The best garden fire pits 2018

These days, fewer of us have functional fireplaces in our homes, while more of us are choosing to make fire an outdoor feature, just the way our hairy simian forebears intended. But no longer are fires just for scaring off sabre-tooths and making mammoth kebabs a bit more palatable — in the form of a striking fire pit, they can be beautiful, functional, sociable pieces of art for enjoyable outdoor living. Plus, they can toast a mean marshmallow.

Whether you want it for flipping burgers at your next barbecue or thawing out chilly extremities on Guy Fawkes Night (creepy effigy optional), the right fire pit is a joy to have in any garden. But how do you find it?

• What about checking out our guide to the best garden furniture?
• Check out the best BBQ accessories this season

How to buy the best garden fire pit for you

While having a warming fire pit as your garden’s centrepiece means the party needn’t move inside as the sun sets on chilly evenings, models featuring grills or heating plates for alfresco cooking mean you’ll be hard-pressed for an excuse to go inside at all, and anything that keeps the festivities going longer gets a thumbs-up from us. Don’t have a barbecue, or looking to retire yours? Go for one of these multi-tasking marvels, which offer heating and cooking in one.

Think about your other needs: if it’s design kudos you’re after, go for a good-looking model with a durable finish that’ll stay smart year after year; if your fire pit’s staying out year-round as a permanent fixture, look for long-lasting materials and an included cover to ward off the worst of the weather; and if your crew are keen campers, look for a portable fire pit that you can take on the road, for a cosy home-from-home atmosphere wherever you go, just be sure to get one with legs or a stand that’ll avoid scorching the grass.

Finally, if you’re considering investing in one of these features for your outdoor space, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve narrowed it down to the top 8 best fire pits on the market right now that cater to a range of lifestyles, budgets and environments.

Our pick of the best garden fire pits to buy today

Lightweight and foldable for handy transportation, with classic good looks, and doing double duty as a fire pit and BBQ, the Outwell Cazal Fire Pit makes the perfect camping companion. Despite being raised, it’s been noted that this fire pit can cause some damage when placed on grass, but placing it on a patio or supporting it with bricks will help. At the bargain price of just £40, it makes our top spot as one of the best fire pits for home and away.  

We love the Fallen Fruits Iron Woodland Scene Fire Pit for its decorative style. This rustic fire bowl has been intricately designed to bring your garden to life with woodland silhouettes and earthy tones. This fire bowl is for use with logs, which makes a unique and stunning centrepiece for your garden, however the cut out shapes can cause ash to blow out of the bowl, so be careful not to overfill it. 

The Chic Bio Ethanol Fireplace is small and lightweight, allowing you to create style and ambience wherever it’s needed. Because this product burns fuel it doesn’t emit smoke or soot, making it one of the best fire pits for indoor and outdoor use. The modern and stylish glass panels make it safe to burn anywhere, but while it does give out some warmth, it’s definitely designed for decoration rather than for heating or cooking. As a budget fire pit that looks deceptively expensive, though, it’s ideal. 

The hand-crafted design and rust-proof copper of the CobraCO Vintage Copper Fire Pit make it a great choice for log-burning all year round, as well as providing a handsome rustic finish. The fire bowl comes complete with a heavy-duty screen cover to keep sparks contained, and a vinyl protective cover to keep it in good condition when not in use. Although the manufacturers list it as portable, we personally find it a bit weighty for lugging to the campsite, but we love it as a permanent feature for the garden.  

The Fuoco Tabletop Fire Pit is a must-have for campers, hikers and festival-goers alike. By far one of the best portable fire pits, it’s compact and easy to transport, and it comes handily equipped with a long-handled extinguisher, so you can safely and easily put out your fire wherever you are. This modern fire pit uses burning gel, which burns quickly and can quickly become costly as a result, but if you’re using it purely for trips or events then it’s an undeniably handy piece of kit.  

The latticed bowl and pyramid lid of this large fire pit make it a standout feature even when not in use. Its considerable size and compatibility with all types of fuel makes it one of the best fire pits for outdoor heating, perfect for creating warmth to prolong those summer nights, and while it’s admittedly huge and outrageously heavy, its weatherproof cover means you don’t have to worry about moving it during the colder months, so it can remain a permanent fixture — good news for our backs. 

We’ve already found the must-have garden item for next summer, and it’s Outsunny’s versatile 3 in 1 Fire Pit. It burns all types of fuel, and doubles up as a BBQ and outdoor dining table, making it the perfect accessory for toasting marshmallows, keeping food warm and outdoor dining. It also features a mesh cover and heat-resistant surface for added safety kudos. It’s a bit too cumbersome to take on a camping trip, but could live happily in the garden for sunny weekends with the family. 

This giant Kiln Dried Swedish Candle is a great novelty item, and although it’s more for show than anything else, it makes a fun addition to garden parties and other events. This twist on a conventional fire pit can be used to toast treats or to cook with a frying pan, but doesn’t produce as much heat as some of the larger fire pits — it burns from the inside out with just a flickering of flame at the top, so it’s less daring than it looks. It’s deceptively heavy for its size (don’t even try to take it camping), but it’s perfect as a unique centrepiece.