Imagine the perfect evening: a crackling fire, warm light dancing on smiling faces, and the comforting smell of burning wood. That beautiful scene often depends on one crucial element: the right firewood. But when you look at a pile of logs, how do you know which one will give you the best flame and the least smoke? Choosing the wrong wood can lead to smoky eyes, spitting embers, and a fire that just won’t stay lit.
Selecting firewood is more than just grabbing any log you find. You need wood that burns hot, smells great, and is easy to light. Many people worry about using wet wood or wood that creates too much ash. We understand these challenges. This guide cuts through the confusion.
Inside, you will learn the secrets to picking hardwoods versus softwoods, discover which types burn longest, and find out why seasoning your wood is a non-negotiable step. Get ready to transform your fire pit from a smoky hassle into a backyard masterpiece. Let’s dive into the best wood choices for your next cozy night!
Top Wood For Fire Pit Recommendations
- 10-POUND BOX OF PREMIUM FATWOOD – Stock up on a generous 10-pound box of high-quality Billy Buckskin fatwood fire starter sticks, the ultimate fire-starting solution for fireplaces, fire pits, wood stoves, campfires, and outdoor grills. Each stick measures approximately 8 inches in length and varies in thickness from 0.3 to 1.25 inches, ensuring quick and reliable ignition. With just 2-3 sticks, you can effortlessly start a strong blaze.
- PREMIUM HIGH-RESIN FATWOOD FOR QUICK & EASY FIRE STARTING – Sourced from rich, high-resin pine stumps, our premium fatwood fire starter ignites instantly, eliminating the hassle of kindling while minimizing soot buildup. Each stick produces a strong, clean-burning flame with a naturally aromatic scent, perfect for creating a warm, inviting atmosphere indoors or enhancing outdoor fire pits and campfires. Ideal for fireplaces, wood stoves, fire pits, camping, and survival kits.
- 100% NATURAL & CHEMICAL-FREE – No live trees are harmed as these are harvested from naturally fallen pine stumps in the lush Mexican jungles. Billy Buckskin’s premium fatwood sticks provide a clean, eco-friendly fire-starting solution with no artificial chemicals or additives. Rich in natural resin, these fire starters ignite effortlessly, making them perfect for fireplaces, wood stoves, fire pits, campfires, and survival kits.
- EASY-TO-USE & RELIABLE – Ignite your fire effortlessly with Billy Buckskin fatwood starter sticks—just place 2-3 sticks among your kindling, light one, and let the rich resin do the work for a quick, sustained flame. For larger pieces, simply hold a match in place to activate the natural resin, ensuring a strong and efficient burn. Perfect for fireplaces, wood stoves, fire pits, campfires, and outdoor cooking.
- RELIABLE IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS – Ignite a fire effortlessly in any condition with Billy Buckskin fatwood, the ultimate fire-starting solution for all seasons. With an exceptionally high resin content, these sticks light easily—even when wet—making them perfect for rainy hikes, snowy campfires, summer grilling, and emergency preparedness. Whether you're starting a fire at home or in the great outdoors.
- Great for Any Occasion: Whether you're having a party, enjoying a quiet night in, or cooking up a storm for your family and friends, our cooking wood is sure to make your event memorable
- Perfect Size: At 8 inches in length and 2-3 inches thick, our cooking wood is the perfect size for any grill, smoker, or fire pit. It lights easily and burns hot, producing that delicious smoky flavor that everyone loves
- Choose Your Favorite Flavor: Our cooking wood is available in three delicious flavors: Oak, Cherry, and Hickory. Each variety has its own unique taste and aroma, so you can choose the one that best suits your tastes
- USDA Certified: Our cooking wood is USDA Certified, which means it has been inspected and meets strict quality standards for safety and sanitation. You can trust that our firewood is of the highest quality
- Kiln Dried: Our cooking wood is kiln dried to ensure that it is dry and ready to use. This process removes excess moisture and prevents the wood from cracking or splitting during burning
- Premium Mini Firewood: Elevate your outdoor experience with our meticulously designed mini firewood made from natural premium pine. Each box, weighing 2 pounds, ensures convenience for indoor storage and outdoor adventures. Our kiln-dried process maintains a moisture content of less than 6%, guaranteeing bark-free, clean-burning, and longer-lasting fires.
- Smoke Reduction & Authentic Wood Flavor: Bid farewell to bothersome smoke! Our kiln-dried firewood stands out with its minimal sap and resin content, ensuring cleaner burns and generating more heat for your camp stoves, wood-burning stoves, and ovens. Place your trust in the superior quality of our fire sticks for an extraordinary outdoor cooking and heating experience. Revel in extended burn times of 20-30 minutes, allowing you to savor the warmth.
