Mr. Heater Buddy vs Little Buddy: One Tent or One Corner?

Little Buddy vs Buddy is the same question asked from the other direction: whether a fixed 3,800 BTU is enough, or whether four more dollars should buy a choice of heat. The Buddy offers 4,000 or 9,000 BTU across about 225 square feet on a 9 lb frame; the Little Buddy is a single-setting 3,800 BTU, 4.6 lb unit that folds flat, warms roughly 95 square feet, and runs about 5.6 hours on one 1 lb cylinder.

Choose the Mr. Heater Buddy if

You want a low setting for mild nights, need to cover more than one person's sleeping area, or expect to run the heater off a 20 lb tank on a hose later.

$74.00 · 4.7★ · 25,065 ratings

See the Mr. Heater Buddy →

Choose the Mr. Heater Little Buddy if

You are heating a 1-2 person tent or a van berth, want the smallest and lightest propane heater that stows in a trunk corner, and like that one cheap cylinder covers a full night of warming.

$69.99 · 4.5★ · 8,794 ratings

See the Mr. Heater Little Buddy →

Mr. Heater Buddy vs Mr. Heater Little Buddy: side by side

SpecMr. Heater BuddyMr. Heater Little Buddy
Price$74.00$69.99
Rating4.7★ from 25,065 ratings4.5★ from 8,794 ratings
CategoryCamping & OutdoorCamping & Outdoor
Best forTaking the chill off a tent, RV, or hunting blind on cold shoulder-season trips when you want safe radiant heat without running your furnace all nightWarming a small tent or sleeping area on cold shoulder-season trips when the 9,000 BTU Buddy is more heater (and more fuel) than the space needs
One thing it does wellOxygen-depletion and tip-over sensors make it one of the safest tent heaters you can buyOnly 4.6 lb and folds flat — the one propane heater that fits in a small tent or trunk corner without a fight
One thing to knowAt 9 lb it's strictly car-camping gear — too heavy for backpackingSingle heat output — no low/high setting and no thermostat, so you regulate warmth by distance and by cycling it on and off
Who should buy itFall and early-spring car campers who face 30-50°F nights and want to skip the sub-zero sleeping bag upgrade; RV boondockers who want to heat just the living area and save their propane furnace (and battery) for when it really countsSolo campers and couples in a 1-2 person tent who want heat without carrying a 9-lb unit; Fall and early-spring campers who want the cheapest way to take the edge off a 35-45°F night

Pros and cons, side by side

Mr. Heater Buddy

Pros

  • Oxygen-depletion and tip-over sensors make it one of the safest tent heaters you can buy
  • Two heat settings (4,000/9,000 BTU) cover everything from a 2-person tent to a 225 sq ft camper
  • Piezo push-button ignition means no matches or batteries to carry
  • Runs on cheap 1-lb propane cylinders or a 20-lb tank with a hose adapter

Cons

  • At 9 lb it's strictly car-camping gear — too heavy for backpacking
  • A 1-lb cylinder only lasts about 3 hours on the high setting
  • Always needs ventilation and should never be left running while you sleep

Mr. Heater Little Buddy

Pros

  • Only 4.6 lb and folds flat — the one propane heater that fits in a small tent or trunk corner without a fight
  • 3,800 BTU is sized for a 1-2 person tent, so it sips fuel instead of blasting through a 1-lb cylinder
  • Roughly 5.6 hours of runtime on a single 1-lb propane cylinder
  • Oxygen-depletion sensor plus tip-over shutoff, the same indoor-safe safety pair as the larger Mr. Heater models

Cons

  • Single heat output — no low/high setting and no thermostat, so you regulate warmth by distance and by cycling it on and off
  • Heats up to about 95 sq ft, which means a 6-person family tent will only feel warm right in front of it
  • No blower, so the heat is directional rather than circulated

What the numbers say

The Mr. Heater Buddy lists at $74.00 and the Mr. Heater Little Buddy at $69.99 — Mr. Heater Little Buddy is the cheaper of the two by $4.01. The Mr. Heater Buddy carries the larger review base (25,065 ratings at 4.7★ vs 8,794 at 4.5★), which usually means the failure modes are better documented. Price and ratings are read from the TrailMapz catalog and refreshed on every deploy — check the product pages for today's numbers before you buy.

The verdict

Neither product wins outright — the trip decides. Pick the Mr. Heater Buddy if this is your trip: You want a low setting for mild nights, need to cover more than one person's sleeping area, or expect to run the heater off a 20 lb tank on a hose later. Pick the Mr. Heater Little Buddy instead if this is your trip: You are heating a 1-2 person tent or a van berth, want the smallest and lightest propane heater that stows in a trunk corner, and like that one cheap cylinder covers a full night of warming. Read the two lists against the trip you are actually taking, not the one in the marketing photos, and the decision usually makes itself.

Mr. Heater Buddy — full review & price →Mr. Heater Little Buddy — full review & price →

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