Top 5 Fire Pits for 2021

5 Cosy Fire Pits to keep you warm and toasty this autumn.

The night’s are drawing in and there’s a bit of a nip in the air but I’m not quite ready to hang up my hammock just yet – hell no. I’ve put together 5 of the best fire pits on the market to keep you warm and cosy this autumn.

Biophilic Feels

Have you ever noticed how hypnotic it is staring into a flickering fire? And how it creates the perfect atmosphere in a social situation? It instantly puts everyone at ease, doesn’t it? Having something visually soothing to focus on gives us that much needed respite from constant eye contact that can make us feel really exposed at times. Having a calming visual focus of attention has been proven to help to reduce anxiety and even lower blood pressure, so if you’re lucky enough to have the room for an open fire in your home and/or garden I strongly recommend it.

The concept of biophilia, is based on a belief system that humans have an inherent love of and desire to be near and in nature. Unfortunately, as a long suffering resident of the UK, our time outdoors is drastically reduced during autumn and winter due to the reduced amount of daylight and plummeting temperatures. In fact there is a new disorder in town and it’s making some bold claims – it’s called ‘nature deficit disorder’ and it’s thought to impact our focus, clear thinking, physical health and mental well-being. Yikes.

Hygge feels

Now, I’m just throwing it out there, but it get’s crazy cold over in Denmark during the winter, and very dark by around 4 p.m, but you don’t hear them complaining about it do you? Nope. They light some candles, invent hygge, slip on some cashmere socks, cradle a handleless mug containing a warming beverage and light a log fire. Perhaps that’s why nordic countries rank as some of the happiest in the world…I mean I’m willing to bet that there’s a bit more to it than that but I’m here to discus fire pit’s so indulge me a little…

Anyway, enough of my waffle, it’s time to throw on a chunky knit and explore my top 5 fire pits to keep you and your marshmallows toasty this autumn (that’s “fall” for my American pals).

All items at the time of writing this blog post are currently in stock so hurry while stocks last.

The Rusty One

I’m going to start with this one because; a) it has a rusty oxidised finish, similar to corten steel, which I LOVE – I love it so much I wrote a blog post about it which you can read about here. And, b) it really encompasses the idea of bringing the inside out as it looks like a traditional log burner that you might find indoors. I’m a big believer in treating your outside space as a room, using comfy furnishings and items that you might associate with a traditional indoor room will make you feel more at home so that you can spend more time outside. Nature deficit, who?!

Just look at it – it’s a thing of beauty. It’s nice and compact for smaller spaces and there’s storage for your firewood underneath which is so useful and great for adding an industrial edge to your garden. Gather round with some pals, a throw and a hot choc for extra hygge points.

It’s called the Rusty Steel Outdoor Heater from online interiors boutique The Farthing and it’s currently priced at £149.99.

The Contained One

For those of you that prefer more contained fire pits – this one’s for you. The open metal work not only adds beautiful detailing, but it also defuses the light beautifully, and keeps the flames contained making it a much safer option for those with small children or nosey pets. Like with all of the fire pits in todays edit, it will of course still get hot after and during use so do not leave little ones unattended.

Just add a mint tea, boho floor cushions and an outdoor rug for that relaxed moroccan vibe.

It’s called the ‘Caracas‘, it’s from Maisons du Monde‘s beautiful outdoor collection and is currently priced at £110.00.

The Cooking System

Many scientist believe that the reason humans have long been drawn to fire is primitive, our ancient ancestors used it for warmth, protection and cooking. In fact, fire was critical for our evolution.

There is something so comforting about a hearty meal cooked on an open fire. You can be really creative with it too, I love a classic bacon sarny in the morning when I’m camping but if you invest in a cooking tripod there’s no reason why you need to stop there. You can cook up a deliciously hearty stew or one pot curry, serve it with some crusty bread and connect with your inner cave woman.

I came across these epic ‘Leini Fire Bowl Cooking Accessories‘ from Nordic House which is similar to the cooking tripod that we have, but with so much EXTRA! They sell the cooking tripod, griddle plate for barbecuing on and a cooking bowl, they even have a rotisserie for goodness sake.

They currently don’t sell a stew pot like the one in my image but don’t worry, cause I’ve got this covered too…

I’ve found this one from Canvas Tent Shop, it’s a 4.5ltr ‘Dutch Oven‘ cooking pot and it’s currently a very reasonable £31.90. As well as being suitable for using on fire pits, it can also be popped into your regular household oven too. I think it would be equally at home presented on a rustic table for a family banquet. Yum, I can just picture it now.

The Terrazzo One

The terrazzo trend is here to stay and I for one am here for it. As previously mentioned, I love the warm tones and natural patina of rust on metal, but, if that is not your cup of cocoa or you just prefer a low maintenance life, then this one could be for you.

This round, stylish fire pit, complete with added barbecue grill, is made from UV, frost and rust-resistant MgO and is inspired by natural concrete to give a terrazzo effect. It looks pretty authentic too, yet remains lightweight for practicality. It’s suitable for burning logs or charcoal and the fire pit comes with a protective mesh spark guard to help reduce spitting from flames and a heat-resistant poker and grill top.

Practical and stylish, you say…music to my ears. It’s the Gardeco MGO Marbella Round Garden Fire Pit from Garden 4 Less.

It is a very reasonable £149.99, and when you consider the fact that it does not rust and as a result may have a bit more longevity than some of the other ones, I think it’s a fantastic buy and would look perfect in a more contemporary style garden.

The Little One

What about if you don’t have the space for any of the regular sized fire pits? Don’t worry, I’ve there’s one for you too. This super compact ‘Fuoco Tabletop Fire Pit’ from German manufacturer Blomus is made from frost proof ceramic and high quality stainless steel so you can safely leave it outside on your balcony in all weather conditions.

At only 18cm in diameter, it’s perfect for a small bistro style table, or you could even take it out with you for a park meet up with friends or roasted marshmallow on the beach with the kids.

It’s powered by lamp gel and has roughly 2 hours burning time so it’ll give you that extra couple of hours once the sun goes down to sit and relax outside with a glass of something chilled while you stay wrapped up nice and warm.

It’s currently priced at £75.00 and is sold out in a lot of online retailers but I eventually found some in stock after a bit of searching on Naken – you may be able to shop around for a better deal on this one in the spring though.

The Big One

For those of you that are lucky enough to have a bigger outdoor space and an even bigger budget, I introduce to you to the Love Island of fire pits…this is the ‘Square Gas Fire Pit‘ from Vonhaus – it’s both a fire pit and a table AND it’s gas powered, making it the perfect option for those of you that wan’t to enjoy your open fire, without being bothered by plumes of smoke or the hassle of keeping a fire going when you just want to catch up with your pals on a chilli winters evening.

This stylish fire pit is a bit more pricey than the others so it is a bit of a splurge at £399.99 but it does give you great bang for your buck – it’s made from UV and rust resistant materials to protect it from the elements, so you can keep it outside all year round and it should stand the test of time, and, the handy table top rim means that you have somewhere to put your dark and stormy while you sit back and relax. Bliss.

So, there you have it, my top 5 fire pits for the autumn season. Get yourselves all wrapped up, with a drink and snack in hand and enjoy.

For more tips and advice on how to introduce biophilic design principles into your home and garden, you can read Marianna’s new book ‘At Home with Nature‘.