Best Fire Pit for 2024 (2024)

James Bricknell

Macy Meyer

David Carnoy

Years of Experience

Hands-on Product Reviewers

Sq. Feet of Lab Space

Size

Safety regulations and codes

Budget

$250 at Pit Boss

Best overall and best smokeless pellet pit

Pit Boss Pellet Fire Pit

Using a pellet fire pit instead of wood is a different experience. The smell can be different, especially if you throw in some pellets designed for smoking meats, and the fire feels more intense. The Pit Boss pellet fire pit kept me warm from 6 feet away on a brisk November morning, and the pellets lasted a long while before they needed a refill. Like a lot of modern fire pits, the Pit Boss uses a design to catch the smoke and recirculate it so you mainly get fire rather than smoke. Lighting it was easy, although pellet pits can take an external accelerant to get going. I used a small spray of barbecue lighter fluid on mine, and it worked perfectly. It releases more smoke as you start it, but it goes away as the fire heats up.

It also comes with a quality-feeling cover to keep the rain off and a removable ashtray to make dumping out the pellet ash pain-free. Pellets burn more evenly than wood chunks, so the ash never has unburned lumps. I like pellet pits more than wood now, and the Pit Boss has helped me in that decision.

$123 at Amazon

The best tabletop gas fire pit

Outland Living Firebowl Deluxe

While most of our selections are wood-burning fire pits, there is something to be said for propane pits. This 19-inch fire pit from Outland Living fits neatly on a table or the ground and is perfect for people who already use propane for their grills or patio heaters.
The Firebowl has a nice long hose to keep your gas tank away from the open flame, so it is safe to use. It gives off a significant amount of heat; because it is gas, heat can be adjusted as needed. A fire pit that can start the evening on a low setting for the ambiance and finish it with a roaring fire to keep the chill away is a luxury that wood burners don't offer.

The Firebowl also comes with lava rocks, perfect for creating the illusion of a bonfire, as they add carbon to the flame, making it yellow instead of blue. They also help keep the heat going, even if you turn the gas off to conserve it. One big advantage of a gas fire pit is instant heat. There's no waiting for the fire to get going; it's just the heat you want when you want it.

Size 43.5 in. x 25.5 in. diameter

Type Gel fuel (indoor safe)

Smokeless Yes

$700 at Solo Stove

Best woodless fire pit

Lloyd gel fuel heater

Some could argue that this is not, strictly speaking, a "fire pit" but it is a chiminea, and that's close enough. The Solo Stove Lloyd is a beautiful-looking fireplace that has several key features that are nearly unique. It uses a smokeless gell fuel that comes in a can and burns for around three hours. It can also be used indoors as the gel fuel doesn't produce any noxious fumes. The indoor/outdoor use comes in handy when the night gets so cold even a fire pit isn't enough. In the warmer months, you can reduce the amount of cans you light down through one, two or three, so you get the fire without the heat.

I was concerned at first that the Lloyd wouldn't produce enough heat from the gell cans, but it was sufficient to keep us warm from seven feet away on a 40-degree night. That's good enough for me. The only downside I can see is the fuel can be a little pricey. The cheapest way to buy it is in bulk, but it still costs around $7.50 a session, which is more than wood or even pellets.

Size 60 in. x 60 in. x 89 in.

Type Charcoal

Smokeless No

$275 at BBQ Guys

Best fire pit and grill for travelers

Burch Barrel Flat Packer

Size 27.5 in. x 27.5 in. x 14.75 in.

Weight 68 lbs.

Type Wood Burning

Smokeless Yes

$799 at Amazon

Best durable fire pit

Breeo X Series 24

To say the Breeo X Series 24 is built to take a beating is an understatement. Manufactured in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the X Series is constructed from a mix of corten (weathering) steel and 304 stainless steel. As a result, the X Series doesn't require a rain cover or weather shelter. After six months of exposure to the elements, the outer wall of the fire pit develops a natural patina that protects it from corrosion.

The X Series also has an advanced airflow system designed to facilitate secondary fuel burn, similar to the smokeless fire pits from Solo Stove. While not as easy to ignite as the Solo Stove pits, the X Series definitely stays lit once you get the fire going, and when it's done properly, the process takes 5 minutes and only requires smaller logs and kindling at first. It puts out plenty of heat as it burns away at full temperature, but the pit's secondary burn releases hardly any smoke. One last note: Be sure to think strategically about where you want to deploy this pit. Weighing in at 78 pounds, the X Series 24 is 33 pounds heavier than the second-heftiest pit in this group, the Tiki Fire Pit. I recommend asking a friend or two to help move it where it needs to go in your yard or patio.

