Our long-time shopping editor has tested and reviewed over a dozen Solo Stove products. Here's what she’d order again.
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Solo Stove Reviews: We Tested Just About Everything on the Website
Updated on Oct. 08, 2024
When it comes to hosting get-togethers, enjoying the backyard is a huge perk. Friends’ company with autumn leaves falling on the ground, kids playing in the grass and someone grilling food for the crowd can create lasting core memories. Of course, securing the best backyard setup for gatherings isn’t always easy. There are a ton of choices when it comes to deck furniture, outdoor grills, fire pits and more.
Luckily, I’ve locked down my all-time favorite outdoor fire pit brand: Solo Stove. I’ve tested products from various outdoor brands, and I’ve written countless Solo Stove reviews. So far, my favorite smokeless fire pit comes from Solo Stove. I’ve spent countless hours testing products from the brand: Fire pits, chairs, patio heaters, you name it. If Solo Stove makes it, I’ve (likely) tested it. Here’s what you need to know before placing an order.
What is Solo Stove?
Solo Stove is a leading outdoor fire pit brand founded in 2011 by two brothers and a small camp stove. Their mission? To gather family and friends to create good memories. They get it.
Now, the brand has grown to include a variety of smokeless fire pits and pizza ovens, patio furniture, outdoor heaters and outdoor accessories. In addition to the official Solo Stove website, you can find select Solo Stove products on Amazon.
How We Test Solo Stove Products
I have tested over a dozen Solo Stove products in nearly every category, including evergreen, limited-edition and seasonal items. I evaluate each product based on the delivery experience, packaging, assembly, quality, and ease of use. Outfitting your patio or backyard setup with Solo Stove gear can be expensive, so I examine, test and review each product as thoroughly as I can with your hard-earned dollar in mind.
Fire Pits
Fire pits are the bread and butter of Solo Stove and the reason the brand was created. Solo Stove fire pits are a great way to add ambiance and (literal) warmth to your outdoor space, and they’re great for roasting smores and hotdogs, as well as grilling other food items.
When it comes to smokeless fire pits, Solo Stove as a brand is a leading force, creating products that meet—and in many cases exceed—industry standards. Each fire pit is made with sturdy, weatherproof 304 stainless steel and designed to funnel smoke upward away instead of outward. Solo Stove’s 360-degree Signature Airflow design heats air to burn off smoke, so you don’t have to shift around the fire pit to avoid teary eyes and a face full of smoke.
One of our favorite fire pit picks is the Bonfire 2.0, made for “the backyard and beyond.” In other words, it’s designed for a permanent or portable fire pit experience. The Solo Stove Bonfire even comes with its own carrying bag, so you can store it safely, load it up, and carry it wherever—camping, tailgating, fall party, you name it. Cleanup is easy, too; the base plate and ash pan are removable, which makes cleaning quick and easy. No special cleaning tools are needed; just lift the base plate to remove the ash pan and dump it.
We also love the Mesa fire pit if you’re looking for a smaller, more compact backyard fire experience. It has the same signature stainless steel design as other Solo Stove fire pits (e.g., the Bonfire 2.0), but it’s miniature and small enough to put on an outdoor table. Getting a fire going only takes a few minutes with the Mesa. Simply place fuel (wood or pellets) into the base of the Mesa, light your fire starter, and you’re ready to go!
MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Bonfire 2.0
MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Mesa
Pizza Ovens
Did someone say artisan pizza? The Pi Prime is Solo Stove’s first gas-only pizza oven, which comes at a price lower than other gas-powered pizza ovens on the market. The Pi Prime pizza oven is quick and easy to fire up—simply hook it up to an external propane tank and turn the control knob on the front to ignite a flame. After the oven preheats, you’re ready to launch your Neapolitan pizza creation.
Like most standard outdoor pizza ovens, the Pi Prime has a 90-second cooking experience, so pizzas cook ultra-fast at super-high temperatures. Once you’ve nailed launching and turning the pizza without overcooking it, you’ll be whipping up homemade pies for everyone to enjoy.
If you want to try your hand at wood-fired pizza, the Solo Stove Pi Fire provides the ideal gateway to backyard baking. This portable pizza oven topper fits on top of your existing Solo Stove fire pit. Unlike traditional pizza ovens that have space for wood at the bottom, the Pi Fire features long legs that elevate it over your smokeless fire pit.
MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Pi Prime Pizza Oven
MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Pi Fire
Heaters and Lights
Line your patio with sleek, modern torches like the Mesa Torch, a backyard torchlight that runs on fluid. It’s a durable, stainless-steel torch made with the famous Solo Stove design, similar to Mesa’s. The weather-resistant steel is painted a semi-matte black to blend seamlessly into any backyard scene. You can choose between two configurations: tall and short. So, your Mesa Torch can light your fence line or be at eye level when you’re sitting around the fire pit.
The Mesa Torch has a giant wick, integrated fuel canister and a bezel that fits the snuff cap perfectly for easy extinguishing. Plus, the torch will keep an oversized flame for up to five hours on a single fill. I like to fill mine with a bug-repelling torch fluid to keep mosquitos at bay during the summer.
If you’re looking for something to provide a little more warmth than light, the Solo Stove Tower Patio Heater is a pellet-fueled heater that keeps you warm in colder weather. Like the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 fire pit, it is smokeless. It has about a 10-foot heating radius, so it’s perfect for small to mid-sized patios during chilly (but not freezing) temperatures.
The Tower Patio Heater’s hopper box holds about 25 pounds of pellets, and a full hopper box should produce about three hours of warmth. It’s perfect if you want a patio heater that doesn’t use propane. Pellets are generally easier to store and lighter in weight than firewood. They’re also typically less expensive than propane and don’t pose the same combustion risks as propane tanks.
MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Mesa Torch
MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN
Tower Patio Heater
Furniture
Once your fire pit area is ready to go, you’ll need seating to kick back and enjoy the crackling flames. Solo Stove is one step ahead. Its sister brand, TerraFlame, has a line of weatherproof outdoor furniture, including the 1903 Adirondack modern chair. It combines the classic, timeless design of an Adirondack with new, lightweight outdoor materials. The chair is made of an eco-friendly composite made partially from recycled plastics.
While the chair’s materials are resistant to corrosion, the chair is also less prone to chipping and peeling than a chair made of wood. With this Solo Stove chair, you won’t have to worry about snagging clothes or blankets on splinters.
Terra Flame recently released new patio furniture, including coffee tables, loveseats and more. We’re currently assembling and testing the new furniture for review.
MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN
1903 Adirondack Chair
FAQ
What is the point of a Solo Stove?
Solo Stove fire pits are designed to promote airflow, which creates a more efficient burn with less smoke. They are also portable, so you can sit around the fire anywhere, and help contain the mess (and sometimes unpredictable nature) of a traditional backyard bonfire.
Can a Solo Stove be used on a deck?
Solo Stove fire pits can be used on a wood deck but this requires careful attention. If the fire pit is not properly elevated and insulated or if it’s misused, the deck can be charred or caught on fire.
You should never leave your Solo Stove fire pit (or any fire pit) unattended on a combustible surface, even while cooling down.
Do Solo Stoves get hot on the outside?
Yes! The outside of Solo Stove fire pits gets very hot, so please be cautious.
Can Solo Stove be used indoors?
You should never use a Solo Stove fire pit indoors, not even the Mesa. It is for outdoor use only, so please do not try to use it indoors at your kitchen table. You can, however, use it on outdoor dining tables and end tables.
TerraFlame’s S’mores Bowl uses smoke-free gel fuel and can be used indoors on a table or counter for easy, inside marshmallow roasting.
Why You Should Trust Us
Family Handyman Shopping Editor Mary Henn is an expert in outdoor trends. For almost two years, she’s been tracking and testing Solo Stove products through her Solo Stove review series, which is continuously expanding to include various products from the brand.
She’s spent hours extensively testing everything from the brand’s fire pits to pizza ovens, backyard heaters, patio furniture and more. While Solo Stove is known for churning out quality backyard and fire pit products, Mary tests every product she can get her hands on to ensure that the brand’s quality lives up to the hype. That way, you can make consumer-informed decisions based on real-life testing before you buy.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a well-made, stainless steel backyard fire pit, Solo Stove’s got it. The brand manufactures quality products and thoughtful accessories like s’mores kits, popcorn makers, gloves and so much more. Like many top-tier fire pit brands, some of their products are pricey, but you pay for a fire pit that will be the center of backyard family gatherings for years to come.
Solo Stove’s Mesa fire pit starts at $80, while its smallest ground fire pit, the Ranger, retails for $200. Our favorite, the best-selling Bonfire fire pit, sells for $250, while the brand’s largest fire pit, the Canyon, is $700. Best of all, many Solo Stove accessories are available to elevate your backyard fire pit experience, making Solo Stove unique. The brand offers free standard shipping with a purchase of $99 or more and frequently runs sales and deals sitewide.
