Smokeless Wood Burning Fire Pit

How We Selected Our Smokeless Fire Pits

We’ve been preparing for this roundup since the first leaves started turning back in September of this year: We started by hoarding all the most popular firepits on the market in our office, and then started testing them each individually and side-by-side.

So how do we test them, you ask? Simple: We take them out and use them the same way you will. We’ve been toting a firepit or two around with us for the past several months for everything from backyard BBQ’s to backcountry camping trips, and collecting feedback along the way from friends, family, and anyone else gathered around the fire with an opinion to share.

Best Budget: Inno Stage Smokeless Fire Pit

• Finish dulls over time

• Lacks accessories

This smokeless fire pit from INNO STAGE is a fantastic value, even for a large size. It comes in three sizes and two colors, stainless steel and painted black. The paint is fire-safe, although it can be dinged and damaged over time. It dulls to a natural patina after a couple of months which many people prefer over the inky black.

The handles on each side make this smokeless fire pit easy to carry and take with you, but you still need space for it since it doesn’t come apart. The two-tier design helps maximize the oxygen supply to the fire inside without creating a lot of smoke. Its double wall also ensures that sparks and ash dont jump out. You can use traditional firewood or wood pellets. You also need to separately purchase extra accessories such as grills and cooking surfaces.

Dimensions: 7 x 15 x 12.5 inchesMaterial: Stainless steelWeight: 16 poundsFuel: WoodWarranty: None listed

Best With Grill: Cast Master Bon 2000 Dual Purpose Bonfire Pit

Amazon

• Difficult to stoke fire

• No carrying handles

For a large grill surface perfect for steaks, veggies, or s’mores, the Cast Mater Bon 2000 is the smokeless fire pit to get. Its 19-inch-diameter grill grate fits right over the top of the fire pit. The grate is designed to work with this structure, unlike some options that have universal rather than custom accessories.

It can be tricky to stoke the fire and get larger flames, something many people want when cooking on an open fire however, the design keeps the smoke under control. Air vents at the bottom bring in oxygen for a fire and lead to better use of the wood. Included is a charcoal grate you can place at the bottom of the fire pit to use that oxygen while maintaining airflow from underneath. This fire pit is technically portable and comes with a carrying case. But without carrying handles, it is tough to move around easily.

Dimensions: 22.25 x 22.25 x 14.75 inchesMaterial: Stainless steelWeight: 32.2 poundsFuel: Wood, charcoalWarranty: None listed

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Black Diamond Style Fire Pit By Northern Flame

What Makes It Great:

The wood-burning Black Diamond Style Fire Pit creates the ambiance of a traditional campfire. A diamond cutout design around the sides of the bowl showcases the flames, and the included spark screen lets you sit close enough to enjoy the heat.

Key Features:

Need to take the party somewhere else? At just 22 pounds, the Black Diamond Style Fire Pit is super portable and fits nicely in smaller spaces. Plus, its made of durable steel, so it wont dent, bend, or warp.

Breeo X Series Smokeless Fire Pit $399

If the look of Breeos X Series Smokeless Fire Pit isnt enough to sell you, then its patented X Airflow system will. This results in a campfire experience that doesnt require moving your chair every five minutes, per the brand.

Not to mention, the corten steel makeup also known as weathering steel is designed to develop an iron oxide surface over time, called patina. This reddish-brown coating will wonderfully protect your fire pit from the elements, so its built to last.

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Can You Put A Wood Burning Fire Pit On A Deck

We dont recommend ever placing a wood-burning fire pit on any combustible surface or even on a grass lawn, without the use of a Heat-Shield from Newtex. Additionally, you should have no less than 6 between the bottom of the fire pit and the top of the Heat-Shield.

Alternatively, and if you prefer not to mess with wood burning logs, or heat shields, you can look into the many Gas Fire Pit Tables available Which can be placed safely on any surface.

What Types Of Ignitions Are There For Fire Pits

Fire pit ignition systems range from simple ones using a match to complex ones using electronics and an app. At one end of the spectrum are match-lit fire pits, with which you start the gas and light a match to get it started, and that’s it. The next step up is a spark ignition system, which features a battery-operated sparker, so you just push a button to get the flame going. Moving up another notch is a flame-sensing fire pit, which has a spark ignition but also a flame sensor that can stop gas flow once flames die down for extra safety. At the far end of the spectrum are electronic ignition kits, which also are flame-sensing, and have an automated ignition process that can be controlled with a timer, a switch, a remote, or a phone app. These are the most expensive, and often require you to have electricity at your fire pit.

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Does A Smokeless Fire Pit Keep You Warm

It perfectly does. But you may feel a proximate drop in performance when providing warmth compared to the conventional wood-burning fire pit.

