There are two main fuel types for portable tent heaters: electric and gas.
Corded electric models work great for RV camping however this is not quite applicable with tent camping where there is no electricity source. Battery-powered electric tent heaters are a more viable choice for tent camping. Downside of this is, battery-powered heaters are small and most don’t provide a very high heat output. Our choice for an electricity powered tent heater is the Allegro Industries 9401‐50 Tent Heater. It runs on 120V AC which you then have to partner with a 120V DC adapter.
Gas tent heaters are far more common with choices between propane and butane powered as most popular. The Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy is our top pick for propane powered tent heaters. This model can run up to three hours of continuous use with 9,000 BTU heat output. The Camping Emergency Butane Heater is our pick for butane powered tent heater. Though it cannot compete with the propane powered heaters, it has 4,400 BTU heat output which is considerably enough for areas with milder temperature.
Apart from their lower heat output, electricity powered models are prone to run out of power especially for on trips running for multiple days. Although they’re more reliable, propane models are a little more difficult to use than electric tent heaters.