Earlier this Summer, I reviewed the TerraFlame Tabletop Fire Bowl from Solo Stove. And while I’ve been enjoying using it, it’s mostly found its use inside the house. I even had a lovely date night with the fire bowl as the centerpiece of the dining table, where we ate by firelight.
But sometimes you want more heat, and a bigger fire, that you can share with more people. Enter the Bonfire Smokeless Fire Pit 2.0. Solo Stove sent me a Bonfire + Stand 2.0, as well as an accessory, the Fire Pit Surround, to take a look at.
Bonfire + Stand 2.0
Solo Stove makes several different fire pits, ranging from the tabletop-sized Mesa, to their largest, the Yukon. The mid-sized Bonfire 2.0 is their most popular model, and retails for $299, though it is currently discounted to $249.99 as of this writing. The Bonfire + Stand 2.0 is currently $269.99, and surprise! It includes a stand for the Bonfire 2.0, to protect the surface where you’ve placed your fire pit.
While I received the stainless steel model, the Bonfire 2.0 is also available in four different colors, and you can even customize it with NFL and College logos and personalized engraving.
The Bonfire + Stand 2.0 includes a Bonfire 2.0 fire pit, a stand, a removable base plate and ash pan, and a free carry case.
Assembling the Bonfire 2.0 is quick and easy. After removing everything from the box, you simply place the ash pan and base plate inside the fire pit, and the flame ring on top. If you have the stand, you can place the Bonfire 2.0 on top of it, where it fits perfectly.
If you want to take the Bonfire 2.0 with you to the beach or camping, it conveniently comes with a sturdy carrying case.
Pop the Bonfire 2.0 inside, tighten the drawstrings, and you can now easily carry it wherever you want to go.
Once your Bonfire 2.0 is assembled, you’re ready to add some wood and use your fire pit! But in my case, I’ve got a couple of curious dogs, and wouldn’t want them getting too close to the flame. Solo Stove thankfully had the solution.
Fire Pit Surround
The Fire Pit Surround is both a protective barrier for the fire pit, and a table. It is available in sizes for the Ranger, Bonfire, and Yukon model fire pits. In the case of the Bonfire 2.0 or Ranger 2.0, the regular retail price is $349.99, though it can also be bundled with a fire pit for additional savings.
With sturdy steel construction and fire-resistant canvas around the base, the Fire Pit Surround will require quite a bit more work to put it together than the Bonfire 2.0. Here’s a slideshow following the assembly:
And here is the fully assembled Fire Pit Surround, with the Bonfire 2.0 resting within:
Using the Bonfire Smokeless Fire Pit 2.0
While I’ve had the Bonfire 2.0 and Surround for a couple of months, the days and nights had just been too hot this Summer to want to start a fire. But finally, Fall has truly arrived, with a nice chill to the evening air. Having just visited a winery over the weekend, it was a perfect opportunity to invite some friends over and test out the fire pit. So I put in a log and started the fire.
I kept the fire to just one log, as it was a work night, and we didn’t want to stay out for too many hours waiting for the flame to die out. For safety, you never want to leave a fire burning unattended. But had we put in more wood, there also would have been a larger fire. However, for a cool but not cold night, the single log provided just the right amount of heat and light, and lasted for about an hour and a half before burning through.
As you can see, the “smokeless” fire pit is slightly misleading. When you burn wood, it will inevitably produce smoke. However, the design of the Bonfire 2.0 minimizes the smoke and directs it upwards, so that we were able to enjoy the fire without being surrounded by it. At the end of the night, our clothes and hair didn’t smell at all like smoke, and so felt no need to take a shower or throw our clothes in the wash.
The next morning, it was easy to clean up the Bonfire 2.0. The ash had cooled, and all I had to do was remove the ash pan and empty it. The whole process took less than 30 seconds.
The Bonfire 2.0 and Fire Pit Surround are very welcome additions to my backyard, and are likely to be with yours, too. It was delightful spending some time under the stars, and not only did the Surround keep the dogs away from the fire, it also provided an ideal surface for us to enjoy our wine and French bread. We were warmed by the fire, but also found the Surround cool to the touch.
Should we want to take the Bonfire 2.0 with us to the great outdoors beyond our backyard, it simply lifts right out of the Surround, and goes into the carrying case. The Bonfire is easy to use and maintain, and the quality of the construction feels like it will last a lifetime. If you’d like to light up your days and nights, I highly recommend both the Bonfire Smokeless Fire Pit 2.0, and the Fire Pit Surround.
For more information or to make a purchase, head to the Solo Stove website.
Solo Stove provided me units for evaluation but had no input into this review.
