Coal & Char

Solo Stove vs Breeo

Stainless against Corten, 19.5 inches against 22.1, and which of the two smokeless brands is actually right for your garden.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we pick

How this is funded:we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which pit or heater we recommend, and we’ll tell you when we’d skip one. Full disclosure.

Buy the Solo Stove if the pit will move or sit on pale stone. Buy the Breeo if it will live outdoors in one place forever. That is genuinely the whole decision. On the fire itself there is very little between a Bonfire 2.0 and an X Series 19 — both are double-wall stainless-or-Corten drums that draw air up between two skins and burn off most of the smoke — and anyone who tells you one produces a dramatically better flame is selling something.

Material: stainless vs Corten

Solo Stove builds in stainless steel. It stays bright, it will not stain anything underneath it, and it discolours around the burn ring with use, which is normal and visible. Breeo’s X Series is sold in both stainless and Corten, and Corten is the interesting one: a weathering steel that forms a stable rust-coloured patina instead of corroding through. For a pit that lives outside year-round with no cover, that is the better material, and it is thicker at the same price than the stainless equivalent.

The cost of Corten is runoff. In the first few rains the patina washes colour down onto whatever is beneath the pit, and on pale concrete, travertine or light composite decking that stains. On gravel, grass or dark paving nobody will ever notice. Breeo also sells the X24 in stainless for roughly 190 dollars more than the Corten version — that premium buys appearance and stain-free siting, not a better fire.

Size: 19.5 against 22.1, and 27 against 27.5

The Bonfire’s listing states 19.5 inches; the X Series 19’s states 22.1 inches outer diameter. That is a real but modest difference in fire area and a slightly larger one in footprint. Neither takes full-length splits without cutting them down — for that you want the big pair, the Solo Stove Yukon at 27 inches or the Breeo X24 at 27.5, both of which heat a much wider circle and eat wood accordingly.

Size to your seating rather than to the brand. Nineteen to twenty-two inches suits three or four chairs comfortably; twenty-seven suits six or eight. Buying the large pit for a four-chair patio just burns more wood for the same evening, and makes the front row too hot.

Ash handling, stands and what is in the box

This is where Solo Stove pulls ahead. The 2.0 revision added a removable base plate and ash pan, so emptying the pit is lifting a tray rather than upending a bowl. It sounds minor and it is the difference between a pit you clean out and one you do not. Breeo’s X Series is a simpler construction you tip or shovel.

Check the configuration you are actually buying, on both brands. Solo Stove sells the Bonfire with and without a stand and in several bundles that add a lid; the listing we recommend is the with-stand version. Breeo sells lids and sear plates separately. The flat top edge on the X Series is designed around those accessories, which is a genuine long-term advantage if you plan to add to it.

The verdict

For most buyers it is the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 — lighter, easier to empty, safe on any surface, and the pit people are most consistently happy with. Choose the Breeo X19 in Corten if the pit will live outdoors permanently on a surface that does not mind a patina, and you would rather have thicker steel than a removable ash pan.

And if the price of either is what brought you here, look seriously at the value smokeless pits in our main roundup: a 25-inch TIKI Patio costs roughly what a 19.5-inch premium pit does, and the fire it makes is not meaningfully worse.

What we'd actually buy

The four pits that actually matter in this comparison: the two mid-size models people cross-shop, and the two large ones for a bigger circle. Prices are live and dated.

Quick picks

Ranked on published specs, beginner-friendliness and value. Select a row to jump to the full write-up. We haven’t cooked on every one of these — here is exactly what we do instead.

#ProductBest forPrice
1
Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 with Stand

Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 with Stand

The default smokeless fire pit, and the one most people should buy. At 19.5 inches it is big enough to throw a real circle of heat and small enough that two people can move it off the patio, and the 2.0 revision added the removable base plate and ash pan that the original badly needed — you tip the ash out instead of upending the whole pit. You pay a brand premium over a plain steel bowl, and the double-wall airflow only works properly on dry wood, but nothing else at this size is as easy to light, as clean-burning or as simple to put away.

Best if it moves
$314.99 · View on Amazon

$349.9910% off

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

2
Breeo X Series 19 Corten Steel

Breeo X Series 19 Corten Steel

Breeo's answer to the Bonfire, and the better buy if the pit is going to live outside permanently. Corten weathers to a stable rust-coloured patina instead of corroding through, the wall is thicker than a stainless pit of the same price, and the X Series is designed around a flat top edge that accepts Breeo's own sear plate later. The trade is weight and looks: it is heavier than a Solo Stove, it will stain a light patio as it weathers, and the raw-steel aesthetic is either exactly what you want or exactly what you don't.

