Best Fire Pit Ever? Solo Stove Bonfire Review

Have you ever wanted the perfect fire pit that you could take with you on your travels? We believe the Solo Stove Bonfire is that fire pit!

Solo Stove Bonfire Customer Review

We took the Solo Stove Bonfire on our camping trip to Cloudlands Canyon State Park in northern Georgia. 

Obviously, this was a car camping trip and we would not recommend using the Solo Stove fire pits for backpacking. They’re just too heavy for that use, but perfect for car camping and other travel adventures.

This was our first time using the Bonfire. There’s virtually no set up for the stove. After getting it to our campsite, we just took it out of the carrying case and placed it on a hard, level surface. 

You can get a Bonfire stand for the stove, if you want to keep the heat away from the surface, such as on grass or a wood deck. The stand also allows for the bottom vent to still function, as intended.

Solo Stove does not recommend using the fire pit in the rain or allowing it to be exposed to the rain. This is due to the design of the stove and the vent holes in the top and bottom. Also, the stove has a double wall construction and you don’t want water to get in between the walls. You’ll never get it out and it will affect the performance of the fire pit.

We had no issues getting the fire going in our Bonfire. We used smaller wood as the base of our fire with a paper towel as kindling. The fire lights, very quickly and stays burning with a hotter fire until all the fuel you’ve added burns completely.

We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s’mores over the pit, using the Solo Stove roasting sticks. It also provided a great fire to sit around after dark with less smoke than any camp fire or fire pit I’ve ever experienced. 

Once we were done and the fire burned out, we allowed the Bonfire to cool and placed the carrying case upside down over the stove to protect it from the elements, over night. 

The stainless steel construction of the stove seems virtually indestructible, if you take proper care of the stove (mainly, keeping it dry). Even if you do have an issue with the fire pit, Solo Stove offers a lifetime guarantee of the stoves (this includes free return shipping for any warranty issues you have with the stove).

In our opinion, this is the best fire pit we’ve ever used. It seems we get a new backyard fire pit, every year, as the old one just doesn’t last more than one season. We expect to have our Bonfire for years and years to come — including bringing it with us on multiple travel adventures!

Solo Stove Bonfire

Solo Stove offers 3 different sized smokeless fire pits; built from 304 stainless steel with an innovative design that allows for a super efficient, smokeless campfire.

Weighing in at just 20 pounds and an included carrying case make this the perfect fire pit for your family travels.

The Solo Stove Bonfire fire pit has strategically placed vent holes in the double-wall structure that suck air from the bottom and feed the heated oxygen to the top resulting in a spectacular flame with intense heat. The best part? Nearly no smoke and minimal ash left over! Making the Bonfire not only easy to clean up, but won’t leave you smelling like campfire.

Solo Stove also offers a smaller Ranger fire pit and the larger Yukon fire pit. The Ranger comes in at just 15 pounds, but is probably not large enough for a good family camp fire. The Yukon (replacement for the Titan) weighs 38 pounds, so it probably would be too much for traveling, but would make a great stay-at-home fire pit.

This means the Bonfire is the perfect sized fire pit for your travels. 

The Solo Stove fire pits do not include an ash pan, as the fire pits burn so efficiently that you have almost no left over ashes. Just flip the fire pit over and dump out the small amount of ash left after a weekend of camp fires.

You can add a Solo Stove, like the Bonfire, to your fire ring, at home to serve as your backyard fire pit. You just need to leave a few inches of air space around the stove to allow for proper air flow. We use it at home, but do not have a specified fire ring for the Bonfire, as we use it for our travel adventures, as well.

Due to that air flow, the Bonfire lights, very easily. With just a little kindling and maybe a paper towel, the stove lights up almost immediately. The fire will continue to burn added fuel with very little smoke.

Solo Stove Bonfire Accessories

Solo Stove offers several accessories for your fire pit. We opted for the stand and roasting sticks. The Bonfire stand helps if you plan to put the fire pit on a wood deck. We wanted it for using the Bonfire on our pool deck, just for a little added protection.

The roasting sticks from Solo Stove are amazing! I would buy these marshmallow roasting sticks, even if we didn’t have the Bonfire. They’re very solid, but also break down easily for travel and include a beautiful rolled carrying case. They also feature the Solo Stove fire logo on the sticks.

You can also get Solo Stove fire starters and wood for the fire pits, although I’m sure any quality fire wood and fire starters (we like fat lighter wood here in the South) will work with the Solo Stove. 

Solo Stove also offers a fire shield for their outdoor fire pits. Although the Solo Stove uses a secondary burn to produce less ash and smoke-free experience with your camp fire, a random tinder could fly out of the stove, based on the type of wood and kindling you use. The Fire Shield helps prevent those hot tinders from escaping the stove and damaging surrounding environment, like your deck or sleeping bag.

The Solo Stove Shelter offers a more permanent cover for your fire pit. It looks great and is designed specifically for your Solo Stove. However, the included carrying case serves basically the same purpose by just turning it upside down and sliding it over your fire pit. This would be a better accessory for you if you plan to make a Solo Stove more of a backyard fire pit and not a traveling camp fire.

A Solo Stove product we will probably add to our Bonfire at some point is the fire pit tools. This tool kit includes a fire poker and log grabber, so you don’t have to reach your hands and arms into the Bonfire. Very handy as the fire burns down over the course of the night.

Solo Stove Bonfire FAQ

Is the Solo Stove Bonfire worth it?

The Bonfire is a little pricey (although you can often find them on sale — holidays, Black Friday, etc.), however we feel the construction, nearly smokeless fire, the burn efficiency, and portability of the stove make it worth every penny.

Where should I use the Bonfire? 

The Bonfire works great in a backyard or take it with you to your car camping site.

Do I need to purchase any accessories? 

No, the fire pit is ready to use with just wood.

What wood types do you recommend using as fuel? 

Any firewood logs will burn but for optimum efficiency Solo Stove recommend dry hard woods. Hardwoods such as birch, maple, hickory and oak will burn longer than softwoods.

How heavy is Bonfire? 

20 lbs.

How do I clean up and store my Bonfire? 

After your Bonfire is cool, turn it upside down to empty any remaining ashes left in the stove. Keep the Bonfire in a cool and dry place when not in use. 

Can I place the Bonfire in an existing fire pit? 

Yes, however Solo Stove recommends 2+ inches of clearance around the unit for proper ventilation.