Top 5 compared
The best fire pits
Pull up a chair and stay out after dark, warm by a wood fire in the backyard.
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The top 5 at a glance
A fire pit holds a wood fire outdoors, for people to gather around. Double-walled steel drums pull air through their walls and burn with far less smoke; open bowls take good-size logs and throw heat wider, and often come with a spark screen or a grill; folding mesh pits pack into the car for camping or the beach.
Burn dry, seasoned wood: it lights more easily and smokes much less. Check your town’s rules on backyard fires, keep the pit well away from fences, sheds and overhanging branches, and never leave it burning unattended. Keep children and pets back, as the bowl stays hot long after the flames have died down.
What matters
- A diameter that seats your group and fits your logs.
- A mesh spark screen for breezy nights near the house.
- A stand or fire-safe pad, if it’s going on a deck.
- A removable ash pan, for emptying it without a shovel.
#1Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 Fire Pit with Stand (Gunmetal)
Over $300
Its double-walled steel drum draws air in low down and feeds it back over the top of the fire, so the logs burn hot and clean with very little smoke, and nobody goes to bed smelling of campfire. The stand keeps the heat off a deck or the lawn. Solo Stove was started by two brothers, Jeff and Spencer Jan, with a small wood-burning camping stove.
What owners say: Owners say even green wood burns with hardly any smoke, that it gives a cozy heat on cool evenings and gets going in minutes, and that it gets through less firewood than an open pit. The price splits them: worth it to most, too much to some.
A closer look: Expect a little smoke while the fire gets going: it clears once the steel walls heat up and the air starts feeding the top of the flames. Once it’s cold, the base plate lifts out and the ash pan empties straight into a metal bucket, with no shoveling around the inside.
- Double-walled steel drum
- Stand keeps heat off decks
- Removable ash pan
- Carry case included
- Weighs 21.7 lb
Best for: Less smoke, more flame
- Size
- 19.5 in across, 17.5 in high
- Material
- Stainless steel, ceramic coated
- Spark guard
- No
- Cooking grill
- No
#2Hykolity 2-in-1 Fire Pit with Swivel Grill (31 in)
$75–$100
A 31-inch steel bowl with a cooking grate that swings 360 degrees on a post and moves up or down, so the burgers can go over the embers and then the grate swings aside for an evening around the fire. Star-shaped vents low in the bowl help the logs draw air and burn brighter.
What owners say: Owners enjoy grilling over it and find it fits a small patio yet seats a group of four to eight, and the grate and spark cover both get a thumbs-up. Rust is the divide: some have seen none, while others found spots within a couple of months.
A closer look: Set the grate to the height you want and tighten its screws before lighting, then let the flames settle to glowing embers before the food goes on. Once dinner is done, swing the grate aside and put the spark cover on for the rest of the evening.
- Swiveling, height-adjustable grate
- Star-shaped air vents
- Fire poker included
- 1-year warranty
Best for: Grilling and a fire in one
- Size
- 31 in across, 24 in high
- Material
- Powder-coated steel
- Spark guard
- Yes
- Cooking grill
- Yes
#3TIKI Patio 25-Inch Smokeless Fire Pit with Cover
Over $300
A heavier, wider take on the low-smoke drum: 25 inches across, made of 16-gauge stainless steel with a black powder coat, and built around TIKI’s patented airflow, which cuts down smoke and ash. It warms a circle about four feet out, enough for four to six chairs.
What owners say: Owners find it well designed and quick to assemble, feel the warmth several feet away and often compare it favorably with a Solo Stove. It isn’t always smoke-free, some say, and a few had the bags of wood pellets split open.
Heads up: TIKI sells the spark screen and poker separately, so add them if you’ll be using it on breezy nights.
A closer look: TIKI’s Wood Packs make for a quick, no-fuss fire, but it burns ordinary cut firewood too. Once the fire is out and fully cold, lift out the ash pan to empty it and put the cover back on; TIKI also sells a heat deflector, tabletop and griddle that fit it.
- Burns firewood or TIKI packs
- Warms about 4 feet out
- Stand and cover included
- Removable ash pan
- Weighs 45 lb
Best for: Low smoke for a bigger group
- Size
- 25 in across, 18.75 in high
- Material
- Stainless steel, black powder coat
- Spark guard
- No
- Cooking grill
- No
#4Kikerike Portable Folding Fire Pit (22 in)
$20–$30
A stainless steel mesh basket on a frame that comes apart into a package 13 inches long, so it goes camping or to the beach as easily as onto the patio. The fine mesh keeps the ash in, and it takes up to 26 lb of wood.
What owners say: Campers like how small it packs and how quickly it goes together, and say air gets through the mesh while the ash stays in; the legs stay cool to the touch too. A few had the mesh tear after some use.
A closer look: Stand it on bare earth, sand or gravel rather than grass, which the heat through the mesh will scorch. Let it cool before taking it apart, then shake the ash out of the mesh, and it’s ready to go back in its bag.
- Packs into its own bag
- 26 lb wood capacity
- Fine mesh keeps ash in
- Sets up without tools
Best for: Camping and small patios
- Size
- 22 in square, 16.9 in high
- Material
- Stainless steel mesh, steel frame
- Spark guard
- No
- Cooking grill
- No
#5Sunnydaze Crossweave 36-Inch Fire Pit with Spark Screen
$150–$200
The big one here: a 31-inch bowl inside a 36-inch outer ring that keeps everyone a step back from the flames and doubles as a handle for carrying it across the yard. The crossweave cutouts glow when it’s lit, and the spark screen, poker and a cover all come in the box.
What owners say: Owners love the pattern glowing after dark and say it’s quick to put together with room for good-size logs, and they’re glad of the cover and poker. Value and durability split them, with some reporting a bowl that warped or rusted through early.
Heads up: The bowl has no drainage holes, so tip out any rainwater and put the cover on after each fire, as Sunnydaze advises.
A closer look: Sunnydaze says to set it on stone, brick, gravel or a fire-safe pad rather than straight on a deck or porch. Use the poker to lift the hot spark screen when the fire needs another log; with the screen off it stands 16 inches high.
- Outer ring doubles as handle
- Glowing crossweave cutouts
- Weather cover included
- Built-in log grate
- Poker included
Best for: Backyard parties with a crowd
- Size
- 36 in across, 24 in high
- Material
- Painted steel
- Spark guard
- Yes
- Cooking grill
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 | #2Hykolity 31 in | #3TIKI 25 in | #4Kikerike 22 in | #5Sunnydaze 36 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for cooking | Best budget | Best for big gatherings | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.8 |
| Price | Over $300 | $75–$100 | Over $300 | $20–$30 | $150–$200 |
| Size | 19.5 in across, 17.5 in high | 31 in across, 24 in high | 25 in across, 18.75 in high | 22 in square, 16.9 in high | 36 in across, 24 in high |
| Material | Stainless steel, ceramic coated | Powder-coated steel | Stainless steel, black powder coat | Stainless steel mesh, steel frame | Painted steel |
| Spark guard | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Cooking grill | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Best for | Less smoke, more flame | Grilling and a fire in one | Low smoke for a bigger group | Camping and small patios | Backyard parties with a crowd |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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