The best outdoor fireplaces, compared.
Top pick: Nicoman 70 cm fire bowl Best value: Vivo 46 cm square grill pit – Value award at about £21.24, with a mesh lid and 4.6 from 467 reviews, if a 1 kg pit is enough. Updated 22.10.2026.
An outdoor fireplace here is a contained wood or charcoal fire for a garden or patio: an open bowl, a square brazier, a chiminea, a double-wall pit sold as smokeless, a folding camping mesh, or a tabletop burner. You buy one to sit out on a cool evening, not to heat a room. The useful difference is who the heat faces, how much smoke the wind can push at a neighbour, and whether the piece is a 15 kg garden bowl or a 600 g mesh you can pack. How to choose the type, the fuel and the spark screen is in the [outdoor fireplace buying guide](/hub/fireplaces-and-stoves/outdoor-fireplace/sub/outdoor-fireplace-buying-guide). A circle of seats needs an open bowl, which throws heat all round and lets smoke follow the wind. A terrace against a wall suits a chiminea, which throws heat from the mouth. Gas and bioethanol pits are not in this batch.
An outdoor fireplace here is a contained wood or charcoal fire for a garden or patio: an open bowl, a square brazier, a chiminea, a double-wall pit sold as smokeless, a folding camping mesh, or a tabletop burner.
38 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +24,100 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will you use it?
The Nicoman bowl is 70 cm across and only 25.5 cm high, in pre-rusted steel at 15 kg, for wood or charcoal, at £129.99. The star line is 5.0 from a single review, which is too thin to treat as a quality score. That reviewer likes it as garden art and says it is too low to work as a fire pit, then set a chiminea on top of it. The bullets claim a 39 cm base and slots in the base for airflow. There is no spark screen and no cover in the listing. A wide rusted bowl can still look right on a patio as a planter-height feature. It does not outrank a 4.5 from 556 reviews on a taller 54 cm bowl. Buy it if you want the rusted look and you accept that the only owner text found the fire awkward.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a low rusted bowl as a garden feature and you do not need a proven seating-height fire.
Less suitable: You want a fire people can sit around at chair height, or any judgement based on more than one review.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 5.0 score mean it burns well?
The single review text likes it as garden art and says it is too low as a fire pit.
Can it burn charcoal?
Yes. The fuel field names wood and charcoal.
Is a spark screen included?
The bullets do not list a mesh lid or a cover.
The black Generic ZML is a round wood pit sold as smokeless, listed at 54 × 39.5 × 54 cm and 10.4 kg, with a removable ash pan, a stand and a travel bag in the bullets. It costs £142.90 and scores 4.7 from 55 reviews. A highlight line also says 48 × 37 cm, so the page does not give one size. Reviewers describe strong, fairly even heat once the pit is hot, and less smoke than a chiminea after about 10–15 minutes. They also say it is not smoke-free at lighting, and that wood goes quickly because of the airflow. The review text matches the silver ZML listing, so do not add 55 and 55 and call it 110 owners. One travel bag arrived mouldy. You are paying for the ash pan and the double-wall style, not for a certified smokeless appliance.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a heavier patio pit with an ash pan and you accept startup smoke and fast fuel use.
Less suitable: You need a proven smoke-free burn, a large independent review sample, or a pit under £40.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it smokeless?
The title says smokeless. Review texts say it cuts smoke once hot and is not smoke-free, especially when you light it.
What is in the box?
Bullets claim the pit, a removable ash pan, a stand and a travel bag.
Which size is correct?
The dimension field says 54 × 39.5 × 54 cm. The highlight says 48 × 37 cm. Both are on the listing.
The silver Generic ZML uses the same model number as the black pit, listed at 10.9 kg and £139.99, with the same ash-pan, stand and bag claims. The dimension field says 54 × 39.5 × 54 cm and a highlight says 48 × 37 cm. The review text matches the black ASIN, so the 4.7 from 55 reviews is not a second owner trial. Those shared comments praise the heat and the cleaner look, and they still report smoke until the fire is hot and wood that burns quickly. One reviewer found mould on the travel bag. Choose silver if you want that finish at £139.99. Do not buy both colours expecting different burning. There is no separate spark screen in the bullets.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have already chosen the ZML pattern and you prefer the silver finish at £139.99.
Less suitable: You want an independent review sample, a mesh spark screen, or a cheap open bowl.
Specifications
Common questions
How is this different from the black ZML?
The listing shows silver, 10.9 kg and £139.99. The black ASIN is B0FLXN8XRD at 10.4 kg and £142.90. The model number on both is ZML.
Do the reviews differ?
The review text on the two listings matches. Do not treat them as two separate owner trials.
Can I use it on a patio?
