Emergency gear
Best Indoor-Safe Emergency Heaters for Power Outages
Heat is what kills people in winter outages, and it's the one emergency load a portable power station can't solve the normal way. Before you spend a dollar, you need the honest number below — then buy the right tool for the job.
Why your power station can't run a real space heater
A standard electric space heater draws about 1,500W. A 1,000Wh-class power station — the most popular size for home backup — stores roughly 1,000 watt-hours. The math is merciless:
That's it. Not even an hour — on a full charge, doing nothing else. Even a 2,000Wh station gives you barely over an hour. And that's before the heater's startup draw, which can exceed many stations' AC output limits entirely.
This isn't a reason to panic — it's a reason to buy the right kind of heat. There are exactly two honest answers for a winter blackout:
- Indoor-rated propane heaters with oxygen depletion sensors (ODS) — no electricity needed at all, which makes them the primary recommendation for winter outages.
- Low-wattage electric heaters (200–500W) that your power station can actually run for hours — for personal warmth, not whole rooms.
What makes a propane heater indoor-safe
Not all propane heaters are indoor-rated. The ones in this guide carry an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS), which shuts the heater off if oxygen levels drop below a safe threshold, plus an accidental tip-over shut-off. Mr. Heater's Buddy line — the dominant name in this category — is built around these two systems, and the heaters below are listed as indoor-safe by the manufacturer for the US market. Note that Massachusetts and Canada require specific versions due to local regulations, and the standard models carry the "not for sale in MA or Canada" disclaimer.
ODS is a safety net, not a substitute for ventilation. Every propane heater below still needs fresh-air exchange and a working CO detector in the same room — the full rules are in the safety box at the bottom.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Output | Rated heating area | 1-lb cylinder runtime (est.) | Typical price range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Heater Portable Buddy MH9BX Best overall emergency heater | 4,000 / 9,000 BTU | Up to 225 sq ft | ~5.6 hrs low / ~2.4 hrs high | $70–$180 |
| Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Best for large rooms | 4,000 / 9,000 / 18,000 BTU | Up to 450 sq ft | ~10.8 hrs low / ~2.4 hrs high (2 cylinders) | $130–$200 |
| Mr. Heater Little Buddy MH4B Best compact & cheapest | 3,800 BTU | Up to 95 sq ft | ~5.6 hrs | $60–$100 |
| Lasko MyHeat (models 100/101) Best low-watt electric | 200W (682 BTU/hr) | Personal space (~50 sq ft coverage) | N/A — electric, ~4.25 hrs on a 1kWh station (est.) | $25–$45 |
| RoadPro RPSL-681 Best 12V option | 300W at 12V (~25A) | Small vehicle/cabin spaces | N/A — electric, ~2.8 hrs on a 1kWh station (est.) | $50–$75 |
Specs verified October 2026 from mrheater.com, retailer product data (Best Buy, Amazon), Grainger, and truck-part suppliers. Prices are observed ranges, not live prices — they swing with winter demand.
How much heat does your space need?
Heater sizing is usually quoted in BTU per hour. As a rough rule of thumb, figure ~20 BTU per square foot for a basic insulated room — and treat manufacturer "heating area" ratings as the authority over rule-of-thumb math, since they account for the heater's radiant/convection behavior. On that basis:
| Space | Approx. size | Sensible pick |
|---|---|---|
| Tent / small camper corner | Up to ~95 sq ft | Little Buddy (3,800 BTU) |
| Bedroom | ~150–225 sq ft | Portable Buddy (4,000/9,000 BTU) |
| Living room / open floor plan | ~300–450 sq ft | Big Buddy (up to 18,000 BTU) |
| One person at a desk | Personal space | Lasko MyHeat (200W electric) |
Buying more BTU than your space needs wastes propane, not electricity — oversized is the safe direction with propane, as long as you ventilate.
