Hiland HLD032-CG Table Top Patio Heater Review — Cozy Up Close, Picky About Wind

Outdoor hangouts have a predictable ending once the temperature drops: everyone starts doing the subtle shoulder-hunch, then the group slowly migrates indoors.

A tabletop propane heater can stop that — but only if it’s the right kind of heat for the way you actually sit outside.

This review is based on real customer experiences with the Hiland HLD032-CG and the story is pretty consistent: it can feel genuinely cozy, it looks nice on a patio, and it’s surprisingly useful for small setups. It also has a learning curve (lighting), and it’s not going to heat your whole backyard like a full-size restaurant heater.

Quick verdict

If you want a compact outdoor heater to make a small seating area more comfortable — think two chairs, a small patio table, a porch smoking spot, or a covered deck — customer feedback says this style can be a solid win.

If your goal is “warm the whole patio” or “feel heat from across the table,” reviews suggest you’ll likely be underwhelmed.

What it feels like in real life

The best comments come from people using it for close-range comfort. A common setup is simple: place it near where people actually sit (not just where it looks symmetrical), keep the night relatively calm, and let it do what 11,000 BTUs can realistically do.

Owners describe it as the kind of heater that makes your hands stop stinging, keeps shoulders and faces warmer, and makes a cool evening feel more livable — as long as you’re within a few feet.

Where expectations go wrong is distance. A lot of buyers expected “table centerpiece warmth,” then realized they couldn’t feel much while sitting back in dining chairs. The fix, according to many reviews, is placement: put it closer to people (between chairs, near the edge of the table, or even on the ground in front of seating when it’s colder).

Heat expectations: cozy zone, not a wide-radius blanket

Think of this as a “comfort bubble” heater.

When you’re close, plenty of people say it’s great. When you’re not, the warmth drops off fast. Customers who bought it for small patios, bar stools, or tight conversation areas are the happiest. People trying to use it like a full-size dome heater are the ones most likely to call it weak.

Several reviews put a practical limit on it: it’s nice in the 50s and low 60s, especially when you’re sheltered. Colder than that, you’re back to coats — and possibly moving the heater closer to your legs to feel the benefit.

The big tip customers repeat: use a larger propane tank if you’ll use it often

Disposable 1 lb propane bottles are convenient, but reviewers repeatedly mention two downsides:

• They don’t last long on high (often around 1–2 hours).
• As they drain, heat can feel weaker, and some people report freeze-ups or pressure drop.

A lot of owners solve that by using an adapter hose to run it from a standard 20 lb grill tank (or a small refillable tank under the table). The payoff is obvious in feedback: longer runtime, less waste, and less “are we out already?” mid-evening.

Lighting: doable, but it rewards patience

This is one of the biggest themes in customer reviews.

Many people say it lights reliably once they learn the rhythm, but the “first week experience” can be frustrating. The recurring advice is to follow the pilot step exactly, hold the knob long enough, and don’t rush the thermocouple warm-up. A few reviewers even suggest trying the first light at dusk so you can actually see the pilot flame and avoid the “is it lit or not?” spiral.

There’s also a smaller set of reports where the igniter button didn’t work well from day one, or stopped working later. Those users often switched to a lighter, or repositioned a loose wire, or contacted support.

Wind changes everything

Even owners who like the heater are blunt about wind: breezes can knock down the comfort and sometimes blow out the flame.

If your patio is exposed, customer feedback suggests you’ll get better results by placing the heater in a sheltered corner, using it under a covered area, or pairing it with a simple wind break. Calm nights are where this style shines.

Build quality and reliability: mixed, with a “you get what you pay for” vibe

A lot of customers feel it’s well worth the price — especially when it works as intended for small areas. At the same time, there are repeated complaints about inconsistent build quality: thin metal, sharp edges, holes that don’t quite line up, missing hardware, labels peeling, and units arriving beat up.

Reliability also splits the room. Some people use it for seasons with no drama. Others report shutdowns after several minutes, finicky safety switches, regulator issues, or units that become harder to light over time unless cleaned and maintained.

Customer support: both good stories and bad ones

There are reviews where support is described as friendly, quick to respond, and helpful with replacement parts or troubleshooting.

There are also reviews describing the opposite — slow responses, unhelpful return handling, or being pushed into DIY troubleshooting that felt out of scope.

The best way to think about it: support is not a guaranteed highlight, but it can be a helpful one when you get the right rep at the right time.

Who it’s best for

This heater makes the most sense if you want:

• close-range warmth for 1–2 people (or a small seating cluster)
• a compact heater for a covered patio, porch, or tight outdoor setup
• a tabletop heater that looks good and doesn’t dominate the space
• a setup that can run off a larger propane tank with an adapter hose

Who should skip it

You may want a different heater if you need:

• wide heat coverage across a large, open patio
• strong performance in wind
• “set it and forget it” reliability with zero tinkering
• maximum heat output over compact size