Do you want to buy a Solo Stove but can’t decide between the Bonfire or Yukon? Both are great fire pits, and it can be tough to decide which one to buy. The Yukon is bigger, but is bigger better for you? We’ll compare the two fire pits and help you decide which one is right for you!
Let’s start by talking about what they both have in common.
An overview of the two Bonfire and Yukon
The Solo Bonfire and Yukon are both high-quality wood burning fire pits. They’re constructed with 304 stainless steel that will last a lifetime. The double-wall design creates an efficient fire with almost no smoke. We’ll explain how that works later. For now, just know that these are the two most popular models from one of the best fire pits brands.
Plus, Solo offers a variety of accessories to take your Yukon or Bonfire experience to the next level.
Now let’s get into how they’re different.
Comparing the Yukon and Bonfire
The main difference between the Yukon and the Bonfire is the size. The Yukon is the biggest model produced by Solo Stove and the Bonfire is the next biggest.
Size
The Bonfire measures 19.5″ in diameter. The Yukon has a 27″ diameter, about 40% bigger than the Bonfire. The two fire pits are pretty close in height at 14″ for the Bonfire and 17″ for the Yukon.
There’s a pretty big difference in weight. The Bonfire weighs only 20 lbs, while the Yukon weighs almost twice as much at 38 lbs. That’s something to keep in mind if you’ll be moving the fire pits around a lot.
Portability
Not surprisingly, the Bonfire is the more portable option. It’s smaller and lighter, so it’s easier to take with you on camping trips or to the beach. The Bonfire can be throw in the back of an SUV (when completely cooled) without taking up too much space.
The Bonfire comes with a free carrying case which makes it easy to transport the fire pit with one hand. Solo Stove does not offer a carrying case that fits the Yukon.
The Yukon is still portable, but it can be awkward for one person to carry. Plus it takes up more space in your vehicle.
Bottom line here is either model can definitely be moved, but if your goal is to get a portable fire pit, the Bonfire is your better option.
Bigger fire pit means more wood
The Yukon’s larger size means it can hold more wood. Obviously that means a bigger fire. But it also means you’ll burn through a lot more logs to keep the fire pit hot. We’ll talk more about this more later, but for a Solo Stove to be smokeless, the walls of the fire pit need to be very hot. So a small fire in a big fire pit usually ends up smokey.
The need for more wood is not necessarily a bad thing. Just keep in mind the Yukon will need more logs (and therefore more money) to use.
Size of logs
Due to the different sizes of the fire pits, you’ll want to use different sizes of logs. While not entirely necessary, using the proper log size will help keep your pit hot and smokeless.
For the Bonfire, Solo recommends logs up to 16″ long. For the Yukon, logs up to 20″ are recommended. The logs you’ll find at your hardware or grocery store will normally measure around 16″. So depending on where you get your wood, it may not be the recommended size for a Yukon. It’s really not a big deal to use shorter logs, but you’ll need to make sure to move them toward the outside of the pit to keep those walls warm.
Heat Output Comparison
Not surprisingly, the bigger fire pit puts off more heat. We’re working on a quasi-scientific experiment to prove that, but for now you’ll have to trust us.
Which is better for cooking?
Nothing is better than cooking over an open flame, especially when you can do it over a wood burning smokeless fire. Solo offers a variety of cooking accessories for both the Bonfire and Yukon. Each accessory comes in different sizes to perfectly fit the different fire pit models.
While they’re both great for cooking, the Yukon is bigger and its cooking accessories have bigger cooking surfaces. So if you expect to be cooking for large groups, the Yukon is your best bet, otherwise, the Bonfire will suit your cooking needs.
Which is better for camping or tailgating?
For the reason that it’s lighter and more portable, we prefer the Bonfire over the Yukon for camping tailgating, or going to the beach. The Bonfire is the most popular fire pit in the Solo Stove lineup because it’s small enough to easily transport, but big enough to keep a group warm, or cook plenty of food.
The Yukon can also be transported, but it’s considerably bigger and is ‘more fire pit than you need’ for those situations.
By the way, when we say camping, we mean driving to a campsite and unloading your gear. We wouldn’t recommend the Bonfire if you’re doing any hiking. If you’re looking for a stove that’s small enough to take on a hike, we recommend the Solo camping stove lineup, which we’ll discuss later.
