The 9 Best Wood-Burning Fire Pits of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Frontgate Classic Copper Fire Pit

$560 at Frontgate

This gorgeous copper fire pit from Frontgate adds an instant element of style to any backyard. Setup couldn’t be easier–all you have to do is put the bowl on the stand and the grate inside of the bowl to have it ready for your first fire. The copper construction makes this fire pit attractive on its own, but it’s even more beautiful when the flames start flickering.

This option is large enough for a nice little gathering. We placed five Adirondack chairs around it, and there was plenty of room to add more. We lit a fire using five logs, but we could have easily added at least double the amount for a larger fire had more people joined the circle.

We were impressed with the solid, high-quality construction of each component, especially the spark guard. It’s sold separately, but we’d recommend it as an add-on for peace of mind. The wide base not only allows for a good amount of wood, but it also makes the pit feel sturdy. We felt confident that we could set this up even on a windy day and have everything remain in place.

After initial testing, we continued to use the Frontgate fire pit well into late autumn. We love how much wood you can load into it because it created really nice fires. We left it outside in between uses and despite some strong winds, it stayed put as we expected it would. It doesn’t come with a cover, but we stored it in a covered area of our concrete patio during the winter. Then, we patiently waited until the weather was mild enough to enjoy our outdoor space and this fire pit once more.

Material: Copper | Diameter: 40 inches | Weight: 66 pounds | Smokeless: No

Best Budget

Better Homes & Gardens Round Lattice Fire Pit

$124 at Walmart

This lattice-style fire pit from Better Homes & Gardens is attractive enough on its own, but add the flicker of flames for a truly wonderful upgrade to your outdoor space. (Better Homes & Gardens is owned by Real Simple’s parent company Dotdash Meredith.) It’s easy enough to assemble on your own with a screwdriver, but we had the help of a handy 4-year-old assistant and got the job done in under a half hour.

This budget-friendly fire pit has everything you could want for a backyard campfire. The firestarter cubes came in clutch, and we had nice flames in about two minutes. We were impressed with the size of the fire pit bowl, which could easily hold five or six logs without overcrowding, and we appreciated the fire safety ring around the bowl, especially since our young assistant stuck around to enjoy the fire with us.

It’s quite a value for the low price, too. It came with a safety screen for the top, a protective cover to keep it from rusting, a log rack, and a log turner. The manufacturer’s instructions say to keep the fire pit dry while not in use to avoid damage, so we’ve kept it in our garage in the off-season for protection—you’ll need to use a shed or find indoor storage space if you want yours to last more than a season. We’re also diligent with dumping the ashes when they’re cool, although this proves to be a bit messy because there’s no hatch to open and empty them.

Material: Steel | Diameter: 35 inches | Weight: 28.6 pounds | Smokeless: No

Best Smokeless

Solo Stove Yukon 2.0

$424 at Amazon $580 at Wayfair $450 at Walmart

We love the sleek cylinder design of this stainless steel fire pit, although we are taking proper precautions not to scratch the exterior on concrete. The Yukon 2.0 doesn’t come with a cover, so we provided our own to keep it protected between uses. So far so good—no rusting or damage even after months of being outdoors. 

While it’s not exactly smokeless, we observed that it channels the smoke upward rather than outward at anyone gathered around it. Not smelling like smoke after an evening around the flames was a game changer, which means we’ll look forward to more relaxing evenings spent around the fire. The bowl holds six logs, and it’s easy to clean, too, thanks to the removable ash pan underneath the pit’s base plate.

While the flicker of flames from a fire pit is aesthetic on its own, you can customize the pit to your existing backyard aesthetic by choosing from a variety of colors. Options include stainless steel, ash, mulberry, deep olive, and water (blue) as well as metallic finishes in bronze, gunmetal, and cascade (green). We continued to enjoy this fire pit through early December, enjoying even more that our clothes never smelled like they were anywhere near it. 

Material: Stainless steel | Diameter: 27 inches inches | Weight: 41.6 pounds | Smokeless: Yes

Best Tabletop

Solo Stove Mesa

$80 at Amazon $83 at Wayfair $62 at Walmart

If you love the idea of a fire pit but are short on backyard space, meet the Mesa. This tabletop smokeless fire pit adds the perfect amount of warmth and ambiance to outdoor meals. This won’t give off warmth like a larger fire pit will, but it’s perfect for more intimate gatherings and, of course, making s’mores. 

This option is smaller than the others on our list, so setup isn’t a huge undertaking. Tending the fire takes a bit of attention, though, as the pellets burn fairly quickly; if you want to keep the flames going for more than a half hour, be sure to keep a batch of pellets nearby.

Maintenance in between uses is less of a chore, as all it takes is a quick swipe of a paper towel to keep it clean. The fire pit is small enough to store inside a shed or take indoors between uses, so there’s no worry about leaving it out to rust in the elements. Because it’s so portable, it’s a great option for one or two people to bring camping, too.

We like to fire it up when we’re enjoying an outdoor meal on our patio or entertaining friends on the roof. The best part is that this fire pit is portable, so we can take it easily to any open area we choose. While other tabletop fire pits are more for the aesthetic, this one actually gives off some warmth, which we enjoyed on crisper nights along with our roasted marshmallows.

Material: Stainless steel and ceramic | Diameter: 5.1 inches | Weight: 1.4 pounds | Smokeless: Yes

Best for Grilling

Yaheetech Outdoor Fire Pit

$84 at Amazon $66 at Target $65 at Walmart

Ready to sling burgers and dogs over an open fire in your own backyard? All you need is a screwdriver and about 20 minutes to set up the Yaheetech fire pit, thanks to the easy-to-follow instructions. Then, to prep for grilling, place the two grates together to cover the entire surface of the fire pit. 

