Coal & Char

Best Propane Fire Pits

Portable propane fire bowls ranked on BTU, certification and what comes in the box — the pits campgrounds and HOAs actually allow.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we pick

The Outland Living 19-inch is the one to buy.Fifty-eight thousand BTU is a serious flame for a bowl this size, the cover and carry kit are included on this listing, and it is CSA-listed — which is the specification campgrounds, RV parks and HOAs with wood-fire bans actually ask about. It typically lands under a hundred dollars, which is remarkable for that combination.

Everything else here is a variation on that theme. The 21-inch spreads the same burner over a wider bowl, which looks better on a fixed patio and does not make it hotter. The 870 Premium adds auto-ignition, which sounds trivial until you have crouched over a fire pit in the wind with a lighter. The Camplux is the obvious cross-shop when the Outland is out of stock or over-priced on the day.

Two things to be clear about before you buy. First, the 20 lb propane tank is not includedwith any of these — budget for it. Second, propane produces less radiant heat than a wood fire of the same diameter, despite the impressive BTU figures, because a lot of the energy goes straight up. Buy gas for permission, convenience and cleanliness. If you want maximum warmth per dollar, read propane vs wood and then look at the wood bowls.

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.

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
Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit 19" (58,000 BTU)

Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit 19" (58,000 BTU)

The propane fire pit to buy if you are buying one. Fifty-eight thousand BTU is a serious flame for a 19-inch bowl, it comes with the cover and carry kit on this listing, and — the part that actually matters — it is CSA-listed, which is what campgrounds and HOAs with wood-fire bans check for. No wood, no ash, no smoke, on and off with a knob. The honest limits are that propane gives you less radiant heat than wood for the same visual flame, and a 20 lb tank is a separate purchase.

Best overall
$95.99 · View on Amazon

$159.9940% off

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

2
Outland Living Firebowl 870 Premium 19" Auto-Ignition

Outland Living Firebowl 870 Premium 19" Auto-Ignition

The 870 adds auto-ignition to Outland's standard 19-inch bowl, which sounds like a small thing until you have crouched over a fire pit in the wind with a lighter. Push and turn, it lights. Everything else — the bowl, the output, the CSA listing people actually need for campgrounds — is the familiar Outland package. It is worth the modest premium over the base model if the pit will be used often, and not worth it if it comes out twice a year.

Best auto-ignition
$132.95 · View on Amazon

$199.9934% off

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

3
Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit 21" (58,000 BTU)

Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit 21" (58,000 BTU)

The same 58,000 BTU burner in a 21-inch bowl instead of 19. The extra two inches spreads the same gas over a wider flame, which looks better and feels marginally less concentrated — it does not make it hotter. Pick this one if the pit will be the centrepiece of a seating circle and you want the fire to read as big; pick the 19-inch if you will be carrying it in and out of a car.

Best wider flame
$132.22 · View on Amazon

$199.9934% off

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

4
Camplux FP19MB Portable Propane Fire Pit (19")

Camplux FP19MB Portable Propane Fire Pit (19")

Camplux's 19-inch propane bowl is the obvious cross-shop against the Outland, built for the same RV-and-campsite job at a similar price. There is very little between them on paper; choose on whatever is in stock and cheaper on the day, with one tiebreaker — if a campground specifically asks to see a CSA listing, check the listing you are buying states it, because that is the detail that varies between cheap propane bowls.

Best alternative
$129.99 · View on Amazon

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

5
Endless Summer 30" Tabletop Steel Propane Gas Fire Table

Endless Summer 30" Tabletop Steel Propane Gas Fire Table

A low 30-inch gas table at close to fire-bowl money, and the sensible pick for a small patio or a balcony where a full-height fire table would dominate. It sits at coffee-table height, which is where a fire actually wants to be if people are in lounge chairs rather than dining chairs. Steel rather than resin or tile keeps the price down and the ledge hot, so treat the surround as decoration rather than a place to set a glass.

