Best Ice Fishing Heaters Reviewed: Keeping Warm on the Ice

What to Look for in a Quality Tent Ice Fishing Heater

Safety First

There’s a lot of misinformation on the internet, but this is something you need to get right. Your life depends on making a smart choice, not because you’ll freeze to death, but because a heater that’s not rated for indoor use can kill.

Outdoor heaters are designed for open-air use in spaces like construction sites and sporting events. While they’re fine if you want to keep warm on the open ice, in a tent, they’re a deadly hazard. They produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, a silent killer, and you should never use them in an enclosed space like a tent, vented or not.

Note: Make absolutely sure that the heater you’ve chosen is rated for indoor use! We are only reviewing heaters that are safe to use inside.

• Low oxygen sensor - As the propane fuel burns to warm your tent, it will consume oxygen. Improper ventilation can deplete that life-providing gas, which will increase the output of carbon monoxide during combustion. This silent killer will make you sleepy, eventually render you unconscious, and can quickly lead to death. To be safe, you need to use a heater that will automatically shut off when it senses oxygen levels are too low.
• Indoor rated - Never use an outdoor heater indoors. Outdoor heaters can produce deadly carbon monoxide in large amounts and they can quickly kill anglers in ice shelters. Unfortunately, many websites don’t do their homework, and they suggest heaters that are not designed to be used in tents or other enclosed spaces.
• “Sunflower” or Tank-Top heaters - Sunflower heaters are a popular design, and we appreciate how quickly they heat up. But they are not rated for indoor use and produce far too much carbon monoxide to be safe. Their use in tents and trailers kills people every year.
• Vent and aerate - Even with the right heater, it’s important that you vent your tent or ice house. All propane heaters create carbon monoxide, and you must take precautions to stay safe. You want clean, fresh air coming in. You must keep plenty of oxygen around to provide ideal combustion. This is essential even for indoor rated heaters.
• Auto tip shut off - We like heaters that feature wide, stable bases that are hard to tip, and we prefer models that feature an auto tip shut off.

BTU output vs size of shelter

You want to match the BTU output of your heater to the area of your shelter. Look for as close a match as you can, and keep in mind that many heaters offer multiple settings.

Full size or portable propane?

Some heaters can be attached either to a one-pound portable propane tank or to a standard large tank. Others are designed to work with only one or the other.

We don’t like the idea of dragging a full-sized tank out onto the ice, but if that’s what you prefer, all but one of the heaters we've reviewed can be attached to either one pound disposable cylinders or 20-pound refillable cylinders with optional hoses.

Fuel consumption

Obviously, BTU output and fuel consumption are related. But not all heaters are equal, and you want a model that sips propane rather than gulping it.

Our Pick - the No products found.!

We looked high and low for other heater options, but came up empty-handed. And while we know that sunflower-style heaters are a popular choice on the ice, they should never be used in tents, trailers, RVs, or cabins of any type. For that reason, we refused to review them, and we can’t emphasize strongly enough that they kill anglers every winter through improper use.

Don’t be swayed by online forums that encourage their use in ventilated tents.

Your life is at stake!

There are propane heaters designed for RVs, and though they’re rated for indoors, they’re also designed for truly indoor conditions. We wouldn’t take one of these out onto the ice, and we can’t recommend you do that either.

That leaves us with the Mr. Heater line, and the good news is that they perform well, season after season. Our favorite of these is the Buddy, as it provides more than enough heat for any portable shelter and is capable of keeping an RV, small trailer, or camper toasty in even the coldest weather.

Its fuel-sipping design is easy to use, offering you more than one setting. It’s stable, compact, and offers the safety features that we demand. It’s also reasonably light, especially if you use a snow machine or sled to bring your gear to the ice. If you need more or less heat, or can’t handle the weight and bulk of the Buddy, we recommend you look to the Little Buddy as an alternative.