This model is lightweight enough to take camping but sturdy enough to set up for the season in your backyard. Airflow holes in the bottom of the wood bowl make it simple to start and stoke the fire, and the included poker makes it easy to tend to the logs as they burn. It even comes with a mesh cover for added safety. 

We enjoyed a fire that put off less smoke than we expected, which was a nice surprise. Still, we avoided overloading the pit with too much wood to keep the flames and embers in control. To clean up after the fire is out and everything has cooled off, just pick up the pit and dump the ashes.

Material: Metal | Diameter: 32 inches | Weight: 22.1 pounds | Smokeless: No

Best Steel

Real Flame Anson Wood Burning Fire Pit

$233 at Wayfair $320 at Target $320 at Home Depot

If you’re new to the fire pit world, you might be concerned about difficulties starting the fire or even assembling the pit in the first place. This Real Flame fire pit came with instructions, but the assembly was so intuitive we didn’t even need them (although we did need a screwdriver and pliers). With a newspaper as kindling, we were able to light up a whopping 10 logs for a fire. The heat distribution seemed on point from the start, and there was very little tending to do to keep the flames stoked.

The fire pit’s bowl isn’t attached to the base, which does make moving the unit a bit cumbersome—you’ll definitely need another set of hands if you decide to do any rearranging. We appreciated that the smoke output was kept to a minimum, and the spark screen made us feel safe and secure as we enjoyed the fire. It also comes with a cover to protect it from the weather when not in use. We found having an ash bucket nearby makes it easier to clean it out between uses; always make sure those ashes are cold before handling and disposing of them.  

We love using this firepit but really would prefer the base to be attached. So in the off season, we welded the pieces together, and it turned out rather perfect. We stored it in the garage during the winter, but even when it was left out in inclement weather, we didn’t see any damage thanks to the steel construction.

Material: Steel | Diameter: 33.5 inches | Weight: 59 pounds | Smokeless: No

Easiest to Use

Blue Sky Outdoor Living The Peak Smokeless Fire Pit

$200 at Amazon $255 at Wayfair View on Walmart

If you’re looking for a starter fire pit, you’ve landed on an easy-to-use model perfect for beginners. With this smokeless wood-burning model from Blue Sky, it might actually take you longer to unwrap the components than to put them together. Once we did, we added around 2 inches of pellets (no more, per the manufacturer’s recommendation) along with some sticks as kindling.

From there, it was super easy to light a good fire. That said, you should keep your distance, as it does emit quite a bit of heat. It’s simple to add wood to the fire, so you might want to start small and build up the flames as needed. There was a bit of smoke during the lighting phase, but once the flames grew, it all but disappeared. We were impressed to see that there was minimal ash produced, too. We still cleaned it for future use, but this is a piece of cake since there’s a removable ash pan. 

Although this isn’t a portable model, it is rather compact and can be moved fairly easily. We liked its sturdy construction with the powder-coated black finish—no damage or rust were noted on the exterior during testing.

Material: Powder-coated steel | Diameter: 21.6 inches | Weight: 35.3 pounds | Smokeless: Yes

Best Small

Tiki Smokeless Fire Pit

$295 at Amazon $321 at Walmart $295 at Tikibrand.com

It only took five minutes to set up this small fire pit—just grab a screwdriver and tighten the three screws used to attach the base to the pit. You will need a helper, though, for lifting the pit and lining up the base.

We were impressed to see that the starter bag of pellets that came with the fire pit lasted a full 30 minutes with little smoke, as stated. The flames were at their hottest and brightest for the first 15 minutes, but it was still warm and glowing as the fire died down during the next 15. We also tested out wood logs with great results. We could feel the heat from about 5 feet away, and we felt the warmth was evenly distributed, especially when we used the pellets as fuel. You might want to consider using pellets as your only fuel for this pit because it makes for a very hands-off experience. We also noticed there was less smoke with the pellets than with the firewood.

Though this fire pit is small, we liked its stylish sophistication. The bronze finish will make a nice addition to any backyard design. We liked that there’s a tray that collects ash, but you will need a brush to coax the coals (once they’ve cooled) into the holes in the base.

This fire pit is priced above the median, so it’s an investment, especially if you want to add on a grill or other accessories (sold separately). Still, for the sophisticated, smokeless design and ease of maintenance, it’s worth adding this fire pit to your backyard.

Material: Stainless steel | Diameter: 25 inches | Weight: 45 pounds | Smokeless: Yes

Most Stylish

Barebones Living Cowboy Fire Pit Grill

$390 at Amazon $400 at Nordstrom $400 at Walmart

Even if you usually need all the help when assembling furniture or home decor, this Barebones fire pit was a cinch to put together—just attach the legs, position the grill grate, and secure the pole with a bolt. Voilà, you have an outdoor cooking space or a cool focal point for your backyard area, whichever way you intend to use it.

This stainless steel fire pit is almost too pretty to use, but that didn’t stop us from throwing in a few logs and lighting them up for grilling. We liked how evenly the wood burned, although there was a bit of a learning curve in adjusting the grate, which you slide up and down the pole for temperature control. It’s also a bit tricky to crouch down to reach the cooking surface. 

While it is meant for open-flame cooking, we preferred having a lid on it for safety—just note that the lid is sold separately. This fire pit is quite pricey, so you’ll definitely want to have a protective cover in between uses to protect your investment. The handles on the sides make it super easy to move, and you can even add on a little side table for added prep space or a spot for drinks.

With continued use, we felt the fire pit was almost too stylish for its own good—or at least we found it too complicated to use as a food grill. We did make s’mores with success, but this grill is proving it belongs in this category by being more of a showpiece than something we will look forward to using in the crisp weather.

Material: Steel | Diameter: 23.75 inches | Weight: Not listed | Smokeless: No