Best low-profile table
$139.99 · View on Amazon

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

The picks in full

#1Best overall

Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit 19" (58,000 BTU)

The propane fire pit to buy if you are buying one. Fifty-eight thousand BTU is a serious flame for a 19-inch bowl, it comes with the cover and carry kit on this listing, and — the part that actually matters — it is CSA-listed, which is what campgrounds and HOAs with wood-fire bans check for. No wood, no ash, no smoke, on and off with a knob. The honest limits are that propane gives you less radiant heat than wood for the same visual flame, and a 20 lb tank is a separate purchase.

What’s good

  • 58,000 BTU is a large flame for a portable pit
  • Cover and carry kit included on this listing
  • Instant on and off — no lighting, no ash, no waiting
  • The usual answer where open wood fires are not permitted

Trade-offs

  • 20 lb propane tank is not included
  • Less radiant warmth than a wood fire of the same apparent size
  • Lava rock gets dusty and needs occasional replacing
  • Wind affects a gas flame far more than a wood fire
TypePortable propane fire bowl
Diameter19" (per the listing)
Heat output58,000 BTU (per the listing)
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included
IncludedCover and carry kit, per the listing

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

#2Best auto-ignition

Outland Living Firebowl 870 Premium 19" Auto-Ignition

The 870 adds auto-ignition to Outland's standard 19-inch bowl, which sounds like a small thing until you have crouched over a fire pit in the wind with a lighter. Push and turn, it lights. Everything else — the bowl, the output, the CSA listing people actually need for campgrounds — is the familiar Outland package. It is worth the modest premium over the base model if the pit will be used often, and not worth it if it comes out twice a year.

What’s good

  • Auto-ignition — no lighter, no crouching in the wind
  • The well-proven Outland 19-inch bowl underneath
  • Smokeless by nature: it is gas
  • Still portable and still campground-friendly

Trade-offs

  • Ignition module is one more thing that can fail
  • Costs more than the manual-light version of the same pit
  • Tank not included
  • Lava rock included quantity is not published
TypePortable propane fire bowl, auto-ignition
Diameter19" (per the listing)
IgnitionAuto-ignition, per the listing
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included
Heat outputNot published on this listing

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

#3Best wider flame

Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit 21" (58,000 BTU)

The same 58,000 BTU burner in a 21-inch bowl instead of 19. The extra two inches spreads the same gas over a wider flame, which looks better and feels marginally less concentrated — it does not make it hotter. Pick this one if the pit will be the centrepiece of a seating circle and you want the fire to read as big; pick the 19-inch if you will be carrying it in and out of a car.

What’s good

  • Wider 21-inch bowl spreads the flame more convincingly
  • Same 58,000 BTU burner as the 19-inch
  • Cover and carry kit included per the listing
  • Still portable, just bulkier

Trade-offs

  • Costs more than the 19-inch for the same heat output
  • Bigger footprint to store and transport
  • Tank still separate
  • Same wind sensitivity as any gas pit
TypePortable propane fire bowl
Diameter21" (per the listing)
Heat output58,000 BTU (per the listing)
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included
IncludedCover and carry kit, per the listing

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

#4Best alternative

Camplux FP19MB Portable Propane Fire Pit (19")

Camplux's 19-inch propane bowl is the obvious cross-shop against the Outland, built for the same RV-and-campsite job at a similar price. There is very little between them on paper; choose on whatever is in stock and cheaper on the day, with one tiebreaker — if a campground specifically asks to see a CSA listing, check the listing you are buying states it, because that is the detail that varies between cheap propane bowls.

What’s good

  • Direct alternative to the Outland at a comparable price
  • 19-inch bowl is the easy size to stow in an RV bay
  • Gas means no ash, no sparks and instant shutdown
  • Light enough to carry one-handed when empty

Trade-offs

  • BTU rating is not published on this listing
  • Tank, regulator storage and lava rock top-ups are all on you
  • Smaller support network than Outland if a part fails
  • Check the listing for a CSA statement before relying on it at a campground
TypePortable propane fire bowl
Diameter19" (per the listing)
ModelFP19MB
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included
Heat outputNot published on this listing

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

#5Best low-profile table

Endless Summer 30" Tabletop Steel Propane Gas Fire Table

A low 30-inch gas table at close to fire-bowl money, and the sensible pick for a small patio or a balcony where a full-height fire table would dominate. It sits at coffee-table height, which is where a fire actually wants to be if people are in lounge chairs rather than dining chairs. Steel rather than resin or tile keeps the price down and the ledge hot, so treat the surround as decoration rather than a place to set a glass.

