Solo Stove recently made a huge announcement, offering its first-ever propane fire pit, the Infinity Flame. And just 2 months prior, Ninja released their brand-new Fireside 360. So naturally, we're here to put them both to the test to help you decide which is the best gas fire pit for your backyard.
Disclaimer:
These fire pits were sent to us to test and torture here on the channel. They didn't come with any notes or script, just a couple of hunks of metal for us to use to help you, our audience find the best gear for your backyard. What follows is the experience David and I had while testing these two propane fire pit models.
Ninja Fireside 360 vs. Solo Stove Infinity Flame
Specifications
Let's start with the measurements and specifications.
Ninja Fireside 360
The Fireside 360 measures almost 22 inches wide, just shy of 29 inches high and weighs 40 pounds. It's propane only, so natural gas is not an option. It's constructed of stainless steel and powder coated metal.
There are two burners on the Fireside: one called the heater and one called the flame. The heater wraps 360 degrees around the model, and radiates heat outward using 49,000 BTU. The flame burner is on top of the unit with 31,000BTU for a total of 80,000 BTU's of heat available.
The Ninja Fireside 360 propane fire pit comes with a 2 year Limited warranty.
Solo Stove Infinity Flame
The Solo Stove Infinity Flame measures 42 inches wide, 20 inches high and weighs 88.5 pounds. If it looks a little familiar, that's because it's basically the smokeless fire pit surround that's been adapted to house a propane tank and gas burner. So it's a metal frame with some canvas-type panels. The tabletop space stays cool during the burn, so it's a safe space to set down your morning coffee or plate of food.
The Solo Stove Infinity Flame is also propane only, with no natural gas conversion available at this time. Solo Stove has designed this burner to replicate the secondary burn pattern we've all come to know in their wood-burning fire pits. This unique dual burner design puts out 72,000 BTUs of heat in total.
The Solo Stove Infinity Flame propane fire pit comes with a 3-year warranty, which is an understandable departure from the lifetime warranty on their wood-burning fire pits.
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Propane Fire Pits
Both of these gas fire pits take a standard 20-pound propane tank as their fuel source.
The Fireside 360 has a door on the back that opens, and the propane tank can be set in place and hooked up pretty easily.
The Infinity Flame surround has a panel that opens and a pivot out arm to hold the propane tank. Once the gas hose gets attached, there's a "seat belt" of sorts to buckle, I'm assuming to keep the tank stable if you were to move the gas fire pit at all, which we did do.
How to Ignite Each Propane Fire Pit
The Ninja Fireside 360 propane fire pit has 2 separate burners that can both be lit independently of each other, if for some reason, you don't want them both. The top knob controls the flames on top and the bottom knob controls the side heating element. Both knobs have a range of power, though it's much more difficult to visually observe that range for the heating burner.
The Solo Stove Infinity Flame propane fire pit has a single push button igniter that controls both the outer ring and the central flame. The outer ring can be lit without the central flame, but it doesn't work the other way around.
Personally, I'm not sure why you wouldn't want them both all the time, because together they make a pretty fun fire to stare into, but to each their own.
Gas Fire Pit User Experience
We had some guys over to the Lab a few nights ago and gave them the chance to test out both of these propane fire pits and share their thoughts.
For some context, it was about 47 degrees outside, with a mild breeze. We set each burner 40 inches away from the edge of our deck seating and asked the guys to report back on heat distribution and ambiance.
The overall theme was that most of our guests felt a noticeable increase in heat coming from the Ninja, but they preferred the more community look and feel of the Solo Stove.
There were also some concerns shared about the potential safety risk of having small children around the Ninja, as the metal cage was definitely hot to the touch, as opposed to the surround found on the Solo Stove.
How Much Do Propane Fire Pits Cost?
The Ninja Fireside 360 is regularly priced at $499.99. The Solo Stove Infinity Flame comes in $50 more at $549.99.
There are a couple of things worth noting here, though.
The Fireside 360 includes ceramic rocks that serve a purely aesthetic purpose.
In contrast, the Infinity Flame does not come with this Fire Glass out of the box, but it is an extra accessory that you can add if you like the look. Like the ceramic rocks on the Fireside, its only function is looking pretty.
Also worth noting, we currently have a $20 off code for Solo Stove, so be sure to grab that code (BBQLABHOLIDAY20) before making your purchase if that's the direction you've decided to go.
Which is the Best Propane Fire Pit?
Speaking of which, how do you even decide between these two gas fire pits? We'll try to break it down based on a few different criteria.
So, deciding which gas fire pit is better completely depends on what your goals are. Let us know in the comments which way you lean, and why.
Save $20 off your purchase at SOLO STOVE with code: BBQLABHOLIDAY20
