We love spending time outdoors with friends and family. As more Americans look to transform their patios, backyards, and gardens into external living rooms, patio heaters and fire pits have become more popular.

Fire pits typically cost less than built-in fireplaces, and they’re fun, stylish, and safer than having an open fire on the lawn. We put together this list of some of our favorite fire pits to help you find the perfect fire pit for your backyard or patio.

Best Outdoor Fire Pits of the Year

1) 35.5 Anson Wood Burning Fire Bowl

This minimalistic fire pit is the perfect finishing touch to your backyard. Get that campground feel without leaving home, roasting marshmallows over an open flame, watching sparks dance across the night sky. Cozy up on chilly nights with loved ones to share special memories. The large, heavy-gauge steel bowl is sturdy and powder coated for durability. This beautiful fire bowl will last through years of backyard fireside chats and campouts.

The cozy glow of a fireplace can transform your patio into a relaxing living space. As people look for creative ways to enhance their outdoor space, an outdoor fireplace is a welcome addition.

Remodeling your home to include an outdoor fireplace for your covered patio can be incredibly expensive. The easiest, most wallet-friendly solution is to purchase a separate outdoor fireplace to enhance your home. At PortableFireplace.com, we offer affordable outdoor fireplaces to suit your personal style. 

Let our guide get you started on finding the perfect outdoor fireplace.

Outdoor living spaces, like patios, gardens, and finished decks are not only trendy but they’re good for us. When we spend time outdoors with friends and family, we’re more likely to connect, laugh, and bond. In colder months, don’t let the drab weather drag you back inside. Turning your patio into a cozy backyard retreat is easy with a patio heater or outdoor fireplace from PortableFireplace.com.

When shopping for a heater, you may notice that most heaters list BTU, or British thermal units, along with how much space a heater can cover. We’re going to cover what BTU’s are and how to determine how many you need for your patio.

What is a British Thermal Unit (BTU)?

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. It is the imperial system’s basic unit of heat, used to measure how much heat is required to raise one pound of water’s temperature by one degree. Heating and cooling appliances are usually marked with BTU’s to let buyers know what size space they will be best for. The heat output of a fireplace or heater is measured per hour in BTU’s.

Calculate how many BTU’s you need

The formula for calculating BTU’s needed to heat any space is relatively simple. Don’t worry, you won’t need a graphing calculator, years of training, or any special equipment. First, you need to know how big your patio is, multiplying length x width to calculate square footage. Since patios are usually square or rectangular, this method will work for most homes.

Length X Width = Area
20 BTU x Area2
Simply multiply square footage by 20 BTU’s per square foot.

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The sounds of live fire can be comforting, but building a live fire in your home isn’t always convenient or possible.  Fortunately, electric fireplaces make it possible to have realistic looking and sounding fires in your home without mess or danger.  

If you already own an electric fireplace or fireplace insert that doesn’t have that satisfying crackle,  the Adagio Crackler System is fantastic addition. It’s easy to use and portable. Volume control allows you to have a roaring fire or gentle background noise. Create instant ambiance with your electric fireplace with sounds to match.

The Best Electric Fireplaces with Natural Crackling Sounds

1)56” Brighton Coffee Black Electric Fireplace Media Cabinet

This cabinet fireplace is perfect for smaller homes and apartments, providing stylish storage and a glorious fire. Infrared quartz technology helps retain natural humidity in the air for extra comfort. The fire’s brightness is adjustable to your liking with several color ways to cycle through. Family movie nights are made that much cozier with this crackling fireplace.

Electric fireplace inserts are an efficient way to heat the heart of your home. They come in a variety of styles, with a variety of features. To choose the best electric fireplace insert for you, decide what’s important to you. Are you looking for realistic flame? How about that cozy crackle sound that real wood fires provide?

At Portable Fireplace.com, we pride ourselves on offering high quality fireplaces and inserts, at the best prices guaranteed. We’ve gathered this list of our best electric fireplace inserts, with different styles and unique features, so you can keep toasty all year-round.

1)25” Dimplex Acrylic Ice Contemporary Electric Fireplace Insert

This stunning insert features shimmering acrylic ice embers that create a multi-color adjustable light display. The heat radius reaches up to 1,000 feet, ideal for heating living areas. The front of the box remains cool to the touch, making this insert a safe choice for families. Sustainable and energy efficient, this insert costs pennies to run and its LED lights require zero upkeep.  Enjoy the calming flame effect with or without heat, for a soothing visual experience any day of the year.

Electric fireplace inserts are the quick, modern solution to update your fireplace so that you can enjoy a cozy night by the fire, any night of the week. An electric fireplace insert fits into your existing mantel or fireplace. Inserts are designed to provide a realistic experience with faux logs and glowing lights, and even, the comforting crackle, with none of the mess. Use our guide to help you find the perfect electric insert for your home.

Top Rated Electric Inserts

Each of our fireplace inserts has been carefully chosen for its high quality, but these inserts have been rated our top inserts by you, our customers. At portablefireplace.com, we’re the fireplace experts, but only you know what you want in style and features for your home.

16” Dimplex Opti-Myst Cassette Fireplace Insert

This deceptively simple insert provides up to 12 hours of warmth and realistic looking flame and “smoke.” Quick set up with a remote allows you to place, fill the water reservoir, and enjoy your fireplace within minutes.

Indoor Air Pollution is a Real Threat

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution ranks among the top five environmental risks. Poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is linked to allergies, asthma, sinus issues, eye/nose/throat irritations, nausea, fatigue, and cancer. In fact, Physicians for Social Responsibility concluded that 80% of all cancers are attributed to environmental, rather than genetic factors.

Häggström, Mikael. “Medical gallery of Mikael Häggström 2014“. Wikiversity Journal of Medicine

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