Price
As you’d expect, the bigger fire pit comes with a bigger price tag. At the time of this writing, both the Yukon and Bonfire were on sale. The Yukon was reduced to $399.99 and the Bonfire was dropped to $219.99. As mentioned earlier, the Yukon is almost twice as heavy as the Bonfire, which explains why it’s almost twice the price.
We’ll compare those prices to similar fire pits from other brands later. But what we’ve found is the Solo Stove price is between the highest priced brands and some of the cheaper imitations. In other words, Solo Stoves are reasonably priced.
Accessories
Solo offers a bunch of accessories for their fire pits. Some are for safety (ash screen), some are for cooking (Hub and Cooktops) and others are just for fun (flame coloring packs).
The are usually multiple sizes of each accessory to ensure they fit each size of fire pit. For example, there is a Bonfire ash screen and a separate Yukon ash screen. The ash screens are essentially the same thing, just different sizes.
So there really isn’t a difference in the accessories that are available for the Bonfire or Yukon. You have a lot of great options designed to fit each of them.
How are the fire pits smokeless?
Smokeless fire pits like the Bonfire and Yukon are all the rage. However, not a lot of people really know how the fire pits are smokeless. Understanding how these fire pits work is important if you want to troubleshoot a smokey fire. So we’ll give a high level explanation of how fire pits can be smokeless.
The whole magic behind smokeless fire pits comes down the double-wall design. You can’t see it from the outside, but there are actually two stainless steel walls on all side of the Bonfire and Yukon. Between those walls is a narrow gap.
As the fire burns, fresh air is pulled into the bottom of the pit and through the gap between the walls. If the fire is burning hot, those double walls will be very hot. The air gets heated as it passes through those double walls. Finally, the heated air is forced into the fire pit over the top of the flames and burns off the smoke before it gets into the air.
To recap how smokeless technology works:
- Fresh air is pulled into the bottom of the pit
- The air is heated as it passed through the gap between the double walls
- The heated air passes over the top of the fire, vaporizing the smoke particles
The process is commonly referred to as secondary burn or secondary combustion. Most brands use the same basic technology.
Building a smokeless fire with the Bonfire
There are countless ways to start a smokeless fire. A popular method for building a smoke free fire in a Solo Bonfire is a three-tiered circular pattern known as the “clock face.” Here’s how it works:
- Add a layer of 2-3″ hardwood chunks in a circle, leaving room in the middle for tinder.
- Add your tinder to the center of the chunk wood circle. Tinder can be dry twigs, pine cones, leaves, etc. Believe it or not, dryer lint and egg cartons also work very well as tinder.
- Add 4-5 hardwood logs in a circular pattern, each with one in the center and the other end against the wall. This will spread the fire to the double walls, which as we discussed earlier, is key to a smokeless fire.
Building a smokeless free fire with the Yukon
To get a smokeless fire going in your Yukon, you’ll essentially follow the same steps as listed for the Bonfire above. The one difference is that once the logs are well lit, you’ll need to push them toward the walls of the Yukon. Again, this will ensure the double-walls are heated to the point where the air passing through becomes hot enough to burn off the smoke.
What if my fire isn’t smokeless?
We throw around the word smokeless, but these fire pits aren’t entirely smokeless. The better term is ‘low smoke.’ If you have issues with overly smokey fires, there could be a few causes. A couple quick tips:
- Use only seasoned or kiln-dried hardwood
- Make sure your fire is burning hot (add more logs)
- Don’t add logs higher than the rim of the fire pit, or the hot air won’t be able to burn off the smoke
If you follow these tips and you’re still getting a lot of black smoke, let us know and we can help troubleshoot.
Next we’ll talk about what scenarios the Bonfire and Yukon are perfect for.
The Bonfire is perfect for…
The Solo Stove Bonfire is perfect for almost anywhere you’d want to use a fire pit. It’s great for a backyard or patio. It can be taken to a campsite, beach, or tailgate.
The Bonfire puts of a lot of heat, so it’s perfect for keep folks warm on a cool night, or for cooking great food year round.
The Yukon is perfect for…
As Solo says, “the Yukon works great as a center piece to any backyard.” The Yukon looks stylish sitting on your patio surrounded by some comfy chairs. If you don’t have a patio, just drop it on your lawn. Just keep in mind you’ll want to use the stand if you don’t want to burn your grass.
And while it works great as a centerpiece, the Yukon doesn’t have to stay in one place. If the night calls for a driveway party, the fire pit can be moved without too much effort.
