In today’s video, Alex from Mr. Heater works with our friends at Summit Racing to educate people on the various portable heater options available, and how to determine which is best for a particular work space.

The most important thing to pay attention to is the BTU (or British thermal unit) rating — which measures the amount of heat a portable heater can produce.

Generally, the heaters with the highest BTU ratings will be the most expensive.

A common formula for determining how many BTUs you want for the space you want to heat is:

Square Footage (building length multiplied by width) x 40.

If, for example, you had a 500 square-foot garage, you would multiply 500 by 40, making a 20,000 BTU heater a solid choice.

Forced Air vs. Radiant Heating

Portable heaters generally come in one of two variants — forced-air convection, or radiant heating.

Radiant heaters heat objects.

Forced air convection-style heaters heat the air.

Both have their advantages depending on your work space, your personal preferences, and how often you’re using it as an outdoor heater.

Check out the video for more information on choosing a portable heater for your garage or shop.