Coleman BlackCat Tent Heater

Coleman has been a quality manufacturer of outdoor and camping gear and it is no surprise that the Coleman BlackCat Tent Heater is one of the most popular tent heaters on the market today.

Design and Power

The Coleman BlackCat heater comes in 2 versions the standard and the Instastart. The Instastart version has a piezo-electric push-button starter so no open flame is needed to start the tent heater. For the small difference in price, around $5, the Instastart is a no brainer. The BlackCat was designed from the ground up as a portable camping heater. It’s got collapsible legs that fold into the collar and an integrated easy-grip carry handle. The heater has 2 settings, the 1500 BTU “low” and 3000 BTU high setting which will comfortable heat an area of 80 sq. ft. Using the standard 16.4oz propane cylinder you can expect to get about 7 hrs. on the high and about 14 hrs. on the low setting.

Coleman PerfecTemp Catalytic Technology-Flameless Heat

All Coleman’s tent heaters are catalytic heaters. Catalytic heaters use (in Coleman’s case) a platinum catalyst with which the propane and oxygen reacts with. The burning is it a lower temperature and a lot cleaner. This makes it ideal for enclosed areas like a tent, boat or shelter, no carbon monoxide and no open flames.

Coleman BlackCat Tent Heater Specifications:

The BlackCat is 9.4”x9”x9.1” and weighs 4lbs.With these dimensions it makes it a little bit bulky for backpacking but most definitely a portable unit.

Recommendation:

The Coleman BlackCat is a good tent heater and with the catalytic technology it is a safe unit. I have found that it was out of stock at a lot of camping stores when I did my, which is about as good as a recommendation comes. If the size is a little big for you, have a look at its little brother the Coleman SuperCat. which is a little bit smaller but only have half the power output. Have a look at the tent heater comparison chart to give you a better idea.