Product comparisons
Garage Heaters compared, with a verified Canadian price.
11 products verified · checked Oct 6, 2026
For the detached shop out back, the attached two-car garage that's always five degrees too cold to work in, and the barn workshop that needs real heat and not just a space heater pointed at a workbench. Ontario's garages weren't built to hold heat — most are uninsulated or lightly insulated single-wythe block or stud walls, with a big uninsulated overhead door, designed to keep weather out, not warmth in. The nine heaters below split into three honest categories: 240V electric ceiling or wall units that need a dedicated circuit and a licensed electrician but no gas line, no venting, and no annual inspection; natural-gas or propane vented unit heaters that need a licensed gas fitter, a permit from the Electrical Safety Authority and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, and a real vent pipe to the outside; and portable or infrared propane heaters for spot heat while you're actually out there working — never a substitute for the first two as your only or all-day heat source. Every price below is read off the product's own Amazon.ca listing, dated the day we checked it.
240V electric forced-air ceiling heaters — no gas, no venting, still a licensed electrician
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| Product | Output | Coverage | Thermostat | Weight | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Infrared Heater DR-975 7500-Watt 240-Volt Hardwired Shop/Garage Heater Dr. Infrared Heater | 4,700W / 7,500W (two-stage) | 800 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | Built-in remote-controlled thermostat, 70–85°F factory range; Dr. Infrared's own listing bullet also states a 50–90°F range — we show the narrower structured-field figure | 11.8 kg (26 lb) | The highest-output 240V ceiling/wall heater in this table, with a built-in remote-controlled thermostat — the only one of the four electric heaters here that ships with any thermostat at all. More+ The only 240V heater in this table with a thermostat built in — the other three either have no thermostat (Stelpro) or only a manual HIGH/LOW switch (DR-966) – Amazon's own AI-generated review summary names the remote control and internal thermostat as the two most common complaints — several verified reviewers needed the optional external DR-001 wall thermostat (sold separately) to stop it short-cycling when mounted close to the ceiling | |
Dr. Infrared Heater DR-966 Shop/Garage Commercial Heater, 3000/6000-Watt 240V Dr. Infrared Heater | 3,000W / 6,000W (two-stage) | 600 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | Built-in manual thermostat, HIGH/LOW setting only — no remote, no digital display | 12.2 kg (27 lb) | The cheapest and highest-rated 240V heater in this table, with a simple manual HIGH/LOW thermostat instead of a remote. More+ Lowest price and the highest customer rating of any 240V heater in this table — 4.4 stars from more than 1,500 ratings – Manual HIGH/LOW thermostat only, with no remote and no digital temperature readout | |
Stelpro SGH4002R Garage Ceiling Heater, 4000W 240V (SPIDER Series) Stelpro | 4,000W | 400 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | None included — compatible with a separate 4,000W-rated electronic line-voltage thermostat (sold separately) | 4.24 kg (9.3 lb) — the lightest heater in this table | The only Made-in-Canada heater in this table — a Quebec-built ceiling unit with a 5-year warranty, but no thermostat included at any price. More+ Made in Canada (Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec) with a 5-year warranty, more than double the 1–2 years most of this table offers – Ships with no thermostat of any kind — budget for a separate line-voltage wall thermostat (see Also on Amazon.ca below) before this heater will cycle on its own | |
InoKraft 7500W Electric Garage Heater, 240V Ceiling-Mount InoKraft | 7,500W | 750 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | Built-in digital thermostat with remote control, 40–99°F range, 1–24 hour timer, ECO mode | 11.7 kg (26 lb) | A digital-thermostat ceiling heater with the widest temperature range and a 24-hour timer, at a lower price than the comparable Dr. Infrared DR-975. More+ Widest thermostat range in this table (40–99°F) plus a 24-hour timer and ECO mode, at roughly half the price of the comparable DR-975 – No manufacturer warranty period stated anywhere on the listing — ask the seller directly before buying |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Natural gas and propane vented unit heaters — a licensed gas fitter, every time