Our picks
Mr. Heater Portable Buddy MH9BX
The default answer for winter outages. The Portable Buddy puts out 4,000 BTU on low and 9,000 BTU on high, heats spaces up to 225 sq ft (a typical bedroom or large living room corner), and connects directly to a 1-lb propane cylinder via a swivel regulator — or to a 20-lb tank with an optional hose and filter. ODS and accidental tip-over shut-off are both built in, ignition is a simple piezo push-start, and the whole unit weighs 10.6 lbs with a fold-down handle. On a 1-lb cylinder expect roughly 5.6 hours on low or 2.4 hours on high (estimated from the published 0.044 gal/hr low / 0.099 gal/hr high burn rates). The catch is the standard-version disclaimer: not for sale in Massachusetts or Canada.
Pros
- 9,000 BTU max covers most rooms; 225 sq ft rated area
- ODS + tip-over shut-off, piezo ignition, no electricity needed
- Swivel regulator adapts from 1-lb cylinders to a 20-lb tank
- Longest track record of any portable propane heater
Cons
- Standard version not sold in Massachusetts or Canada
- ~2.4 hrs per 1-lb cylinder on high — stock cylinders, or use a hose + 20-lb tank
- No thermostat; hi/low only
Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B
When the Portable Buddy is too small: three settings (4,000 / 9,000 / 18,000 BTU) covering up to 450 sq ft, with dual 1-lb cylinders for longer runs — roughly 11 hours on low, ~4.8 hours on medium, ~2.4 hours on high from the published specs. Same safety stack as the smaller models (ODS, tip-over shut-off, piezo ignition), 17.1 lbs, and it can run off a 20-lb tank with an optional hose. One note from recent listings: Mr. Heater has shipped some recent units without the accessory fan, so check the current listing if a built-in fan matters to you. Heavier and pricier than the Portable Buddy, but this is the one that heats a real living room.
Pros
- 18,000 BTU max — the strongest heat here, 450 sq ft rated area
- Three settings instead of two, for finer heat control
- Dual cylinders roughly double runtime vs. single-cylinder models
- ODS + tip-over shut-off; 20-lb tank compatible
Cons
- 17.1 lbs plus fuel — the least portable pick
- ~$130–$200 range, the priciest Buddy
- Recent units may ship without the built-in fan
Mr. Heater Little Buddy MH4B
The entry point: a single 3,800 BTU setting, rated for spaces up to 95 sq ft — a tent, a small camper, or one corner of a room. At 5.85 lbs with an 8-inch round stand, it's the one you can hand to a neighbor or stash in a go-bag. A 1-lb cylinder runs it about 5.6 hours (estimated from 21,600 BTU per cylinder ÷ 3,800 BTU). Same ODS and tip-over protection as its bigger siblings, one-button piezo ignition. What you give up: no swivel regulator, so the optional hose-to-20-lb-tank upgrade that works on the bigger Buddies isn't an option here — plan on stocking 1-lb cylinders.
Pros
- Cheapest pick here ($60–$100 range)
- 5.85 lbs — genuinely portable, 8-inch round stand
- ~5.6 hrs per 1-lb cylinder, the longest single-cylinder runtime
- ODS + tip-over shut-off
Cons
- Single 3,800 BTU setting — no low/high control
- 95 sq ft rating won't heat a full room
- No swivel regulator, so no 20-lb tank upgrade path
Lasko MyHeat (models 100 / 101)
The electric answer for your power station. The MyHeat draws just 200W from a standard 120V outlet — about 682 BTU/hr of heat output, which won't warm a room but will keep one person comfortable at a desk or in bed. It's a tiny 6.1-inch personal ceramic heater (about 1 lb) with a cool-touch exterior, automatic overheat protection, a 3-year limited warranty, and ETL listing. The runtime math is the whole point: a 1kWh-class station runs it for an estimated ~4.25 hours (1,000Wh × 0.85 ÷ 200W), and on a 2kWh-class station that's a full ~8.5-hour night. Honest limitation: it has no tip-over shut-off — the safety system is overheat protection only — so it belongs on a desk or nightstand, not on the floor where pets and kids bump it.