Best if it stays
$322.05 · View on Amazon

$399.0019% off

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

3
Breeo X Series 24 Corten Steel

Breeo X Series 24 Corten Steel

The large Breeo, and the direct rival to a Solo Stove Yukon. At 27.5 inches across it takes full splits and heats a proper circle, and in Corten it is the version built to be left where you put it — there is no sensible way to carry this around anyway. If you are choosing between this and the stainless X24, the question is purely cosmetic and about 190 dollars: Corten goes rust-brown and settles, stainless stays bright and shows heat marks.

Best large Breeo
$455.05 · View on Amazon

$599.0024% off

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

4
Solo Stove Yukon 2.0 Essential Bundle (27")

Solo Stove Yukon 2.0 Essential Bundle (27")

The Yukon is the Bonfire scaled up to 27 inches, and the extra 7.5 inches of diameter changes who the pit is for. It takes full-length split logs instead of cut-down ones, and it throws enough heat to warm a ring of six or eight chairs rather than three or four. That is the entire argument for it — and against it: it is heavy, it eats wood at a rate you will notice, and it is far too much pit for a small patio. Buy it if you regularly host a crowd; buy the Bonfire if you do not.

Best large Solo Stove
$611.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 7, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

#1Best if it moves

Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 with Stand

The default smokeless fire pit, and the one most people should buy. At 19.5 inches it is big enough to throw a real circle of heat and small enough that two people can move it off the patio, and the 2.0 revision added the removable base plate and ash pan that the original badly needed — you tip the ash out instead of upending the whole pit. You pay a brand premium over a plain steel bowl, and the double-wall airflow only works properly on dry wood, but nothing else at this size is as easy to light, as clean-burning or as simple to put away.

What’s good

  • 19.5-inch body is the sweet spot — real heat without a two-person lift
  • 2.0 removable ash pan means emptying it is a 30-second job
  • Stand is included on this listing, so you are not buying it separately
  • Lights fast and burns down to almost nothing when the wood is dry

Trade-offs

  • Costs well over double a plain steel fire bowl of the same diameter
  • Smokeless only works on properly seasoned wood — wet logs smoke like anything else
  • No cover or lid included at this price
  • Radiates sideways, not up: it warms a circle, not a deck
TypeDouble-wall smokeless wood-burning fire pit
Diameter19.5" (per the listing)
MaterialStainless steel
FinishGunmetal
Stand includedYes — this listing is the with-stand configuration
Ash panRemovable (2.0 design)

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#2Best if it stays

Breeo X Series 19 Corten Steel

Breeo's answer to the Bonfire, and the better buy if the pit is going to live outside permanently. Corten weathers to a stable rust-coloured patina instead of corroding through, the wall is thicker than a stainless pit of the same price, and the X Series is designed around a flat top edge that accepts Breeo's own sear plate later. The trade is weight and looks: it is heavier than a Solo Stove, it will stain a light patio as it weathers, and the raw-steel aesthetic is either exactly what you want or exactly what you don't.

What’s good

  • Corten patinas rather than rusting through — built to live outside
  • Noticeably thicker wall than a stainless pit at a similar price
  • 22.1-inch body is a touch wider than a Solo Stove Bonfire
  • Flat top edge takes Breeo's accessories later

Trade-offs

  • Corten runoff can stain pale concrete or decking as it weathers
  • Heavier than the equivalent stainless pit
  • Raw industrial look is divisive
  • No lid or cover at this price
TypeDouble-wall smokeless wood-burning fire pit
Outer diameter22.1" (per the listing)
MaterialCorten weathering steel
SeriesX Series 19
Lid includedNo — sold separately

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#3Best large Breeo

Breeo X Series 24 Corten Steel

The large Breeo, and the direct rival to a Solo Stove Yukon. At 27.5 inches across it takes full splits and heats a proper circle, and in Corten it is the version built to be left where you put it — there is no sensible way to carry this around anyway. If you are choosing between this and the stainless X24, the question is purely cosmetic and about 190 dollars: Corten goes rust-brown and settles, stainless stays bright and shows heat marks.

