A fire pit can completely change how you use your outdoor space. More than simply a source of warmth, the right fire pit creates a natural place to gather, extends evenings outdoors and can become a striking focal point for a patio or garden.
Today’s designs go far beyond the traditional fire bowl. You can choose from contemporary gas fire pit tables, sculptural outdoor fireplaces, classic wood-burning fire pits and models that transform into BBQs or Planchas for outdoor cooking.
That variety is great for creating the right outdoor space, but it can also make choosing one surprisingly difficult.
In this guide, we look at the main types of fire pit, the differences between gas and wood burning, materials and sizes to consider, where to position one and how to choose a model that suits the way you actually use your garden.
What type of fire pit should you choose?
The best starting point isn't appearance or even fuel type. Think about what you want the fire pit to do.
Do you primarily want warmth and atmosphere? A focal point for an outdoor seating area? A fire table around which guests can place drinks? Or would you like to cook over the fire as well?
Once you know that, the choices become much easier.
Traditional fire pits and fire bowls
For the classic experience of sitting around a real fire, a wood-burning fire pit or fire bowl is difficult to beat.
These designs tend to be relatively simple: an open bowl or fire chamber burns logs or suitable solid fuel, producing visible flames, radiant heat and the unmistakable atmosphere of a real wood fire.
They work particularly well on patios and within informal seating areas where the fire itself is intended to be the focal point.
Materials vary considerably. Steel offers a contemporary appearance, while Corten steel is particularly popular for outdoor fire pits because it develops a distinctive weathered surface over time. Rather than trying to hide exposure to the elements, the changing finish becomes part of the design.
For gardens where authentic flame and character matter more than instant convenience, this is often the natural choice.
Fire pit tables: warmth meets outdoor furniture
A fire pit table takes a different approach.
Rather than having a standalone fire bowl in the middle of a seating area, the burner is incorporated into a table. This creates a more integrated outdoor-living arrangement and is particularly well suited to contemporary patios, pergolas and lounge furniture.
Many use gas, providing an adjustable flame without the preparation, smoke or ash associated with a wood fire.
Some designs resemble coffee tables with a central burner, while larger models provide considerably more surrounding tabletop space. Complete outdoor furniture sets are also available with a fire pit table designed specifically to complement the seating.
They're an attractive option if you entertain outdoors because the fire becomes part of the furniture arrangement rather than something positioned separately from it.
For a modern garden, this can be one of the easiest ways to combine warmth, ambience and practical table space.
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Outdoor fireplaces: make the fire a feature
If you want the fire itself to become an architectural feature, consider an outdoor fireplace.
These tend to have more height and visual presence than a conventional fire pit and can work particularly well against contemporary landscaping, beside a terrace or as a focal point beyond an outdoor seating area.
Styles range from traditional garden fireplaces to minimalist steel and Corten designs.
The enclosed or partially enclosed fire chamber also creates a very different visual effect from an open bowl. Flames are framed within the structure, while a chimney or flue directs smoke upwards on applicable models.
An outdoor fireplace therefore isn't simply an alternative-shaped fire pit. It can become part of the garden design itself.
Fire pit BBQs and Planchas: when the fire becomes the kitchen
One of the most interesting developments in outdoor heating is the crossover between fire pit and outdoor cooking.
Some fire pits can be fitted with optional grills, Plancha plates and cooking accessories, allowing the same product used for warmth and ambience to become an outdoor cooking station.
That versatility can be particularly valuable if you don't want a separate BBQ occupying additional patio space.
A fire pit might provide warmth during a relaxed evening one day, then become somewhere to grill meat, vegetables or seafood the next.
Plancha-style cooking surfaces are particularly sociable because people can gather around the fire while food is prepared.
If outdoor cooking is important to you, check exactly which cooking accessories are compatible with the fire pit you're considering. In some ranges the cooking components are optional rather than supplied with the fire pit itself.
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Gas or wood-burning fire pit?
This is one of the biggest decisions when choosing a fire pit.
Neither fuel is universally better. They provide quite different experiences.
Why choose a wood-burning fire pit?
Wood creates the most traditional fire experience.
You get natural flames, glowing embers and the sound and character associated with burning logs. Wood-burning fire pits can also produce substantial radiant heat and often have relatively simple construction.
They're particularly appealing if the ritual of building and tending the fire is part of what you enjoy.
The trade-off is convenience. You'll need suitable dry fuel and somewhere to store it, and there will be ash to clear afterwards. Smoke also needs consideration when deciding where the fire pit will be positioned.
Why choose a gas fire pit?
Gas is about convenience and control.
Ignition is typically quick, flame height can usually be adjusted, and when you're finished there is no ash or partially burned wood to deal with.
That makes gas particularly attractive for fire pit tables and contemporary outdoor seating areas where you may want to use the fire frequently without making an event of lighting it.
The appearance is different from a traditional log fire, but lava rock and other decorative media can create an impressive flame effect.
You'll also need to consider where the gas bottle is housed. Some fire tables conceal it within the structure, while other designs require a separate gas-bottle enclosure.
What material is best for a fire pit?
The material affects much more than appearance. It influences how a fire pit ages and how it fits into the surrounding garden.