Pros
- Only 200W — the only standard-AC heater a small station can run all night
- Overheat protection, cool-touch exterior, 3-year warranty
- Tiny (6.1"), ~1 lb, ~$25–$45 range
Cons
- Personal-space heat only — ~50 sq ft coverage, not room heat
- No tip-over shut-off
- No thermostat; single on/off speed
RoadPro RPSL-681
A niche but genuinely useful pick for the power-station owner: a 12V ceramic heater/fan drawing 300W (25A), designed to hardwire to a vehicle battery but equally usable off a station. It flips between heat and fan-only, has adjustable fan speed, a swivel base, and ships with 14–15 ft of 12-gauge wire and mounting hardware. Run it from your station's AC outlet — 300W pulls an estimated ~2.8 hours from a 1kWh station (1,000Wh × 0.85 ÷ 300W). One compatibility check before buying: most stations' 12V car ports are rated ~10A/120W, so the 25A draw exceeds them — use the AC outlet or a DC port rated for 25A+. It also needs a 30A inline fuse (not included). A trucker/defroster-style heater isn't the prettiest option here, but it's the most flexible wattage for station pairing after the MyHeat.
Pros
- 300W — runnable from a 1kWh-class station's AC outlet for hours
- 12V native — skips AC conversion losses on stations with high-amp DC ports
- Heat + fan modes, swivel base, long 12-gauge wiring included
Cons
- 25A draw exceeds most stations' 12V car ports — AC outlet is the safe default
- 30A inline fuse not included; installation-style wiring, not plug-and-play
- Vehicle-cab form factor, not a room heater
Propane runtime: how long will a cylinder actually last?
A 1-lb disposable propane cylinder holds roughly 21,600 BTU of energy. Runtime is just that number divided by the burn rate — labeled here as estimates, since real burn varies:
| Heater & setting | Burn rate | Per 1-lb cylinder (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Little Buddy (3,800 BTU only) | 3,800 BTU/hr | ~5.7 hrs |
| Portable Buddy, low | 4,000 BTU/hr | ~5.4 hrs |
| Portable Buddy, high | 9,000 BTU/hr | ~2.4 hrs |
| Big Buddy, low (2 cylinders) | 4,000 BTU/hr | ~10.8 hrs total |
| Big Buddy, high (2 cylinders) | 18,000 BTU/hr | ~2.4 hrs total |
Estimates: 21,600 BTU per 1-lb cylinder ÷ BTU burn rate. Consistent with the manufacturers' published 5.6-hour low / 2.4-hour high figures. Cold weather can reduce effective burn time.
The practical takeaway: 1-lb cylinders are a sprint, not a marathon. For a multi-day winter outage, the single best accessory is Mr. Heater's propane hose with a filter, which lets the Portable Buddy or Big Buddy run off a 20-lb tank (roughly 108 hours on low for the Portable Buddy, per the published spec — an 18× multiplier on fuel life). Stock cylinders for the Little Buddy, which can't take the hose. Keep spare cylinders out of the living space.
Electric heaters + your power station: the pairing math
Unlike propane, electric heaters scale cleanly with your station. Estimated runtimes at ~85% inverter efficiency:
| Heater | Draw | ~1kWh station | ~2kWh station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lasko MyHeat | 200W | ~4.25 hrs | ~8.5 hrs |
| RoadPro RPSL-681 (via AC) | 300W | ~2.8 hrs | ~5.7 hrs |
| Typical space heater | 1,500W | ~0.6 hrs | ~1.1 hrs |
Estimates: station Wh × 0.85 ÷ watts. Confirms the point from the top of this guide — don't buy the 1,500W heater for your station; buy the 200W one.
If you haven't bought a station yet, run your full outage load list through the sizing calculator before choosing — and for the full emergency playbook, see our emergency preparedness guide.
All specs verified October 2026 from mrheater.com, Best Buy's MyHeat spec feed, Amazon listing data, Grainger (RoadPro), and truck-part retailers. Prices observed as ranges, not live prices.
Ready for the rest of your outage kit? Our emergency preparedness guide covers the full load plan — lights, refrigeration, communications — and the sizing calculator tells you exactly how much station you need for all of it. The seasonal companion to this guide is our winter storms guide — multi-day outage picks, cold-weather charging rules, and the 3-day winter plan.
Related guide: Best Battery-Powered Heated Vests & Jackets for Winter — heated vests and jackets for winter — heating zones and battery options.