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| Product | Output | Coverage | Venting | Warranty | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr. Heater Big Maxx MHU50NG 50,000 BTU Natural Gas Unit Heater Mr. Heater | 50,000 BTU/hr | 1,250 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | Vented — the manufacturer's own product description states it "can be vented vertically or horizontally — please check local codes and restrictions." A licensed gas fitter and the correct vent kit are required; this is never a plug-and-heat purchase | 3-year factory warranty on all parts and burners, 10-year warranty on the heat exchanger (manufacturer's own product description) | The best-reviewed vented gas unit heater in this table, ceiling-mounted with a 1-inch clearance and an included propane conversion kit. More+ Highest customer rating of any gas unit heater in this table — 4.4 stars from more than 1,400 ratings — and the propane conversion kit ships included at no extra cost – Needs a dedicated 115VAC circuit plus professional venting — budget for a licensed gas fitter and an ESA/TSSA-compliant installation, not just the sticker price | |
Mr. Heater Big Maxx MHU125 125,000 BTU Natural Gas Unit Heater Mr. Heater | 125,000 BTU/hr | 2,000 sq ft per the listing's structured Heating Coverage field — its own bullet copy separately claims "up to 4,167 sq. ft."; we show the more conservative figure and recommend a real heat-loss calculation rather than trusting either number alone | Vented — the manufacturer's own product description states it "can be vented vertically or horizontally — please check local codes and restrictions." A licensed gas fitter and the correct vent kit are required | 3-year factory warranty on all parts and burners, 10-year warranty on the heat exchanger (manufacturer's own product description) | More than double the output of the 50,000 BTU Big Maxx above, for a barn or large detached shop — but the listing's own coverage claim is internally inconsistent, so size this one with a real load calculation. More+ More than double the BTU output of the 50,000 BTU Big Maxx above, with the same included propane conversion kit and the same 3-year/10-year warranty structure – The listing's own coverage claim is inconsistent — 4,167 sq ft in the bullet copy versus 2,000 sq ft in the structured spec field — don't size a shop off either number without a real heat-loss calculation | |
Modine Hot Dawg HD45AS0111FBAN Natural Gas Power-Vented Unit Heater, 45,000 BTU Modine | 45,000 BTU/hr | Not stated as a square-footage figure on this listing — described only as suited to "garages, commercial spaces, and other suitable areas" | Power-vented — small-diameter vent pipe for side-wall or roof venting, per the manufacturer's own bullet copy | Not stated on this listing — confirm directly with Modine before buying | A dual-fuel (natural gas or propane) power-vented unit heater from a name-brand HVAC manufacturer, quiet enough that Modine calls its operation "hush-puppy." More+ Dual-fuel (natural gas or propane, field-convertible) with low-profile, quiet ("hush-puppy") operation and a small-diameter power-vent option that simplifies venting – The listing itself states Amazon needs assurance the installer is a licensed gas technician before it will ship — budget professional installation from the start, and the listing carries no customer ratings yet as of this check | |
Reznor UDXC-45 Natural Gas Unit Heater, 45,000 BTU Reznor | 45,000 BTU/hr, 83% thermal efficiency (stated on the listing) | 900–1,500 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | Vented — the listing states it is "compatible with category 1 double wall B-vent when venting vertically out of a roof, or category 3 single wall vent pipe when vented horizontally through a sidewall." A licensed gas fitter is required | Not stated on this listing | An 83%-efficient natural-gas unit heater with a titanium-stabilized aluminized-steel heat exchanger, from the HVAC brand that also makes commercial rooftop units. More+ An 83% thermal-efficiency figure stated directly on the listing, plus a titanium-stabilized aluminized-steel heat exchanger built for longevity – Mounting bracket and any thermostat are sold separately, and only 4 customer ratings exist on Amazon.ca as of this check — thin review history for a roughly $3,000 purchase |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Infrared and portable propane — spot heat, never an all-day fixed install