What’s good

  • 27.5 inches takes full-length splits without cutting
  • Corten is the right material for something left outdoors year-round
  • Thick wall and simple construction — very little to go wrong
  • Meaningfully cheaper than the stainless version of the same pit

Trade-offs

  • Heavy enough that siting it is a two-person, one-time job
  • Will mark a pale patio as the patina runs in the first rains
  • Burns a lot of wood when run at full size
  • Lid, cover and sear plate are all extra
TypeDouble-wall smokeless wood-burning fire pit
Outer diameter27.5" (per the listing)
MaterialCorten weathering steel
SeriesX Series 24
Lid includedNo — sold separately

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#4Best large Solo Stove

Solo Stove Yukon 2.0 Essential Bundle (27")

The Yukon is the Bonfire scaled up to 27 inches, and the extra 7.5 inches of diameter changes who the pit is for. It takes full-length split logs instead of cut-down ones, and it throws enough heat to warm a ring of six or eight chairs rather than three or four. That is the entire argument for it — and against it: it is heavy, it eats wood at a rate you will notice, and it is far too much pit for a small patio. Buy it if you regularly host a crowd; buy the Bonfire if you do not.

What’s good

  • 27-inch firebox swallows full-length splits with no sawing
  • Heats a much wider ring of seating than a 19-inch pit
  • Essential Bundle listing includes the stand and lid, not just the pit
  • Same removable-ash-pan 2.0 design as the Bonfire

Trade-offs

  • Genuinely heavy — this is not a pit you reposition casually
  • Burns noticeably more wood per evening than the Bonfire
  • Overkill, and uncomfortably hot, on a small patio
  • The most expensive way to buy a 27-inch fire bowl
TypeDouble-wall smokeless wood-burning fire pit
Diameter27" (per the listing)
MaterialStainless steel
Bundle contentsFire pit, stand and lid (Essential Bundle)
Ash panRemovable (2.0 design)

Specs read from the product listing, on October 7, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

Frequently asked questions

Is Breeo better than Solo Stove?

Neither is better overall; they are built for different situations. Breeo's Corten steel is thicker at the same price and is designed to live outdoors permanently, weathering to a stable patina. Solo Stove's stainless is lighter, will not stain pale concrete or decking, and the 2.0 models have a removable ash pan. If the pit stays put, lean Breeo; if it moves or sits on light stone, lean Solo Stove.

Which is bigger, a Solo Stove Bonfire or a Breeo X19?

The Breeo X19, slightly. Its listing states a 22.1-inch outer diameter against the Bonfire's 19.5 inches. In practice that is a modest difference in fire area and a larger one in how much space the pit occupies — but neither takes full-length splits without cutting them down. For that you need the 27-inch class: the Solo Stove Yukon or the Breeo X24 at 27.5 inches.

Does Corten steel rust?

It forms a stable rust-coloured surface patina, which is the point — that layer is what protects the steel underneath instead of corroding through it. The practical catch is runoff: in the first few rains a Corten pit can stain pale concrete, travertine or composite decking beneath and around it. On gravel, grass or dark paving it is a non-issue.

Which is easier to clean?

Solo Stove, on the 2.0 models. The removable base plate and ash pan mean you lift the ash out as a unit rather than upending the whole pit, and that is a genuine day-to-day difference. Breeo's X Series is a simpler construction that you tip or shovel out. Neither is difficult; one is clearly less of a chore.

Do either of them actually stop smoke?

Both reduce it a great deal and neither eliminates it. The double wall draws air up between its skins, preheats it and feeds it back above the fire, burning off most of the smoke particles — but only once the fire is hot and only on dry wood. The EPA says wood burns best below 20 percent moisture; above that, both brands smoke.

Sources

  • EPA Burn Wise — Best Wood Burning Practices — EPA on firewood: “Wood burns best at a moisture content of less than 20 percent,” and “Season wood for at least six months. Be sure to store wood outdoors, off the ground, with only the top covered -- covering the sides traps in moisture.” The same page lists what must never be burned, including household trash, “coated, painted, and pressure-treated wood,” plywood and particle board, driftwood, and “wet, rotted, diseased, or moldy wood” (accessed October 7, 2026)
  • Smokey Bear — Campfire Safety — The official “Drown, Stir, Drown, Feel” method for extinguishing an outdoor fire — “Pour lots of water on the fire until the hissing sound stops, drowning all the embers,” stir the water into the embers with a shovel, keep adding water until all material is cool, then “Hover the back of your hand over the ashes to feel that the embers are cool.” The same page gives the siting rules: clear “at least a 10-foot diameter around the site,” “stay at least 15 feet from tents, vegetation, and low-hanging branches,” and “ensure you have vertical clearance at least 3 times the height of the flames” (accessed October 7, 2026)

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