The Yukon is built to last, so it’s a good investment for anyone who enjoys being outside. It’s also a great gift idea for a birthday, Father’s/Mother’s Day, a Wedding, Christmas – you name it!
Other options
You really can’t go wrong with either the Bonfire or the Yukon, but if you’re looking for something smaller, Solo offers the Ranger and a line of camp stoves. And while Solo Stoves are great, it’s not the only brand making quality fire pits. We’ll do a quick comparison between Solo and some of its competitors.
The Solo Stove Ranger
If you’re reading this and thinking that both of these stoves are too big, you should consider the next smallest model – the Solo Stove Ranger. The Ranger has a diameter of 15″ and a height of 12.5″. It weighs only 15 lbs, which is 5 lbs less than the Bonfire. The design and quality is exactly the same as the bigger Bonfire and Yukon.
What you’re getting with the Solo Stove Ranger is ultimate portability. The Ranger is perfect for a campsite or tailgate. It also works great on a small patio. The Ranger is also the most budget friendly option. Not only does it cost less, it also burns less wood.
However, smaller size and less wood also means less heat output. So don’t expect the Ranger to keep a bigger group (3+ people) very warm.
So if you’re looking for something even more portable than the Bonfire, the Ranger is a great option. For more info, check out our detailed comparison of the Bonfire and Ranger.
Solo Camping Stoves
Solo Stove has a separate line of camp stoves, that are even smaller and more portable. These three stoves are meant to be thrown in a backpack and are perfect for cooking a quick meal or warming your hands during a break from your hike.
The camping stove lineup:
Solo Stove Lite – Less At less than 6″ tall and weighing only 9 oz, the Lite is well… lite. Get a fire going quickly with twigs and pine cones and use the Solo Stove Pot 900 to heat up your meal.
Titan – Measure almost 8″ tall and weighing just over a pound, the Titan is the middle child of the Solo camping stove lineup. The Titan is small enough to carry on long hikes, but burns hot enough to cook a meal for a few people.
Campfire – The biggest of the three camping stoves is designed for cooking meals for four or more people. At 2.2 lbs, it’s double the weight of the Titan, but still small enough to take hiking.
All three camping stoves use the same 360 Degree Airflow Technology as the Bonfire and Yukon. And of course they’re made from 304 stainless steel, so this should be a purchase that lasts a lifetime.
Solo Stove vs Other Brands
There are a growing number of brands producing smokeless fire pits. Let’s look at three Solo Stove alternatives
Breeo vs Solo
Breeo and Solo are two of the most popular brands of smokeless fire pits. Breeo has a few different models of smokeless fire pits. Their X Series 19 is most comparable to the Solo Stove Bonfire. The next biggest Breeo is the X Series 24, which is closest in size to the Yukon.
Breeo also uses the double-wall technology to transfer heated air to the top of the fire. So like Solo Stoves, the Breeo X Series puts off very little smoke.
From a quality perspective, Solo and Breeo are pretty close. Both are made from 304 stainless steel, but Breeo uses a thicker gauge metal.
The big difference between the Breeo and Solo models is their weight. Breeo pits are heavier and therefor less portable. For example, the Solo Yukon weighs 38 lbs, while the Breeo X Series 24 weighs 62 lbs. The Breeo weighs 24 lbs more than the closest sized Solo Stove. Breeo stoves are great, but they’re not designed for portability.
Comparing prices, Breeo is more expensive and runs fewer sales than Solo Stove. At the time of this writing, the Solo Yukon is on sale for $429.99. The Breeo X Series 24 is $579, which is $149 more than the Solo. Breeo does offer sales, but usually only once a year, and even then the Solo will usually be cheaper.
Blue Sky vs Solo
Blue Sky is another brand gaining popularity in the smokeless fire pit industry. Like Solo Stove, Blue Sky also uses the double wall design to reduce smoke.
Blue Sky offers several different models that vary in shapes in sizes. Unlike the other brands compared here, Blue Sky makes a square fire pit, called “The Square Peak.”
Unlike Solo or Breeo, Blue Sky paints their fire pits with heat resistant paint. However, the manufacturer admits that there aren’t any paints that can withstand the high heat generated by these firepits. So expect to see some rust and possible paint peeling (think of an old black Weber grill lid). However that shouldn’t effect how well the Blue Sky fire pits operate.
A popular Blue Sky model is the Improved Peak smokeless fire pit. The size of the Improved Peak falls between the Bonfire and Yukon. From a price perspective, the Blue Sky Improved Peak also falls between the Bonfire and Yukon.