Corten steel
Corten is intentionally designed to develop a weathered, rust-coloured patina.
That warm finish works particularly well with planting, timber and natural landscaping, making Corten fire pits popular in both contemporary and more organic garden designs.
The evolving surface is part of the appeal rather than a defect.
Powder-coated steel and aluminium
Dark powder-coated finishes provide a cleaner, more contemporary appearance and pair particularly well with modern outdoor furniture.
Aluminium is also widely used in gas fire tables because it combines relatively low weight with outdoor suitability.
Stone-effect and composite finishes
Fire pit tables increasingly use finishes designed to resemble stone, concrete or ceramic materials.
These can provide the substantial appearance of masonry while allowing the manufacturer to create furniture-like designs more suited to modern terraces and lounge areas.
When comparing products, always check the manufacturer's care and weather-protection guidance for the particular materials used.
What size fire pit do you need?
It's tempting to choose purely according to the dimensions of the fire pit, but the more useful measurement is the space required around it.
A compact fire bowl may work beautifully within a small patio seating arrangement, while a large fire table needs enough room for people to move comfortably around both the table and surrounding furniture.
Before buying, mark the dimensions on your patio using tape, cardboard or another temporary marker.
Then position your chairs around it.
This simple exercise gives a much better impression of scale than dimensions on a product page alone.
For larger gardens, don't automatically choose the biggest fire pit available. The correct scale should relate to the seating arrangement and surrounding landscaping.
Where should you position a fire pit?
Fire pits should always be positioned according to the manufacturer's installation and safety instructions.
As a general principle, choose a stable, level and suitable non-combustible surface, with appropriate clearance from buildings, fencing, vegetation, furniture and combustible materials.
Never assume that a fire pit is suitable for use beneath a pergola, canopy or covered structure simply because it physically fits. Requirements vary significantly according to fuel type and individual product design.
Wood-burning products also require particular consideration for smoke, sparks and prevailing wind.
Gas products need suitable ventilation and safe storage and connection of the gas cylinder.
The product manual should always take precedence over general positioning advice.
Can you put a fire pit under a pergola?
This deserves special attention because fire pits and pergolas are increasingly bought for the same outdoor-living spaces.
The answer depends on the specific fire pit and specific structure.
Clearances, ventilation, ceiling height, construction materials and manufacturer restrictions all matter. A gas fire table that may be suitable within one sufficiently ventilated structure cannot automatically be assumed safe beneath another.
Wood-burning fire pits introduce additional concerns around smoke, sparks and heat.
Check the instructions supplied by both the fire pit manufacturer and the structure manufacturer before installing any heating appliance beneath or close to a pergola or covered outdoor area.
Can you cook on a fire pit?
Some fire pits are designed specifically to offer this capability.
Compatible grill grates can turn certain fire bowls into traditional grills, while Plancha rings provide a large hot cooking surface around the central fire.
Other fire pits are designed purely for heating and should not be used for cooking.
If cooking appeals to you, choose a model for which the manufacturer specifically provides suitable cooking accessories rather than attempting to adapt an ordinary fire pit.
This is also worth considering before purchase. A compatible grill or Plancha can substantially expand what you can do with the product later, even if initially you're buying it primarily for warmth.
Explore Fire Pit BBQs & Planchas →
Creating an outdoor seating area around a fire pit
A good fire-pit area should feel like somewhere people naturally want to gather.
Rather than adding the fire pit after arranging the furniture, consider designing the seating arrangement around the fire.
A circular or square fire pit works naturally with individual lounge chairs positioned around it. A rectangular fire table can complement opposing sofas, while corner and U-shaped furniture arrangements work particularly well with coffee-table-style gas fire pits.
Allow enough room for people to sit and move comfortably while observing the clearances specified by the manufacturer.
You can then build the wider setting with planters, outdoor rugs where appropriate, side tables and subtle outdoor lighting.
The result is less like placing a heater on a patio and more like creating an outdoor room.
How to choose the right fire pit?
Before buying, ask yourself a few simple questions.
- Do you want real wood or push-button gas convenience?
- Is the priority heat, ambience, cooking, or a combination of the three?
- Do you want the fire pit to be a standalone feature or part of an outdoor furniture arrangement?
- How much space do you have around it?
- Will you need a cover, glass wind guard, grill, Plancha or other accessories?
- And finally, what will the fire pit look like when it isn't lit?
That last question is easily overlooked. For much of the time a fire pit is effectively a piece of outdoor furniture or garden sculpture, so its materials, proportions and design should complement the surrounding space.
Make more of your garden after the sun goes down
The appeal of a fire pit isn't simply the heat it produces.
It's what happens around it.
An outdoor space that might otherwise empty as the evening cools can become somewhere to sit longer, talk, entertain and cook. And with today's choice ranging from simple fire bowls to sophisticated gas fire tables and cooking systems, there's no single way to create that space.
At Grand Curations, we've brought together fire pits and outdoor heating from specialist outdoor-living brands across a range of styles, fuels and price points.
Whether you're looking for the character of a wood-burning fire, the convenience of a contemporary gas fire table, a statement outdoor fireplace or a fire pit that doubles as an outdoor cooking experience, you can explore the collections below.
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