Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 review

About the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0

• Dimensions: 14.4 in. x 19.5 in. (H x W)
• Diameter: 19.5 in.
• Weight: 23.3 lbs. (10.6 kg)
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Features: Stainless steel stand, nylon carrying case; additional accessories and bundles available for purchase separately
• Fuel Type: Wood logs up to 16 inches long

Solo Stove is unique because of its trademark airflow design featuring a double-wall structure permeated with holes. This allows it to create a smokeless fire, which is a desirable quality in a fire pit.

What’s new with the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0?

Solo Stove made one major change when they introduced the 2.0 version of their fire pits: The addition of an ash pan.

During testing, we found that Solo Stoves tend to produce fewer ashes than other fire pits we’ve tested. Because the fire pit’s design pushes hot air over the wood as it burns, the wood burns down to a very fine ash instead of large chunks.

That said, it was cumbersome to remove those ashes in the old model, which is necessary to prevent them from clogging the air ducts.

In the original Bonfire, the bottom of the unit features a perforated plate. Wood sits on top of this plate and the ashes fall through as it burns. When the bottom of the Solo Stove gets full, the only way to clean it out is to turn the unit upside down to remove the ashes, effectively spraying fine ash everywhere in the process.

With the Bonfire 2.0, that perforated plate is removable. It sits atop an ash pan, and the two pieces can be removed from the unit for easy cleaning. That’s fantastic news for anyone with limited strength, because these fire pits are heavy to lift (ranging from 15 to 42 pounds, depending on the size).

What we like

It has a removable ash pan

We docked points from the original Solo Stove Bonfire because it didn’t have a removable ash pan. While it was possible to use an ash vacuum, it was hard to get into all the crevices to clean out the ashes.

We were thrilled to see that Solo Stove fixed this limitation. The Bonfire 2.0 burned nearly all the firewood down to fine ash, and discarding it was as easy as waiting for the unit to cool completely, lifting the perforated plate, and removing the ash pan to dispose of the ashes inside.

It’s worth noting that the process isn’t without a few drawbacks. You’ll have to get your hands dirty to reach into the unit and remove the perforated top, so we recommend wearing gloves. The first time we removed it, we accidentally jostled the ash pan and dumped most of the ashes beyond the pan’s rim.

We still had to turn the unit over and dump it out the old-fashioned way, but we learned a lesson about being careful, and it didn’t happen a second time.

It’s still one of the best fire pits we’ve tested

We were pleased to see that the changes Solo Stove made to the ash pan didn’t affect the fire pit’s basic abilities. Like the OG, the Bonfire 2.0 only took about 10 minutes to go from kindling to fill-sized firewood. Other wood-fire fire pits we’ve tested have taken as long as 30 minutes, so this ensures you can start enjoying your backyard fire as quickly as possible.

Like the original, the Bonfire 2.0 was as smokeless as it gets for wood fires. The number one thing that ruins a backyard fire is that large pillar of smoke. Somehow, it always seems to find you wherever you’re seated! Solo Stove’s design is brilliant here, moving preheated oxygen up to the top of the fire pit through the double walls to create a “secondary burn.” The flame ring at the top directs that burn towards the inside of the fire pit, reducing the amount of smoke that can escape.

If you use dry wood and keep the wood below the flame ring, you’ll enjoy a gorgeous fire without having to do an avoid-the-smoke dance.

Solo Stove kept the look and feel the same

Most of the features of the Bonfire 2.0 are the same as the original. It weighs slightly more than the original’s 20 pounds, but it’s still lightweight enough to transport at 23.3 pounds. If you go with the bundle that comes with the stand, it’s safe to use on grass or a wooden deck, and the stand packs inside the unit for easy storage.

Like the OG version, the latest model has Solo Stove’s 360° airflow design technology. This helps to create the picturesque flames, which are housed inside of the sleek, stainless-steel exterior, making for a stylish and practical addition to your backyard setup.

What we don’t like

It uses more firewood than other fire pits

Like the original, the Bonfire 2.0 gets started quickly but it also burns hot, consuming more wood than most fire pits. On average, we found that three logs will last about 45 minutes, compared to the 60 to 75 minutes of other fire pits we tested.

It may not be as portable as you think

While the Bonfire 2.0 is lightweight and easy to transport, you won’t be able to move it for a while after it’s been used. The unit stayed hot to the touch for about an hour after the fire was extinguished, and you can’t put the carrying case on until it’s fully cooled.

You’ll have to wait for the unit to cool down naturally, too. Pouring water over the fire will clog up the fine ash in the ash pan, affecting the airflow for future use. That means you can’t extinguish the fire to end your fire pit session early, too.

An extra accessory is required for cooking

Don’t expect to get a two-for-one grill and fire pit with the Bonfire 2.0. The fire pit is way too hot to cook over, so you’ll need to purchase a grill accessory bundle to use this fire pit as a grill.

Warranty

Solo Stove boasts 100% guaranteed returns and a lifetime warranty. The warranty protects against manufacturing defects but does not apply to damage due to misuse or normal wear and tear. That said, Solo Stove often extends a one-time courtesy offer of 50% off MSRP prices (excluding web specials) if the damage was due to misuse. Solo Stove also offers two-, three-, and five-year accident protection through Extend for additional coverage.

Should you buy the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0?

Yes, if you’re looking for a smokeless fire pit that’s easy to clean

If you don’t already own a Solo Stove fire pit, we absolutely recommend the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0. It has all the features we loved about the original fire pit (zero building or installation required, gorgeous design, quick and simple to use, light enough to be portable, and smokeless when used properly). The addition of the removable ash pan made it easy to clean, making this fire pit the complete package.

Keep in mind that the Bonfire 2.0 is Solo Stove’s medium-sized model. It’s perfect for seating about eight people, as the heat will radiate roughly two feet from the fire pit. You can upgrade to the Yukon 2.0 if you need a larger fire pit (one that seats about 16 people), but it’s not as portable, weighing nearly twice as much as the Bonfire.

For those who own the original Bonfire model, you’ll need to ask yourself a very important question: How annoyed are you at cleaning out the ashes? If you’re only mildly irritated (or not at all inconvenienced), save your money and keep rocking the original. But, if cleaning out the fire pit keeps you from wanting to use it, we recommend upgrading.