Mr. Heater 9,000 BTU Portable Buddy Radiant Heater

Why I keep a Portable Buddy in my kit

Cold snaps and power blips have a way of reminding you how much you rely on heat. I picked up the Portable Buddy to cover those gaps and to make shoulder-season camping more comfortable. After using it in a small basement workshop, an RV, and a couple of tent sites, I’ve come to trust it as a compact, fast-acting spot heater with a few important caveats.

Heat output and how it actually warms you

This is a radiant heater, not a little space furnace. Instead of blowing hot air around the room, it projects infrared heat forward. Think “warm sun on a cold day” rather than “hair dryer.” In practical terms:

• On high (9,000 BTU), it puts out serious warmth in front of the ceramic face. Park yourself, your hands, or your boots in its line of sight and you’ll feel heat almost immediately—within a minute of lighting, you’re comfortable.
• In a small, enclosed space (workshop corner, ice-fishing shelter, compact RV), it will raise ambient temperature, but don’t expect uniform warmth in every corner. It excels as a personal or zone heater.
• The claimed 225 sq ft coverage is realistic for taking the chill off a well-insulated space; it’s ambitious for a drafty garage or a big canvas tent in wind.

The unit has only two settings—low (4,000 BTU) and high (9,000 BTU). On high, it’s rock-solid and quiet. On low, I occasionally hear a faint fluttering/whisper from the burner, especially outdoors with cross-breezes. It’s not loud, just noticeable in a quiet campsite. I often run it on high to warm up quickly and then switch to low to maintain.

Fuel use, runtime, and cold weather behavior

With a 1 lb propane cylinder, my runtimes line up with the spec sheet: roughly 2.5 hours on high and a bit over 5 hours on low. In near-freezing conditions, expect the smaller cylinders to frost up and pressure to drop; the flame can sputter or cut out until the cylinder warms. That’s normal propane physics, not a fault of the heater.

If you need longer stretches—say, an evening in an ice shelter or multiple mornings in an RV—use an approved hose to connect to a larger propane cylinder. A few notes from experience:

• Stick to manufacturer-approved hoses and the specified inline filter. Cheap, unfiltered hoses can carry oil and plasticizers into the heater and clog the pilot orifice. It’s a fast way to ruin a good tool—and it voids the warranty.
• Keep larger tanks upright and outside enclosed spaces. Route the hose neatly and inspect fittings for leaks with soapy water every time you set up.
• When you’re wrapping up, close the tank valve and let the heater run a minute to burn off residual gas in the hose. That prevents an unexpected spurt at the next hookup.

Indoor use and safety features

The Portable Buddy is one of the few portable propane heaters approved for indoor use when operated as directed. It has the right safety stack: an oxygen depletion sensor that shuts the unit down if O2 drops, a tip-over switch that kills the flame if it gets knocked, and a housing made from self-extinguishing materials. In practice, here’s what matters:

• Ventilation is still essential. I crack a window or vent, even in a small room or tent, and I always run a carbon monoxide alarm nearby. The oxygen sensor is not a CO detector.
• Keep clearances. The face gets very hot. Maintain front and overhead clearance and keep fabrics, sleeping bags, and plastics out of the heat path.
• Don’t run any heater while sleeping or unattended. This is a short-burst tool: take the edge off, warm hands, preheat the tent or RV, then shut it down.

At higher elevations, the oxygen sensor may be more sensitive. If you’re above ~7,000 feet and experiencing nuisance shutoffs, that’s expected behavior from ODS-equipped heaters.

Setup, ignition, and day-to-day usability

Startup is straightforward: screw in a 1 lb cylinder (hand-tight), set the knob to pilot, press and hold to light with the built-in igniter, then hold for 30–60 seconds so the thermocouple warms. Release, turn to low or high, and the burner face glows to life. From cold to comfortable takes roughly a minute.

A few usability highlights:

• The wide base and top handle make it easy to move around. I often set it under a picnic table to warm legs or on a bench to heat a work area.
• There’s no thermostat or timer. You control comfort with the two-position knob and a bit of attention. I’d love a quieter “medium” setting, but the simplicity also means fewer parts to fail.
• I’ve had essentially no odor on ignition or shutdown when using fresh propane and clean hoses. If you smell raw propane, shut it down and check connections.

Two maintenance tips that have paid off: keep the burner face and pilot area free of dust (a quick shot of compressed air), and store it upright. I once stashed mine on its back in a crowded RV cabinet; the next outing, the pilot lit but the main burner wouldn’t stay on. Setting the heater upright and letting it sit helped, and customer support reminded me that storing it flat can upset the tip-over mechanism. Upright storage has prevented a repeat.

Build quality and portability

The form factor is compact, and the build feels purpose-made for field use. The face guard is sturdy, controls are glove-friendly, and the regulator connection is tucked away so it doesn’t snag in transit. The plastics are flame-resistant and shrug off bumps. It’s not featherweight, but it’s manageable with one hand plus a small tote for cylinders.

If you’re packing it for travel, a soft cooler bag makes a surprisingly good carrying case: the heater fits, cylinders ride on top, and the front pocket can hold an approved hose and filter. Just let the heater cool completely before bagging it.

Where it shines

• Fast, directional warmth outdoors or in unheated corners: patios, worksites, ice shacks, tailgates.
• Preheating small enclosed spaces like RVs, cabins, or tents before bed or first thing in the morning.
• Emergency backup during short power outages, where safe indoor operation is a must.

Where it falls short

• Only two heat settings; no thermostat. You’re the controller.
• Small cylinders drain quickly, and in the cold they can ice up and stumble.
• Radiant pattern means uneven room heating; it’s superb for spot warmth, less so for whole-room comfort.
• Sensitive safety devices are a feature, but they can shut you down at altitude or if the unit isn’t stored/handled carefully.

Practical tips for best results

• Vent a little, always. Pair with a CO alarm indoors.
• Use only approved hoses and the recommended inline filter when connecting to larger tanks.
• Keep the heater upright in use and in storage. Give the pilot and burner a periodic dusting.
• Plan runtime: one 1 lb cylinder equals roughly a couple of movies on high or a long evening on low.

The bottom line

The Portable Buddy has earned a permanent spot in my “be ready for cold” kit because it reliably turns a cold corner into a comfortable workspace and makes shoulder-season camping civilized. Its radiant output is immediate and effective, the safety systems are well thought out, and it’s approved for indoor use when operated correctly—something you can’t say about many portable heaters.

It isn’t a whole-room solution, and it’s not set-and-forget. You’ll manage fuel, mind ventilation, and pay attention to clearances. If you can live with those responsibilities, the payoff is dependable, flexible warmth in places and situations where electrical heat isn’t practical.

Recommendation: I recommend the Portable Buddy for anyone who needs safe, portable, short-duration heat—campers, RVers, ice anglers, DIYers, and homeowners who want a reliable backup for outages. Pair it with the right hose and filter for longer runtimes, store it upright, and it will do exactly what you bought it for: make the cold a lot more manageable.