Best Smokeless Fire Pits of 2024

Most models use a double-wall design (like an insulated metal mug) to burn wood more efficiently, cutting smoke in the process. That wall is crucial—by trapping hot air against the fire chamber, it makes it easier for wood to fully light. In addition, most models feature a network of holes or vents, strategically placed to promote airflow. The oxygen in the air feeds the fire, allowing the wood to light faster and more completely, and reducing smoke in the process. By extension, smokeless fire pits put off heat, and typically burn at least as hot as a traditional fire, if not hotter. 

Note that these fire pits reduce, not eliminate, the smoke. “None of the smokeless fire pits we’ve tested produce a fire that’s truly smokeless,” says Bernie Deitrick, CR’s project leader in charge of smokeless fire pit testing. “Instead, it’s better to think of them as smoke-less fire pits, meaning they smoke less than a conventional fire.” 

All wood fires produce smoke, particularly when the fire is first lighting. You start to see the most notable reduction in smoke only once the fire is roaring. Generally, models that are faster and more thorough to light (and score higher in our ratings for small and large fires) do the best job reducing the smoke.