The bullets name patio, camping and bonfire use, and a stand for heat-sensitive surfaces.
The Vivo GH028 is a 46 cm square pit, 33 cm high, with a 43 cm grill, a mesh lid and a poker, and at £21.24 it is the best value here if you want a small garden fire you can also cook on. It scores 4.6 from 467 reviews and ranks 6 in Outdoor Fire Pits on the listing. Reviewers who checked the size call it a decent small family fire, and most say assembly needs no skill, which matches the tool-free claim. The metal is thin if you expected heavy plate, and the listing weight is 1 kg. The grill is too small for a barbecue for more than two people. One reviewer still needed a spanner and an extra screw for the mesh handle. A weather cover is not in the box. The mesh lid is an ember screen, not a rain cover.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small patio fire plus a casual grill for two, and you have read the 46 cm size.
Less suitable: You want a heavy all-evening bowl or a barbecue for a group.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it work as a barbecue?
The bullets include a grill and a 43 cm grill area. Reviews say it suits a small fire better than a large barbecue.
Do I need tools to build it?
The bullets say it assembles without tools. One review still wanted a spanner and an extra screw for the mesh handle.
Is a rain cover included?
A mesh lid is included. A separate weather cover is not confirmed. The mesh lid is an ember screen, not a rain cover.
The Yaheetech is a 54 cm painted-steel bowl, 49.5 cm high on four scroll legs, and it is the top pick in this set for a small UK patio fire. Across 556 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.5, and the listing ranks it 3 in Outdoor Fire Pits. At 3.3 kg and £33.24 it is light enough to move, and the bullets include a log grate that lifts charcoal or firewood. Reviewers who lit it describe a fire for a few people, then often say the bowl sits low unless they use a low chair. A wobbly stand or basin comes up more than once, and one buyer called the stand unsafe. The bullets do not include a spark screen or a weather cover, and one reviewer bought a fire mat because heat reached the grass. Some review texts describe a folding pit and a bag, which this listing's bullets do not, so match the scroll-leg photos before you order.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an open bowl for a few people on a small patio and you have checked the 54 cm scroll-leg photos.
Less suitable: You need a mesh spark lid, a tall chiminea, or a heavy pit that will not shift on uneven slabs.
Specifications
Common questions
What fuel does this bowl take?
The listing names charcoal and firewood. It does not name gas or pellets.
Does it include a weather cover?
The questions on the listing ask about a cover. The bullets do not list one, so a weather cover is not confirmed.
Can it go on decking?
The listing asks the question and does not answer it. Decking use is not confirmed. Fire services say keep a fire away from decking.
The BALI OUTDOORS BO32FP is a round wood pit with a grill grate, listed at 81 × 81 × 64 cm and 7.94 kg, at £127.49. The title says a 20 inch bowl, a bullet says 32 inch and 50.8 cm, and the dimension field says 81 cm, so the page does not agree with itself. It scores 4.5 from 386 reviews. Only three UK review texts are on the listing, and they call it big, sturdy and easy to assemble as both a fire and a barbecue. Those three texts do not state a fault, which is not a clean bill of health for 386 people. Bullets claim assembly from the manual in under 20 minutes and handles that rotate the pit, the manufacturer line says Befires, and a weather cover is not listed. Measure the patio against every size on the page before you treat £127.49 as a known 20 inch bowl.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a wood pit with a grill and you can confirm which size Befires will send.
Less suitable: You need one trustworthy diameter, a mesh lid, or a pit you can judge from a long set of review texts.
Specifications
Common questions
How big is the bowl?
The title says 20 inches. A bullet says 32 inches and 50.8 cm. The dimension field says 81 × 81 × 64 cm.
Does it include a cover?
The question is asked. The bullets do not list a weather cover.
What do the reviews on the listing say?
Only three UK review texts are on the listing. They call it big, sturdy and easy to assemble. They do not state a fault.
The Gonggi is a tabletop stainless pit about 20 × 15 × 15 cm and 1.04 kg, for wood and wood pellets, with a bag, an airflow rack, a fork, a hook and a heat mat, at £20.99. It scores 4.5 from 90 reviews. Reviewers use it for two or three people sitting close, including camping and motorhomes, and they report little smoke while the flame stays strong. It smokes when the flame drops or you add fuel, and it needs feeding often, including on pellets. One reviewer had no instructions and set the mat alight until the platform was fitted the right way up. Indoor use is asked on the page and not confirmed. Early rust shows up in one review. This is a small outdoor burner for a table, not a garden fireplace you can ring with chairs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a packable tabletop flame outdoors for two or three people and you will fit the rack before you light it.
Less suitable: You want a patio centrepiece, indoor use, or a fire you can leave untended.