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| Product | Output | Coverage | Venting | Weight | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr. Heater MH18B Portable Buddy Propane Heater, 4,000–18,000 BTU Mr. Heater | 4,000–18,000 BTU/hr, low/medium/high knob | 400 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | Vent-free (unvented) by design. This listing does not itself state whether a low-oxygen shutoff sensor is included — the Canada-version MH9BX below explicitly states one. Never run any unvented propane heater in a sealed space; crack a door or window and never use it as your only overnight heat source | 6.4 kg (14 lb) | A radiant propane heater for spot heat while you're actually working in the garage — not a fixed installation, and never a substitute for the vented or 240V heaters above for all-day use. More+ 4,000 to 18,000 BTU of adjustable output from one portable unit, approved for both indoor and outdoor use on this listing, with more than 3,200 ratings at 4.4 stars – This listing does not state whether it includes a low-oxygen shutoff sensor the way the smaller Canada-version MH9BX below explicitly does — check the manual in your specific box before relying on it unattended | |
Mr. Heater F232050 MH9BX Portable Buddy Heater (Massachusetts and Canada Version), 4,000–9,000 BTU Mr. Heater | 4,000–9,000 BTU/hr, single control knob | 225 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | Outdoor use only per this listing's own "Recommended Uses For Product: Outdoor Use" field and its capitalized bullet "Outdoor use only" — not rated for an enclosed garage despite sharing the Buddy-heater family name with the MH18B above. Includes auto shut-off if tipped over, if the pilot light goes out, or if it detects low oxygen levels | 3.22 kg (7.1 lb) — the lightest heater in this entire category | The smallest and cheapest heater in this entire category, and the clearest safety fact on this page: this specific Canada-market listing is sold OUTDOOR USE ONLY. More+ Explicit auto shut-off for tip-over, pilot-out, and low-oxygen conditions stated directly on the listing, at the lowest price of anything in this category – This Canada/Massachusetts-compliant listing is explicitly outdoor use only — buy the standard MH18B above if you actually want a propane radiant heater rated to run in your garage | |
Dyna-Glo RMC-LPC25DG Liquid Propane Convection Heater, 15,000–25,000 BTU Dyna-Glo | 15,000–25,000 BTU/hr, continuously variable | 600 sq ft (Amazon.ca listing's Heating Coverage field) | The listing's own bullet copy is inconsistent: one line states "Outdoor and Indoor Construction/Commercial with proper ventilation," while the structured "Recommended Uses For Product" field says "Outdoor" only. Treat as outdoor or fully-open-garage-door use until you've confirmed otherwise with Dyna-Glo's included manual | 2.43 kg (5.4 lb) — the lightest and most portable heater in this category | A 360-degree convection heater with continuously variable BTU control — but its own listing contradicts itself about indoor use, so treat it as outdoor/open-door only. More+ 360° heat radius and a continuously variable BTU dial instead of fixed low/medium/high steps, in the lightest, most packable unit in this table – The listing's own copy disagrees with itself about indoor use — one bullet says indoor use is fine "with proper ventilation," the structured field says outdoor only — so don't rely on either line alone before deciding where to run it |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Also on Amazon.ca
A few things most owners of the systems above end up buying anyway — verified on Amazon.ca's own page, same rules as the table.
How we're free: Rows marked Affiliate link: the retailer pays us a commission if you buy are affiliate links: if you buy through them the retailer pays us a commission at no cost to you. Rankings are never for sale. How we make money →
Dr. Infrared Heater DR-001 Wall Thermostat, 120–277V, up to 7,756W
The Stelpro SGH4002R above ships with no thermostat at all, and the InoKraft's and DR-966's built-in controls are either basic or absent — this is the line-voltage wall thermostat several reviewers of the DR-975 also added to stop short-cycling near the ceiling.
Kidde 900-0263CO-CA Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Battery Backup
Every vented gas heater and every portable propane heater on this page needs a working CO alarm in the space it heats — this plug-in model has AA battery backup so it keeps working through a power outage.
