Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring Review: The DIY Smokeless Upgrade We Put to the Test

There’s a universal dance that happens around almost every backyard fire pit. It starts with finding the perfect chair, drink in hand, ready to soak in the warmth and camaraderie. Then, inevitably, the wind shifts. A plume of thick, acrid smoke billows directly into your face, stinging your eyes and sending you scrambling for a new spot. This game of smoky musical chairs is a timeless, if frustrating, part of the outdoor experience. For years, we accepted it as the price of admission for enjoying a real wood fire. But what if it didn’t have to be? The search for a better fireside experience—one with all the heat and ambiance but without the constant coughing and reshuffling—is what leads many of us down the path of smokeless technology. It’s the desire to create a permanent, inviting centerpiece for our backyards, a place for gathering, not for dodging smoke.

What to Consider Before Building Your Perfect Backyard Fire Pit

A fire pit is more than just a metal container for burning wood; it’s a key solution for transforming an outdoor space into a year-round gathering spot. It provides warmth on chilly evenings, a focal point for social interaction, and an authentic, primal connection to the outdoors. The main benefit of a modern fire pit ring, especially a smokeless model, is its ability to engineer a cleaner, more efficient, and more enjoyable fire. By controlling airflow and promoting secondary combustion, these units dramatically reduce the smoke that plagues traditional open fires, meaning you can sit closer, breathe easier, and go to bed without your clothes smelling like a chimney.

The ideal customer for a fire pit insert like the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring is a homeowner with a vision—a DIY enthusiast who wants to build a permanent, custom fire feature with stone or brick. This person values performance and is willing to put in some construction effort to achieve a high-end look and “less-smoke” functionality. Conversely, this product is not suitable for renters, campers, or those seeking a portable, ready-to-use-out-of-the-box solution. If you need something you can move from the patio to the driveway or take on a trip, you should consider a freestanding, self-contained unit instead. This is a foundational piece for a permanent backyard upgrade, and it’s important to understand that commitment before purchasing.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: A 36-inch outer diameter is substantial. You need to ensure you have adequate, safe clearance from any structures, trees, or flammable materials in your yard. Measure your intended space carefully, accounting not only for the ring itself but also for the surrounding stonework and a comfortable seating area. This isn’t a small patio accessory; it’s the anchor for an outdoor room.
• Capacity/Performance: The 30-inch inner diameter allows for large, roaring fires capable of warming a significant group of people. The key performance metric here is the “smokeless” secondary combustion. This feature requires the fire to be hot enough for the superheated air to exit the upper vents and ignite the smoke particles, which means it works best with a well-established fire, not small smoldering ones.
• Materials & Durability: The Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring is made from heavy-duty, powder-coated steel. Steel is strong and robust but is susceptible to rust over time when exposed to extreme heat and moisture. While stainless steel offers superior rust resistance, it comes at a much higher price point. Expect the finish on any steel pit to wear, and plan for occasional maintenance, like touch-ups with high-temperature paint, to prolong its life.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: As an insert, the primary “use” involves the initial construction project. Once built, operation is simple. Maintenance involves clearing out ash and protecting the metal from the elements. We recommend a cover to keep rain from pooling inside, which can accelerate rust and create a sludgy mess. The simple four-panel assembly is designed to be straightforward for most DIYers.

Creating the perfect fire pit is a rewarding project, and choosing the right insert is the most critical step. This model offers a fantastic blend of size, technology, and value for a permanent installation.

While the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions and Key Features of the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring

The box that arrived was heavy, a good first sign. At 27.5 pounds, the sheer heft of the steel panels inside was immediately apparent. Unboxing the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring revealed four thick, curved steel sections, coated in a matte black finish, along with a small bag of nuts and screws. The instructions are basic, but the assembly is intuitive: the four pieces bolt together to form the complete ring. In our test, the pre-drilled holes lined up perfectly, a pleasant surprise often not found in multi-panel metal goods. We had it fully assembled in under 15 minutes. Some users have reported issues with corners being bent during shipping, a common hazard for heavy, flat-packed items. While our unit was pristine, we noted that the steel is thick enough that minor bends could likely be corrected with a rubber mallet. Once assembled, the ring feels incredibly solid and sturdy. It’s clear this isn’t a flimsy, disposable fire ring; it’s a heavy-duty foundation designed to be the heart of a permanent structure, and you can see its robust build quality in the product details.

