Wood, gas or bioethanol fire pit?

Wood gives real flames, crackle and smoke (check local smoke-control rules); gas fire tables light instantly, burn clean and need bottle storage; bioethanol burners are smokeless and portable but produce more ambience than heat. Fuel cost per evening runs cheapest to dearest in roughly that order.

Can I put a fire pit on decking or grass?

Only with a heat-resistant pad underneath and generous clearance — radiant heat scorches decking and kills grass long before anything catches. Solid slabs or gravel make the safest base; check the stated ground clearance in the specification.

Home / Fire Pits & Patio Heating / Best fire pits and patio heating, compared

Best fire pits and patio heating, compared

Fire pits, fire tables, chimineas and patio heaters from the UK retailers we track, ranked by value and specification with live prices — wood, gas and bioethanol compared on what each actually gives you.

Independent comparison: we may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects how we rank products — see our method.

#	Product	Our rating	Best price	Retailers	Dimensions (cm)	Features
1	Silver Portable Tabletop Fire Pit with Ash GrateTop pick Garden Sanctuary	52	£17.99	Garden Sanctuary	W16.5 × L16.5 × H19.5	canopy
2	Black Portable Tabletop Fire Pit with Ash Grate Garden Sanctuary	52	£17.99	Garden Sanctuary	W16.5 × L16.5 × H19.5	canopy
3	Portable Tabletop Fire Pit with Ash Grate Garden Sanctuary	52	£29.31	Garden Sanctuary	W16.5 × L16.5 × H19.5	canopy
4	Forest Curved Wooden Firepit Bench 6'8 x 2'6 (2.03m x 0.76m) - Pack of 2 Forest Garden	52	£229.99	Buy Sheds Direct	—	storage
5	Teamson Home Outdoor Gas Fire Pit Rattan Easy Ignition Cheap Furniture Warehouse	42	£220	Cheap Furniture Warehouse	—
6	EcoSmart Fire Stix Moveable Bioethanol Fire Pit - Stainless Steel Ecosmart Fire	40	£1,596	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—	canopy
7	Spot 2800W Heatscope Radiant Patio Heater - Manual / Black Heatscope Heaters	39	£760	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
8	Pure 3000W Heatscope Radiant Patio Heater - Black Heatscope Heaters	35	£1,116	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
9	Vision 3200W Heatscope Radiant Patio Heater - Black Heatscope Heaters	34	£1,276	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
10	EcoSmart Fire Base 30 and Base 40 Fire Table - 30 (L 776 x W 776 x H 339) / Stainless Steel Burner / Natural Ecosmart Fire	31	£1,516	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
11	EcoSmart Fire Base 30 and Base 40 Fire Table - 30 (L 776 x W 776 x H 339) / Stainless Steel Burner / Graphite Ecosmart Fire	31	£1,516	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
12	EcoSmart Fire Base 30 and Base 40 Fire Table - 30 (L 776 x W 776 x H 339) / Stainless Steel Burner / Bone Ecosmart Fire	31	£1,516	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
13	EcoSmart Ark 40 Fire Pit Table - Stainless Steel Burner / Bone Ecosmart Fire	29	£1,756	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
14	EcoSmart Fire Base 30 and Base 40 Fire Table - 40 (L 1000m x W 1000m x H339) / Stainless Steel Burner / Bone Ecosmart Fire	29	£1,756	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—
15	EcoSmart Fire Base 30 and Base 40 Fire Table - 40 (L 1000m x W 1000m x H339) / Stainless Steel Burner / Teak Ecosmart Fire	23	£2,316	Woodlark Garden Luxury	—

Why we rank it this way

Our default rating weights value for money and specification equally, then safety certification and how widely the product is stocked across retailers.

Weights: priceVsBand 30% · spec 30% · safetyCert 20% · availabilityBreadth 20% — full method on how we rank.

FAQs

Wood, gas or bioethanol fire pit?: Wood gives real flames, crackle and smoke (check local smoke-control rules); gas fire tables light instantly, burn clean and need bottle storage; bioethanol burners are smokeless and portable but produce more ambience than heat. Fuel cost per evening runs cheapest to dearest in roughly that order.
Can I put a fire pit on decking or grass?: Only with a heat-resistant pad underneath and generous clearance — radiant heat scorches decking and kills grass long before anything catches. Solid slabs or gravel make the safest base; check the stated ground clearance in the specification.