Desk research, not testing. Look Into has not used any of these fire pits. We read the listings, the prices and the rules on 16 October 2026 and did the running-cost arithmetic using our Fire Pit Fuel Cost Index. Star ratings are Amazon UK figures on that date, not our verdict.
Affiliate disclosure: links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Look Into earns from qualifying purchases. This does not change our numbers or our ranking.
Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 16 October 2026 · next check 4 January 2027 · how we picked
The short version
- Best for most UK households: VonHaus Geo Fire Pit, £49.99. Burns wood or charcoal, has a spark mesh lid, and costs about £5.00 an evening on kiln-dried logs. Buy plus 20 evenings: £149.99.
- Best overall: Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 with Stand, £249.99. A double-wall low-smoke design, which is what matters most if your neighbours are close. Same fuel cost as any wood pit, but five times the purchase price.
- Best gas: Outsunny Rattan Gas Fire Pit Table, £121.49. No smoke or ash, but about £7.83 an evening at a 10kW flame, £2.83 more than wood.
- Wood is about £2.00 an hour. Gas is about £3.13 to £4.54 an hour. Over 20 evenings that gap is £56.60 at the lower gas setting.
- Avoid any wood or pellet fire pit sold for "indoor" use. Burning solid fuel in a room, tent or campervan without a flue risks carbon monoxide poisoning.
At a glance
Running costs use the index: wood £5.00, charcoal £4.10, gas £7.83 per 2.5 hour evening. Gas buy-plus-20 includes the £54.99 extra for a first Calor 13kg bottle (£107.49 new against a £52.50 refill).
| Pick | Fire pit | Fuel | Size | Weight | Price (16 Oct 2026) | Cost per 2.5h evening | Buy + 20 evenings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for most households | VonHaus Geo Fire Pit | Wood or charcoal | 55 × 55 × 55cm | 4.1kg | £49.99 | £5.00 | £149.99 |
| Best for bigger groups | Harbour Housewares 75cm Cast Iron | Wood or charcoal | 75cm bowl, 38.5cm high | 15kg | £61.99 | £5.00 | £161.99 |
| Best for cooking | La Hacienda Wildfire with grill | Wood or charcoal | 61 × 61 × 61cm | 8kg | £76.22 | £5.00 | £176.22 |
| Best overall | Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 with Stand | Wood | 49.5cm (19.5in) | 9.87kg | £249.99 | £5.00 | £349.99 |
| Best for small gardens | Solo Stove Ranger 2.0 with Stand | Wood | 43.2cm | 7.48kg | £183.89 | £5.00 | £283.89 |
| Best gas | Outsunny Rattan Gas Fire Pit Table | Propane, 14.5kW | 71 × 71 × 62cm | not stated | £121.49 | £7.83 | £333.08 |
| Best small gas | REALGLOW Rectangular Tabletop | Propane, 10kW | 72 × 22 × 11cm | not stated | £99.99 | £7.83 | £311.58 |
Working for buy plus 20 evenings: wood is the price plus 20 × £5.00. Gas is the price plus £54.99 (first bottle premium) plus 20 × £7.83. Example: £121.49 + £54.99 + £156.60 = £333.08.
The picks
1. VonHaus Geo Fire Pit: best for most UK households
Best for: a first fire pit in a normal back garden, on wood or charcoal.
Price: £49.99 on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026 (4.7 stars from 1,382 ratings).
A square steel bowl with a mesh lid that the listing says is there "to control sparks". It takes wood or charcoal and at 4.1kg it is light enough to move around the garden. On our index numbers it costs £5.00 an evening on kiln-dried logs or £4.10 on charcoal, the same as every other wood pit here, so the cheap purchase price is the whole saving. Over 20 evenings it comes to £149.99, the lowest total in this guide.
The catch: the steel is "natural unfinished", and the listing itself says to keep it out of the rain. In a British garden that means a cover or a shed, or accept rust. It is an open bowl, so expect more smoke than the double-wall designs below.
Key specs: alloy steel, 55 × 55 × 55cm, 4.1kg, mesh spark lid, wood or charcoal.
2. Harbour Housewares 75cm Cast Iron Fire Pit: best for bigger groups
Best for: six or more people round one fire, on a solid patio or gravel.
Price: £61.99 on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026 (4.5 stars from 1,408 ratings).
A 75cm cast iron bowl on three legs, 87cm wide including handles. That is the widest fire area in this guide for barely more than the VonHaus. Cast iron holds and radiates heat after the flames die down. At 15kg it will not blow over, and the tripod legs suit uneven ground.
The catch: 15kg is heavy to move about. Cast iron rusts if left out, and can crack if you put the fire out with cold water while it is hot. A wide open bowl gives a big fire, which means more wood (towards our 3kg an hour high case, or £7.50 an evening) and more smoke drifting over the fence. The listing shows no spark guard.
Key specs: cast iron, 75cm bowl, 38.5cm high, 15kg, wood or charcoal.
3. La Hacienda Wildfire Firebowl with Grill: best for cooking
Best for: people who want to grill over the fire as well as sit round it.
Price: £76.22 on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026 (4.7 stars from 58 ratings).
A deep steel bowl with a decorative flame cut-out pattern and a cooking grill included. La Hacienda is a long-running UK garden brand. If you cook on it, charcoal is the cheaper fuel at £4.10 an evening and gives the steady heat grilling needs.
The catch: only 58 ratings, so the average is less settled than for the first two picks. The listing does not give the bowl depth or say what grade of steel is used. The cut-outs look good but let sparks out sideways, so keep it well away from fences and sheds.
Key specs: steel, 61 × 61 × 61cm, 8kg, grill included, model 58116.
4. Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 with Stand: best overall
Best for: wood fires with close neighbours, where less smoke is worth paying for.
Price: £249.99 on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026 (4.8 stars from 2,099 ratings). Another listing for the same model was £289.99 that day, so check which one you are on.
A double-wall 304 stainless steel pit. Air comes in through holes in the base and leaves through vents at the rim, which burns off more of the smoke before it leaves the pit. The 2.0 version adds a removable ash pan, which makes emptying it much less messy. It comes with a stand, so it can sit on a patio without scorching it.
The catch: it costs five times the VonHaus, and the fuel is the same price. It never pays for itself in running costs. "Smokeless" is a marketing word: any wood pit smokes while lighting and when fed wet wood. Solo Stove does not publish a burn rate, so we have used our standard 2kg an hour. Hot-burning designs may get through wood faster.
Key specs: 304 stainless steel, 19.5in (49.5cm) across, 9.87kg, removable ash pan, stand included.
Read more in our best smokeless fire pits guide.
5. Solo Stove Ranger 2.0 with Stand: best for small gardens
Best for: a small patio, a courtyard garden or two to four people.
Price: £183.89 on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026 (4.7 stars from 575 ratings).
The smallest of the Solo Stove garden pits, with the same double-wall design and removable base. At 43.2cm across it is easier to fit in a small garden and to store in a shed over winter.
The catch: £183.89 for a pit under 45cm wide is a lot. A smaller chamber means feeding it more often, and it needs short logs. Most bagged logs are cut for stoves, so check the length before you buy.
Key specs: stainless steel, 43.2 × 43.2 × 38.1cm, 7.48kg, stand included.
6. Outsunny Rattan Gas Fire Pit Table: best gas fire pit
Best for: no smoke, no ash, and a flame at the press of a button. Doubles as a garden table.
Price: £121.49 on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026 (4.8 stars from 29 ratings).
A 14.5kW propane burner set into a rattan-effect table with a lid, so it works as a table when not lit. The listing names a thermocouple that shuts off the gas if the flame goes out, electronic ignition, a glass wind guard and a rain cover. A regulator and hose are included. The gas bottle is not.
The catch: running cost. At a 10kW flame it is £7.83 an evening, and on full it is £11.35. Your first Calor 13kg bottle costs £107.49 new. Only 29 ratings, so treat the 4.8 average with caution. It is designed for looks and ambience. Gas fire pits give less radiant warmth than a patio heater of the same kW, because the flame is low and spread out.
Key specs: 14.5kW, 71 × 71 × 62cm, powder-coated steel frame, thermocouple, lid and rain cover, propane bottle not included.
7. REALGLOW Rectangular Tabletop Gas Fire Pit: best small gas option
Best for: a small patio or outdoor dining table where any smoke would be a problem.