In-Depth Performance: Putting the Smokeless Technology to the Test

A fire pit ring can look great out of the box, but its true value is only revealed through fire, heat, and time. We integrated the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring into a new paver-stone surround in our testing yard and spent several weeks putting it through its paces with various woods and fire sizes. Our goal was to push past the marketing claims and understand its real-world performance in three key areas: its material durability under fire, the effectiveness of its smokeless technology, and the overall experience of building with and using it as a permanent backyard feature.

Built Like a Tank: A Closer Look at Material Quality and Durability

The first thing we test with any fire pit is its mettle—literally. The “heavy-duty steel” claim from Iron Forge Tools holds up. The panels are noticeably thick, and once bolted together, the structure is rigid and shows no signs of flexing. During our first, very hot fire using seasoned oak, we paid close attention to the finish. As anticipated and confirmed by several user experiences, the powder-coated paint began to peel and flake off in the areas of most intense heat. This is not a defect; it is the nature of virtually all non-ceramic coatings when subjected to the 1,000°F+ temperatures of a wood fire. Potential buyers should see this as a feature that delivers an incredible value upfront, and you can check the latest price and availability here. The underlying steel is what matters. After a few fires and a couple of rain showers, a light surface rust, or patina, began to form. For many, this rustic, weathered look is desirable and adds character. For those who prefer a pristine black finish, the solution is simple: a seasonal light sanding and a quick coat of high-temperature grill paint will restore it to like-new condition. One user noted “extensive rust after only 4 months,” which highlights the importance of using a cover to prevent standing water, the primary accelerator of corrosion. Overall, the core structure is exceptionally robust and promises many years of service.

The Smokeless Promise: Secondary Combustion in Action

This is the main event. The defining feature of the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring is its smokeless design, which relies on a double-wall construction to enable secondary combustion. Here’s how our testing broke down: cool air is drawn in through the lower exterior holes, travels up through the insulated wall cavity (the space between the ring and your stone surround), and is superheated. This hot, oxygen-rich air is then ejected through the upper interior holes, just below the rim. This ignites the smoke particles (unburnt fuel) that would otherwise escape, resulting in a cleaner burn, more radiant heat, and a mesmerizing display of flames dancing along the top edge. Did it work? Emphatically, yes—with a caveat. The “smokeless” effect is not instantaneous. For the first 15-20 minutes, as the kindling catches and the main logs begin to burn, it produces smoke like any other fire. However, once the fire is well-established and a hot coal bed forms, the secondary combustion kicks in, and the visible smoke is reduced by what we’d estimate to be 80-90%. The difference is dramatic. We could sit all around the pit without playing musical chairs. Some users have reported it “still smokes,” and we found this is highly dependent on two factors: the size of the fire and the quality of the wood. A small, smoldering fire in this large 30-inch pit won’t get hot enough to activate the system. Likewise, using wet or green wood will always produce excessive smoke, regardless of the fire pit’s design. When fed properly with dry, seasoned hardwood, the performance is outstanding and genuinely transformative for the backyard experience.

Installation and DIY-Friendliness: A Permanent Backyard Upgrade

It’s crucial to understand that this is not a freestanding fire pit; it is a component for a larger project. As one new owner correctly noted, “it’s designed to be an insert within an outer wall of bricks or stone, which means it will take more work to build.” This is its greatest strength if you’re a DIYer. The 36-inch outer and 30-inch inner diameter leaves a perfect 3-inch gap all around, which is intended to be filled with an insulator like sand, gravel, or decorative rocks. This insulation is critical for protecting your stone or block surround from direct, intense heat, preventing cracking over time. We followed the advice of one clever user who used rocks to fill the gap, “leaving lots of gaps and shooting for the overall 1-2 inch airspace.” This method allows for excellent airflow, which is the engine of the smokeless system. Building a simple retaining wall block surround took us a few hours and was a straightforward, rewarding project. The result is a professional-looking, custom fire pit that feels deeply integrated into the landscape. For anyone looking to create a permanent and high-performance fire feature, the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring is an ideal foundation for that project.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our findings align closely with the consensus of online feedback. There is widespread praise for the product’s core quality. Phrases like “very solid and sturdy,” “quality material,” and “heavy metal” appear frequently. One happy customer who did extensive research concluded it was the “best smokeless pit ring I could find,” highlighting the quality as a key differentiator worthy of the investment. The ease of assembly is another common positive, with one user noting they were “quite surprised” that “all the predrilled screw holes lined up perfectly.”

