Fire Pit Furniture Ideas
What furniture is best around a fire pit?
Answering the question of what furniture to put around a fire pit can help you enjoy your time around the fire pit even more. After you’ve completed the work of landscaping around your fire pit, you will need to decide on the fire pit furniture and accessories for your fire pit. Here we will talk about the choices you have in terms of fire pit sets, fire pit tables and chairs, lighting as well as placing furniture around your fire pit in a safe way. We will also look into what you should consider when choosing garden or patio furniture for your fire pit.
Ideas on what to put around a fire pit
What’s the best thing to put around a fire pit? Here we give you some ideas on:
- Seating
- Tables
- Fire pit furniture sets
- Accessories
- Safety considerations
You may also like:
Fire pit seating
First, let’s look into some general considerations related to choosing seating for your fire pit area.
What to consider when choosing fire pit seating?
There are quite a few things to consider before choosing the seating for your fire pit area. You will need to take into account the number of people that will usually sit there, the space you have and the convenience of use, where the latter one will be especially important if you or any of your guests have any mobility issues. It’s also worth considering how often you will gather around the fire pit and whether you would want to put away your garden furniture into storage while not in use, e.g. for winter or to make space for your kids to play.
How big should the seating area around a fire pit be?
The space around a fire pit should be at least four to six feet on all sides (measuring from the edges of the fire pit). The space you need also depends on the size of your garden furniture and how your fire pit gets, so depending on that you may need a bit more space.
How far away should the seating be from a fire pit?
The seating should be around 7 feet from a wood-fueled fire pit to enjoy the warmth without getting too hot.
How many chairs should be around a fire pit?
Around a wood-burning fire pit you can have up to six large chairs or up to eight, if the chairs are smaller.
How do you arrange furniture around a fire pit?
First, let’s look into positioning the seating around the fire pit. How do you arrange seats around a fire pit? If your fire pit isn’t too large, you can place seating in a full circle around it. Remember to position the seating in a way in which everyone can hear each other to encourage conversation. If you have a gas fire pit and it’s square, place a chair at each side of it, if your fire pit is rectangular, make sure each side of the fire pit has the same number of chairs.
Another thing to consider is placing together different types of seating. Mixing different types and sizes of seating makes the arrangement more interesting and it can accommodate different needs of the users. If you have a mix of benches or sofas and chairs, you can place them in loose groupings in a circle or semicircle around the pit. A good idea would be to put tables between the seating so everyone has a convenient place to put away drinks and food. And lastly, always remember about sufficient space for people to move around.
Now, let’s look into some specific types of furniture which work best around a fire pit.
Chairs to put around a fire pit
What to consider when choosing chairs for a fire pit?
When choosing chairs for a fire pit, you should consider how easy it is to get out of the chair, especially if you ‘re going to use it after a couple of drinks or your guests may be of an older age or have any mobility issues. Check if the chair requires a big forward lean when you are standing up and how close to the fire you may get doing this move. If you get dangerously close to the flames, you will need to position the chair further from the fire, or consider choosing a higher chair, so you don’t have to lean forward that much when standing up. Another good solution, especially for smaller spaces is a swivel chair – see examples below.
Outdoor swivel chairs
Outdoor Patio Dinning Swivel Chairs Rocker Set
Outdoor Swivel Rocker Patio Chairs Set with a Matching Side Table
What are the best chairs or seating for a fire pit?
Here are some suggestions on comfy and practical chairs you can use around a fire pit.
Adirondack chairs
One of the popular options of fire pit seating are Adirondack chairs. What are Adirondack chairs? Adirondack chairs are a type of wooden outdoor lounge chairs with wide armrests and a tall slatted back. In this chair design the seat is higher in the front than in the back. They are comfortable and the arm rests are wide enough to hold a drink or plate with food.
Rattan Chairs
Another popular solution for fire pit seating are traditional rattan chairs. They are comfortable, sturdy and come in different designs and colors to match any patio or garden.
Plastic fire pit chairs
Why choose plastic outdoor chairs? There is a good reason to go for plastic fire pit chairs. They are light, easy to clean or wipe dry after rain and they are usually cheaper than wooden chairs. You can even get a plastic version of Adirondack chairs.
Folding chairs
If you know that you will need to move your chairs a lot, if your backyard space is limited or you want to protect your garden furniture by putting it away into storage, then folding chairs are worth considering.
Outdoor fire pit chairs
Folding Adirondack chairs
Outdoor Wood Dining Chairs
Plastic Adirondack Chair
Outdoor Patio, Porch Furniture Set, PE Rattan Wicker Chairs with Table
Cuddler chairs
Cuddlers are a lovely option for couples to enjoy their time together in front of the fire. Apart from that, they add variety to your patio layout and can look really good when mixed with single chairs. Many outdoor sofa sets include a mix of single chairs and cuddlers.