One cool thing about Blue Sky is they sell NFL and NHL licensed fire pits, so you can get a pit with the logo of your favorite team etched out. Solo stove has collegiate versions of their stove, with 50+ colleges available.
Duraflame vs Solo
Duraflame isn’t necessarily a popular brand for smokeless fire pits. They’re more known for slow-burning logs. But they do sell a smokeless fire pit and it very much resembles the Solo Stove models. If their fire pits didn’t have the Duraflame logo, you probably couldn’t tell them apart from a Solo Stove.
Duraflame only offers one model, a 19″ diameter fire pit that is closest in size to the Bonfire. Like the Solo Stoves, Duraflame uses 304 stainless steel.
At the time of this writing, Duraflame is available at Home Depot and our local grocery store for $249.99. The Solo Bonfire is regularly priced at $399.99, but it very often on sale for as low as $239.99.
Update: The Duraflame fire pit is now selling on HomeDepot.com for a reduced price of $199, making the decision between the Duraflame and Solo a bit harder. We’re still going with the Solo Stove because of it’s reputation for quality and the many accessories that Solo offers.
Wrapping up
So which Solo Stove fire pit should you buy? If portability and price is important to you, then go with the Bonfire. If you’re looking for something bigger that will likely stay on your property, the Yukon would be the better option.
Either way, you really can’t go wrong with a Solo Stove. We’ve been using our Solo Stove for over two years and it’s still going strong. And if you do have any problems, their customer service is excellent and they will make things right.
We hope this helped you decide which Solo Stove fire pit is best for you! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to answer them.
Happy burning!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions we hear form people who are considering buying the Bonfire or Yukon.
What kind of wood do you use in Solo Stoves?
Always use hardwood like oak or hickory, which burns longer and hotter. Make sure the wood is thoroughly dried, which means it should be seasoned (left to air dry for several months) or kiln dried.
Do you need the Stand for Bonfire or Yukon?
The purpose of your stand is to “minimize heat transfer from Yukon (or Bonfire) to heat-sensitive surfaces below by raising up your fire pit and allowing cool air to pass through Stand’s vent holes.”
Whether or not to use the Solo Stand with your Bonfire or Yukon depends on where you plan to use your fire pit. If you plan to use your fire pit on your grass, but don’t want burn marks, then you’ll definitely want to use the Stand.
Can you use a Solo Stove on a wood or composite deck?
Solo is a little vague on whether you can use a Solo Stove on a deck. If you’re considering it you’ll definitely need to use the Stand.
According to Solo, “We designed this [the Stand] with multiple surfaces in mind, but we can’t account for every type of patio or deck out there. With that in mind, use your best judgement and read all instructions thoroughly!”
Even if the fire pit doesn’t scorch your deck directly, there’s a high likelihood that sparks will shoot out onto your deck and could burn wood or composite materials. The Solo spark shield would help alleviate that.
So like they say, use your best judgment.
How do you clean the ash from a Solo Stove?
The upgraded Solo Stove 2.0 models have a removable ash tray. Once cooled, just lift out the ash tray and discard the ash.
If you have the 1.0 model, here are few ways to clean the ash. The manufacturer recommends just turning the Solo Stove over and dumping out the ashes. Just be sure they’re cool first, or that you’re dumping them into a metal container.
If you use that method, the Bonfire is easier to clean than the bulkier Yukon, so it’s something to consider when picking which pit is best for you.
There are two other common ways to clean the ash out, and that’s to use an ash shovel or an ash vacuum. You don’t need to pick up the fire pit if you use the shovel or vacuum, so the fire pit size doesn’t make much of a difference there. Read more on the difference between the Solo Stove 1.0 and 2.0.
Can the Bonfire or Yukon be enclosed in stone patio blocks?
Yes, the Yukon and Bonfire can both be enclosed (wrapped) in patio block, or used in an existing stone fire pit. This is commonly done to a achieve a better look or to add an extra layer between people or pets who might get to close to the hot fire.
In order to keep the fire burning hot and smokeless, Solo recommends leaving 3”-6” space between your fire pit’s walls and the enclosure.
Is there a warranty for the Bonfire and Yukon?
Solo stove warranties their products to be “free of manufacturing defects”, but the company does not warranty its products against normal wear or misuse.
Hi! I’m Tim and I love fire pits, especially the smokeless kind. Fire pits are perfect for gathering friends and family around. My fire pit of choice is the Breeo X Series 24.