Infrared Heaters Explained: Benefits and Applications

Infrared is electromagnetic radiation that sits just below visible light on the spectrum. When the wavelength meets a body or a surface, the energy converts to heat directly inside the material, the same way the sun warms skin on a cold morning even when the air around you is freezing. There is no intermediate step where the heater warms the surrounding air and the air warms you. That single difference is why infrared works outdoors where a convective patio heater struggles.

The range uses mid-wave infrared, produced by dual carbon spiral elements running at roughly 1,200 to 1,300°C [2,192 to 2,372°F]. The carbon spiral design distributes the load across two elements, which extends element life and allows two-stage output when paired with a 3-gang switch. Filament temperature is the variable that decides which infrared band a heater operates in. Short-wave systems run hotter, glow brightly, and are typically used in industrial applications where visual intensity is not a problem. Long-wave systems run cooler and are used in indoor underfloor or wall-mounted scenarios. Mid-wave sits between them.

Mid-wave infrared is the wavelength band between roughly 1.4 and 3 micrometres, produced by carbon elements at 1,100 to 1,300°C. It is the band that suits residential and hospitality outdoor heating because it is absorbed comfortably by skin and clothing, glows softly rather than glaringly, and reaches a comfort wavelength fast.

Most articles on this topic frame infrared as either an indoor heater or an outdoor heater. The reality is that the range covers four distinct application contexts, each with a different IP requirement, a different output profile, and a different fit. Walking through them in order is the simplest way to figure out which model belongs in a given space.

Most residential and hospitality spaces are well served by infrared heaters between 1,600 W and 3,200 W, with output matched to the area covered and the ceiling height. The right wattage depends on the floor area, the ceiling height, the level of weather exposure, and whether the heater needs to span a long table or sit over a compact seating zone.

An infrared heater's IP rating tells you how exposed an installation it can survive. The range covers IP24 for covered patios, IP25 for all-weather installs, and IP65 for fully exposed outdoor environments. The two digits in the rating come from the IEC 60529 standard: the first digit covers protection against solids, and the second covers protection against water.

The Spot 2800W and Vision 3200W carry an IP24 rating, meaning they are protected against solids over 12 mm and against splashing water from any direction. This is the right rating for a well-covered patio or balcony under an overhang or pergola roof, where direct rain does not reach the heater. An optional Weathershield accessory is available for installs that are borderline.

One step up is IP25, which the Next 3000W (US and Canada only) achieves. IP25 adds protection against water jets from any direction, which covers pergolas with open sides and partly covered terraces where prevailing winds carry rain under the roofline.

At the top of the range is IP65, carried by the Pure+ 3000W fitted with its SCHOTT NEXTREMA® glass screen. IP65 means the unit is fully dustproof and protected against water jets from any direction, which makes it the only model rated for fully exposed installations on open rooftop decks, uncovered courtyards, and exposed pool decks. The install pattern for an IP65 unit is more involved than for IP24 because it requires a wet-room distribution box on the supply cable, but it is the only option when the heater is going to live in the weather. The Pure+ 3000W product page carries the full IP65 install diagram and the accessory list for exposed environments.

A practical decision rule. Stand under your installation location and look up. If you see sky, you need IP65. If you see roof but rain reaches the wall behind, you need IP25. If you see roof and the space is properly covered, IP24 is enough. That single test settles the IP question before anyone needs to read the rating chart.

For most outdoor heating decisions, the real comparison is not between infrared models, it is between infrared and gas. The two technologies sit on opposite sides of the heat-delivery question, and the comparison tends to decide the budget, the install pattern, and the long-term running profile of the space.

That 300 lm / sub-300 lux figure from the Vision 3200W does most of the work when hospitality specifiers make their shortlist. In a candlelit restaurant or a low-lit hotel terrace, the difference between a heater that disappears into the design and a heater that becomes the brightest object in the room comes down to a single luminance figure. The same number explains why lighting designers tend to be more vocal about heater aesthetics than the heater industry itself recognises, which is a small irony given how much time hospitality teams spend tuning the rest of the lighting plan.

