Breeo Vs. Solo Stove: I Put the Best-Selling Smokeless Fire Pits to the Test

Remember those early-to-mid pandemic days, when we craved human company but needed to do so al fresco and preferably with six feet of distance? It brought about all sorts of wonky shopping habits, from the mass purchase of outdoor ice baths and movie projectors to an absolute run on patio furniture and deck heaters.

One pandemic trend that didn’t go the way of the Zoom happy hour? Outdoor fire pits, which are great for spaces both small and large, and an awesome way to gather a crew for summer s’mores or an early fall cider. Two of the most popular fire pit brands are undoubtedly Solo Stove and Breeo. I reviewed the Solo Bonfire when I first got it (and spoiler: I loved it), but I was curious how the Breeo stood up against it. Both purport to be smokeless, both offer a wide variety of sizes and accoutrements and both have that hip factor that make them a welcome addition to your yard, as opposed to another piece of junk to plop next to your kiddie pool. I recently got my hands on a Breeo X Series Smokeless Fire Pit and tested it (with some friends…and many marshmallows) against the Bonfire. Here’s my honest review.

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The first thing to know is that Breeo and Solo are more similar than they are different. Both companies offer steel fire pits (as well as pizza ovens…but that’s for another story!) that are smokeless and safe for backyard use, even in urban environments. Solo has four different offerings: the portable 15-inch by 13-inch Ranger, the 20-inch by 15-inch Bonfire, the 27-inch by 17-inch Yukon and the 30-inch by 19-inch Canyon. Breeo, meanwhile, offers three different “series”—the 21-inch by 11-inch portable Y Series, the flagship X Series (which comes in 19-, 24-, 30- and 42-inch diameters) and the more elevated (and expensive) Luxeve, which will run you nearly $2,000 and is more akin to the pits you might see at a nice hotel or restaurant.

Both brands offer a smokeless experience (more on that later), thanks to a double-wall design and a raised airflow situation that draws air up from the bottom and allows it to feed the fire without creating smoke. And both have accessories that allow you to turn them into cooking grills, popcorn makers and the like. The Breeo is slightly more expensive; the 19-inch X Series comes in at $400, while the comparable Solo Bonfire is $300 (currently on sale for $250). And most Solo models have a wide range of color choices, while the Breeo only offers Corten or stainless steel finishes.

I tested the Solo Bonfire 2.0 and the Breeo X series in the 24-inch size. Here’s how they stack up.

You really can’t go wrong with either the Solo Stove Bonfire or the Breeo X Series. Both fire pits are chic, easy-to-use and safe for creating a campfire feel in your own backyard. I appreciate the price and toteability of the Bonfire, which makes it better for casual fire-enthusiasts and folks who want to move it out of the way in the off-season. But I also like the heft of the X series and the little details—from the criss-cross platform to the easy-to-attach accoutrements—which makes it better for outdoor cooking and using year-round as fixture of your yard or patio.