A wood burning fire pit is one of those purchases that looks simple until you start reading listings. Footprints run from a 20 inch square you can lift into a truck bed to a 37 inch rectangular marble tile set that stays exactly where you put it. Some listings include a spark screen, a poker, and a cover. One here adds a grill grate. Two of these six products are not fire pits at all, but the supporting gear that makes a fire night work: a mat that goes underneath and a repellent for the ground around the seating area. This guide compares the group on the things that actually decide whether you are still using the pit next spring, which are how the build is described, what is included in the box, whether the piece is meant to move, and how it handles the two jobs a wood burning fire pit has to do: burning wood where you can sit near it, and catching embers before they reach a deck board.
Related: Fire Pit Placement: Clearance, Wind, and Where the Smoke Goes
Quick answer
The Kingson 20" Square Outdoor Fire Pit with X-Frame Mesh Design is the strongest fit for most backyards because it is the only model in this group that pairs a spark screen and poker with a 2-in-1 fire pit and BBQ grill layout in a portable, heavy-duty steel frame. Choose the Fire Pit Set, Wood Burning Pit -Includes Screen, Cover and Log Poker- Great for Outdoor and Patio, 37" Marble Tile Rectangular Firepit by Pure Garden instead when you want a larger, fixed footprint and a cover included from day one.
Fire pit essentials worth comparing
Kingson 20" Square Outdoor Fire Pit with X-Frame Mesh Design, Portable 2-in-1 Fire Pit & BBQ Grill, Heavy-Duty Steel with Spark Screen & Poker for Backyard & Camping
Check current Amazon price
A 20 inch square steel pit built as a 2-in-1: burn wood or set it up for grilling. The X-frame mesh design is paired with a spark screen and a poker, and the portable format is aimed at backyards and camping trips alike.
Visit on Amazon
Fire Pit Set, Wood Burning Pit -Includes Screen, Cover and Log Poker- Great for Outdoor and Patio, 37” Marble Tile Rectangular Firepit by Pure Garden
Check current Amazon price
A 37 inch rectangular wood burning pit with a marble tile surround, sold as a set with a screen, a cover, and a log poker. The rectangular shape and tile finish suit a permanent patio arrangement rather than a move-it-around setup.
Visit on Amazon
Yaheetech 26in Fire Pits for Outside Hex Shaped Fire Pit Wood Fire Pit Outdoor Fireplace for Bonfire Patio Picnic BBQ, with Spark Cover, Fire Poker
Check current Amazon price
A 26 inch hex shaped wood fire pit for bonfires, patios, picnics, and BBQ use. Ships with a spark cover and a fire poker, so the two pieces most often bought separately are already in the box.
Visit on Amazon
VINGLI 32in Wood Fire Pit with Mesh Lid and Fire Poker, Portable Outdoor Fireplace Burning FirePit for Chrismas Backyard Patio Outside Picnic BBQ Party
A 32 inch wood burning fire pit with a mesh lid and a fire poker, described as portable and intended for backyard, patio, picnic, and party use. The mid-size footprint sits between the small portable pits and the large rectangular set.
Visit on Amazon
48" Fire Pit Mat for Solo Stove Yukon - Round Under Grill Mat
A 48 inch round mat sized for the Solo Stove Yukon and described as an under-grill mat. This is the support piece in the group, the layer that goes between a portable pit or grill and the surface below it.
Visit on Amazon
Armadillo Repellent Spray, Natural Armadillo Deterrent Concentrate 32 fl oz
Check current Amazon price
A natural armadillo deterrent concentrate in a 32 fluid ounce bottle. Included here for fire pit owners whose ground-level seating areas get dug up overnight, which is a landscaping problem rather than a combustion one.
Visit on AmazonPrices and availability may change. Check the retailer for current details.
How these products were compared
This guide compares footprint and shape, included accessories, whether the piece is meant to stay put or travel, the material and build description in the listing, and whether the item is a primary fire pit or a supporting accessory. Product names, images, and retailer links are matched by their catalog identifiers so that every card points to the product shown.
That means the distinctions below come from what the listings state, not from burn nights in a test yard. Where the product data does not support a meaningful difference between two options, this article says so instead of inventing one. Readers who want to confirm the current price, availability, or return terms should use the retailer link on the card for the exact model they are considering.
How to choose the right fire pit
Start with the footprint and work backward. A 20 inch square pit like the Kingson is a personal-space fire: two or three chairs pulled close, a short log load, and a small radiant zone. A 26 inch hex like the Yaheetech or a 32 inch round like the VINGLI spreads heat across a wider arc and takes longer logs, which means longer between reloads. The 37 inch rectangular Pure Garden set is the only one here with a marble tile surround, and tile changes the calculus: it reads as part of the patio rather than a piece of equipment sitting on it, and it is the least likely of the group to be moved once placed.
Shape matters more than most buyers expect. Round and hex pits throw heat evenly in all directions, which is what you want if seating wraps around the fire. Rectangular pits are better for a linear seating layout, such as two benches or a sofa-and-chairs arrangement facing the fire from one side. Square pits like the Kingson sit between the two, with corners that read as a bit more architectural on a small patio.
