As summer begins to transition into autumn, now is the perfect time to enjoy a relaxing camping trip! Choosing a campsite with basic amenities is certainly fun (and great if you don't want to deal with a lack of bathrooms.) But for those who love to rough it and enjoy the great outdoors in a slightly less accommodating way, marching into nature with basic necessities is the way to go. In fact, studies have shown that group walks and camping trips into nature improve our psychological well-being. And there's no better social distancing activity than leaving the city and enjoying the peace of the great outdoors.
However, you need to think of safety before you jump into your car and disappear into the woods. If you plan on setting up camp in areas where the temperature dips at night, it's vital to have a reliable heat source and a place to cook food. Portable fire pits are one excellent and convenient solution to staying warm and fed during your camping trip. We've rounded up all the best info we could find about propane and wood-burning portable firepits, including stainless steel, collapsible, high-tech, and easy-clean options. Check out what we found and stick around until the end to see our top pick!
5 Best Portable Fire Pits Comparison Chart
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What Is a Portable Fire Pit?
A portable fire pit is a flame-producing product that can be used to set up a safe and controlled fire without the use of a dug-out hole in the soil. These transportable items are incredibly useful for a number of scenarios, not just camping trips. Portable fire pits can be used for backyard barbecues, parties, and pretty much any outdoor event where the ambiance of a fire at night is welcoming and warming. These products are quite handy and make starting a fire much easier than in the old days. If you're not interested in going to a campsite that may have a ready-made firepit available, a portable option could be perfect for you.
Uses for Portable Fire Pits
If it needs fire, a portable fire pit can make it happen. Obviously, portable fire pits are perfect for camping and outdoor travel. But when it comes down to what they actually do, they actually have a wealth of specific uses. You can use your portable fire pit to roast marshmallows or hot dogs, stay warm in cold climates, and even barbecue or tailgate with a few extra accessories. If you add a grilling screen and splash guard into the mix, you can pretty much cook anything! Pretty handy, right?
Propane Fire Pits
Propane is a popular fuel type for many outdoor fire pits. These products don't require charcoal or wood to produce a flame, but do require a propane tank and secure hose. They also tend to look more like grills than fire pits, but they produce a strong flame either way. Some popular brands that carry gas fire pits include Camp Chef, Maverick, Firesense, and UCO.
High-quality propane fire pits have some useful attributes. If you want a fire pit that is portable, burns clean, and doesn't produce any smoke, this could be an excellent choice for you. Propane is also known for being a bit better for the environment as well, at least when compared to traditional wood-burning pits.
However, fire pits that use propane aren't always ideal for some scenarios. Not everybody wants to deal with constantly refilling their propane tanks and lugging it around. If you use your fire pit often and with a high flame setting, you may have to refill your tank several times a year. And if you forget to fill it before you leave for your trip, you're out of luck!
Wood-Burning Fire Pits
This slightly more traditional option can include everything from electric USB-charged devices to simple fire-proof bowls that use lava rock and charcoal to get flames going. Some popular brands that manufacture wood fire pits include Landmann, BioLite, and Solo Stove.
Like propane fire pits, wood-burning fire pits have some useful attributes. They tend to be a bit more affordable and don't need to constantly be filled with fuel, though they almost always require some kind of starter (charcoal) and fire source (matches, lights) to operate. If you have access to wood or matches, you're probably good to go!
Wood-burning fire pits aren't always appropriate, though. They aren't as environmentally friendly as propane fire pits and require regular cleaning to keep them in tip-top shape. They're often made of heavy cast iron, as well, and can be difficult to transport even if they're technically portable.
Best Portable Fire Pits
Landmann
Landmann is a top brand for bbq enthusiasts and has produced excellent grills, grilling accessories, and fire pit bowls for more than fifty years. It's no surprise that their Big Sky Stars and Moon fire pit makes our list. This excellent barrel-style fire pit is composed of 100% steel with a matte black finish and comes complete with a cooking grate, poker, and spark screen. At about 23-1/2 inches in diameter, this fire pit is large enough to get a decent flame going while still being small enough to transport by hand. The star and moon cutouts add a unique aesthetic flair and improve airflow, which will help your flame last longer.
This fire pit is ideal for home use and light camping, as it is just a little bit cumbersome to carry around. Still, the installed safety ring makes it easy to transport and the included spark screen will keep your tents and your guests burn-free.
Landmann 28345 Big Sky Stars and Moons Firepit
An excellent barrel-style fire pit for home or light camping use. Comes complete with a spark screen and cooking grate, and built-in safety ring for easy transport.
Solo Stove
In need of a high-quality portable fire pit that can quite literally simulate a real bonfire? While the Solo Stove Bonfire Fire Pit won't quite produce flames like giant wintertime bonfire, it will get keep a relatively large group of people warm, with the added bonus of portability. This product is unique in that it is very minimal and rather small in appearance, yet can use wood pellets or woody debris and sticks to produce intense, large flames with minimal ash. The price point may be a bit high, but you definitely get your money's worth with this product. Includes a stand and waterproof shelter.
