How this started
Most fire pit content online falls into one of two categories: affiliate roundups that reshuffle the same ten Amazon listings with no real testing or comparison behind them, or manufacturer marketing dressed up as advice. Neither one answers the question a real buyer actually has, which is usually something specific: how far does this legally need to be from my house, will it actually stop smoking, will it fit my patio, is the smokeless claim real or marketing.
FirePitSpot exists to answer those questions properly. That means starting from primary sources, fire code text, EPA guidance, CPSC safety data, manufacturer specifications, rather than from what other blogs already said. It also means being honest about the limits of that information: where specs conflict between sources, we say so instead of picking whichever number sounds best.
What FirePitSpot Editorial actually does
Every guide on this site is produced by FirePitSpot Editorial, our internal research and writing process rather than a single named author. That is a deliberate choice: the site's credibility rests on the sourcing and the method, not on a personal brand. Here is what that process looks like in practice:
Source first
Primary documents, not secondhand blogs
Clearance numbers come from fire code text. Health claims come from EPA and CPSC. Product specs are checked against manufacturer listings, not copied from a competitor's page.
Say the uncomfortable part
Including on pages that sell things
A page recommending smokeless fire pits also explains exactly why they still smoke at startup. That section exists because it is true, not because it helps conversions.
Flag what we cannot verify
Rather than rounding up to a confident claim
When a certification or spec is not confirmed by a primary source, our comparison tables say so instead of assuming the best case.
What FirePitSpot is not
- Not a testing lab. We do not currently burn every product we cover in a controlled side by side test. Where we describe performance, it is based on manufacturer specification, aggregated owner experience, and engineering fundamentals, and we say so rather than implying hands on testing we have not done. See how we evaluate products for the specifics.
- Not neutral on safety. We will always lead a buying guide with the safety information even when it is less exciting than the product pitch. A fire pit is an open flame appliance, and we treat it like one.
- Not paid for placement. Products do not appear on this site because a brand paid for it. See our affiliate disclosure for exactly how the site is funded.
Get in touch
Found an error, an outdated code reference, or a spec that does not match what you own? We would genuinely like to know, since accuracy is the entire premise of this site. Reach us through the contact page.
Related pages
Read our how we test page for more on our evaluation process, our editorial policy for how we handle corrections and conflicts of interest, and our affiliate disclosure for how the site makes money.