The best fire pits for 2020: Solo Stove, Tiki, Kingso, Hampton Bay, Kingso and more - CNET

Saying that life this year is stressful is the understatement of our still-short century. Thankfully, there are many ways to unplug and unwind right at home. One of the most soothing ones is to sit around a crackling campfire. And equipping your abode to do this is easier than you think. You don't need to construct a large, permanent structure from bricks or stone. Buy a portable fire pit instead. Plenty of stores sell these products, including Home Depot, Lowe's and Amazon. 

These transportable fireplaces range widely in price, size and weight. There are inexpensive $60 models, and high-performance pits that'll set you back as much as $350. Additionally, you can spend $1,500 or more on fancy propane-burning fire pits. 

In this roundup, I focus on genuine, wood-fueled fire pits. Beyond providing heat, they can also cook food, including grilling. Most importantly, they're a great way to roast marshmallows for tasty s'mores. The models on this list are either best sellers, highly ranked or worthy challengers from established outdoor brands. I tested them to learn their strengths and weaknesses firsthand. If you need help choosing a fire pit that matches your needs, you've come to the right place. 

Brian Bennett/CNET

My favorite fire pit on this list is made by Tiki, a company that began with the familiar Tiki bamboo torch over 60 years ago. Now, Tiki offers a fire pit that's large, sturdy, and attractive. Priced almost $300 more than its budget rivals, it's the most expensive fire pit by far in this roundup. Still, its performance, ease of use, and superior style make this pit worth the investment.

The steel and stained wood pit doesn't just look good. The Tiki Brand Fire Pit has a clever airflow system that recycles hot smoke back into the fire chamber. During my testing, it was easy to ignite, firing up in about 5 minutes, and fully burning in 15. 

It also generated far less smoke than the other fire pits I tested, especially after its logs caught fully, usually at about the 15-minute mark. Only the Solo Stove Ranger burned wood with less smoke emission, its fuel burning fiercely in 5 minutes. The Tiki Fire Pit's logs burned efficiently as well, lasting for hours.

Because of its large (16 inches in diameter) mouth, it's easier to share the fire with multiple people. The Solo Stove Ranger is smaller by comparison, its metal fire ring is 10 inches in diameter. Kids gathering around to roast s'mores need to be careful though. All surfaces of the Tiki fire pit, including its metal lip are scalding hot after the fire is lit. It also takes time to cool after the flames die down. 

I do appreciate the Tiki Brand pit's removable ash tray. It's the only product in this group to have one. It makes for easy cleanup. The pit puts out a generous amount of heat as well. While that's perhaps not ideal for hot summer nights, it's excellent when the temperature dips during the fall and winter. Tipping the scales at 45 pounds, this fire pit is heavy. Think twice before you position it, and get help when you do.

Brian Bennett/CNET

Solo Stove fire pits have gained an avid following in recent years, and the company's newest product, the Solo Stove Yukon is its biggest and best yet. With a top side that measures 27 inches across, and a mouth 23 inches in diameter, the Yukon is large enough to accept full-size firewood logs. Despite the Yukon's wide footprint, its stainless steel body gives it a sleek appearance. 

The Yukon shares the same sophisticated airflow system you'll find on other Solo Stove products. According to Solo Stove, these vents help drive a continuous supply of oxygen to its fire. In my experience, the Yukon delivers performance just as good as its smaller cousin, the Solo Stove Ranger, but on a larger scale. 

The Yukon's fire starts fast, its logs fully caught in just 5 minutes. Once they caught, they burned for hours. This pit is efficient too, consistently consuming all of my test firewood logs. At the end of the night, there was little solid debris to speak of, merely a few bits of charcoal and ash. It produces a lot less smoke than the other fire pits I've tested here too, save the Solo Pit Ranger.

You can also order the Yukon with a rain cover ($55) and metal stand ($70) for extra cash or part of a bundle. Because the pit weighs 38 pounds, I don't recommend moving it often. Also, like other high-performance fire pits, kids (and adults) need to be careful around the Yukon. In addition to the intense heat from the fire itself, the Yukon's steel surface heats to scalding temperatures fast.

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This fire pit from Garden Treasures proves you don't need to spend big bucks to enjoy a backyard campfire. Despite its low price, this pit is nice and wide (29.5 inches in diameter). It also comes with a mesh lid to keep sparks at bay.

It lacks an advanced airflow system, however, so fires in this pit generate a lot of smoke. And its steel frame isn't stainless, so leaving the pit out in the elements will invite rust. That said, I was able to get a self-sustaining fire lit in about 5 minutes. Its performance is comparable to the ignition time of premium fire pits such as the Solo Stove Ranger and Tiki Brand Fire Pit. 

Those products burn their fuel more efficiently though, leaving less unconsumed firewood and ash to clean up in the morning. Still, the Garden Treasures pit does get the job done on a tight budget. 

Others we tested

Pop-Up Fire Pit

The most portable fire pit in this roundup is the Pop-Up Pit. Its collapsible design lets you assemble and break it down quickly. It also uses a heat shield so it won't scorch the ground below. The pit offers a large ( 2 feet square) burning surface for your fire, too. Since its frame is constructed from stainless steel, the Pop-Up Pit is rust-resistant. However, because the pit is so large and has low walls, it creates a lot of smoke. 

Solo Stove Ranger

Squat, cylindrical, compact, and made from stainless steel, the Solo Stove Ranger appears simple at first glance. Tucked away inside this pit though, is is the same sophisticated airflow system that its larger sibling, the Solo Stove Yukon, has. The system is designed to enable fire in the pit to burn hotter and consume its wood fuel more completely.

I can confirm that the Ranger delivers on these promises. It starts fast, with its logs aflame in just 5 minutes, and it burns for hours. The fires I started in the Ranger also burned with incredible ferocity. The flames inside the pit focused into an impressive rolling vortex. Despite the conflagration, the Ranger emitted very little smoke.

The Ranger does have a few drawbacks. Its compact size also means it can't except standard firewood logs (15 inches long). It's also not the best for large groups or families either. More than two people roasting marshmallows at once quickly becomes a crowd.  

Kingso Outdoor Fire Pit (22-inch)

Though it's a best seller on Amazon, I don't recommend purchasing the Kingso Outdoor Fire Pit. Its small size (22 inches in diameter) feels cramped. And since airflow throughout the unit is poor, I consistently had difficulty both starting fires and keeping them lit inside this pit. It doesn't come with a protective cover either.

Hampton Bay Windgate 40 in. Dia Round Steel Wood Burning Fire Pit

The Hampton Bay Windgate is by far the largest fire pit in this group. It has a massive 40-inch diameter fire bowl, roomy enough for big groups to gather around. Weighing in at a substantial 60 pounds and constructed from heavy-duty steel, it takes a lot of effort to set up the pit where you want it. Unfortunately, the Windgate suffers from poor ventilation. As a result, fires I started in the pit consistently died out in 15 to 20 minutes. That in turn makes it difficult to recommend this model. 

How we evaluated them

To test each fire pit, I used the same fuel, Simple Simon Premium Hardwood sourced from my local Lowe's hardware store. For the amount, I selected three split log lengths (roughly 15 inches long). I then stacked the logs together, so at least some portion of each was touching the others.

To ignite each pit, I used Diamond Strike-a-Fire fire starters available at my neighborhood Kroger supermarket. One of these starter matches is all I required to get each pit's fire burning (or it should be). I then logged how long it took to establish a fully sustained fire. 

A well-performing fire pit will fully ignite in 5 to 10 minutes. A pit with poor airflow and design will take a lot longer, or even flame out after 15 minutes no matter how well you've stacked your wood. Additionally, I made note of how much smoke escaped each pit. Ideally, a fire pit will generate a lot of flame and little smoke. A quality fire pit will also burn fuel efficiently, leaving little solid material remaining once its fire burns out naturally.

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