Electric patio heating: the pros and cons at a glance

Electric patio heating warms your terrace without gas, and therefore falls outside the gas rules that more and more municipalities are introducing. You choose between two forms: an electric heater that warms the air and the surroundings, or heated cushions with a battery that warm the guest directly. Below you will read, for each form, what it offers and what to take into account.

What is electric patio heating?

Electric patio heating covers all patio heating that runs on electricity. In practice there are two types:

• Electric heaters. Radiant heaters on the façade, under the awning or on a pole. They are connected to the mains.
• Heated seat cushions. Cushions with a heating element in the seat and back, powered by a wireless battery. You charge the batteries indoors.

Both types work without a gas bottle. Even so, they differ considerably in installation, comfort and day-to-day use.

Advantages of an electric heater

An electric heater has a few clear advantages:

• You no longer need gas bottles, so your team does not have to change or store anything.
• The heater does not fall under a gas ban. Eindhoven has banned gas-powered patio heating since 1 November 2024; according to the municipality, electric heating falls outside it. Read more in gas patio heating: what is still allowed?
• Once installed, you switch it on and off with a switch.

Disadvantages of an electric heater

There are also a number of disadvantages:

• Installation. A heater requires a power connection on the terrace. That often means an electrician, wiring and sometimes cables along the façade.
• Heat from above. The heater warms from above. In wind, part of that heat blows away, and guests at the edge of the terrace notice little of it.
• Everyone equally warm. Under the heater, every guest gets the same warmth. One is too hot, the other keeps their coat on.
• Fixed position. You mount a heater in one place. If you rearrange the tables, the warmth does not move with them.

What a heater costs in electricity per evening depends on its power and the number of hours it is on. Ask your supplier. In what patio heating costs we compare the cost items of the various options side by side.

Heated cushions: electric patio heating without cables

A heated seat cushion also runs on electricity, but from a battery in the cushion itself. The element sits in the seat and the back, so the warmth goes directly to the guest's body. In wind, that warmth stays where it belongs.

• Up to 45 degrees. On the highest setting, a battery lasts up to 8 hours. Each guest chooses their own setting.
• Switches on when someone sits down. An empty cushion uses nothing.
• No power outside. You lay no cables and you need no connection on the terrace.
• Usable anywhere. You move a cushion along with the chair, even to the furthest table.

Charging takes your team little time. A small window on the back of the cushion shows the battery percentage. Only batteries below 20 per cent go into the charging station in the evening; the rest stay in place. One station holds ten batteries.

Electric heater or heated seat cushion: at a glance

	Electric heater	Heated seat cushion
What is heated	The air and the surroundings	The guest
Power connection outside	Yes	No, wireless battery
Installation	Often an electrician	None
In wind	Heat partly blows away	Heat stays with the body
Adjustable per guest	No	Yes, up to 45 degrees
Movable	No, fixed position	Yes, moves with the chair
Falls under gas ban	No	No

Some business owners combine both: a heater under the awning and cushions in the places the heater does not reach.

What do heated cushions cost?

With HeatUup you can buy the cushions outright or rent them through the heat agreement. When renting, you pay € 5 per cushion per month, plus a one-off deposit of € 50 for the Olefin and the Paris or € 60 for the Sheepskin. Every ten cushions come with a charging station at € 200. Battery, service and warranty are included. The agreement runs for 36 months and applies from 10 cushions. All prices are excl. VAT. View the prices for a full overview.

Tests with restaurants show that heated cushions extend the terrace season by 6 to 8 weeks. If you would like to see and feel the cushions first, you are welcome at Stadsjochies or Bistro Madeleine in Utrecht.

Try first

Undecided between a heater and cushions? Then test the cushions on your own terrace, alongside your current heating. You can try up to 10 cushions free for one month. After that you decide whether to keep them, or HeatUup collects them again.