Size 13 in. x 27 in. x 15.8 in.

Weight 1.24 lbs.

Type Firewood or charcoal

Smokeless Yes

$245 at Amazon

Best portable fire pit

BioLite FirePit Plus

The FirePit Plus, made by Brooklyn-based BioLite, weighs under 20 pounds and is built for portability. Measuring 27 by 13 by 15.8 inches, it's relatively long and narrow, making it really good for patio use. It holds a little more wood than you'd think, with room for up to four cordwood logs. You can either use it as a standard fire pit or as a backyard grill and it was upgraded in 2021 with an enamel coating for easier cleaning and a higher-capacity battery for its built-in fan. It can also work as a patio heater. In fire pit mode, you lower the fuel rack to the bottom of the pit. To use it as a free-standing grill, so you can cook over hot wood coals or charcoal briquettes if you prefer, raise the rack to its highest position. BioLite offers a bundle with a grill grate that sits over everything. The grill lit up fast, in less than 5 minutes, and was fully burning in less than 10.

The FirePit Plus has a couple of signature features, one being patented airflow technology. A motorized fan powered by the flames' heat output drives air to the firebox. You can also control it using an iOS or Android app on a phone using Bluetooth. A mesh body lets you see flames through the FirePit from any angle.

$400 at Pit Boss

Best fire pit for cooking hotdogs

Pit Boss Cowboy Grill

Roasting marshmallows over a fire pit is a tried and tested "good time," I think we can all agree. What if we want to take it to the next level? This cowboy fire pit from Pit Boss lets you cook hotdogs, burgers and chicken over a fully open flame as if you were hanging out in the Wild West.

The entire fire pit is very sturdy, and although it is designed for pellets, it can also easily burn logs. It isn't smokeless like some of the other pits on this list, but you want some smoke to add to the flavor and ambiance when cooking food over a flame.

Size 19.5 in. x 19.5 in. x 14 in.

Weight 23.3 lbs.

Type Wood Burning

Smokeless Yes

$250 at Solostove

Best smokeless fire pit

Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0

Solo Stove fire pits are among the best smokeless fire pits out there, and while they work great and their stainless steel construction gives them a sleek appearance, the original models had one flaw: They weren't so easy to clean up. That changed with the arrival of the new Solo Stove 2.0 fire pits, which are available in the same three sizes -- Ranger 2.0 (small), Bonfire 2.0 (medium) and Yukon 2.0 (large) -- and have a removable ash pan, a feature missing from the 1.0 models.

We tested the midsize Bonfire 2.0 model, and it was a breeze to get fires started -- the 2.0 fire pits have the same 360-degree Airflow Technology that allows for smokeless fire -- and on the outside, the 2.0 fire pit looks the same as the 1.0 version. The difference is on the inside: once your fire has gone out and fully cooled down, you simply remove the screen over the pan, which collects the majority of the cinders, then remove the pan itself and dump the remaining ash (you no longer have to turn over the fire pit to remove the ash). A bit of the finer ash can end up at the bottom of the fire pit basin after you remove the pan but that's easy to remove with a wet rag or paper towel. Solo Stove fire pits are efficient. They consistently consumed our test logs and produced a lot less smoke than other fire pits we've tested. As with other high-performance fire pits, kids (and adults) need to be careful around the Bonfire 2.0. In addition to the intense heat from the fire itself, the Bonfire's steel surface heats to burning temperatures fast.

Size 6" x 6" x 6"

Weight 1.4 lbs

Smokeless Yes

Type Wood, pellets

$80 at Solo Stove

Best mini fire pit

Solo Stove Mesa

Solo Stove, which makes some of the best smokeless fire pits, released its second-generationRanger 2.0 (small), Bonfire 2.0 (medium) and Yukon 2.0 (large) fire pitsin August 2022. Now it's gone extra small for its new Mesa fire pit.

As its name implies, the Mesa is designed to sit on a tabletop and is small enough to slip into a backpack for mobility. Naturally, you could also set it on the ground, but when you put it on a table, it's at a good height for comfortably roasting marshmallows. It has the same 360-degree Signature Airflow system as Solo Stove's larger fire pits and is the spiritual successor to the Solo Stove Lite, a mini camp stove (whether we'll see some camping accessories for the Mesa is unclear at this point). It's an excellent mini fire pit.