Solo Stove Bonfire Review

A Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 review, being the perfect size of a portable fire pit for family camping, backyard living, and outdoor gatherings with friends and family.

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What is a Solo Stove?

A Solo Stove is a new way of enjoying a campfire — just without the smoke. Enjoy a highly efficient fire without the smoke and without the cleanup.

This portable unit can be carried and transported with ease. Bring it around in the backyard, front yard, or to the lake or campsite. You can bring it anywhere for simplicity and convenience.

It also makes an amazing gift for the outdoorsy person in your life! In this review, I’ll share everything we love (and things we would change) about the Solo Stove and our personal experience with it.

How It Works:

A Solo Stove portable fire pit uses a double-wall design and strategically placed vents to create a “secondary burn” which allows for a hotter, more efficient, smokeless fire.
Made of made of premium grade 304 stainless steel.
Easy setup and cleanup with a removable ash pan.
Built to last with a lifetime warranty.

What to Look Out For:

The unit itself can get extremely hot, so keep little ones away and in sight, not letting little hands touch any part especially the lip/edge during roasting marshmallows.
The higher price tag. It’s definitely a splurge but makes the ultimate best Christmas or Birthday gift. You can however gift accessories individually each year to add on and accumulate instead of buying everything at once.
Wait for it to go on sale! Look for Black Friday deals etc. because Solo Stoves will always comes on sale, especially around the holidays.

Solo Stove Camping and Glamping Tips

The Solo Stove is known for its sleek design. It looks absolutely stunning in the backyard and is so easy to style whether with patio furniture you already have or beautiful muskoka chairs to surround it for ultimate family memories.

The bottom stand (sold separately) comes in handy when you are placing the solo stove on a carpet or on a deck, protecting the wood, materials, and furniture surrounding it. It simply keeps things extra cool and higher up off of materials.

It is recommended to place the solo stove 10 feet away from trees and structures, but due to the low smoke emission (and low sparks) it much more versatile in where you can actually place it. A traditional fire pit would need more spacing for abiding safety measures.

The Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0

We find that this is the perfect medium sized fire pit that’s not too big and not too small. It is a bit on the heavier side for transport, but as long as you’re able to lift or squat, it’s absolutely doable. Not so doable if you have a bad back.

The size of the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 is perfect for a large, cozy fire, without the need for cutting wood into smaller pieces. It’s also large enough for a family of 5+ to gather around and stay warm!

Note that you will have to keep little ones away from the edge and the lip on top, as the whole unit can cause burns.

No more clothes smelling like smoke and no more smoke in the lungs. It’s a game changer.

All that’s left to do is to live in the moment, roast the most perfect marshmallows, and enjoy endless hours of storytelling and laughter with loved ones and friends.

Benefits of a Portable Fire Pit

Clean-Up is a Breeze for Families

One less thing to worry about for parents — the cleanup. With a solo stove, you can easily dump out the ashes into the forrest or into the trash. It takes a while to build up and you can easily wipe the unit clean to get back to the shiny new look you love.

Do You Need a Base?

It is not required to set up a base for your Solo Stove, but it does help to keep the designated area clean and aesthetic wherever you plan to use it the most. Whether leveling gravel, using it on paving stones, or a composite deck, it’s extremely portable and can be used pretty much anywhere.

If using it on a wooden deck, it is recommended to buy the base with it to promote more airflow and keeping the bottom of the unit cool to the touch.

Is it Truly Smoke Free?

I find that the Solo Stove is not truly smoke-free. This can be because sometimes people forget how to place the upper lip on the unit properly — if placed upside down, the smoke does not circulate in the unit as it’s supposed to.

The type of wood you use also matters. If you use wet wood or damp wood, it will smoke much more as the water evaporates while burning.

What Type of Wood to Use?

We had about half a cord shipping to our house, with wood that was already cut into the perfect size. Not further cutting or chopping was needed. If you plan to go with a smaller, more portable Solo Stove, you’ll need smaller pieces of wood to fit inside.

When to Use a Solo Stove?

We love using our Solo Stove on cool summer nights, crisp fall days, and in the bare of winter. Perfect for placing in the backyard, beside the outdoor rink, or along for a day of sledding. Great for bringing to the lake or on your next outdoor adventure.

Is it Easy To Start a Fire Inside?

Yes as long as you come prepared with kindling on hand. We collect dryer lint stuffed in egg carton containers and store in a ziploc bag over the winter to use all year around. This makes igniting a fire so much quicker, especially in any climate.