- Versatile & Perfect Accessory: Each professionally processed stick is 4 inches long, making it compatible with Solo Stove Mesa, Tabletop Solo Stove, pizza ovens Bertello, Big Horn, Ooni, Roccbox, Pellethead ovens, Ooni pizza ovens, and pizza ovens. Our Pine sticks are also useful for indoor fireplaces, open pits, BBQ grills, and more. A great addition to camping accessories!
- Unmatched Quality: Experience the epitome of quality with our mini firewood. Designed for Solo Stove Mesa XL and other outdoor products, it promises extended burn times and sustained ambiance. No compromises on durability – it's the ideal choice for creating lasting memories. Embrace the warmth and charm of a perfect fire every time.
- Premium Quality Firewood: Our kiln-dried firewood logs are perfect for any use, whether you need oak firewood, birch firewood, or cherry firewood. Delivered straight to your door, these logs are ideal for fireplaces, fire pits, and wood stoves.
- Versatile Wood for All Needs: Whether you're looking for firewood for fireplace, firewood for your indoor fireplace, or cooking wood for your pizza oven, our firewood bundles include the best oak, birch, and cherry firewood for fireplace.
- Perfect for Outdoor Use: Our firewood logs for fire pits and campfires are small enough to handle but large enough to keep your fire burning strong. Enjoy wood for fire pits, mini firewood, and smoking wood logs for a perfect outdoor experience.
- High-Quality Kiln-Dried Wood: Our kiln-dried hardwood and split wood are designed to provide a cleaner, hotter burn with less smoke. Choose from post oak wood logs, apple wood logs, and other options for your wood fireplace or wood-burning fire pit.
- Ideal for Cooking and Smoking: Elevate your cooking with our wood for smoking meat, wood for pizza ovens, and solo stove firewood. Our oak wood, apple wood logs for smoking, and other firewood logs are perfect for adding a unique flavor to your food.
- BUILT ON HGD'S LEGACY: Just like our highly-rated 16", 20", and 28" smokeless firepits, this fire starters upholds our strict standards for quality and reliability, ensuring your peace of mind.Explore our signature firepits that set the standard for backyard and camping enjoyment
- RAPID IGNITION TECHNOLOGY: Our charcoal chimney starter is designed for fast fire starting. Perfect for camping, pit fires, or barbecuing (doesn't affect food flavor), making fire starting effortless every time
- NATURAL ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS: Made from natural pine wood shavings and wax, these fire starters emit up to 80% less carbon monoxide than traditional fire starters, offering a safer, more environmentally friendly option
- BURN WHEN WET: Don't let rain dampen your outdoor plans! Our weather-resistant fire starters can burn for approximately 6 minutes even in damp conditions
- OUTDOOR ESSENTIAL: Whether camping or hiking, these compact yet powerful charcoal squares are a must-have on everyone's fire pit accessories list, creating blazing fires in moments
- AROMATIC JUNIPER FOR COZY FIRES: This 18 LB juniper firewood bundle burns clean with a rich, forest-like aroma. It’s easy to ignite and perfect for low-smoke fires in fire pits, fireplaces, or backyard BBQs. Great for cozy, fragrant fires anytime.
- COMPLETE FIREWOOD STARTER KIT: No need to buy extras—each box includes split firewood for fire pit, long-burning logs, and fire starter sticks. It’s a reliable all-in-one solution with fireplace starter sticks and kindling wood for any setup.
- RUSTIC JUNIPER FOR CLEAN, AROMATIC FIRES: Juniper wood offers a naturally fragrant burn with quick ignition and minimal mess. Ideal for those who enjoy cozy, aromatic fires in fire pits, fireplaces, or backyard BBQs without overpowering smoke.
- CLEAN, HOT, CONSISTENT BURN: Our seasoned firewood burns hotter and cleaner with less smoke. Whether you're using a wood stove fire starter, indoor firewood, or preparing for a bonfire, these fire logs deliver steady heat every time.
- FIRE STARTER FOR ANY ADVENTURE: From your backyard fire pit to deep woods camping, this bundle doubles as a survival fire starter kit. Great for firewood for fireplace, campfires, BBQs, and as fire starters for wood stoves at home or on the go.