Specifications
Common questions
Can I use it indoors?
The question is asked. The bullets describe garden, camping and patio use. Indoor use is not confirmed.
What fuel does it take?
Wood and wood pellets.
Why did a review burn the mat?
One reviewer said there were no instructions and the mat caught fire until the platform was fitted correctly.
The TuDou is a folding 304 mesh pit that packs to 9.1 × 9.1 × 66 cm, weighs 600 g, and is built for a campsite rather than a garden centrepiece. It scores 4.4 from 1,892 reviews, the largest sample in this set, and the box includes a carry bag and heat-resistant gloves. Reviewers often have it standing in a couple of minutes, and the raised mesh keeps the fire off the ground where a site requires that. Legs and screws come loose. One reviewer used cable ties. Fine ash sifts through the mesh, and wind makes the wood burn fast because there is little shelter. The listing claims a 5 kg load and names wood only. The star line is not evidence that it will sit still as a patio fireplace all evening.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a packable wood fire for camping and you will check the legs each time you set it up.
Less suitable: You want a stable patio bowl, a spark lid that holds ash, or a chiminea.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a garden chiminea?
No. It is a folding mesh pit for camping and a small outdoor fire, at 600 g.
Does the bag come with it?
Yes. The title and bullets include a carrying bag and heat-resistant gloves.
Will ash stay in the bowl?
Reviews say fine ash can sift through the mesh. The listing does not include a solid ash pan.
The Relaxdays terrace oven is a cast-iron chiminea-style stove, 86 cm tall and 12.7 kg, on three legs, listed for charcoal at £98.90, with a coal grate, poker, spark guard and rain roof in the bullets. It scores 4.2 from 85 reviews, though only four review texts are on the listing. Those texts call it sturdy, heavy enough not to blow over, and decent for heat once it is built. Assembly is the limit: small nuts and bolts, including reaching inside the body, and one reviewer called it impossible. One text is a parcel marked delivered that never arrived, which says nothing about the iron. The bullets describe heat and the bronze Aztec look, and they do not name a cooking surface. A soft storage cover is not listed, and the rain roof is not a reason to leave a lid on a live fire.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cast-iron terrace stove for charcoal and you can work small bolts inside the body.
Less suitable: You want tool-free setup, a confirmed cooking plate, or a wide open bowl.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this for cooking?
The question is on the listing. The bullets describe heat and looks, plus a coal grate, and do not name a cooking surface.
What fuel is listed?
The fuel field says charcoal.
What comes with it?
Bullets list a coal grate, poker, spark guard and a rain roof.
The Southeatic FP is a 40 cm square pit, 5.46 kg, with a lid and a mesh spark screen, for wood or charcoal at £54.99. It scores 4.1 from 51 reviews. Owners who finished the build like the compact patio size and the heat once it is lit, and one review took it camping. Assembly is the complaint that repeats: a screw kit, one review citing more than 50 screws and unclear instructions, plus a missing leg and a cracked base before use. Open sides let wind push smoke around, so the mesh limits sparks more than it blocks draught. The bullets say the fire must be out before you store the pit indoors. A separate rain cover is not confirmed. The title's lid is the mesh assembly, not a weather jacket.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small square pit with a mesh screen and you are willing to work through a screw kit.
Less suitable: You want tool-free setup, a heavy bowl, or a pit you can trust to arrive square.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the mesh lid count as a cover?
The title includes a lid and mesh spark screen. A separate rain cover is not confirmed.
Is assembly tool-free?
No. The bullets include a screw kit. One review describes a large number of screws.
What fuel is named?
Charcoal and wood.
The LIVIVO Palacio is a 112 cm chiminea on a 62 cm footprint, weighing 16.4 kg, for charcoal or wood, with meshed windows. It costs £99.99 and scores 3.6 from 22 reviews, the weakest star line in this set. Reviewers who got the panels together like the log capacity and the look, and some found it bigger than they expected. The arrival notes are specific: broken boxes, scratches, dents, rust spots, a bent panel, a bent pin and a loose door handle. Instructions are called unhelpful. The title says powder-coated steel and the material field says stainless steel, so the metal is not settled on the page. You are buying chiminea height. Inspect it before the first fire, because several of the 13 review texts are about damage, not about a season of burning.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a tall chiminea for a terrace and you will inspect the panels before you light it.
Less suitable: You want a clean delivery, a settled material spec, or an open bowl people can sit around.
Specifications
Common questions
How tall is it?
The dimension field says 112 cm high, on a 62 cm footprint.
Can it burn charcoal?
Yes. The title and the fuel field name charcoal and wood.
What is it made of?
The title says powder-coated steel. The material field says stainless steel. Both lines are on the page.
