The Best Fire Pits Under $500

The Cowboy Fire Pit Grill earns our blue ribbon for best overall fire pit. The modular fire pit was thoughtfully designed with chef input, promising to maximize your open-fire cooking experience and aid you in serving your best steaks and s’mores to date. Each Cowboy fire pit is forged from rust and weather-resistant steel and finished with a high-temperature paint to maintain its appeal over time. The singular system transforms from a traditional fire pit into a fully operating open fire grill with a height-adjustable grate, overhead tool storage and a hanger bar. Treat yourself to this hardworking fire pit as is, or splurge on the premier bundle that includes everything listed above, plus an additional grill grate, an attachable side table, several s-hooks, two chains and a fire pit grill cover.

Lead smoke to your pork butt and away from your ponytail with our pick for best smokeless fire pit: the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 Smokeless Portable Fire Pit. The mid-sized fire pit stands apart from its peers due to its polished design, innovative Signature 360°Airflow dual-walled interior and unsurpassed portability. The double-walled pit features a vented base that enables oxygen to feed your flames from below, ultimately washing the fire with hot air and minimizing smoke output. Better still, each Bonfire 2.0 weighs a little over 23 pounds for easy transport and comes in five, high-heat ceramic coated finishes: silver, water, mulberry, deep olive or ash.

Ideal for tailgating for the big game or grilling up campfire favorites with your family, take your outdoor cooking talents on the road with the help of the Natavia Outdoor Fire Pit. This dual-fuel pit comes equipped with open-fire cooking essentials, including a poker, rotisserie kit, a cooking grate and an adjustable height swivel grate that allows you to adjust heat exposure as needed. Each Natavia pit is compatible with charcoal or wood fuel and forged from weather-resistant iron. It weighs 36 pounds, making it just light enough for easy transport but sturdy enough to stay upright and maximize your safety while in use.

Make magic on the grill with our go-to metal fire pit: the Cauldron Fire Pit Bowl, Grate and Stand from Ash & Ember. The classic cauldron-style fire pit is forged from durable cast iron and dangles from a powder-coated steel stand to provide a captivating centerpiece for your backyard. The inky fire pit bowl comes with grill grates that slide in and out of place, allowing you to grill meat, roast vegetables and whip up delights in your Dutch oven over the open flames as you see fit. And, if you’re not in the mood to cook — remove the grate and bask in the warmth of the roaring flames until the last ember burns out.

Treat yourself to the Solo Stove Mesa XL Tabletop Fire Pit to up the ambiance at your next alfresco dinner party. We’re smitten with this pint-sized pit because the compact design weighs less than three pounds (that’s right, three pounds!) and creates an ambient centerpiece for any outdoor table. It comes equipped with the same Signature 360°Airflow technology as the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 mentioned above, providing you with low-smoke flames prime for roasting marshmallows with your tots or enjoying outdoor fondue with your boo. Each Mesa XL includes a tabletop stand, a pellet adapter and a comfortable nylon carry bag to bring the heat wherever you go. Scoop up the signature olive finish seen here, or grab one of the additional eye-catching hues: ash, water or stainless steel.

Go big or go home with this divine wood-burning fire pit from CB2. Though the rectangular metal fire pit isn’t our top option for open fire cooking, we feel it makes up for what it lacks in the functionality department with its show-stopping form. The streamlined pit measures four feet wide and two feet deep, making it a natural anchor and gathering place at the center of your expansive patio. The contemporary silhouette makes an effortless addition to modern and traditional outdoor furnishings alike, and the heat-resistant iron maintains its striking depth with proper care during inclement weather.

Heat-up your small but sweet outdoor oasis with the Cuisinart Cleanburn Smokeless Fire Pit. We’re big fans of this fire pit for warming up cozy quarters because it features a round silhouette that easily squeezes into small spaces. Better still, the compact design comes with a double wall interior and vented base that work in tandem to produce smokeless flames. Smoke-free flames are essential in our book, because let’s face it, few things in life sound less appealing than spending time in a small outdoor space becoming rapidly overpowered by billowing wood smoke. Each Cuisinart Cleanburn Smokeless Fire Pit is steel-forged, features legs to reduce heat build-up and has an integrated ashtray for quick cleaning at the end of each burn.

Your long and laborious quest to find a fire feature that doubles as sculptural art ends with the Angled Obelisk Chiminea. Its striking silhouette is realized by a single piece of heavy-gauge weathering steel that develops a one-of-a-kind patina over time. The wood-burning chiminea is available in two sizes; the taller is ideal for complementing an expansive outdoor entertaining space, while the shorter is a seamless addition to warm your intimate garden alcove. Choose from a pre-oxidized black or copper orange finish to round out your patio design and set yourself up for chic s’mores sessions for years to come.

Skip the wood smoke altogether. Serve friends a batch of boozy Bonfire cocktails and crudites around the Breazia Outdoor Fire Table. This spacious fire table features a wood-inspired rust-resistant iron body that plays well with vibrant and neutral patio furnishings. Each table features a fire display centerpiece that runs 30 inches long and an integrated base cabinet to keep your 20 pound propane tank out of sight while entertaining. Though this table isn’t ideal for grilling goodies, it offers guests generous parking for their sips and snacks, and delivers unmatched ambiance for alfresco meals shared with family.

The Geraldine Steel Fire Pit earns our recommendation for the avid backyard grill meisters that often feed – or host – a crowd. This fire-burning pit is steel forged, measures 42 inches in diameter and holds up to 25 pounds of firewood at once to provide enough warmth for up to 12 people at peak burn. The inviting pit includes a detachable two-tiered grill grate that extends over the flames, offering over 570 square inches of cooking surface for burgers, brats, corn on the cob and campfire quesadillas for a crowd. Best part? You can remove the grill grates and slide on a lid to transform the pit into a spacious table for impromptu coffee dates or neighborly lunches.