- Subtle Sweet flavor
- Chunk size pieces
- Four pound bag
- 350 cu. in. (0.006 m^3) sized bag
- Quick and Easy: All natural and additive free StarterStikk Fatwood fire starting sticks are quick and easy to use for wood and charcoal fires; You don't need kindling, rolled up newspapers, accelerants, gels or fluids to start a fire, simply light and watch it burn
- Use Anywhere: This portable and lightweight fire starter stick is an excellent choice for outdoor recreation, including camping, hiking, fishing trips or bonfires; For indoor use, store them near your fireplace or wood burning stove to easily heat the home
- Clean and Green: Our firelogs burn cleaner than cordwood, producing up to 80% less carbon monoxide and 75% less particulate matter; Nearly all the materials in our products are made from renewable resources so you can be sure that your choice is a clean one
- Easy and Authentic: We're dedicated to bringing you only the finest quality, American made, nature inspired products that make it easy for you and your family to cozy up in front of the fireplace or gather around the campfire, with a simple strike of a match
- Compare and See The Quality: Compare our line of firestarters, firelogs, and fire safety accessories to similar products by manufacturers like Duraflame, Blackwood Charcoal, Earthlog, Lightning Nuggets, Better Wood Products, Enviro Log, Ignite O, or Western
Choosing the Best Wood for Your Fire Pit: A Complete Buying Guide
Nothing beats gathering around a warm fire pit on a cool evening. The right wood makes all the difference. It affects the heat, the smell, and even how long your fire lasts. This guide helps you pick the perfect fuel for your backyard flames.
Key Features to Look For in Fire Pit Wood
When buying wood, look closely at these features. They tell you how well the wood will burn.
1. Moisture Content (Dryness)
This is the most important feature. Dry wood burns hot and clean. Wet or “green” wood smokes a lot. It wastes energy boiling off the water inside. Look for wood that has been seasoned (dried) for at least six months.
2. Size and Consistency
Wood should fit easily into your fire pit. Uniform pieces light faster. You want a mix of sizes. Small pieces help start the fire. Larger logs keep it going.
3. Density (Hardness)
Hardwoods (like oak or maple) are dense. They burn slower and produce more heat. Softwoods (like pine) burn fast and hot but use up quickly. A mix often works best.
Important Materials: Wood Types Matter
Not all wood burns the same way. Choose based on what you want from your fire.
- Oak: A top choice. It burns long, hot, and produces few sparks. It smells great, too.
- Maple: Burns steadily with good heat. It is a reliable medium-burn wood.
- Hickory: Known for its intense heat and smoky flavor, which is great if you are cooking.
- Pine/Fir (Softwoods): These light easily and burn quickly. They pop and spark a lot, so they are better for short, quick fires.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
The quality of your wood directly impacts your fire experience.
Factors That Improve Quality:
- Seasoning: Properly seasoned wood has a moisture content below 20%. This wood splits easily and sounds hollow when knocked together.
- Cleanliness: Wood should be free of dirt, mold, or insects. Treated wood should never be burned in an open fire pit, as it releases toxic fumes.
Factors That Reduce Quality:
- Rot: Soft, spongy wood has rotted. It burns poorly and produces lots of ash.
- Sap/Resin: Too much sap, common in fresh pine, causes excessive smoke and creosote buildup (soot).
User Experience and Use Cases
Think about how you plan to use your fire pit.
For Long Even Heat:
If you want to sit outside for hours, choose dense hardwoods like Oak or Ash. These logs provide steady coals that radiate heat for a long time.
For Quick Fires or S’mores:
If you just want a quick flame for roasting marshmallows, softwoods or smaller pieces of hardwood work well. They reach good cooking temperature fast.
For Ambiance and Scent:
If the smell is important, consider fruitwoods (like apple) or aromatic woods like Cedar. Cedar smells wonderful but burns very fast.
10 FAQs About Buying Wood For Fire Pits
Q: Should I buy wood that is already split?
A: Yes, buying pre-split wood saves a lot of hard work. Ensure the pieces are uniform for easier stacking and consistent burning.
Q: How much wood should I buy at one time?
A: This depends on how often you use your pit. For weekend use, a small stack (half a cord) might last a season. Always buy more than you think you need.
Q: What is “seasoned” wood?
A: Seasoned wood means it has been cut, split, and left to dry naturally for at least six months. This lowers the moisture content.
Q: Can I burn logs from my yard?
A: You can, but only if the tree is dead, dry, and you know what kind of tree it is. Avoid evergreens as they spark a lot.
Q: Why does my fire smoke so much?
A: Excessive smoke usually means your wood is too wet (unseasoned). Wet wood produces steam instead of hot flames.
Q: Is firewood sold by weight or volume?
A: Firewood is usually sold by volume: a cord, a half-cord, or a face cord. A full cord is a large stack measuring 4 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long.
Q: What is the best wood for cooking over a fire pit?
A: Hardwoods like Oak or Hickory are best for cooking. They create strong, long-lasting coals without adding bad flavors.
Q: How should I store my fire pit wood?
A: Stack wood off the ground, ideally on a pallet. Cover the top to keep rain out, but leave the sides open for air to circulate. Airflow keeps the wood dry.
Q: Are colored or painted pieces of wood safe to burn?
A: Never burn painted, stained, or pressure-treated wood. These woods release dangerous chemicals when burned.
Q: How do I know if the wood is dry enough to burn?
A: Dry wood feels lighter than it looks. It often has cracks radiating from the center (checking). When you knock two pieces together, they make a sharp, hollow “clink” sound.