Made from 100% stainless steel, this portable wood-burning fire pit weighs in at about 20 pounds. If you plan on hiking or backpacking quite a distance with this fire pit in tow, this may not be the product for you. However, it's an excellent choice for backyard gatherings and camper living. If you live in an area where smoke can be an issue, this low smoke fire pit could be an excellent choice as well.
Solo Stove Bonfire Fire Pit
A heavy but portable fire pit that is log friendly, produces minimal smoke, and is made from incredibly sturdy stainless steel. Bundle includes Bonfire Fire Pit with Stand and Waterproof Shelter carrying case.
BioLite
Portable fire pits have evolved quite a bit in recent years. The high-tech BioLite Campstove 2 is one excellent example of high-tech solutions to low-tech camping adventures. While this product is technically a portable stove, it can produce quite a powerful flame that matches similar portable fire pits. This wood-burning fire pit is USB chargeable and uses thermoelectric to create electricity from the fire that it burns. It comes with a Smart LED dashboard that provides accurate real-time feedback on flame strength, power, and fan speed. You can have complete control over the flame it produces and can customize the settings for your preferred amount of heat and air circulation. Whether you're trying to stay warm, cook food, or boil water, this tiny but mighty BioLite firepit is a top-tier choice.
We'd recommend this portable fire pit for light or heavy-duty camping, hiking, and backpacking. The full unit only weighs about seven pounds and it's weather-resistant, so it's a perfect choice for travelers as well.
BioLite Campstove Wood Burning Camp Stove
A product somewhere between a stove and a fire pit that is lightweight, energy efficient, and high-tech. Bundle includes CampStove 2, charging cord, instruction manual, firestarters, FlexLight, KettlePot, serving bowl and Portable Grill.
UCO Flatpack
Pop-up firebowls are a great option for campers who want to carry around as little as possible, but don't necessarily want all of the bells and whistles of a high-tech, fancy-pants portable firebowl. This folding firepit from UCO is exactly that—a simple, useful little tool for starting and keeping fires going. This tabletop portable fire pit is only about 11 inches in diameter but can keep a strong flame going with lava rocks (included), charcoal, and wood debris. Campers can easily get a grill going with a simple portable camping grill grate that is slightly larger than the firebowl itself. It's also completely collapsible and very easy to transport.
Even though this product is collapsible, we wouldn't recommend it for backpacking or hiking. It really needs charcoal or lava rocks to get a fire going from wood, which adds extra weight that could be difficult to carry around. If you want to enjoy a small camping trip or backyard party with friends, this firebowl would work well.
UCO Grilliput Firebowl
A simple collapsible firebowl-style fire pit for burning open fires and grilling food on the go. Available in two sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch.
Camp Chef
We've covered quite a few wood-burning portable fire pits in this buyer's guide, but where's the love for propane? Camp Chef's Redwood Portable Pro Fire Pit is our final pick, but just because it's last in line doesn't mean it doesn't pack a punch. To start, the fifteen-inch diameter (nineteen if you install the included fire ring) is the perfect size for almost any outdoor scenario. The propane-powered fire pit boasts matchless ignition, 55,000 BTU, and a sturdy tank stand to keep it level on concrete or soft earth. You'll also get a handy carrying case, lava rocks, and extendable roasting sticks for some good old-fashioned s'mores-making fun. It's completely smokeless, makes clean-up easy, and burns clean.
This fire pit is best for pretty much any outdoor activity. It isn't quite lightweight enough to be used for backpacking on long treks and the gas component may put some traditional campers off. Still, this portable fire pit is a great solution to most campfire needs, even if it is a bit on the heavy side.
Camp Chef Redwood Portable Pro Fire Pit
Large and in charge, this propane fire pit is smokeless, durable, and can hold a strong flame. Includes 4 extendable roasting sticks, 12 lbs of lava rock, and 5 ft hose and propane tank stand.
The Winner
Camp Chef is a clear winner when it comes to its many use cases and high quality. When compared to lighter, smaller wood-burning fire pits, the BTU of the Redwood is unmatched. The rest of our contenders on this list require matches or an additional fire source in order to get things moving. This product is 100% matchless and requires little more than a filled propane tank and a click of a switch. To put it simply, this portable fire pit is affordable, durable, safe, and powerful enough to keep a couple or an entire family unit warm on camping trips.
The only downfall we found for the Redwood Fire Pit was its higher weight, which is about 35 pounds plus the propane tank needed to fuel it. Still, this fire pit is still easy to transport with its included carrying case, and it serves as an excellent backyard fire pit when you're not traveling. The extra weight is well worth it for a product that provides the right amount of power to keep a fire going for longer camping trips. Propane is so much easier on the environment as well. If you live or camp in an area with burn ban days, you'll be happy you picked this fire pit.
We hope you found our reviews useful! Is there another portable fire pit that you swear by that we didn't mention? Drop a comment below!