Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 Review
The backyard fire pit that keeps the campfire and loses most of the smoke.
✓ Pros
- Double-wall airflow design burns dramatically cleaner and less smoky than an open fire pit
- Removable ash pan and base plate make cleanup genuinely quick, the big 2.0 upgrade
- Stainless steel body is light enough for one person to reposition around a patio
- Fires light easily and reach roaring, party-ready flames in minutes
✗ Cons
- Efficient combustion means it eats through firewood noticeably faster than a smoldering open pit
- Radiates serious heat and needs clearance, which can overwhelm a small patio
- The stand, lid, shield, and shelter add up fast; accessories are where the money goes
Day-to-day use
The Bonfire 2.0 changes the social physics of a backyard fire. Nobody plays musical chairs to escape the smoke, hair and hoodies do not reek the next morning, and the fire itself looks great: tall, lively flames fed by the jets of preheated air at the rim. Lighting is easy with dry wood and a couple of starters, and it gets going in minutes rather than the coaxing ritual an open pit demands. The 2.0's removable ash pan is the quality-of-life win; when the fire is cold you lift out the grate and pan and dump them, instead of the awkward tip-and-shake the original required. Two habits matter: keep logs below the vent holes for the smokeless effect, and respect how hot the body gets around kids and pets.
The value math
The pit itself is fairly priced for well-made stainless steel, and Solo Stove discounts it often enough that paying full list is usually unnecessary. The costs that sneak up on you come in two forms. First, wood: the efficient burn is thirsty, and a long evening consumes noticeably more logs than a lazy smoldering fire, so frequent hosts should budget for firewood as a running cost. Second, the accessory tree: a stand for deck use, a lid, a heat deflector to push warmth outward, a spark shield, a shelter for storage. None are mandatory, but the ones you actually want can add a meaningful chunk on top of the pit. Against a propane fire table, the Bonfire is cheaper upfront and gives you a real fire; propane wins on convenience and per-hour cost.
Should you buy it?
Buy the Bonfire 2.0 if a wood fire is a regular part of how you host and the smoke is the part you hate. It delivers on its core promise more convincingly than most viral products: a real fire, most of the smoke gone, and cleanup measured in minutes. Buy it on sale, add the stand if it lives on a wood deck, and consider the heat deflector if warming people matters more than watching flames. Skip it if your fires are a twice-a-year novelty, if your patio is tight enough that a very hot steel cylinder makes you nervous, or if you would rather flip a knob than split kindling. And go in eyes open about the accessory catalog, which is charming, useful, and relentless.
Best for
Backyard hosts who love a real wood fire but are done rotating chairs to dodge the smoke.
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