Remember, all outdoor fireplaces are not the same.  For the safety of your family, friends, and neighbors as well as your property please read our suggestions below and use common sense.

outdoor fireplaces

Two basic designs for outdoor fireplaces are fire pits and chimineas.  A chiminea will keep more smoke out of your eyes because of its design.  It has a chimney and a single mouth opening to allow fresh air in to help fuel the fire.  A well-designed chiminea will create a drafting action, bring fresh air into the fire, and then direct the smoke and ash straight up out the chimney, up and away from your guest.  Because of the airflow, the fire will burn hot and clean, leaving behind less ash and soot.  The unit is also enclosed with will protect those that are near it from sparks and direct contact with it

Fire pits have a full circle of exposed fuel and because they do not have a concentrated drafting action, the fire tends to burn less hot and leave behind more un-burned ash.  They also tend to smoke more because of the cooler burning temperature.

Weight is a thing to consider as well.  Make sure to compare cast iron to cast iron and copper to copper.  There are also a few mixed models out there like aluminum and cast iron.  I would suggest staying away from that combo for durability.  Cast iron will be the heaviest, but also last the longest.  Also, consider if the unit will be located out in the elements.  This will shorten the life of any fire pit, but given the weight, you may have no other choice.  You should consider providing a cover to keep the rain from collecting in the bottom of the pit, as this is the quickest way to begin the trip down the rusty way, even if it comes with a drainage plug.  Besides weight, you should consider the size of the firebox area.  Whereas fire pits can pretty much accept any size of cut wood as long as it stays in the realms of the diameter of the ring of the pit, chimineas have a limited opening where the wood is placed and you may end up paying more for your wood as it will need to be cut or ordered from a wood supplier in smaller pieces.  Just because there is space for a lot of firewood in both a fire pit and a chiminea, doesn't mean the fire has to be big as well.