Should I get a smokeless wood fire pit or a gas fire pit?
It comes down to whether you want to tend a fire or flip a switch. A smokeless wood pit gives you real flames, crackle, and that campfire feel with far less smoke — but you still haul wood, light it, wait for it to heat up, and manage ash. A gas fire pit gives instant, controllable flame with no wood, smoke, or cleanup. Both are good; they're just different rituals.
Two honest tradeoffs
Neither one is "better" — they suit different people. A smokeless wood pit is for someone who genuinely enjoys building and tending a fire and wants the authenticity: the smell, the crackle, the glow of real coals. It's portable and needs no gas line. The tradeoffs are the ones every wood fire carries — buying and storing dry wood, cold-start smoke before it heats up, sparks and ash, and fully extinguishing it before bed. A gas fire pit trades that ritual for convenience: turn a key or hit a switch, and you have clean flame you can dial up or down and shut off instantly.
Where each fits a WNC yard
Around here the practical details often decide it. If you're on a wood deck, a tight patio, or close to neighbors, gas is simpler and safer — no embers landing where they shouldn't. If you want a permanent, built-in feature that becomes part of the patio, gas is almost always the path; smokeless wood pits are designed as freestanding, portable products and lose their smokeless trick when you box them in. If you've got a cabin with a big yard and a woodpile, a smokeless wood pit can be a great, low-commitment choice.
The gas side is our lane
If you lean gas, this is exactly what we do. We install gas fire pits and fire tables — including options like Napoleon's square gas fire pit — and we run and permit the gas line that feeds them, whether that's tapping a natural-gas main in Asheville or Hendersonville or setting up a propane feed out in Fairview, Candler, or Brevard. That gas connection is licensed work in North Carolina; a hardscaper can build a beautiful surround but can't legally connect the fuel. We handle both sides. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.
Related questions
- Are gas fire pits worth it compared to wood-burning fire pits?
- What is a smokeless fire pit and how does it work?
- Are smokeless fire pits actually smokeless?
- Do smokeless fire pits put out more heat than regular wood fire pits?
- Can a smokeless fire pit be built into a permanent patio design?
- How much does it cost to install a gas fire pit?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
Free assessments across Western North Carolina — no pressure, straight answers.