Beyond backpacking, hiking, biking, etc., one of the easiest and best ways to do log off early and spend time outside with your friends is to huddle up around a proper outdoor fire pit in your backyard, at the beach, or a local campground. Don't have a ring of rocks in your yard? Fear not—there's a whole range of awesome portable fire pits for chilling out in your yard or as far from civilization as you can get. Add some s’mores and you’re really doing it right.
In this roundup, we'll dive into what to know before investing in a fancy fire pit yourself, and outline our top picks for the best portable fire pits—plus some more permanent pits too.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Fire Pit
We've come a long way from the fire ring at the local campground and the DIY one in your backyard, but we're not talking about the cheap (and often cheesy) fire bowls found at big-box and hardware stores (and on Amazon) either. The best fire pits can get kindling crackling and radiate heat without much fuss, but there are a range of options (wood pellets vs propane tanks, for instance) and a few important things to consider.
Location
Location is one of the biggest factors—where will you use a fire pit? Will it be a permanent addition to your backyard, or do you envision gathering together at a campsite, a friend's house, or even out on the road? Are fire bans common in your region? (Often propane fires are still allowed, though please check with your local ranger station and/or fire department to confirm.)
Features & Fuel
Consider the amount of smoke you prefer—do you want less smoke, or is a good smoky scent part of the package (smoke does seem to deter some bugs, btw)? Are you planning to grill a meal over a cooking grate, or just roasting marshmallows and hot dogs? Do you have a readily available supply of chopped wood, or is a propane gas fire pit a better fit?
Portability
For us, portability is key. If you never know when or where you'll want to kick back and enjoy a good fire, having a portable fire pit that travels with you helps solve that problem. Luckily there's an array of good options available.
Field Mag's Top Picks
- Best Overall: Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0
- Best Packable Fire Pit: Snow Peak Pack & Carry Fire Pit
- Best Budget Fire Pit: UCO Flatpack Firepit & Grill
- Best Propane Fire Pit: Ignik Outdoors FireCan Deluxe
- Best Electric Fire Pit: BioLite FirePit+
- Best for Overlanding: Front Runner BBQ/Fire Pit
- Most Stable Fire Pit: Winnerwell Flatfold Fire Pit
- Best for Grilling: Primus Kamoto OpenFire Pit
- Best Tabletop Fire Pit: Fireside Outdoor Pop-Up Fire Pit
- Best Fire Pit for Cabins: Blu Dot Smokey Fire Pit