Benches
Bench style seating is handy when you want to accommodate a bigger group around the fire, so that’s a great option for larger families or those who have a lot of friends. In this garden seating category you will have a choice of curved, straight or corned benches with or without backrests and armrests.
Outdoor Handwoven Wicker Cushioned Loveseat Glider
Outdoor Wooden Curved Backless Bench
Fire pit tables
While sitting around a fire pit you will certainly need a place for food and drinks.
Fire pit tables vary depending on the type of your fire pit. For instance, many gas fire pit models are built in tables already. However, if you go for a free standing gas fire pit or a wood burning fire pit, you will need to get a patio table or tables to put away your food and drinks.
What types of tables work best around fire pits?
Generally speaking, low, sturdy tables work best around a fire pit. In terms of table size, it depends on your individual needs, however in our experience small tables placed between the seating work best.
Several small tables
As we mentioned above, we find this solution very practical and this is actually our favourite set up. Why do we think it’s best to place small tables between seating? This way everyone has a place to put things away on their side without obstructing the view and warmth of the fire. Smaller tables are also easy to move around and rearrange – sometimes you may need to do it while the temperature around the fire pit is changing.
Nesting Side Tablee Set of 2 Tables
Lux Outdoor Concrete Side Table
Round Rustic Garden Stool
Adirondack Outdoor Side Table
Gas fire pit tables
Concrete Outdoor Propane Fire Pit Table
Propane Fire Pit Table Gas Fire Pit for Outdoors
Outdoor furniture sets
If you don’t want to decide on all pieces of your garden furniture separately, the easiest way is to get them in a set. This way you will get all the matching pieces together. The only thing you need to decide then is how many people it will serve and obviously your favorite design.
Here are some examples of fire pit furniture sets
Fire Pit Table Patio Sets
Outdoor 4-Seater Chat Set with Fire Pit
Outdoor Set of Club Chairs with 3 Seater Loveseat and Firepit
Lighting around a fire pit
As we normally sit around the fire at night time, you may need to add some lighting, so people can move around without tripping over or you may simply want to add lighting as a decorative element.
What’s the best lighting to put around a fire pit?
It’s best to choose soft, dim lighting around a fire pit – this way you can create a visually appealing, warm ambiance complementing the light from the fire. For example, outdoor fairy lights look great around the tables or behind the seating. Here are some outdoor lighting ideas, including solar-powered lights available on Amazon:
Solar Outdoor Waterproof Lights
Solar Torches LED Flame Lights
Solar String Lights Outdoor Waterproof
Solar Lantern Outdoor Hanging Lights
Storage
One more thing worth considering when choosing garden furniture for your fire pit area is storage. If you want to maximize the use of your space, then look into tables, chairs or benches which have built-in storage.
Resin Wicker Patio Sofa Storage Bench
Patio Bench with Storage – Outdoor Bench for Deck, Garden
Outdoor Coffee Table with Extra Storage
Outdoor Wicker Coffee Table with Storage
Accessories
Two must-have accessories for your nights by the fire pit are drink coolers and blankets to keep you warm.
Drink coolers
So you want to enjoy the heat of the fire and a sip of cold beer at the same time? If you leave your drinks near the fire pit, they can get very warm, very quickly! A solution to this can be an outdoor cooler, like these below:
Outdoor Garden Patio Bar Cooler Table
Outdoor Beverage Cooler with Wheels
Or if you want to keep it simple without buying any extra gear, you can fill up a bowl or bucket with ice and keep your drinks there.
Other options to keep your drinks cool near the fire are: personal beer can coolers, beer bottle coolers and wine chillers.
Blankets
Fire pit blankets for cool nights are also a must have accessory. It can be very tricky with huge differences in temperature around a fire pit. While feeling the heat from the fire you may not realize how cold your back can get and you may catch a cold or wake up the next day being unable to move when you get chilled! So do consider getting a few blankets to keep you and your close ones warm.
Thick Warm Wool Indoor Outdoor Throw Blanket
Campfire Warm Wool Fire Retardant Blanket
Safety
Last but not least: safety. When buying furniture to put around your fire pit, it’s important to consider how much space it will take up, how far from the fire it will be as well as how much space people will have to walk around. You need to ensure that there is enough space, so people don’t have to squeeze through getting too close to the fire, they don’t overturn tables, topple over the fire pit, or even worse, fall into the fire. The key is that you need enough space for everyone to move around to stay safe near the fire.
Also, remember to have a bucket of water at hand if you are using a wood or coal burning fire pit.
You may also like:
