We're welcoming fall by lighting up the evenings with the glow of our fire pit. In Idaho, fire pits were more of a summer evening event. Fall was too cold to be out in the evening without being bundled with a coat and blanket. It's magically different here, and the subtle crisp evenings are just starting to arrive — Perfect for gathering around a warm fire and roasting some marshmallows. We've been taking full advantage of it and making all the memories.
Sitting around a fire pit is one of our favorite activities to do as a family because it takes little-to-no preparation, and it's a great way to utilize and enjoy your outdoor space. Having a place to gather around a fire has been a must-have of ours for years, and we're sharing it all here. There are so many options out there when it comes to fire pits, and we've done pretty much all of them — haha! Grab a camp chair, and look back with us...
Our new wood-burning fire pit
Having a classic, portable wood-burning fire pit is a great place to start. We've used this a handful of times at our new home in North Carolina, and I've been surprised at how much the metal grate diffuses some of the smoke. This is a great option for anyone who isn't wanting anything permanent and loves the nostalgia of campfire smoke. Wood-burning fire pits are also the most inexpensive option.
Our custom, built-in gas fire pit
Building this custom stone fire pit at our last house took some time. For this, we ran a natural gas line, and it was ideal for a casual evening hand with minimal clean-up. The bonus of a gas-burning fire pit is that you don't smell like smoke for days.
A propane fire pit on our outdoor patio
The propane fire pit was our stand-in for nearly a year before the custom fire was put in. I love how substantial this one was and propane is the ultimate cross-over between wood-burning and gas. Propane fire pits are easy to use — the question is always where to put the tank? Some propane fire pits come with storage underneath. With others, you have to find a spot to tuck away the tank.
A gas fire pit built in a weekend
We put together this outdoor space for our friends in no time and actually ran a line for propane on our own! This is perfect for those looking to do it themselves. It's a propane fire pit with the look and feel of natural gas.
If you have a gas line, it's possible you could buy a converter kit to use with a propane fire pit. Because natural gas can be dangerous, it's best to call an expert to run a line to your fire pit.
A Wood-Burning Outdoor Fireplace
We built this outdoor fireplace to add interest to our outdoor deck space, and I have so many memories of us gathering around it. This is not a pit! But maybe an elegant outdoor fireplace is more your speed?
If you can remember, we shared some first drafts of our landscaping plan in this post, and we're looking at a few different options for a more permanent outdoor fire solution in our new home. One option is to have a double-sided fireplace with the already in-place interior fireplace. Another option is to build out a space for a fire pit including a gas line. What do you think?
Wood Burning
1. 30" Mason Wood Burning $69
2. 26" Bangor Wood Burning $89
3. 23" Rust Wood Burning $99
4. 30" Colis Wood Burning $310
5. 40" Windgate Wood Burning $329
6. 36" Urli Wood Burning $349
7. 30" x 70" Amabel Wood Burning Chiminea $559
Propane
8. 28" Sabina Propane Fire Table $217
9. 35" Horwich Propane $420
10. 27" Round Propane $449
11. 30" Concrete Propane $579
12. 42" Propane Fire Pit $650
13. 56" x 26" Aidan Rectangular Propane $699
14. 48" Riverside Propane $1079
15. 36" Square Pedestal Propane $1699
16. 42" Retreat Propane $3499
Be sure to also check out these 7 S'mores combinations you have to try and tell us which is your favorite!
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where are the chairs around the fire pit in the main image from? I've been on an against all supply chain odds hunt for metal swival/ rockers that are not rattan all year.
They're from Lowe's!
Love all these ideas!! I live in California and we're often under "Spare the Air" days, which means no wood burning fires and/or grills with gas (*womp*womp*), but I did find a hanging electric heat lamp a few years back that I absolutely love! I would recommend for anybody who is in a similar environmental conundrum!
I agree with the Solo Stove recommendations! We have the medium size and love it so much! We borrowed one to try it out and my husband ordered it the next day!
Thanks to all for the solo stove recs! I’d never heard of it but it’s exactly what we need for our smallish city deck. If anyone has the ranger and can tell me if the flame, heat and size are good, I’d appreciate it!
We've had our Solo Stove for over 5 years and it is amazing. It is so portable and efficient, you should check them out!
we bought a solo stove last winter and would never go back! it's wood burning, beautiful burn and no smoke!
I know they aren't quite as pretty as these ones, but gotta give a shout out to our Solo Stove. They burn really efficiently and leave almost no ash behind, so you aren't left with lots of clean up in the bottom of the bowl. (And no ash sits there to get rained on, etc.)
I have to add the Solo stove to the list! it has a special setup to burn the smoke, so it's literally smokeless. We use ours so often and love it because you don't go inside smelling like smoke.
In Florida, once it gets to below 80 degrees, we sit around the fire! We have the chiminea, number 7 on the list. I will say, it is cute, but may not be the greatest fire pit. The chimney pipe doesn't really direct smoke that well. Not a deal breaker by any means but a good thing to know.
Another option are the new technology smokeless wood burning firepits made by brands like Solo Stove, Breeo, Blue Sky, etc. I would really love a Breeo when we finally address the drainage/flooding issue in our backyard. But for now we picked up a Solo Stove during Labor Day sales. We are still waiting for it to get a bit cooler here in Georgia to use it but everyone I know that has one loves it!
We have had the under $50 wood burning fire pit from Walmart for several years and love it in case anyone needs a cheaper choice!