How to fit a fire pit spark screen
Updated: 21 October 2026
The pit is already in the garden, the listing shows two size lines, and the screen has to rest on the rim rather than fall in. This is how to fit a fire pit spark screen using the six amazon.co.uk listings in our [fire pit spark guard comparison](/hub/outdoor-fire-pits/fire-pit-spark-guard), checked on 20 October 2026. The Products Compared editorial team did not fit these screens in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. If the screen rocks or drops in, stop. Forcing it is not a fix.
The pit is already in the garden, the listing shows two size lines, and the screen has to rest on the rim rather than fall in.
The pit is already in the garden, the listing shows two size lines, and the screen has to rest on the rim rather than fall in. This is how to fit a fire pit spark screen using the six amazon.co.uk listings in our fire pit spark guard comparison, checked on 20 October 2026. The Products Compared editorial team did not fit these screens in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. If the screen rocks or drops in, stop. Forcing it is not a fix.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Stated fit | Setup | How you lift it | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Hydream Hydream 24 in screen | 24 in title; attributes 61×61 cm | Four pieces and screws | Handle and poker in the title | 9.2 | about £61.25 | View offer |
| Best value |  Esschert Esschert FF85 | Bullets 22×58×58; attributes 58.4×22.9 cm | Not stated | Not named on amazon.co.uk | 8.8 | about £39.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Harbour Housewares Harbour 73 cm dome | Bullets 73×73×17 cm; attributes 2×72.5×23 cm | Set the dome on the pit | Top handle | 8.6 | about £29.99 | View offer |
On this page
Measure the opening the screen has to cover
Put the tape across the rim the screen will rest on, through the middle, and write that length in centimetres. A screen smaller than that rim can fall into the fire. A screen much larger than the rim will not locate. Do not add four inches, or 15 cm, as a rule for these six. Firepits UK's own table, about 65 cm of guard on a 50 cm pit, is for their pits only. A half-round bowl screen is not a lid across a round pit. The dome or half-round page says when that object is the wrong one.
Reconcile the two size lines
Believe the size line that matches the opening you wrote down, and check the parcel against it. Do not average two lines into a third figure. The Harbour dome is stated for a Harbour 75 cm pit: bullets 73×73×17 cm, attributes 2×72.5×23 cm, and 72.5×72.5×17 cm at the Range and Tesco. A UK review said a bundle did not fit. A 42 cm lid, BESTOMZ or Gatuida, will not cover a 60 cm or 75 cm opening. JXLXYY's 22 in title is 55.9 cm. Hydream's 24 in title is 61 cm. On the Esschert FF85 the bullets, the attributes, UK reviews nearer 60 cm and the maker's 59.6 cm page are not one size.
Place a lid or a sectioned screen
BESTOMZ and Gatuida say there is no extra hardware: you place the lid on the pit. At 345 g either lid is easy to knock askew. Gatuida is marked not water resistant, so it is not a rain cover. If the lid drops inside the rim, take it off and do not light the fire under it.
Sectioned screens are a different job, and the bullets do not give a screw-by-screw order. Hydream says four pieces and screws, a few minutes to assemble, and that it comes apart for a car boot. JXLXYY's piece count is in reviews, not the bullets, including a UK note that tools were in the box. Assemble a sectioned screen on the ground, then set it on a cold pit.
Lift it without grabbing the mesh
The mesh is hot while the fire is lit. Do not lift it with a bare hand. Harbour's top handle is not a cool grip, and Tesco warns that the guard gets hot. The Esschert maker specifies a glove. The amazon.co.uk lift field for the FF85 is empty. Stop if the screen drops in or will not sit. Do not bend the rim. That is a wrong size. Fitting does not set the distance from decking, which is on the wooden deck page. If you do not own a screen yet, start with the buying guide.
Common questions
Where do you put the tape, inside the opening or across the outside?
Measure straight across the rim the screen will rest on, through the middle, and write that length down. The inside hole alone is the wrong number if the screen is meant to sit on the rim, because a screen that only matches the hole can fall in. Do not add a fixed overlap from another maker's chart. Compare your figure with the centimetre line on the listing you are about to order.
What do you do when the bullets and the attribute line disagree?
Keep the line that matches the opening you measured, and check the parcel against that line. On Harbour, the bullets say 73×73×17 cm and the attributes say 2×72.5×23 cm. On BESTOMZ, the height is 8.5 cm in the highlight and 10 cm on the attribute line. On the Esschert FF85, the bullets, the attributes, the inch title, UK reviews nearer 60 cm and the maker's 59.6 cm page are not one size. Do not average them.
How do you place a no-tools lid compared with a four-piece screen?
BESTOMZ and Gatuida say there is no extra hardware: you place the lid on the pit. Hydream's bullets say four pieces and screws, a few minutes to put together, and that it comes apart for a car boot. JXLXYY's piece count is in reviews, not in the bullets. Assemble a sectioned screen before you set it on a cold rim. Do not invent a screw order the listing does not print.
Can you lift the mesh with a bare hand while the fire is lit?
No. The mesh stays hot in use. Use a stated handle, a metal ring, a heatproof glove or a long-handled tool, and only when you need to move it. Harbour's top handle does not make the dome cool. Tesco warns that the Harbour guard gets hot. The Esschert maker specifies a heat-resistant glove, while the amazon.co.uk lift field for that listing is empty.
Does a 22 inch or 24 inch title mean the pit opening in centimetres?
Use the centimetre line on the same listing, then check it against your tape. JXLXYY's 22 in title is printed as 55.9×55.9 cm. Hydream's 24 in title is printed as 61×61 cm. Gatuida's 16.5 inch highlight sits next to attributes of 42×42×10 cm, and that listing still does not name a pit diameter. A round number in the title is not the rim measurement.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listings from the research digest. Shelf date 20 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.
- Garden bonfires: the rules (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Nuisance smoke: how councils deal with complaints (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Smoke control areas (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Highways Act 1980 section 161A (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Defra outdoor burning (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service: firepit safety advice (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- London Fire Brigade (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Inoxia: mesh recommendations (retrieved 20 October 2026)