Because the dedicated double-wall structure is smokeless, the fire tends to mount up and heat the surrounding area, mostly on the upper side. So at the lower portion, you may feel less warm than usual.

Best Fire Pits For 2022

Solo Stove Ranger: Squat, cylindrical, compact and made from stainless steel, the Solo Stove Ranger appears simple at first glance. Tucked away inside this pit, though, is the same sophisticated airflow system that its larger sibling, the Solo Stove Yukon, has. The system is designed to enable fire in the pit to burn hotter and consume more of its wood fuel.

We can confirm that the Ranger delivers on these promises. It starts fast, with its logs aflame in just 5 minutes, and it burns for hours. The fires we started in the Ranger also burned with incredible ferocity. The flames inside the pit focused into an impressive rolling vortex. Despite the conflagration, the Ranger emitted very little smoke.

The Ranger does have a few drawbacks. Its compact size means it can’t accept standard 15-inch firewood logs. It’s also not the best for large groups or families. More than two people roasting marshmallows at once quickly becomes a crowd.

The Kingso 22-inch fire pit is small and has poor airflow.

Kingso Outdoor Fire Pit : Though it’s a bestseller on Amazon, we don’t recommend purchasing the Kingso Outdoor Fire Pit. Its small size feels cramped. And since airflow throughout the small fire pit unit is poor, we consistently had difficulty both starting fires and keeping them lit inside this pit. It doesn’t come with a protective cover, either.

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Bonfire 20 Frequently Asked Questions

When your wood is burned through completely, and your fire pit is cool, remove the ash pan from under your base plate and dump it. Read up here if you’re unsure what to do with your ash.

As your wood burns on the base plate, the ashes will fall to the ash pan below. When it’s done burning and completely cooled, you won’t have to tip your fire pit over to get rid of ashes. A simple lift of the base plate and removal of the ash pan means you can easily clean your fire pit.

Yes! Unique to Solo Stove, our fire pits were made for easy transport, no matter your need. Reposition your fire pit in your backyard for a new aesthetic, or take it with you on your next adventure.

There are many benefits to a smokeless flame! A low-smoke fire means there’s less smoke to dodge, so you can enjoy a night around the fire pit without the smell to prove it. And with little to no smoke, less harmful particles like creosote are being released into the atmosphere, making your fire pit environmentally friendly.

Our customers have also been vocal advocates for the health benefits, especially. Less smoke from the flame means less smoke inhaled, making the ’round-the-fire enjoyment for everyone!

Fire Pits should not be touched while burning. Once the flames have died out, you should wait at least an hour before touching it with bare hands.

No, your fire pit is ready to use with just wood. However, we do offer several accessories to make your experience even better. Check out our accessories .

Is There Any Maintenance For Wood

Yes. McCoy told us that the biggest mistake he sees people making with wood-burning fire pits is not knowing that they require routine maintenance due to the ash produced in burning.

Because gas fire pits are so popular and require less maintenance , many consumers assume the same when it comes to wood-burning fire pits. However, thats far from the truth, he says. Instead, you need to clean these regularly by removing the ash after each fire . You should also take out any large pieces of wood that remain after a fire. If youre not down to do this dirty work, a wood-burning fire pit may not be worth the investment.

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Best Smokeless Fire Pits Review

The Breeo X series comes in two versions: corten steel and stainless steel. We will go for the corten finish version. Here is why.

Corten steel is a steel alloy usually used for bridges and other heavy infrastructure. With age, the material builds a protective layer of rust or patina.

It makes the material endure any corrosion. Simply put, you can have this Breeo X series for a lifetime. Then the fire pit has its own patented smokeless design.

Users have found its X airflow system too effective on regular use to reduce smoke drastically. Also, these patented cutouts systems make a perfect exit to remove ash with a simple brush wipe.

Here proper airflow and doubled walled design complement this fire pit insides cross-lifted structure. It keeps the wood log well lifted and circulates enough air around. You can stuff the fire pit with much more logs than usual it will still be smokeless.

Unlike similar models, the fire pit is wide and short, so it spreads a little or no heat straight up. This one will make you feel the warmth on your feet. And you can consume the full heat of the fire pit within its 2 feet radius.

Moreover, a sear plate covering the fire pits opening is spacious enough to cook food. It also has a dedicated hole to hold cooking accessories.

Things we liked

Things we liked

• Efficient venting and smokeless design.
• Portable and easy to set up.
• Its an effective smokeless option for good heat.

Final verdict

How Does A Smokeless Fire Pit Work

Smokeless fire pits are something of a misnomer: They’re not completely smokeless, per se, but the minimal smoke emissions and efficient burning process do make your standard s’mores sessions better for you and the environment than their traditional peers.