Price: £99.99 on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026 (4.6 stars from 25 ratings).
A 72cm strip of flame with a tempered glass wind guard and lava rocks. The listing says it works with small or large LPG cylinders, with the hose running under or beside the table. Its 10kW maximum matches our base gas rate, so on full it costs £3.13 an hour, or £7.83 for 2.5 hours.
The catch: 25 ratings is a small sample. Check your lease or tenancy before using bottled gas on a balcony, as many flats ban it. It is mainly for looks: a 72 × 22cm flame warms the people right next to it.
Key specs: 10kW, 72 × 22 × 11cm, 304 stainless steel burner, glass wind guard, lava rocks.
What to avoid
- Wood fire pits sold for indoor use. One wood and pellet tabletop pit we saw on Amazon UK on 16 October 2026 was titled for "Indoor & Outdoor Use" and campervans. Burning wood indoors, in a tent or in a campervan without a flue risks carbon monoxide poisoning. We have not linked it.
- Gas fire pits under a closed gazebo or awning. Even "smokeless" propane needs open air.
- Uncertified "kiln dried" bags. If a bag does not say Ready to Burn, you have no guarantee it is under 20% moisture.
- Buying gas to save money. Gas does not save money over wood. Buy it for no smoke and no ash.
- Not worth it: if you will light it fewer than five times a year, a £49.99 bowl is all you need. The extra £200 for a premium pit buys less smoke, not cheaper evenings.
Practical UK points
- Size. Leave at least 3m from fences, sheds and overhanging branches, and more on a windy evening. A 75cm bowl suits six to eight people, and a 43cm pit suits three or four.
- Surface. Never put a wood pit straight on decking or artificial grass. Use the stand or a heat-proof paver.
- Smoke and neighbours. Burn dry wood, keep the fire small and check which way the wind is blowing. Repeated smoke into a neighbour's home can be treated as a statutory nuisance.
- Smoke Control Areas. The gov.uk rules cover building chimneys and allow garden bonfires. Fire pits are not named. See the index page for the detail.
- Storage and weather. Unfinished steel and cast iron rust in British weather, which is mostly cosmetic but lasts. Stainless steel resists rust much better. Store gas bottles upright outdoors, never in a house or cellar.
- Cooking. Use charcoal or burnt-down hardwood embers, not a roaring fire. Our pick with a grill is the La Hacienda.
FAQ
What is the best fire pit to buy in the UK?
For most households, a simple steel bowl such as the VonHaus Geo at £49.99 (16 October 2026), burning Ready to Burn hardwood at about £5.00 an evening. If you have close neighbours, the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 at £249.99 gives less smoke.
Are gas fire pits cheaper to run than wood?
No. On our index, gas costs about £7.83 for a 2.5 hour evening at 10kW against £5.00 for wood, about 57% more. Gas wins on convenience and smoke, not price.
Are smokeless fire pits really smokeless?
No. Double-wall designs burn off more smoke once hot, but any wood fire smokes while lighting and when fed wet wood.
What size fire pit do I need?
About 43 to 55cm for two to four people and 60 to 75cm for six or more, with at least 3m clearance from fences and buildings.
Can I leave a fire pit outside all winter?
Stainless steel and powder-coated gas tables cope better than unfinished steel or cast iron, which rust. A cover or a shed keeps any of them going longer.
Can I cook on a fire pit?
Yes, if it has a grill, as the La Hacienda Wildfire does. Cook over embers or charcoal, not open flame.
Method
Seven fire pits picked from Amazon UK's first unsponsored results for "fire pit", "gas fire pit", "smokeless fire pit" and the main brands, read on 16 October 2026. We kept products with a stated size and weight and more than 20 ratings, across three fuel types and a range of budgets. Running costs come from Look Into's October 2026 Fire Pit Fuel Cost Index and use the same burn rates for every pit, because no maker in this guide publishes one.
Next check: January 2027.
The practical recommendation
For most UK households: buy a simple wood-burning bowl such as the VonHaus Geo (£49.99), feed it Ready to Burn kiln-dried hardwood, and expect to pay about £5 an evening. Spend the extra on a Solo Stove only if smoke over the fence is a real problem. Choose gas only if no smoke and no ash are worth about £2.83 more each evening.