To combat the winter chills in Australia, Mensa Heating has released a clever new eco-friendly infrared outdoor heating system.

Launched in Australia by the Cool Stuff Company, the weather-resistant Vireoo operates at a fraction of the cost of traditional gas heaters and emits 80 per cent less carbon dioxide.

Vireoo, Latin for "I am green", was the winner of the Innovation Award 2010 at the garden trade fair SpogaGafa in Cologne. Specially designed for the hospitality industry, it cleverly combines an outdoor table with a built-in infrared heater, designed to radiate heat from the feet up through the rest of the body.

“For the cost of using one gas heater you could run 24 Vireoos and do something that’s not only good for the pocket but good for the climate too,” says Uwe Backes, director of The Cool Stuff Company.

“It enables restaurant, café and bar clientele to sit comfortably outside, regardless of the temperature.”

“Unlike gas heaters and electric wall and canopy-mounted heaters, this product directs the heat towards the feet and legs instead of the head. Heat rises – so it just makes better sense to warm your customers rather than the air above them,” explains Backes.

The product contains a 0.4kW Quartz shortwave bulb which is integrated into the base of the table and shielded by a patented heat protection system to ensure the it is always safe to touch. The technology is similar to the system hospitals use to keep premature babies warm in incubators.

It also features clever built-in motion sensors, which means the heater only engages when someone is actually occupying the table, and automatically shuts off if it does not detect movement at the table for three minutes or more.

For more information visit www.thecoolstuffcompany.com.au.