Bromic vs Infratech vs Heatstrip: Electric Patio Heaters Compared

Bromic, Infratech and Heatstrip all make hardwired electric infrared heaters, and their documents separate them on voltage choices, water ratings, warranty and controls. Infratech lists the most sizes, 1,500 to 6,000 W, all electric, with a mounting height for each model. Bromic also makes gas heaters and pairs its electric line with an app. Heatstrip publishes coverage for indoor, enclosed and exposed settings, and its strips run 2,200 to 3,200 W on 240 V.

This page compares published specs and manuals. Firepit HQ has not tested any of these heaters, and it is independent of all three makers. Where a maker's own documents disagree, the tables note it.

What This Comparison Covers

It covers the electric lines each maker sells in the US: Bromic's Tungsten, Platinum, Cobalt and Eclipse, Infratech's C, CD, W, WD and SL series, and Heatstrip's Classic, Intense, Enhance and Max DC. Gas models are left out, and anything a maker does not publish is marked "not stated." For how infrared heat, circuits and mounting work in general, read the infrared patio heater guide.

Wattage, Voltage and Amps by Line

Sources: the makers' spec pages, cut sheets and manuals. Infratech's reference manual also lists 480 V and 120 V models; its FAQ caps 120 V heaters at 1,500 W, while the same manual lists a 1,600 W SL-1612 at 120 V. Bromic Eclipse draws 13.9 A at 208 V.

Published Coverage at the Same Wattage

Coverage is where the three differ most, and each maker measures its own way. Infratech's chart ties each area to a mounting height, and its installation manual adds cold and protected figures. Heatstrip gives a figure per exposure. Bromic's electric cut sheets state no basis.

At 6,000 W the published areas run from 121 to 172 sq ft. That is a reason to read the basis behind each number before comparing heaters on area alone, and the BTU calculator lists the figures with their sources.

Elements, Water Ratings, Listings and Where They Are Made

Heatstrip's About page says its heaters are designed, engineered and supplied in Australia, which does not say where they are made. Infratech's UL and cUL listing is under file E 29825, and it says its quartz elements are rated for up to 5,000 hours. Bromic's Tungsten and Cobalt elements carry a seven-year warranty. Bromic's Platinum Marine, in 316 stainless, is rated IPX5 in its manual and on its product page, and IP54 on its cut sheet.

Mounting and Published Clearances

Two mounting rules stand out. Infratech's flush mount needs a five-sided pocket of 5/8 in drywall with a one-hour fire rating, on a flat ceiling, and its manual says licensed electrician only. Bromic says the elements must stay horizontal, and Bromic and Heatstrip both say the heater must never face the ceiling.

Warranty and Controls

The terms differ in ways the headline years hide. Bromic's warranty covers the original owner only, gives a replacement heater or part, leaves labor, shipping and installation to the owner, and routes claims through the seller. Infratech's covers the original purchaser at the original site, ends on transfer or relocation, and says competitor controls may void it. Heatstrip's, in terms its US manuals label for international customers, covers the original owner, is repair or replacement at the factory, and leaves return freight and site labor to the customer. It also requires the heater to be maintained and cleaned as instructed.

On controls, Bromic's dimmers adjust heat in 1 percent steps, and its app adds timers, schedules and voice control. Infratech says its controls take a heater from zero to 100 percent of power. Heatstrip's brochure gives its remote and app models three heat levels and a timer of 0 to 24 hours.

Where the Makers' Documents Disagree

Product pages, cut sheets and manuals are published separately, and the numbers do not always match. Cross-check the manual for your exact model.

• Bromic coverage: the Tungsten and Cobalt cut sheets give up to 130 and 160 sq ft for 4,000 and 6,000 W. Their manuals give up to 120 and 144.
• Bromic water rating: Platinum is IP54 on the cut sheet and IPX4 in the manual.
• Heatstrip coverage: the Classic manual's spec table gives 43 to 54 and 54 to 65 sq ft for the 2,400 and 3,200 W, while its selection guide, used above, runs to 65 and 86. The Intense and Enhance coverage tables pair square meters with square feet that do not match, so those figures are left out.
• Heatstrip Max DC coverage: the product page's table labels 129 and 172 sq ft outdoor exposed, and its own text calls the same figures outdoor enclosed.
• Heatstrip Classic height: the manual gives a 2.7 m maximum, and the brochure's product pages give 3.0 m.
• Heatstrip wiring: the manuals call for a fixed installation, and the Enhance manual also describes a 2,400 W plug version.
• Heatstrip warranty: the Max DC is 3 years commercial in the brochure, and 3 residential and 3 commercial on the product page.
• Infratech models: the reference manual lists C-25 (2,500 W) and CD-50 (5,000 W) models, while the chart and product pages list C-26 (2,600 W) and CD-52 (5,200 W).
• Infratech 120 V: the FAQ caps 120 V heaters at 1,500 W, and the reference manual lists a 1,600 W SL-1612 at 120 V.

Which Maker Suits Which Project

These are my readings of the documents.

Bromic suits a project where the heater is part of the ceiling plane and you want app control. Platinum has two recess kits and a ceramic-glass face. Eclipse is a pendant with a dimmable LED. Bromic also makes gas heaters, which helps if one patio mixes covered and open areas. The tradeoffs are on paper: warranty varies by line, from 1 year on Cobalt parts to 5 on land-based Marine, the documents disagree on coverage, and the electric documents I read do not say where the heaters are made.

Infratech suits a project with an electrician or designer involved and a ceiling to build into. It lists the most models, publishes a mounting height for each, offers flush frames and a pole mount, and builds relay-panel control systems for zones. The tradeoffs: electric only, a warranty you register to activate, and a flush mount that is construction work.

Heatstrip suits a covered patio or pergola with a 240 V circuit, where a slim strip over a table is the goal. Its Classic manual sets a minimum of 46 W per sq ft for a protected outdoor area and shows coverage falling as exposure rises. Intense and Enhance are rated IPX5, and Intense's manual says it does not need full protection from the elements. The tradeoffs: the strips top out at 3,200 W, the 4,000 and 6,000 W Max DC is sold as commercial, and the Classic manual lists China as the country of manufacture.

For covered spaces, see outdoor heaters for covered patios. To size by area and choose between electric and gas, read how to choose a patio heater. Each maker has a profile at Bromic, Infratech and Heatstrip.

Questions to Settle Before You Choose

• Voltage: what your panel supplies, 208 or 240 V, confirmed by an electrician.
• Ceiling height: against each model's minimum and published range.
• Exposure: which water rating and manual language fit your patio, and what your inspector requires.
• Warranty terms: who the warranty covers and who handles a claim.
• Manual revision: the one for your exact model number.