However, the feedback isn’t without its criticisms, which largely center on quality control and logistics rather than design. The most prevalent complaint is damage during shipping, with multiple reports of “bent corners” on arrival. While most found it easy to bend back into place, it’s a frustrating first experience. The other notable issue is missing hardware; one user received only two nuts for ten screws. These issues, along with inconsistent fitment mentioned by one buyer who saw “overlap or gaps between each piece,” point to potential inconsistencies in packaging and manufacturing that could be improved. These critiques seem to be exceptions rather than the rule, but they are important for potential buyers to be aware of.

How the Iron Forge Tools Ring Compares to Other Fire Pit Solutions

The Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring exists in a crowded market, but it serves a very specific niche. To understand its value, it’s helpful to compare it against other popular options that serve different needs.

1. Solo Stove Bonfire Stand

It’s important to clarify that this is an accessory—a stand for the popular Solo Stove Bonfire. The comparison here is really between two entire ecosystems. The Solo Stove ecosystem is about premium, portable, ready-out-of-the-box convenience. It’s a self-contained, highly efficient stainless steel unit that you can place on this stand and use on a deck or take camping. It requires no installation. The Iron Forge Tools ring, by contrast, is for someone who wants a larger, permanent, custom-built fire pit. If you prioritize portability and a turnkey solution and have a higher budget, the Solo Stove world is your best bet. If you want to build a large, integrated backyard feature, the Iron Forge ring is the superior choice.

2. Pure Garden 32-Inch Outdoor Wood Burning Fire Pit

The Pure Garden fire pit represents the traditional, all-in-one budget option. It’s a simple, freestanding fire bowl that comes with a spark screen, poker, and cover. It’s designed for someone who wants a fire pit immediately with zero construction and a very low initial investment. However, it lacks any smokeless technology, is made of thinner metal, and offers a much smaller fire bowl. Someone should choose the Pure Garden model if their primary concerns are low cost and absolute simplicity. The Iron Forge Tools ring is for the user who is graduating from this type of basic pit and wants a significant upgrade in performance, size, and aesthetics.

3. YSEJOMP 36 Inch Round Galvanized Foldable Fire Pit Ring

This YSEJOMP ring is the epitome of basic fire containment. It’s a simple, foldable metal ring designed to be set on the ground to keep a campfire from spreading. It’s highly portable, lightweight, and perfect for campsites or temporary backyard gatherings. There is no floor, no airflow technology, and no smokeless design. It is simply a boundary. This product serves a completely different purpose than the Iron Forge ring. The YSEJOMP is for the camper or the person needing a temporary solution. The Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring is a piece of engineered equipment for a permanent, high-performance installation.

The Final Verdict: Is the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring Right for Your Yard?

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring is an exceptional product for a specific type of user. If you are a DIY-inclined homeowner looking to build a large, permanent, and beautiful fire pit that genuinely reduces smoke, this is one of the best value propositions on the market. Its heavy-gauge steel construction provides a durable and solid foundation, and the secondary combustion technology works remarkably well when used correctly. It transforms a smoky, frustrating experience into a comfortable and mesmerizing one.

You must be prepared for the realities of owning a steel fire pit: the paint will peel, and it will develop a rusty patina unless maintained. You must also be aware of the potential for minor shipping damage or missing hardware, though these seem to be occasional lapses. But for those willing to undertake a weekend project to build a stone surround, the result is a custom fire feature that rivals pre-built units costing three or four times as much. For the hands-on homeowner dreaming of the ultimate backyard gathering spot, we highly recommend it. If you’re ready to start your project and say goodbye to smoky musical chairs, you can get the Iron Forge Tools 36 inch Metal Firepit Ring and begin your build today.