Eleven amazon.co.uk listings were compared. The published 0–100 score, the top pick and the best value come from that comparison: the Yaheetech bowl has the highest score, and the Vivo pit carries the value award. The weights below follow the buying order for this page and sum to 100. They say what mattered when the listings were read. They are not a laboratory test, and a smokeless title is not a smoke measurement. Prices are the amazon.co.uk shelf prices in this set.
Job and size
30%Bowl, chiminea, camping mesh or tabletop, then height. A circle of seats is not the same job as a car-boot fire, and a 25.5 cm bowl is not seating height.
Smoke, fuel and sparks
25%The fuel the listing names, a mesh lid or a chimney if sparks and seating-height smoke matter, and no extra credit for the word smokeless on its own.
Material and listed weight
20%Painted steel, stainless mesh, cast iron or a pre-rusted bowl, read against the kilogram line rather than a heavy-duty title.
Reviews and price
25%Star line and review count for that job, then the shelf price in GBP. A 5.0 from one review does not outrank a 4.5 from 556 reviews on a garden bowl.
Match the job first, then the height, then the fuel the listing names, then spark control. An open bowl heats a circle of seats. A chiminea throws heat from the mouth. A folding mesh or a tabletop pit belongs in a boot, not in the middle of a patio. A large review count for that job outweighs a 5.0 from one review. These scores are not a lab test.
An outdoor fireplace in UK shops is a contained wood or charcoal fire for a garden or patio. It is not a room heater. The forms in this set are an open bowl, a square brazier, a chiminea or terrace oven, a double-wall pit sold as smokeless, a folding camping mesh, and a tabletop burner. People buy one to sit out on a cool evening. The useful difference is who the heat faces, how much smoke the wind can push at a neighbour, and whether you are moving a 15 kg garden piece or a 600 g mesh.
A smokeless title does not mean no smoke. On the ZML pits, review texts still report smoke at lighting. Dry untreated wood matters more, and neighbours can still complain under the nuisance rules.
The TuDou is 600 g, ash falls through the mesh, and wind makes the wood burn fast. It is a packable fire. It is not a stable bowl for a circle of garden chairs.
Several listings ask about a weather cover and do not confirm one. A mesh lid is an ember screen, not a rain cover. Read the bullets, not the question.
The job decides the shape. A circle of seats needs an open bowl, so heat reaches everyone and smoke follows the wind. A terrace against a wall suits a chiminea, which throws heat from the mouth. A car boot suits a folding mesh or a tabletop pit. In this set the open bowls and square braziers are the Yaheetech at 54 cm and 49.5 cm high, the Vivo at 46 cm square, the Southeatic at 40 cm square, and the Nicoman at 70 cm across but only 25.5 cm high. Low bowls heat shins.
Dry untreated wood matters more than the word smokeless. A chimney, or a double-wall pit once it is hot, can cut smoke at seating height. It does not remove the nuisance test under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. GOV.UK allows an outdoor chiminea, fireplace, barbecue or pizza oven in a smoke control area. It does not allow you to ignore a neighbour who cannot use their home. The Generic ZML titles say smokeless.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a stable open bowl and you care more about smoke and a stand that stays put than about flame theatre. The Yaheetech 54 cm bowl is the top pick at about £33.24, with a log grate, 3.3 kg, and 4.5 from 556 reviews. It sits low unless you use a low seat, and the bullets do not include a spark screen.
You want a patio fire you can also cook on, for about two people, and you have read the 46 cm size. The Vivo square pit is the best value at about £21.24, with a mesh lid, a poker and 4.6 from 467 reviews. The listing weight is 1 kg, and the metal is thin if you expected heavy plate.
You want a fire that packs, not a 16 kg chiminea. The TuDou folding mesh is 0.6 kg with a bag and gloves, at about £16.99, and 4.4 from 1,892 reviews. Check the legs each time. The Gonggi tabletop pit is the other packable option, for two or three people outdoors.
The top pick is the Yaheetech 54 cm round bowl at about £33.24. It is painted steel, 49.5 cm high, with a log grate, listed at 3.3 kg, and 4.5 from 556 amazon.co.uk reviews. Reviewers describe a fire for a few people, often from a low seat, and a wobbly stand comes up more than once. There is no spark screen in the bullets. The best value is the Vivo 46 cm square pit at about £21.24: a mesh lid, a poker and a 43 cm grill, with 4.6 from 467 reviews, if you accept a listed weight of 1 kg and a grill for about two people. A smokeless title is not a smoke-free burn, and these scores are not a lab test.
Vivo 46 cm square grill pit
Value award at about £21.24, with a mesh lid and 4.6 from 467 reviews, if a 1 kg pit is enough.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings. Last updated 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the listings. This is not a laboratory test.