Alloxity 6ft Propane Hose Adapter, 1lb to 20lb Tank Converter, CSA Certified
The listing itself names Buddy heaters as a compatible use — connects the portable propane heaters above to a standard 20lb tank instead of disposable 1lb bottles, which the listing states can save up to $100 over a season.
Reviewed by John Moelker
Founder, CompareLocal.ca · Oxford County, Ontario · Updated Oct 6, 2026 · How we choose
Near you: Woodstock, Stratford, St. Thomas — local water, utility and installer notes for heating and cooling.
How we chose
This category runs Amazon.ca-first: Amazon pays us a commission when you buy through these links, and we say so plainly above every table — see the disclosure and How We Make Money. We only publish a product after opening its actual Amazon.ca listing ourselves and reading the price, rating, and stated specs off it on the date shown — never a guess, and never a number carried over from a different model's listing. Home Depot Canada, Canadian Tire, and RONA's own natural-gas unit-heater pages could not be read first-hand that day — their search results were JavaScript-rendered past what an automated page fetch could retrieve, and no stable per-product URL turned up in two attempts — so every heater in this table, including all four vented-gas unit heaters, comes from a manufacturer's own Amazon.ca listing instead of a non-Amazon retailer. Sizing a heater correctly starts with a widely used HVAC-contractor rule of thumb, not an engineered heat-loss calculation: multiply your garage's square footage by a factor for its insulation level and your target temperature rise — roughly 30 BTU per sq ft for a well-insulated garage holding a normal 20–25°F (11–14°C) rise at a typical Southern Ontario design temperature near -20°C, 40 BTU per sq ft for an average or partially insulated garage, and up to 50 BTU per sq ft or more for an uninsulated garage or one with a single large overhead door that doesn't seal well. A detached 24×24 ft (576 sq ft) workshop at 40 BTU/sq ft needs roughly 23,000 BTU — within reach of the Modine Hot Dawg or Reznor UDXC-45 above, or the Dr. Infrared DR-975 on the electric side once you convert watts to BTU (1 watt ≈ 3.412 BTU/hr, so 7,500W ≈ 25,600 BTU/hr). That formula is a starting point for budgeting, not a substitute for a contractor's actual heat-loss calculation on a specific building — oversize rather than undersize if you're between two models. Every 240V heater in this table needs a dedicated circuit sized to its nameplate amperage and should be installed by a licensed electrician with an Electrical Safety Authority permit, the same as any new high-amperage circuit. Every natural-gas or propane vented unit heater needs a licensed gas fitter, a Technical Standards and Safety Authority permit, and a code-compliant vent — several listings in the vented-gas group explicitly required proof of a licensed installer before Amazon would ship the unit. Carbon monoxide is the single biggest risk on this page: Health Canada's own guidance states plainly, "Never use kerosene, propane or oil space heaters and lamps in enclosed areas unless they're specifically designed for indoor use" — and the Canada-market Mr. Heater MH9BX in our portable-propane group is explicitly sold outdoor use only on its own Amazon.ca listing, unlike the standard MH18B Buddy heater beside it. A working, battery-backed carbon monoxide alarm (see Also on Amazon.ca below) belongs in every space any of these heaters runs in, full stop.
Already own a CO alarm, or need to check what's actually required in Ontario starting January 1, 2026? Compare smoke and CO detectors with a verified Canadian price →
Sizing backup power for the freezer or sump pump while this heater keeps the pipes from freezing in an outage? Compare portable generators with a verified Canadian price →
Want a thermostat that can schedule or remote-control a 240V electric heater instead of a basic manual dial? Compare smart thermostats with a verified Canadian price →
Replacing the garage door opener too while you're already working on this garage? Compare garage door openers with a verified Canadian price →
Frequently asked questions
How many BTU or watts do I actually need to heat my garage?
