Wood, Smokeless or Propane? Choosing the Best Fire Pit

A good fire pit is where a backyard carne asada ends up: the meat comes off the grill, the tortillas warm at the edge, and everyone pulls a chair toward the fire. In a restaurant kitchen, fire is a tool that has to be controlled, fed and put out properly at the end of the night. At home it is the same, with the added job of keeping it a safe distance from the house.

This guide compares nine fire pits sold on Amazon in the United States: steel “smokeless” fire pits from Solo Stove, Breeo and TIKI, two classic open steel bowls from Sunnydaze, a portable propane fire pit from Outland Living and a propane fire pit table from Endless Summer. For each we list fuel, diameter, weight, material, spark screen, cooking options and warranty as the maker or the Amazon listing states them, and we write “Not stated” where neither does.

Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for, product specifications and verified buyer reports.

Quick verdict: which fire pit to buy

The table compares the five picks we would steer most buyers toward, one for each kind of yard. All nine fire pits are reviewed in full after it.

Five fire pits side by side

Fuel, size and weight for our five standout picks, as each maker or Amazon listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Weights and sizes are as each maker or listing states them; check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best fire pit

These nine fire pits cover the ways most people build a backyard fire: double-wall steel pits designed to burn with less smoke, open steel bowls that cost less and come with a spark screen, and propane fire pits for places where wood smoke or embers are a problem. Each pick explains who it suits, the specifications that matter, and one honest reason to skip it.

How to choose a fire pit for your yard

Five things decide which fire pit suits you. Fuel comes first, because it decides almost everything else.

1. Wood or propane

Wood gives you real flames, heat, the smell of a fire and the option to cook. It also gives you smoke, sparks and ash to deal with. Propane is clean and instant, and makers such as Outland Living say a CSA-approved propane pit can be used during most campfire bans, though you still need to check local restrictions. Propane pits are for warmth and light, not for grilling.

2. What “smokeless” really means

Breeo describes its smokeless design as double-wall construction with secondary combustion holes, and Solo Stove describes an airflow design that burns off smoke before it reaches you. Independent evidence is limited but encouraging. USDA Forest Service scientists burned two self-advertised smokeless fire pits and one traditional campground pit in a combustion chamber; all three averaged about 80% less fine particle smoke per kilogram of wood than the figure the EPA’s emissions inventory uses for traditional fire pits and rings. The three pits performed similarly, which the authors put down to their similar barrel design, and the result depends on following the maker’s instructions and burning firewood under 20% moisture. Low-smoke, then, not no-smoke, and only with dry wood.

3. Size and weight

A 19- to 21-inch pit suits four to six people; 27 inches and up suits six or more. Weight ranges here from 16.8 pounds for the Sunnydaze Cosmic to 62 pounds for the Breeo X Series 24. Light pits move easily but are often thinner steel; heavy ones stay put and last.

4. Spark screen and surface

The US Fire Administration advises using a metal screen over wood-burning fires to keep sparks from floating out. Some pits include one (both Sunnydaze models); for others it is an extra (Solo Stove, Breeo, TIKI). Check what the pit can sit on, too: Breeo says not to use its pits directly on heat-sensitive surfaces, and Sunnydaze recommends stone, brick, gravel or a fire-safe pad.

5. Cooking

If you plan to cook, buy a pit with a real cooking system. Breeo’s Outpost grill adjusts in height and rotates; Solo Stove sells a cast iron grill top on a hub; the Sunnydaze Cosmic includes a fixed grate. For a cast iron pot of charro beans over the coals, see our guide to the best camp Dutch oven.

Fire pit safety at home

Read your fire pit’s manual first. These rules come from the US Fire Administration’s outdoor fire safety guidance and the US Forest Service’s Smokey Bear campfire safety program:

• Keep it at least 10 feet from the house. The USFA says to use fire pits outdoors at least 10 feet away from your home or anything that can burn.
• Check the rules and the weather. Smokey Bear says to check for fire restrictions before you build a fire, not to build one where area rules or local laws prohibit it, and not to build one in hazardous, dry or windy conditions.
• Use a screen and watch the kids. The USFA advises a metal screen over wood-burning fires to keep sparks in, and closely watching children when the fire pit is in use.
• Burn only firewood. Smokey Bear says never to burn trash or dangerous things such as aerosols, pressurized containers, batteries, glass or aluminum.
• Never leave it. Smokey Bear says not to leave without making sure the fire is entirely out, and the USFA says to turn off or put out fires before you leave the backyard.
• Put it out completely. Smokey Bear’s method: pour lots of water on the fire until the hissing stops, stir it with a shovel, keep adding water until everything is cool, then hover the back of your hand over the ashes to feel that the embers are cool.

How we picked these nine fire pits

We started from what a kitchen asks of a fire: steady heat, control, safe cleanup and a size that fits the people around it. We then narrowed the field to fire pits sold on Amazon in the United States, from identifiable makers, and in stock when we checked. Specifications come from the makers’ own product pages where we could read them (Breeo, TIKI, Outland Living) and from the Amazon listings otherwise; we wrote “Not stated” where neither gave a figure. The smokeless explanation draws on the makers’ descriptions and the USDA Forest Service study cited above.

We left out unbranded sellers and pits showing very low stock. We have not burned these fire pits for this guide, and we did not rely on outside reviews.

Fire pit questions, answered

What is the best fire pit to buy?

For most backyards, the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0: a low-smoke double-wall design, a removable ash pan and a weight you can carry. Choose the Breeo X Series 24 if you want to cook over wood, and the Solo Stove Yukon for a large group.

Which fire pit brands are worth looking at?

Solo Stove and Breeo lead the double-wall smokeless category, and Breeo builds its pits in the USA with a cooking system around them. TIKI offers a larger smokeless pit with more included. Sunnydaze makes affordable open bowls with spark screens, and Outland Living and Endless Summer make propane fire pits and tables.

Do smokeless fire pits really work?

They reduce smoke, they do not remove it. In a USDA Forest Service study, two smokeless pits and one barrel-shaped campground pit averaged about 80% less fine particle smoke per kilogram of wood than the EPA inventory’s figure for traditional fire rings, with dry firewood (under 20% moisture) and the makers’ instructions followed. Wet wood smokes in any pit.

How far should a fire pit be from the house?

The US Fire Administration says at least 10 feet from your home or anything that can burn. That includes fences, trees and patio furniture, and your local rules may set a larger distance.

Can I use a fire pit during a burn ban?

Usually not a wood-burning one. Smokey Bear says not to build a fire where local rules prohibit it. Outland Living says its CSA-approved propane pit can be used during most campfire bans, but always check the current restrictions where you are.

Our final pick for the backyard

Buy the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 if you want one fire pit that is easy to live with, light enough to carry and low on smoke with dry wood. Choose the Breeo X Series 24 for live-fire cooking, the Solo Stove Yukon for a crowd, the Sunnydaze Crossweave for a classic open fire on a budget, and the Outland Living Cypress where wood is not an option. Whichever you choose, keep it 10 feet from the house and put it out cold.

More specific guides: the best smokeless fire pits, the best fire pit tables, the best camping fire pits and the best fire pit covers.

On a budget? See our guide to the best value fire pits.

Related guide: Best fire pit poker.

For grilling before the fire, see our guides to the best charcoal grill and the best camping charcoal grill, and read how to eat fajitas before the first plate. Or let us do the cooking: see the menu or call to order.