larger spaces.
Pros
- Strong, consistent heat
- Built-in Wi-Fi and smart technology
- Portable and light
- Quiet
Cons
- Potential Wi-Fi issues
- Not suitable on its own for large barns
Another powerful pick that’s designed to heat up larger spaces comes from NewAir, who have come up with this popular electric heater for barns or garages.
This electric heater, although on the larger side, has the option to be mounted to the ceiling or wall. With 5000 watts of power and a heating capacity of 17,000 BTUs, this model packs some serious power and is designed to heat up to 500 square feet.
Although this pick is typically mounted to the wall or ceiling, it’s easily adjustable and can be directed where you like thanks to the swivel bracket provided. A built-in thermostat and auto temperature control ensures that the unit adjusts to the room temperature and does not overheat.
It’s obviously a larger and heavier sized heater than most, therefore, requiring it to be installed to either a ceiling or wall, this can sometimes lead to a tricker installation than some other heaters require. It is one of the most expensive heating options for barns on the list, however, it does put out some serious heat.
If you’re looking for a reliable sole unit to power up a larger sized barn or working space and you have the cash, this should be your pick.
Pros
- Very powerful, great for larger spaces
- UL certified for safety
- Built-in temperature control
- Solid, heavy-duty design
- Swivel bracket provided for pointing in any direction
Cons
- Expensive
- Harder installation than some other models
This small portable milkhouse style heater from TPI is my last pick for heating up a barn.
Weighing in at only 9 lbs and being 16” tall by 10” wide in dimensions, this heater is a great portable solution for using in small spaces. The unit itself is 120v and has two heating options to choose from - 1300w and 1500w. It’s designed to heat up to 150 sq feet of space, which is ideal if you need an extra little bit of heat. No installation is required, simply plug-in anywhere you like, and you’re good to go. There are also a few little cool features that it sports, such as a tip-over switch, automatic reset control, and a thermal cut-off device. As well as this triple safety system, this unit is also UL compliant. This is also a very affordable solution and is the cheapest pick on my reviews list.
One thing that should be noted is that this isn’t a standalone heater, and certainly won’t heat up a barn space on its own, it should be seen as an extra heat source to an already existing source of heat. There are some quality control issues with some models as well, which I suppose comes with the territory due to being a lower-end model.
An excellent choice if you’re looking for a portable, extra bit of heat in certain areas of your barn to stop it freezing over at a great price.
Pros
- Easily adjustable
- Inexpensive
- Strong build
- Light and portable
- Triple safety system in place
Cons
- Not going to heat up a barn on its own
- Quality not as good as other picks
Heater for a Barn Buying Considerations
Size, Attachment and Installation
Sometimes space is an issue depending on your setup, therefore the size of your heater and where it attaches can be a big deciding factor for some people. If you don’t have the space for a larger, more powerful standalone unit on your floor, you may want to invest in a ceiling or wall mounted option. Standalone units usually plug into a power source and are straightforward to get going, whereas a wall or ceiling mounted heating system may require some hardwiring or cabling work.
Heat Rating and Barn Size
The amount of heat your chosen system puts out will obviously depend on the size of barn you intend to heat and whether you have other heating sources in place. The bigger ceiling type models listed above are ideal for heating up larger spaces on their own, whereas the smaller, standalone models are designed to act as an extra heat source and avoiding certain areas of your barn freezing over.
Type
There are several types of heaters available such as electric, propane gas, natural gas, kerosene, recycled oil and even infrared heaters. Each has their own benefits and disadvantages, with some being more powerful than others, some costing more and others being more or less safe.
Safety
This is a big one for most buyers as if you’re relying on a heater to run throughout the winter to keep animals warm, especially unattended, you need peace of mind that your chosen model has passed thorough safety checks and won’t go up in smoke with the rest of your barn. Check the safety ratings of any potential model you’re considering and also see if it has any in-built safety features for extra protection.
Final Verdict
That’s a wrap on my 5 best barn heaters reviews list. I hope that I’ve covered a mixture of different heating systems that are suitable for different situations and conditions. Remember that some picks above are chosen as an extra heating source to complement an already existing source of heat, and others are powerful enough to keep the whole barn or garage warm themselves. Be sure you take extra care when leaving a heater on in your barn during the winter, especially if unattended and with animals around.