Best buys · The grill and the backyard

The best smokeless fire pit worth buying

Our pick is the Solo Stove Bonfire. Below: why, what actually matters when buying one, what to get for less, the step up, and whether today's price is a good one.

The fire pit

Solo Stove Bonfire

A double-walled steel fire pit that burns off much of the smoke, so people sit around it instead of dodging the wind. No assembly, and it lives on the patio all year.

Buy it for
Backyards, patios, evenings that should not end at sunset.
Skip it if
Your town restricts wood fires. Look at a propane fire table.

What actually matters when buying a smokeless fire pit

  1. Size for your group: a smaller pit for two or three people, a larger one for a crowd.
  2. Stainless steel that will not rust through after a wet winter.
  3. An ash pan or removable base, so emptying it is not a shovel job.

Either side of the pick