Solo Stove Bonfire with Stand | 19.5" Smokeless Fire Pit, Removable Ash Pan | Portable Stainless Steel Wood Burning Outdoor Fireplace, Ideal for 4–6 People, 21.75 lbs

A clean-burning campfire you can carry to the patio, the beach, or a campsite is exactly the promise that drew me to the Bonfire 2.0. After a dozen nights of use across a deck, a paver patio, and a sandy riverbank, I’m convinced it strikes one of the best balances between portability, build quality, and low-smoke performance in a wood fire pit. It isn’t perfect, but its strengths line up with what most people actually want from an outdoor fire: easy starts, less smoke, and straightforward cleanup.

Design and build

The Bonfire is a double-walled, 19.5-inch stainless steel cylinder with a vented base and a perforated upper ring. The look is minimalist and clean, and the 304 stainless paired with a high-heat ceramic coating feels premium in hand. At just over 21 pounds, it’s light enough to load into a trunk without help, but substantial enough that it never feels flimsy or resonant when it heats up.

The included stand deserves credit. Elevating the fire pit by a couple of inches improves airflow and, more importantly, protects decking and lawn from radiant heat. I used it on a wood deck with no scorching or browning underneath. If you plan to run a fire pit on any heat-sensitive surface, the stand turns a “maybe” into a “yes” with appropriate clearances.

Fit and finish are excellent. Welds are tidy, edges are smooth, and the inner components—flame ring, base plate, and ash pan—slot together without fuss. Expect the usual straw and blue patina on the metal after a few hot burns; cosmetically it still looks sharp, and that heat tint doesn’t affect performance.

Setup and portability

Unbox, place the stand, set the Bonfire on top, and drop in the base plate and ash pan. That’s it. The included soft case is actually useful; it has enough structure to make packing and carrying simple, and it keeps soot off your car. For short moves around the yard, the design is a bit awkward—you’re tempted to grab the clean outer rim and the inner ring at the same time, which transfers soot to your fingers. I’d love a subtle carry handle solution for those 10-foot relocations, but I can live with the status quo.

Lighting and performance

The Bonfire is happiest with dry, seasoned hardwood and a modest top-down stack—small splits on bottom, kindling and a couple of fire starters on top. With that approach, I consistently had visible secondary combustion (the signature “jets” along the rim) within 10–15 minutes. Once it’s up to temperature, the burn is impressively clean and self-sustaining. Add a split every 10–20 minutes, and it just goes.

“Smokeless” is marketing shorthand for “dramatically less smoke,” and that’s exactly what I experienced. Stand upwind when you first light it, and as the fire gets hot you can move anywhere around the pit without constantly dodging a gray plume. Use marginal, damp wood and you’ll still make smoke—physics hasn’t been repealed—but the design genuinely reduces it when the fire is fed correctly. I walked inside after several hours without that embedded campfire smell in my clothes.

One trait worth noting: these double-wall pits burn hot and fast. The Bonfire chews through wood efficiently and leaves a fine, talc-like ash. That efficiency means less lingering, smoldering coal the next morning, and it also means you’ll want a healthy stack of splits nearby if you’re hosting a long evening.

Heat output and seating

The Bonfire is sized for 4–6 people, and that’s accurate if you keep chairs within a reasonable radius. The bulk of the heat plume is vertical, so the warmth feels most intense when you’re close. In still conditions, you can sit back a little; in a breeze, you’ll want to scoot in. If your goal is to warm a large circle from several feet away, a wider steel bowl or a fire table throws more lateral heat—but it will also smoke more. For its footprint, the Bonfire throws plenty of heat for a small group and excels at the “gathered close” vibe.

Smoke control tips that actually help

• Use truly seasoned hardwood. Softwood and damp splits will smoke and spark.
• Keep log ends below the rim; overstuffing interrupts the secondary burn.
• Add wood in moderate doses. Starving the fire or flooding it both create smoke.
• Let it get hot before hosting people around it; the smokeless magic kicks in once the walls are heated.

Cleanup

The 2.0 design fixes the biggest annoyance of the original: ash removal. Once cool, lift off the flame ring and base plate, then remove the ash pan and dump. It takes under a minute. There’s still fine dust involved—this is ash after all—but the pan keeps it contained and you don’t need to flip the whole stove over. I found that tapping the sides lightly dislodges the last bit of ash off the interior walls before pulling the pan.

If you’re wrapping up for the night, plan to let the fire burn down rather than smothering it. Quenching with water works in a pinch, but it creates a sludgy ash paste you’ll have to scrape out later.

Safety and accessories

Sparks are well controlled compared to an open fire, but not eliminated. On breezy nights, an ember or two can lift. I tested the optional spark screen, which adds peace of mind when kids and dogs are around. I also like the optional flat lid; set it on once the coals have mellowed and you essentially “cap” the pit to keep ash from going airborne. The lid also doubles as a light-duty side table when the stove is cool. Neither accessory is required to enjoy the Bonfire, but both improve day-to-day use.

Common-sense clearance still applies. Don’t park it under low eaves or tree branches, and give it space from furniture and fencing. The stand protects the surface underneath, but the outer walls get very hot—treat it with the respect you would any steel fire pit.

Durability

After repeated high-heat cycles, I haven’t seen warping, rattles, or loose hardware—because there isn’t any hardware to loosen. The welded, single-body construction is robust, and 304 stainless is a smart choice for corrosion resistance. The ceramic coating seems to fend off scuffs and discoloration better than bare steel. Store it covered or in the carry case when not in use and you’re set for many seasons.

Quibbles

• Short-distance moves are awkward without getting sooty fingers. The carry case solves travel, not shuffles around the patio.
• Heat is more vertical than lateral. If you crave a “radiator” effect at a distance, this isn’t that.
• You can’t “turn it off.” Plan your last logs accordingly or add a lid once the coals have settled.

None of these are dealbreakers, but they’re worth understanding so you can set expectations and use the pit to its strengths.

Who it’s for

• Small groups who want an easy, low-smoke fire without smelling like they fell into it.
• Patio and deck owners who need a protective stand and contained ash.
• Campers who value a premium, packable pit that sets up fast and burns clean.

Who should look elsewhere? If you want to cook greasy foods over an open flame or need a cheap backyard beater for occasional bonfires, a basic steel bowl may be a better match. The Bonfire can cook with the right accessories, but it’s not designed to catch drips and isn’t a grill replacement.

Value

The Bonfire sits at a premium price point, and you can certainly spend less on fire. What you’re paying for here is engineering that genuinely reduces smoke, a removable ash system that makes cleanup simple, and materials that will survive years outside. If those matter to you—and in my experience they do—you’ll use it more often and enjoy it more each time you light it.

Recommendation

I recommend the Bonfire 2.0. It lights fast, burns hot and clean, and leaves very little mess. The stand makes it deck-friendly, the carry case makes it portable, and the removable ash pan makes it practical. You trade some lateral heat and instant shutdown capability for that smokeless performance, but the overall experience is exactly what most people want from a backyard fire: real wood ambiance without the teary eyes and lingering odor. If a reliable, low-fuss, small-group fire pit is on your list, this one earns its spot.