Mr. Heater Big Buddy – Real World Review

How well does the Mr. Heater Big Buddy Heater work?

I actually thought I posted this article and video several weeks ago, but just found it in the pending section. Even though I’m pretty sure the cold weather is over for East Texas, I’m going to put this out there.

Since I posted my initial article and video (Mr. Heater Big Buddy Review with 20 lb Propane Tank), I’ve received lots of questions about how well the heater actually works. I decided to do some real world tests and answer some of these questions.

During the Big Buddy experiment, It was 34º F inside the house and about the same outside with snow on the ground. The room used was 13′ x 13′ (169 square feet) with a small attached closet. The room was partially insulated to the exterior wall and stud walls with one side covered with sheet rock on the other three walls. It was an old mobile home in the middle of being renovated so it was super drafty and not at all what you would consider normal conditions. Most homes will be in much better condition and will heat better.

If you’re interested in the Big Buddy, check out the Big Buddy Buying Guide

I turned the Big Buddy propane heater on high and let it run for 10 minutes. I then took the room temp from 3 feet away. It was 55º F. 20 minutes after that, I took another reading from about 10 feet away at head height. The room was air temp was right around 60°. This isn’t bad at all for the conditions of the room.

Although the room temp was comfortable, the real power of the heater is to heat those standing in close proximity to the heater. In the final test, I placed the thermometer three feet in front of the Big Buddy. Unlike the original reading from the same distance, this time the heat was directed right at the thermometer. It quickly reached 118°.

All in all, the Mr. Heater Big Buddy propane heater did a good job of heating the room to a comfortable temp, one of the biggest takeaways is this; the heater is not designed to heat your home but rather the people in it directly.

One of my subscribers on YouTube suggested that we try an experiment where we paint a wall black and place the Big Buddy heater in front of it. This would create some thermal mass for the heat to bank in and slowly heat the home. I’d like to do some additional tests to see what can be done to extend the heating capacity of the Mr. Heater Big Buddy heater.

What are some creative ways you could use the Big Buddy or other source of alternative heat to stay warm when you have no other options?