What’s good

  • Coffee-table height suits lounge chairs better than a dining-height table
  • 30 inches without the footprint of a full fire table
  • Among the cheapest branded gas tables available
  • Steel construction with very little to go wrong

Trade-offs

  • Steel surround gets hot — not a drinks ledge
  • BTU rating is not published on this listing
  • No lid stated
  • Low profile means more wind interference with the flame
TypeLow-profile propane gas fire table
Size30" (per the listing)
MaterialSteel
FuelPropane — 20 lb tank not included
Heat outputNot published on this listing

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

How to choose a propane fire pit

Check for a CSA listing if you need one.This is the single most practical specification in the category and the one that varies most between cheap propane bowls. Campgrounds, RV parks and some HOAs will ask to see it, because a certified gas appliance with no flying embers is the thing they allow during a wood-fire ban. If the listing you are reading does not state it, do not assume it — we say which of our picks state it and which stay silent, because that is a fact about the listing rather than about the hardware.

Read the BTU figure as flame size.The ratings in this group run to 58,000 BTU, and the higher number is not reliably the warmer pit at your chair. Wind matters far more: it cuts the effective reach of a gas flame sharply, in a way it does not affect a bed of embers. Several listings in this category publish no BTU figure at all, and our spec tables say “Not published” rather than inventing one.

Work out what is actually in the box. The Outland listings include the cover and carry kit, which are the two things you would otherwise buy separately and which make the pit genuinely portable. Lava rock is usually included but the quantity is rarely published, and it gets dusty and wants replacing every couple of seasons. The tank never is.

Decide between a bowl and a table. A bowl is portable, cheaper, and the right answer for a campsite, an RV or a patio where the fire is the only thing you want. A fire table is a piece of furniture with a burner in it, and it only earns its extra cost if the ledge around the flame is wide enough to set a glass on. The low-profile Endless Summer in this list is the bridge between the two: coffee-table height, 30 inches, and close to bowl money.

And treat it as a fire anyway. No embers does not mean no clearance. Keep the same distances you would for a wood fire, keep the tank out of direct heat and sun, and check the hose and regulator for cracking at the start of each season. A cover matters more on a gas pit than a wood one, because a burner assembly full of rainwater is a far more annoying problem than a rusty bowl.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best propane fire pit?

The Outland Living 19-inch. It is rated 58,000 BTU, ships with a cover and carry kit, and is CSA-listed — the detail campgrounds and HOAs with wood-fire bans actually check for. It usually sits under a hundred dollars, which is unusually good for that specification.

Do propane fire pits put out much heat?

Less than a wood fire of the same diameter, despite the headline BTU figures, because a lot of the energy from a gas burner goes straight up rather than radiating sideways at seated height. Wind also affects a gas flame far more than a bed of embers. Buy propane for permission, convenience and no ash — not because you expect it to be the warmest thing on the patio.

Does a propane fire pit come with a propane tank?

No. Essentially every propane fire bowl on the market expects you to supply a standard 20 lb tank, and none of the picks on this page include one. Budget for the tank, and check whether the model you want has a hose long enough to keep the tank where you intend to stand it.

Can I use a propane fire pit during a fire ban?

Often, but it depends on the exact wording of the ban and on the unit being certified. Many campgrounds, RV parks and HOAs permit a CSA-listed propane appliance when open wood fires are prohibited, because there are no flying embers. Check the specific rule, and make sure the listing for the unit you buy states its certification rather than assuming it.

How long does a 20 lb tank last on a fire pit?

It depends entirely on the burner rating and how high you run it, and none of these listings publish a run time, so we are not going to invent one. A high-output bowl run flat out will empty a tank far faster than the same bowl run at half. Buy a second tank if you plan long evenings — swapping is cheaper and less annoying than running out halfway through one.

Sources

  • CPSC — Carbon Monoxide Information Center — The US Consumer Product Safety Commission on carbon monoxide: “More than 200 people in the United States die every year from accidental non-fire related CO poisoning associated with consumer products,” and its standing recommendation to “Install battery-operated CO alarms or CO alarms with battery backup on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas” (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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