Fire Pit

Yes, you can be around a fire pit when pregnant, and one short, upwind evening near a low-smoke fire is generally low-risk. The real concern is repeated or heavy smoke exposure. Fine particles in wood smoke can reach your bloodstream...

A fire pit is a popular feature that brings warmth and ambiance to outdoor spaces. Many homeowners add a canopy or covered structure for shade and shelter around it. But is it safe to put a canopy over a fire...

In the chiminea vs fire pit debate, the right answer depends on your space. A chiminea is a tall, enclosed clay or metal fireplace that funnels heat and smoke up and out of one front opening: cozy, contained, and great...

The Outdoor Plus and Elementi sit at the premium end of the fire pit market, but they pull in opposite stylistic directions. Elementi builds modern, geometric concrete tables at accessible premium prices; The Outdoor Plus builds rustic metal and hammered-copper...

Elementi and Solus Decor both build beautiful, high-end concrete fire pits, but they serve different buyers. Elementi delivers modern design and durable construction at an accessible premium price; Solus Decor is the ultra-premium choice, with far higher heat output, more...

Both Elementi and Real Flame build gas fire tables worth putting at the center of a patio, but they solve different problems. Elementi makes design-led cast-concrete tables; Real Flame makes versatile steel tables with concealed tanks and a wider size...

Buy an ethanol fire pit expecting it to heat the patio like a wood fire and you will be disappointed, because these run on ambiance, not BTUs. What they do deliver is a real, dancing flame with no smoke, no...

Pick the wrong one and you either shiver around an underpowered heater or anchor a fire pit you can never move off the spot it scorches. Here is the short answer: a fire pit wins for ambiance and heating a...

Buy the wrong one and you either freeze around a decorative bowl that was never built to heat a crowd, or you anchor a massive pit to a patio too small for it. Here is the short version: a fire...

Deciding between an above ground vs in ground fire pit usually comes down to one honest question: are you staying in this house? An above-ground outdoor fire pit costs $100 to $1,500, arrives ready to assemble, and you can light...

Tiki and Solo Stove are the two best-known names in smokeless wood-burning fire pits, and buyers cross-shop them constantly. The short answer: Solo Stove leads on what matters most, cutting smoke by up to 95% with a stainless-steel build rated...

For most backyards, a gas fire pit wins on convenience and clean air, while a wood fire pit wins on upfront cost, raw heat, and that real-campfire feel. Pick gas if you want push-button fire with no cleanup. Pick wood...

Buy the wrong backyard fire pit and you either crowd a tiny patio with a 59-inch table or shiver around an underpowered bowl that never warms the second row of chairs. The fix is matching the pit to your space...

Put the wrong fire pit on a wood deck and you are risking scorch marks, melted boards, or a fire that spreads from a stray ember. The safe play is simple: deck fire pits should run on gas or propane,...

A fire pit table has to pull double duty: throw real heat, and still work as a usable table when the flame is off. Buy the wrong one and you get a burner too weak to warm the seats around...

Most outdoor fire pit regret traces back to one mistake: buying on looks instead of matching heat, fuel, and build to how the space gets used. A gorgeous bowl that rusts in two winters, or a table too small to...

A propane fire pit lives or dies on two things buyers often overlook: where the ugly 20-pound tank hides, and how long it actually burns before you are swapping cylinders mid-party. Get those wrong and your sleek patio centerpiece comes...

The best fire pit for most backyards is a gas fire table: clean, instant heat with no smoke, sparks, or ash to deal with. Across the current lineup, five stand out at different budgets and styles, from a $659 fire...

As more homeowners choose low-maintenance composite decking like Trex, a common question comes up: can you safely put a fire pit on synthetic deck boards? The answer is yes, you can place a fire pit on a Trex deck, as...

Grab the wrong can and your fresh coat bubbles, peels, and burns off the first time you light a fire. So can you spray paint a fire pit? Yes, as long as you use high-heat spray paint built for the...

Skip the cleaning for a season and the problem isn’t just a grimy bowl, it’s blocked burner ports that choke the flame, waste fuel, and can turn a simple light-up into a safety risk. The good news: cleaning a gas...

A fire pit costs about $850 installed on average, but the real range runs from $200 for a portable bowl to $5,000+ for a custom in-ground build. Where you land comes down to five things: the type of pit, its...

An outdoor fire pit can transform your backyard into an inviting place for relaxing evenings with family and friends, extending your outdoor living well into cool autumn nights. But not all fire pits provide the same warmth. So how do...

Custom glass wind guards are cut to order and almost never returnable, so one sloppy measurement turns a $100-plus accessory into scrap. Measuring right takes five minutes: identify the shape, measure the opening (diameter for round, length and width for...

Leave a steel fire pit uncovered through one wet winter and it can go from showroom-black to flaky orange in a single season. The fix is cheap next to a replacement: a $30 waterproof cover, a few inches of clearance...

Arranging lava rocks around your gas fire pit turns an ordinary backyard into a warm, inviting gathering spot, with the flames reflecting beautifully off the colorful volcanic stone. But arranging them well takes a little know-how. You have to balance...

Nobody wants the flame to die just as the second round of s’mores comes out. The good news: a standard 20-pound tank runs an average propane fire pit for 3 to 6 hours, and the two things that decide which...

Wait for the right week and you can knock a few hundred dollars off the same outdoor fire pit you almost paid full price for. Fire pits go on sale during four predictable windows: January and February winter clearances, March...

A fire pit is a popular backyard feature that brings warmth and ambiance for gatherings with family and friends. But determining the right size for your fire pit area takes careful planning and consideration. The ideal fire pit size depends...

What you put in the bottom of a fire pit comes down to one job: stopping the heat from wrecking whatever sits underneath. A 2- to 6-inch layer of non-combustible material (sand, gravel, lava rock, fire glass, fire brick, or...

A traditional wood-burning fire pit comes with one nagging flaw: the smoke that stings your eyes, follows you around the circle, and clings to your clothes for days. A smokeless fire pit fixes that. It still burns real wood, but...

Wondering what to do with fire pit ashes once the fire dies down? Don’t bag them for the trash. Wood ash is alkaline and packed with potassium, calcium, and magnesium (Michigan State University Extension), which makes it a genuinely useful...

How hot does a fire pit get? Hotter than most people expect. A wood or gas fire pit runs past 1,000°F at the flame, and the bed of coals in a roaring wood fire climbs higher still. The exact number...

Set a fire pit too close to the house and the cost isn’t hypothetical: scorched siding, melted vinyl, a voided insurance claim, or in the worst case a fire that jumps to the structure. Keep a fire pit at least...

Yes, you can absolutely roast marshmallows on a gas fire pit, and they’ll taste just as good as over a campfire. The open flame from a propane fire pit gets plenty hot to melt and toast a marshmallow, and because...

Yes, you can put a fire pit on a deck, as long as you match the pit to your decking and protect the surface underneath. Gas, propane, and electric pits are the safe picks because they don’t throw sparks; a...

Pile the wood wrong and you get a smoky, sputtering mess that dies the moment you stop fussing over it, or worse, a dangerous flare-up from a splash of lighter fluid. The reliable way is the teepee method: dry tinder...

A good fire pit turns a backyard into the place everyone wants to be after dark, but with dozens of styles, fuels, and price tags from $100 to over $5,000, it’s easy to buy the wrong one. This fire pit...