Those made with very raw materials will rust quickly if not protected. Some will be designed for the elements and will develop their own patina others are stainless and won’t rust easily but should still be covered. ✔️ Material: The most common material for standalone fire pits is steel. We find that deeper fire pits generally hold more logs without spilling out the top and don’t throw off embers that may disrupt your enjoyment of the fire. Choose the size that makes sense for you and your outdoor space - and try to prioritize depth when possible. Smaller fire pits are generally easier to transport and store. The largest picks can comfortably seat 10 people around them without crowding, while the smallest can accommodate only two or three. It’s intuitive, but generally speaking, the larger the fire pit, the more people it can accommodate. ✔️ Size: Fire pits come in all shapes and sizes, and the picks in this list range from 15 to 42 inches in diameter.

Tanks and gas lines also need to be carefully inspected and maintained to prevent leaks. They also don’t provide you with the smell of a campfire and you’ll need to be able to store the propane tank somewhere. However, gas fire pits aren’t always intended for cooking because, unlike gas grills, they often don't have grease traps, sealed burners and other features designed to contain messes. Gas fire pits are great to use for elegant outdoor tables or patios, or when camping somewhere where wood fires are banned or inconvenient. They often have different heat and flame-height levels. They’re generally safer and more consistent than wood-burning fire pits because there’s no fire hazard from embers, and they can be switched on with the flip of a switch or by pressing a button. ✔️ Gas fire pits use propane or natural gas to generate a “clean” fire, with no embers, ash or cleanup. The drawbacks are the ash cleanup, the fuel maintenance and the potential for smokiness, as well as the potential fire hazard from embers. You should opt for a wood-burning fire if you love that campfire smell, are interested in cooking outdoors or want to generate a lot of heat. Some also have internal fans to keep the fire going. Many are designed to give off less smoke, and many have ashtrays in the base for convenient cleanup.

However, they’re generally safer and more convenient than bonfires because the vessel tends to be deep enough to prevent embers from flying everywhere. ✔️ Wood-burning fire pits use wood logs, wood pellets, charcoal or some combination thereof, and you build your fire the way you would an open bonfire. The primary decision you need to make when shopping for a fire pit is whether you want a wood-burning or gas pit. With fire pits, we considered the build quality and durability of each model, as well as their fuel type, size and safety features. The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have spent decades testing the best outdoor living and cooking gadgets, including pellet grills and smokers, gas grills and so much more. They're great for keeping guests warm and helping to fire up a batch of s’mores.Īll the interest in fire pits has brought many manufacturers into the space, not to mention countless artisans whose hand-crafted fire pits double as works of art. Adding a fire pit is also the perfect way to extend your outdoor entertaining season - it could even last year-round, if winters in your area aren’t too harsh. “A fire pit is an easy addition to a yard and can work with any price point, making it a universally loved feature,” says Blythe Yost, CEO and co-founder of Tilly, an online landscape design company. In recent years, our experts have watched the fire pit market go from smoldering to flaming to red-hot. We also added more insights from our most recent tests, new picks from CB2, Stahl and Teamson, and additional questions to consider before you buy. We updated this guide in July 2022 to ensure all products vetted by the Home Improvement Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute were in stock and correctly priced.

Small fire pits for decks