Best fire pits

Create a great focal point for your outdoor space with a fire pit. There is no better place to seat your guests during the day or as the sun goes down.

People sitting around beach fire pit
(Image credit: Toa Heftiba @ unsplash)

A fire pit can make your backyard or patio an even more inviting place to spend time. It's a great gathering place to share warmth and swap stories with family and friends. You can roast marshmallows, enjoy a drink, and stretch out the evening by the flickering firelight. What can be better than that? Sit around one of the fabulous designs in our selection.

Best overall

Yardsam outdoor fire pit

(Image credit: Yardsam)

Yardsam outdoor fire pit

Decorative pattern

This wood-burning fire pit is 30-inches around. The star and moon cutouts make this pit an appealing addition to the patio even when it’s not lit while allowing better airflow when it is. There’s a fine mesh cover for safety, and it comes with a poker so you can tend the fire. It also includes a round grill that sets on top so your family can use this firepit to cook food.

Best value

Wood burning Fire Pit

(Image credit: Amazon)

N/O wood burning fire pit

Mesh lid for safety

Compact enough to take with you on a trip or day out, this fire pit measures 20-inches high and 22 inches in diameter. The fire pit has a steel frame and black heat-resistant finish. It comes with a poker to let you move wood or charcoal around and lift off the protective mesh lid. You will need to assemble it, but it’s just the legs and outer rim that need to be attached.

Best propane option

Fire pit table

(Image credit: Amazon)

BALI OUTDOORS propane fire pit table

Doubles as garden table

Prefer gas as a fuel? This table uses propane to create warmth and ambiance in the garden. There’s also a lid provided with it, transforming the pit into a garden table to set drinks and snacks on when it’s not needed for heat. Made from iron, it is supremely sturdy and it has a lasting 50,000 BTU burner.

Best two-in-one

YAHEETECH 32in Outdoor Metal Firepit

(Image credit: YAHEETECH)

YAHEETECH 32-inch outdoor metal firepit

Doubles as a drink cooler

Use this fire pit for warmth and light or fill it with ice and keep drinks at hand on a hot day. There’s a grill grate also available if you want to prepare food on it as another alternative. A waterproof PVC cover is also supplied to protect it from the weather.

Best portable

Fireside Outdoor Pop-Up Fire Pit

(Image credit: Fireside Outdoor)

Fireside outdoor pop-up fire pit

60 second set-up

If you want a fire pit that’s fabulously easy to take with you wherever you’re going, you’ll fall for this model. Readying it for use takes just a minute, and it can be collapsed and packed away after use. The fire is set on a stainless-steel mesh that creates airflow to burn with little smoke. The mesh holds 125 pounds of weight, and the ash won’t fall through. 

Our verdict

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Add a fire pit to your backyard and you can comfortably spend time outdoors through longer hours and more of the season. Gathered family and friends can toast marshmallows or make smores as well as enjoy the atmosphere. Our top pick is the Yardsam outdoor fire pit, which comes with a mesh lid to stop stray sparks and a poker to tend the fire. The N/O fire pit is similar, though not as big or expensive.

If you'd rather not bother with lighting charcoal or gathering stick for a woodburning fit pit, check out the one from Bali Outdoors. It uses propane with an easy push-start ignition system. Plus it doubles as a  patio table when the lids it on for a convenient place to set drinks and snacks.

The Fireside outdoor pop-up fire pit is quick to set up and simple to collapse. It's lightweight and easy to store or to take along on camping trips or picnics.

Why trust us

At GardeningEtc we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

Sarah Warwick
Freelance writer

Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor writing for websites, national newspapers, and magazines. She’s spent most of her journalistic career specialising in homes and gardens and loves investigating the benefits, costs and practicalities of home improvement. It's no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house revamper.