Do remember that the more basic options won’t come with safety extras such as lids or screens, so you might need to spend a little more on accessories. Chimineas are normally smaller in width compared with fire pits, but much taller. The surrounding walls offer more safety because they can contain the fire, while also retaining heat and funnelling the smoke upwards rather than outwards, which a fire pit does. Make a hole in the middle of the base the pit will sit on and fill it with gravel to help drain rain water; then cover the entire base area with gravel. You can get a variety of designs, including coffee tables, dining tables and high-top tables; they’re almost always powered by gas or electric, but you can get wood-burning ones, too. We list brands to buy in our garden furniture buying guide.

John Lewis also claim that this wood-burning fire pit is easy to assemble with a sturdy base. Where to buy a fire pit Generally speaking, the larger the pit, the more heat it will give off, although other factors can change this, including what materials it's made of and the fuel you use to power it.This budget-friendly, powder-coated steel fire basket from Homebase looks a little different to most models on the market. You’ll also have the added expense of buying the gas and you’ll need to make sure it’s topped up before entertaining. No outdoor heater is ‘good’ for the environment. Unfortunately, wrapping yourself up in a blanket or throwing on an extra jumper is the only real eco-friendly way to stay warm in your garden. Chimineas are front-loading, freestanding fireplaces with a round bottom and a vertical chimney. Typically they're made of clay, cast iron or steel and come in a variety of sizes – opt for a model that you can cook on, too.

These fire pits are usually log-fuelled, and you can even burn certain wood chips to flavour your food. However, it's worth bearing in mind that they can produce a lot of smoke from the meat or oil drippings, so they need to be cleaned frequently. Wet logs and house coal emit higher levels of PM so if you still want to invest in a fire pit, always burn dry wood. Fire pits and chimineas aren’t great either. In fact, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), while UK air quality has improved significantly over the past few decades, the burning of solid fuels (such as coal and wood) in our homes is the largest contributor of harmful particulate-matter (PM) emissions.

Whether you want to keep warm in your garden, spruce up your patio or you’re looking for a more authentic way to cook your dinner, an outdoor fire pit could fit the bill.