Materials and finish do most of the rest. The chassis on the Vision 3200W is extruded aluminium, the screen is ceramic glass, and the colour palette extends past the standard black-or-white default into the architectural finish range. The Pure+ 3000W uses SCHOTT NEXTREMA® convex glass as its front screen, which is the same family of glass-ceramic that gets specified on premium induction cooktops, and the model carried a 2018 Red Dot Design Award home as third-party validation of the design work.

Architectural integration options matter once the heater enters a serious specification environment. The Spot 2800W and Vision 3200W both accept an optional lift system that flush-mounts the unit into a ceiling cavity, hiding the heater entirely when it is not in use. Extension rods in 100, 300, and 500 mm increments let the installer drop the heater face into the comfort zone on a high ceiling without leaving an awkward gap above. Colour-matched mounts close the visual gap between the heater and the ceiling plane it is fixed to.

Installation is straightforward but not trivial. The electrical requirement is 220 to 240 V on a dedicated 16 A circuit per heater, and a licensed electrician is required for the install. IP65 installs add a wet-room distribution box on the supply cable. None of this is unusual for a hard-wired electrical appliance, but it does mean the install needs to be planned at the same time as any other electrical work on the space.

Clearance requirements across the range:

• 1.8 m [70.9 in] from floor to the lower edge of the unit

• 170 mm [6.7 in] from the ceiling on ceiling-mount installations

• 406 mm [16 in] from vertical surfaces such as walls and pillars

• 1.5 m [59 in] from textiles, curtains, blinds, awnings, or other flammable materials

There are a handful of environments where infrared heaters do not belong. Indoor swimming pool halls expose the elements to chlorine, which corrodes the carbon filament over time. Salt-air locations within 100 m of breaking surf shorten element life through corrosion. Installations within 1 m of a shower or bath, or within 2 m of a pool edge, sit outside the safe envelope and require a different mounting strategy.

Smart control runs through ZigBee, which works directly with Alexa and Google Assistant, or through the eWeLink Wi-Fi app. The two-channel control across the carbon spiral elements means each element can be operated independently when paired with a 3-gang switch, giving a two-stage output for low-and-high comfort settings. The range carries a 2-year limited warranty. A competent electrician can complete a typical residential install in a few hours, and the support library on each product page covers the specifics in detail.

A four-question decision flow gets most people to the right model quickly. Start with exposure: if the install is fully exposed to weather, the Pure+ 3000W (IP65) is the only choice and the question is settled. If the space is sheltered, move to size: spaces larger than 9 m² or a single heater spanning a long table or banquette call for the Vision 3200W. Within the covered-patio range, a zone of 5 to 9 m² that needs fast directional heat is a Spot 2800W job, with the Spot 1600W available for smaller zones in the US or Canada. For an all-weather pergola install in the US or Canada where a slim aluminium profile is the brief, the Next 3000W is the answer; otherwise, loop back to the exposure question and start again.

For full spec sheets, finish options, and the accessory range, the radiant heaters collection is the natural next destination. The companion article on outdoor heating solutions covers the alfresco use case in deeper detail, and the support library carries the installation manuals and clearance diagrams for each model.

Mid-wave infrared is a different category of heat from the gas mushrooms and convective heaters most people assume when they start a search. It targets bodies and surfaces directly, reaches full output in seconds, holds heat in a breeze, and integrates into design-led spaces in a way that traditional patio heating simply cannot match. The right model depends on three factors that the article has now walked through: how exposed the install is to weather, how large the area covered needs to be, and what kind of ambience the space is asking for. For a covered patio, a Spot. For a fully exposed deck, a Pure+. For a long banquette or a design-led restaurant, a Vision. With the technology and the sizing settled, the rest is an installer's afternoon.