Smokeless fire pits use any solid burning fuelwhether it’s wood or charcoalbut each fire pit will be designed and optimized to burn one or the other. The design is disarmingly simple. Unlike typical fire pits that are typically semicircle-shaped drums that let you throw some type of fire starter and fuel in to get a fire going, the smokeless fire pit is a double-walled cylinder with perforations along its top and bottom. Once your fire starter of choice is in the vessel and the cylinder is sufficiently heated, Thermodynamics 101 pulls air up through the bottom holes, superheats it, and then sends it out through the top set of holes, where it collides with the smoke and ignites it for a secondary burn. The double-walled design is what really takes these smokeless fire pits over the top: It improves the airflow system to reduce the amount of smoke despite the elevated temperatures. Smokeless fire pits are also able to reach a high heat with a smaller amount of wood or charcoal, due to a more efficient burning process .

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What Is The Best Type Of Fire Pit To Buy

The type of fire pit you should purchase depends on two main considerations. First is how much money you plan to spend. For instance, inexpensive pits are almost always basic cast-iron models that lack fancy smokeless airflow systems. The second factor to think about is how you’d like to use your pit. Simple pits provide the heat, sights and sounds of a crackling fire. They’re also fine for making s’mores and the odd hot dog. For more advanced cooking capabilities you’ll have to spend more for a pit also designed to operate as a true outdoor grill.

Usslp31 Smokeless Wood Burning Fire Pit With Ash Shovel 31 Inch

With a patent pending cast iron air burner system, the US Stove USSLP31 31-inch smokeless wood burning fire pit lets you enjoy the outdoors with family and friends without smelling like a campfire. The cast iron burner is elevated to provide ease of use and longer times between cleanings. As the secondary combustion system reburns the smoke, you get a more efficient burn and more heat from the wood with nearly no smoke. The extra-large 31 inch size allows log wood up to 25 inches while the top ring can be seasoned and used for cooking. The USSLP31 can be used as an insert for a stone or masonry fire pit. Made of heavy gauge stainless steel with a cast iron burner, the USSLP31 is built for a lifetime of outdoor enjoyment without the smoke. The USSLP31 from US Stove is your answer to a smokeless campfire creating warmth and lasting memories with family and friends.

• Model #: USSLP31

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How We Test And Select

The first thing we examined with these fire pits was how easy they are to assemble and set up. Then we loaded them with seasoned oak firewood and started fires in each. We gauged how easy they were to load and feed the fire to maintain a continuous burn. Once they were burning well, we walked toward each pit until we could feel noticeable heat, then circled them to see how even the distribution was and how much it was affected by wind. We also looked at them through a Flir infrared camera to see if there were any concerning hot spots on the fire pits bodies. Lastly, we let the fires burn down to ash so we could determine how easy clean-up was after the blaze. We also noted things like whether or not the pits were easy to carry or move around as well as their weight and dimensions.

Some of these fire pitsthe Titan and Blue Sky modelswe havent had the chance to test yet. But we evaluated them based on their features, reviews that customers have left on retailers sites, and the experience and insights weve gleaned from using similar pits. Theyre promising enough to warrant inclusion here and give you more options for fitting the fire pit in with your home. Read on for our reviews.

What Should You Not Burn In A Fire Pit

While it may be tempting to toss any flammable material in your fire pit, avoid burning plastics, magazines, painted or treated woods, and flammable liquids like gasoline. Burning these materials will damage your fire pit, sure, but theyll also expose you to dangerous toxins that can irritate your lungs, airways and eyes. As a general rule, you should only burn firewood thats explicitly cut for the purpose of burning.

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Terrain Low Profile Round Fire Pit

Buying a fire pit is a big decision to make, especially for those working with limited space or complementing patio furniture. Terrain offers a simple yet beautiful round fire pit that looks like you just built a campfire out of a tree stump. Its low profile will mesh with just about any patio furniture you own without taking up all the breathing space out back, and it boasts Terrains coveted, durable, and low-maintenance COR-TEN steel.

Which Fire Pits Give Off The Most Heat

While all fire pits generate heat, some tend to create more than others. Ordinary pits, which are also the cheapest, can put out a good amount of heat. Unfortunately they typically create a lot of smoke as well. Smokeless fire pits do reach higher temperatures since theyre designed to foster a high degree of airflow as they burn. However, in my experience, Solo Stove fire pits channel much of their heat upward. Breeo pits, on the other hand, tend to push more heat outward so you often feel their warmth more.

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Which Smokeless Fire Pit Is For You

Let’s recap your options and where they’ll be the best fit: