On a nice chilly spring night, there's nothing quite like enjoying the cool air while sitting around a warm fire cooking or relaxing. Taking an experience like this and removing a big downside from it, the smoke, makes it even more enjoyable. It's also entirely possible when you have a smokeless firepit.
Solo Stove was the brand that really popularized these products, and as the hype around smokeless firepits rose, I wasn't too sure if they were worth it. I've had a few different styles of firepits for my home, but had never even been around one of the smokeless varieties until a few years ago. That’s when it clicked -- I realized how the simplicity of these firepits makes them the preferred way to build a fire, not just for me but for many others.
There's more to these firepits than just the lack of smoke, and there are more sizes and styles than you'd think. So, you can have that crackling, smoke-free fire with less hassle and in more places than before.
Enjoy the heat without the smoke
Smokeless fire pits are great for bringing a perfect glow to your evening but also for keeping from saturating your clothes in campfire smoke.
Although Solo Stove may be the most recognized brand for smokeless firepits, but it isn't the only one on the market. Looking out across the landscape of smokeless firepits, you can see many choices out there. Breeo is another brand that is highly regarded in the space, but you can also find firepits from recognizable but unexpected brands like Cuisinart and East Oak.
Among all the different options available for a smokeless firepit, they all offer the same claim: fire without the smoke. These firepits work by using a double-wall approach with holes in the inner wall, which draws clean air in through the bottom of the firepits. Then, using the heat generated by the fire, that air is super-heated, and as it rises in the space between the two walls, it escapes through the holes at the top of the firepit and ignites the tiny particulates in the smoke.
The holes in the inner wall of a smokeless fire pit are where the superheated air escapes to burn off particulates that create smoke.
This creates a nice fire effect from the holes and ends the smoke before it can get into your face. When burning wood, there are always some tiny bits of stuff that don't burn off and are the primary culprits in creating smoke. So, by using the science of convection, these smokeless firepits create a secondary burn to eliminate most, if not all, of the smoke.
Now, do keep in mind that when you first start the fire, there will be smoke. Until the fire really gets going and the firepit gets heated up, there isn't enough heat being generated by the fire to create the secondary burn. Once everything is really burning, then the smoke will dissipate.
If you're unable to have a firepit where you live and heat is all you are looking for, then you might want to consider getting a patio heater. A patio heater can be a great way to extend the use of your outdoor space, but you'll lose some of the benefits a smokeless firepit offers. Of course, check with your local officials to ensure these products are an option.
What to know about smokeless firepits before you buy
With so many brands selling smokeless firepits, with a wide range of sizes, styles, and even shapes, there can be some confusion as to which to buy. Aside from checking out our list of best firepits, other factors should be considered when purchasing a firepit.
Are cheap smokeless firepits any good?
East Oak makes a low-cost smokeless fire pit that adds a bit of flare to cylinder-style fire pits by making them more squircle-like.
Like most things you buy, sometimes you get what you pay for, and sometimes you get surprised. A cheap or low-cost smokeless firepit can do just as well as a more expensive option as long as the build is correct. By this, I mean that both walls of the firepit need to be properly welded and positioned, and the holes that allow the airflow in and out need to be adequately sized. So long as these things are done correctly, the firepit should do a fine job of getting rid of the smoke.
What may be lacking in a cheap firepit that you'll find in a more expensive option would be the materials used. To make the product cheaper, some corners have to be cut. Generally, that will come from build quality and materials. Thicker gauge metal and/or a lesser quality of steel can not only melt if the fire is hot enough but may also rust and break down faster than a more expensive option.
Are smokeless firepits just good for making a fire?
Accessories like the Live-fire Pizza Oven from Breeo are great for adding more functionality to fire pits.
Very much no. In this category, we can find more separation between firepit brands and prices. Cheap firepits generally only offer one feature: heat. Even then, you can find more ways to utilize a firepit. The bigger brands have begun creating accessories to further utilize smokeless firepits.
For example, Breeo offers some great outdoor cooking accessories like the Outpost Grill for its X-Line of smokeless firepits and the Live-fire Pizza Oven that I love to use on my Breeo Luxeve Fire Pit. Solo Stove also offers cooking accessories and a pizza oven for its smokeless firepits, and even a popcorn maker. All of these accessories are ways to get more use from your firepit other than ambiance and heat.
Do smokeless firepits put out a lot of heat?
Smokeless fire pits inherently push the heat vertically, but there is still plenty of heat. Should you need more, some deflectors push the heat horizontally.
Yes, there is a lot of heat coming out of these firepits. This is thanks to the dual combustion that occurs to burn off the smoke particulates. A potential drawback to these firepits is that the design is generally taller and causes the heat to be given off vertically. This can leave some around the fire missing out on the warmth, especially those who are sitting.
Now, I'm not saying all is lost. There is still a good amount of heat that is felt from the firepit. There are ways to help push that heat out more horizontally than vertically. Solo Stove and Breeo both offer a heat deflector that, as the heat from the fire rises, encounters a metal plate that forces the heat outward instead of upward.
What if you don't have a lot of room?
The TerraFlame tabletop fire pit is perfect for adding ambiance wherever you need it or toasting marshmallows.
Whether your space is limited based on your home or purely by where you'd like to use the firepit, there are options from very big to very small to fit all needs. A great choice for those who want a wood fire but are limited on space is the Solo Stove Mesa. This 5.1-inch tabletop firepit enjoys all the same features that make the larger firepits work but on a smaller scale. This is great for times you want a real wood fire but without the need to spark up the big pit.
Should you be in a situation where you can't even have a small fire like that of the Mesa, then maybe the TerraFlame by Solo Stove is a better option. This one uses clean-burning, safe-for-indoors gel fuel so you can enjoy a fire anywhere. It's also perfect for S'mores.
Just remember that regardless of what kind of smokeless firepit you choose, you should keep it clean so that it not only lasts longer, but will perform its best for you.
FAQs
Is a smokeless firepit a good source of flames?
No, a smokeless fire pit does not produce a flame. It's a great source of heat that'll keep you warm through chilly nights, and the ambient heat can be used to roast some marshmallows, but you're not going to get to watch a fire if you invest in a smokeless fire pit.
Will a smokeless firepit keep me warm?
A smokeless fire pit will keep you warm -- with a caveat. A lot of the heat from a smokeless fire pit will rise vertically, and won't warm you up too far away from the patio fixture. If you want to keep warm, you'll have to position your chair quite a bit closer to the smokeless fire pit than you would with a regular one.