Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater vs Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater
Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater (#1, best overall) vs Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater (#3): in our Space Heaters for Garages scoring the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater totals 8.7/10 and the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater 8.2/10.
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Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater
$128.79Check price at AmazonRead full review
Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater
$116.25Check price at AmazonRead full reviewTopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater | Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $128.79 | $116.25 |
| Heater Type | Electric infrared (quartz) | Portable propane (radiant/convection) |
| Voltage | 120V (standard outlet) | None — no electricity required |
| Power | 750W / 1500W | 4,000 / 9,000 / 18,000 BTU on 1 lb bottles or 20 lb tank |
| Coverage | Up to 500 sq ft (insulated) | Up to 450 sq ft |
| Thermostat | Digital, remote controlled | None — 3-position manual (Low/Med/High) |
| Mounting | Wall bracket or floor feet | Portable, floor-standing |
| Safety | Cool-touch housing, tip-over shutoff, overheat protection | Low-oxygen shut-off (ODS), tip-over shutoff, overheat cutoff, piezo ignition |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year limited |
How they differ in real use
Built from our space heaters for garages scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater and the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater made our Top 5 Space Heaters for Garages, at #1 (best overall) and #3. The safest first pick for a typical home garage: Bob Vila's tested best-overall garage heater and Pro Tool Reviews' best-smart pick (via the WiFi sibling). It plugs into any 120V outlet — no electrician, no dedicated circuit, no propane — has a digital thermostat and remote, wall-mounts to keep the floor clear, and its cool-touch housing is friendlier around kids, pets, and stored gear than any fan-forced radiator. Its 1500W ceiling caps how large a garage it can meaningfully warm, but for the vast majority of insulated one- or two-car home garages it is the least-fuss route to reliable heat. The escape hatch for garages without a suitable outlet at all. Consistently the top propane pick across Bob Vila, findingdulcinea, and Garage Gym Reviews, the Big Buddy MH18B runs on two 1 lb bottles or a bulk 20 lb tank and pushes 4,000 / 9,000 / 18,000 BTU across three settings — enough to warm ~450 sq ft with no electrical hookup. Automatic low-oxygen shut-off, tip-over shutoff, and piezo ignition make it the safest portable propane heater rated for indoor use. It ranks here rather than higher because propane demands active ventilation, and per-hour fuel cost at the top setting is higher than electric.
We score space heaters for garages on Heating Power for Garage Size (30%), Warm-Up Speed & Coverage (20%), Installation & Portability (15%), Safety Features (15%), Running Cost & Efficiency (10%) and Value (10%). On that basis the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater totals 8.7 out of 10 and the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater 8.2. The widest gap is Safety Features, where the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater scores 9.5 against 7.5 for the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater — tip-over shutoff, overheat cutoff, low-oxygen shutoff (propane), and housing safety around stored gear. Running Cost & Efficiency also separates them: 9.5 for the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus 6.5 for the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater. The Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater claws back ground on Heating Power for Garage Size and Warm-Up Speed & Coverage.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Heater Type — Electric infrared (quartz) on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Portable propane (radiant/convection) on the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater; Voltage — 120V (standard outlet) on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus None — no electricity required on the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater; Power — 750W / 1500W on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus 4,000 / 9,000 / 18,000 BTU on 1 lb bottles or 20 lb tank on the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater; Coverage — Up to 500 sq ft (insulated) on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Up to 450 sq ft on the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater; Thermostat — Digital, remote controlled on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus None — 3-position manual (Low/Med/High) on the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater; Mounting — Wall bracket or floor feet on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Portable, floor-standing on the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater.
Pricing as of August 24, 2026: $128.79 for the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater and $116.25 for the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater, a $12.54 difference in the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater's favor. Owners praise the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater for plugs into a standard 120V outlet — no dedicated circuit or hardwiring required and wall-mountable to keep floor space clear, or floor-standing with the included feet; the most common complaint is 1500W ceiling limits it to insulated one- or two-car garages. Owners praise the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater for no electricity required — the answer for detached garages and remote workspaces and 18,000 BTU high setting warms up to ~450 sq ft, comparable to a 5,000W electric unit; the most common complaint is propane combustion demands adequate ventilation — never run in a sealed space.
Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater
- Plugs into a standard 120V outlet — no dedicated circuit or hardwiring required
- Wall-mountable to keep floor space clear, or floor-standing with the included feet
- Cool-touch housing is safer around kids, pets, and stored items than a fan-forced radiator
- Digital thermostat and remote let you set and hold a target temperature
- 1500W ceiling limits it to insulated one- or two-car garages
- Infrared warmth is directional — spaces behind objects stay cooler
- The non-WiFi model has no scheduling; you set it with the remote each time
Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater
- No electricity required — the answer for detached garages and remote workspaces
- 18,000 BTU high setting warms up to ~450 sq ft, comparable to a 5,000W electric unit
- Runs on two 1 lb bottles or (with the included fuel-line accessory) a bulk 20 lb tank
- Automatic low-oxygen shut-off (ODS) plus tip-over shutoff and overheat protection
- Propane combustion demands adequate ventilation — never run in a sealed space
- Fuel cost is higher per hour than electric at the top BTU setting
- Radiant heat is directional; the far side of a garage warms more slowly than the beam side
Which should you buy?
The Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater is the better fit for insulated one- or two-car garages and renters and owners who cannot add 240V wiring — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Safety Features and Running Cost & Efficiency. The Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater is the better fit for detached garages, barns, and workspaces without a suitable outlet and owners who need occasional or seasonal heat rather than daily runtime, and the stronger choice if Heating Power for Garage Size and Warm-Up Speed & Coverage matter more to you than the overall score. If the $12.54 saving matters more than Safety Features, the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater is the better value. The Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater is a poor fit for large uninsulated shops or barns; the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater is a poor fit for sealed, unventilated garages.
Choose the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater if
- Insulated one- or two-car garages
- Renters and owners who cannot add 240V wiring
- Workshops where a floor unit would be in the way
Skip it if
- Large uninsulated shops or barns
- Anyone who needs a hardwired 240V solution
Choose the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater if
- Detached garages, barns, and workspaces without a suitable outlet
- Owners who need occasional or seasonal heat rather than daily runtime
- Job sites and shops where portability matters
Skip it if
- Sealed, unventilated garages
- Anyone who wants a set-and-forget thermostat-driven heater
Common questions
Is the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater better than the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater?
In our Space Heaters for Garages ranking the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater scores higher overall, 8.7 to 8.2, with the biggest advantage in Safety Features. The Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater is stronger on Heating Power for Garage Size and Warm-Up Speed & Coverage, so it is the better pick if those matter most to you.
How much more does the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater cost than the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater?
$12.54 more as of August 24, 2026: $128.79 for the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater against $116.25 for the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure. What the extra buys is mostly Safety Features — 9.5 versus 7.5 in our scoring.
What is the main difference between the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater and the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater?
The headline spec difference is Heater Type: Electric infrared (quartz) on the Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX Phoenix Infrared Heater versus Portable propane (radiant/convection) on the Mr. Heater Big Buddy MH18B Portable Propane Heater. In use, the gap that matters most is Safety Features (9.5 vs 7.5 in our scoring): tip-over shutoff, overheat cutoff, low-oxygen shutoff (propane), and housing safety around stored gear.