Best Smokeless Fire Pit by Size, Plus Patio Heaters

Mostly, once the fire is hot and the wood is dry. Double-wall pits like Solo Stove and Breeo feed preheated air to holes near the rim for a secondary burn that consumes most smoke. You will still see smoke at startup and with wet wood, so burn seasoned wood at 20 percent moisture or less, the level the EPA's Burn Wise program recommends.

A 19.5 to 22 in pit suits two to four people and small patios, and a 27 in pit suits larger groups. Bigger pits hold more wood and put out more heat but burn through wood faster. The Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 weighs just over 20 lb; the 27 in Yukon 2.0 weighs just over 41 lb.

Under the International Fire Code, which many US towns adopt, portable outdoor fireplaces must be at least 15 ft from structures and combustible material, and open recreational fires at least 25 ft. Your local fire code can be stricter, so check with your town or fire department before the first fire.

Only with a heat-protecting stand or pad and only if your local code allows a fire there. Solo Stove sells the Bonfire 2.0 with a stand that lifts it off the surface, and Breeo sells a fire pit mat for deck protection. Keep the code clearance from walls and overhangs either way.

Material and weight. Solo Stove uses 304 stainless steel and the 19.5 in Bonfire 2.0 weighs just over 20 lb, so it travels. Breeo builds its X Series in the USA from corten or stainless steel and sells live-fire cooking accessories that fit it.

Corten is weathering steel: it forms a stable rust-colored layer on the surface that slows further corrosion. The color can rub off on wet patio stone, so set it on a pad or base if staining matters.

About 9 hours on high for a 46,000 BTU heater. A 20 lb tank holds roughly 430,000 BTU (about 4.7 gallons at 91,500 BTU per gallon), and 430,000 divided by 46,000 is about 9.3 hours. On a lower setting it lasts longer.

About 2 hours on high for an 11,000 BTU heater. One pound of propane holds roughly 21,600 BTU, and 21,600 divided by 11,000 is about 2 hours. The Cuisinart tabletop heater also connects to a 20 lb tank with an optional regulator for about 39 hours on high.

A standing patio heater spreads heat more evenly: the Amazon Basics 46,000 BTU model is rated for an 18 ft diameter circle. A wood fire pit radiates strongly to whoever is facing it but warms backs less. Patio heaters also start and stop instantly and make no smoke or ash.

Yes if smoke has kept you from using a regular fire ring. The double-wall design cuts smoke with dry wood, and the removable ash pans on Solo Stove pits make cleanup quick. If you only want warmth on the patio, a propane heater does it with no wood to buy or store.