Then look at what is actually in the box. Three of the fire pits here include a spark screen or mesh lid and a poker, and the Pure Garden set adds a cover. If a listing omits the screen, budget for one separately, because an open bowl of burning wood next to a house is a deck repair waiting on a windy evening. The mesh lid on the VINGLI and the spark cover on the Yaheetech serve the same purpose as the Kingson's spark screen: they slow embers on their way up and keep the burn contained.
Finally, decide whether you are a mover or a placer. Portable pits are described that way for a reason, and the Kingson, Yaheetech, and VINGLI listings all lean into picnic, camping, and party use. If the pit will live in one spot for years, buy for that spot instead, and put the money into size and finish rather than handles. If you are still deciding where the pit should sit relative to wind, seating, and structures, our fire pit placement guide walks through the layout questions before you commit to a size.
Kingson 20" Square Outdoor Fire Pit with X-Frame Mesh Design
The Kingson is the top pick because it covers the most use cases with the fewest gaps. It is a 20 inch square steel pit with an X-frame mesh design, and it is built as a 2-in-1: burn wood as a fire pit, or set it up as a BBQ grill. The listing includes a spark screen and a poker, which are the two accessories that separate a functional fire pit from a bowl of burning logs. Heavy-duty steel construction is the stated build, and the portable format means it can move from the backyard to a campsite without a second purchase.
The trade-offs are real and worth naming. Twenty inches is a small fire. You will be feeding it shorter splits more often than you would a 32 or 37 inch pit, and the radiant zone is intimate rather than roomy. A 2-in-1 design always means a compromise somewhere, since the grill configuration and the fire configuration cannot both be optimal at once. And unlike the Pure Garden set, no cover is included, so plan on storing it under something or bringing it inside during long wet stretches.
Alternatives to consider
The Fire Pit Set, Wood Burning Pit -Includes Screen, Cover and Log Poker- Great for Outdoor and Patio, 37" Marble Tile Rectangular Firepit by Pure Garden is better suited to a permanent patio installation where the fire pit is part of the hardscape and you want the cover, screen, and log poker handled in one purchase. Its rectangular marble tile format is the most furniture-like option in this group. The Yaheetech 26in Fire Pits for Outside Hex Shaped Fire Pit is a stronger fit when you want a mid-size wood fire pit with a distinct hex silhouette and both a spark cover and a fire poker included, and the 26 inch footprint splits the difference between a small portable pit and a full-size centerpiece.
The VINGLI 32in Wood Fire Pit with Mesh Lid and Fire Poker covers the middle of the size range with a mesh lid and poker included, described for backyard, patio, picnic, and party use. The 48" Fire Pit Mat for Solo Stove Yukon - Round Under Grill Mat covers the ground layer: a 48 inch round mat sized for the Solo Stove Yukon and sold as an under-grill mat, which is the kind of item that makes a portable pit practical on a patio or a lawn. The Armadillo Repellent Spray, Natural Armadillo Deterrent Concentrate 32 fl oz covers a different problem entirely, the digging that shows up around ground-level seating areas, and it is a landscaping accessory rather than a fire accessory.
Day-to-day use and maintenance
Every wood burning fire pit in this group asks for the same basic routine: burn dry wood, let the fire die down completely, and remove ash once the pit is cold. Ash that sits through a wet week turns into a paste that is harder to scoop and holds moisture against the metal, which is how thin steel starts to pit. A cover, or a spot under a roof overhang, does more for the lifespan of a pit than any other single habit, and it is the reason the Pure Garden set's included cover is worth noting.
The mesh parts need attention too. Spark screens, mesh lids, and spark covers clog with fine ash and creosote over a season, and a clogged screen does not catch embers the way it did when it was clean. Brush them down when you clean the bowl. The 48 inch mat is the one item here that should be inspected regularly, since it is designed to sit between a heat source and the surface below it. Check it for scorching, brittleness, or curling, and replace it if it stops lying flat.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for clearance, fuel type, and cool-down time for whichever model you buy. Those instructions govern the specifics that a general guide cannot, including how far the pit should sit from structures, railings, and low branches, and whether the grill configuration has its own limitations. Keep the poker with the pit, not in a shed, because moving a log with a stick you found nearby is how most burns happen.
Buying checklist
- Measure the footprint you can actually live with, and compare it to the 20, 26, 32, and 37 inch options here.
- Choose round, hex, square, or rectangular based on how your seating wraps around the fire, not on looks alone.
- Confirm that the exact model includes a spark screen, mesh lid, or spark cover, plus a poker.
- Decide whether you need a cover and a ground mat, since several of these listings do not include them.
- Read the cleaning and care instructions before the first burn, not after the first rain.
- Verify the current retailer price, availability, and return terms on the card for the model you want.
Final recommendation
Choose the Kingson 20" Square Outdoor Fire Pit with X-Frame Mesh Design when you want one portable, heavy-duty steel pit that can burn wood in the backyard and switch to a BBQ grill setup on a camping trip, with a spark screen and poker already included. Choose the Fire Pit Set, Wood Burning Pit -Includes Screen, Cover and Log Poker- Great for Outdoor and Patio, 37" Marble Tile Rectangular Firepit by Pure Garden when the pit is going to live in one place on a patio and you would rather have the larger rectangular footprint, the tile surround, and the cover in a single purchase. If neither of those matches how you actually sit by a fire, the 26 inch Yaheetech and the 32 inch VINGLI split the size difference, and the mat and repellent cover the two support problems that come up after the pit is in place.