Start with a widely used HVAC-contractor rule of thumb — it's a budgeting starting point, not an engineered heat-loss calculation: multiply your garage's square footage by roughly 30 BTU/sq ft if it's well insulated, 40 BTU/sq ft if it's average or partially insulated, and 50 BTU/sq ft or more if it's uninsulated or has a large overhead door that doesn't seal well, all assuming a typical Southern Ontario winter design temperature near -20°C and a normal 20–25°F (11–14°C) indoor rise. A 24×24 ft (576 sq ft) detached workshop at the 40 BTU/sq ft average-insulation factor needs roughly 23,000 BTU/hr. To compare that against a watts-rated electric heater, convert with 1 watt ≈ 3.412 BTU/hr — a 7,500W electric heater delivers about 25,600 BTU/hr. If your garage sits between two sizes in this table, size up rather than down, and get an actual heat-loss calculation from a contractor before buying anything at the edge of its stated coverage.
Is it safe to run a propane heater in a closed garage?
Health Canada's own guidance is direct and not ours to soften: "Never use kerosene, propane or oil space heaters and lamps in enclosed areas unless they're specifically designed for indoor use." Crucially, not every heater that looks similar is rated the same way — the Mr. Heater MH9BX in our portable-propane group is sold on its own Canada-market Amazon.ca listing as outdoor use only, while the larger MH18B Buddy heater beside it is listed for both indoor and outdoor use. The only way to know which rating applies to the specific unit in your hands is to read the manual that ships in your box, not to assume from the "Buddy heater" family name. Whatever you run, keep a door or window cracked for fresh air, and never rely on an unvented propane heater as your only overnight heat source. A working, battery-backed carbon monoxide alarm in the space belongs there regardless.
Can I install a 240V garage heater myself, or do I need an electrician?
Every 240V heater in this table — the Dr. Infrared DR-975 and DR-966, the Stelpro SGH4002R, and the InoKraft 7500W — draws 25 to 31+ amps and needs its own dedicated circuit sized to that nameplate amperage, not a shared outlet or an extension cord. That means a new breaker, correctly gauged wire, and in Ontario an Electrical Safety Authority permit and inspection, the same as any new high-amperage circuit in your home. Several verified customer reviews on these exact listings describe hiring a licensed electrician for the installation even though the heater itself is a DIY-looking hang-and-wire job — budget for that labour cost from the start, not as an afterthought.
Do I need a permit for a natural gas unit heater in my garage?
Yes. Every vented gas unit heater in this table — the two Mr. Heater Big Maxx models, the Modine Hot Dawg, and the Reznor UDXC-45 — needs a licensed gas fitter to run the gas line, install the vent pipe, and connect the unit, plus the permits that work requires from the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (gas) and typically the Electrical Safety Authority (for the heater's own power circuit). The Modine listing in our table states outright that Amazon requires assurance the buyer is a licensed gas technician, or is using one, before it will even ship the unit — that's not an exaggeration of what a real installation needs; it's the actual requirement.
Electric or gas — which costs less to run in Ontario?
We can give you one clean, fully stated number and one honest gap. On electricity, the Ontario Energy Board's own Tiered rate table sets Tier 1 residential electricity at 12.0 ¢/kWh for the first 1,000 kWh/month in winter (Tier 2, above that threshold, is 14.2 ¢/kWh) — so running a 7,500W (7.5 kW) electric heater like the DR-975 for a full hour costs roughly 90 cents at the Tier 1 rate. On natural gas, the OEB's own current-rates page sets Enbridge Gas Inc.'s general-zone supply charge at 9.1080 ¢/m³ as of October 1, 2026 — but that figure covers only the gas commodity itself; Enbridge's delivery charges are billed separately and vary by rate zone and usage, so we can't turn it into one all-in cents-per-BTU figure without guessing at a component the OEB's own page says varies. The honest takeaway: a natural-gas unit heater's fuel cost per BTU is usually lower than electric resistance heat once delivery is included, which is the whole reason barns and large shops run gas, but get an actual all-in rate quote from your own gas utility bill rather than trusting a supply-only number to tell the full story.
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