If you love fire pits, you’re going to love fire rings and fire bowls. Traditional fire pits can be stunning, of course – especially when made of stone or brick – but fire rings and bowls can provide a fresh aesthetic to your property.
Let’s talk about fire rings first.
What are Fire Rings?
A fire ring is pretty much what it sounds like: a metal ring that contains a fire. However, modern fire rings aren’t just hunks of metal, they can be pieces of art.
They’re designed to contain a wood-burning fire. But they come in a broad variety of sizes, so you should be able to find one that works best for you.
Fire Rings are Artistic
You can find fire rings in just about any design you can imagine. Fire rings are punched out of metal that allows the fire to be viewed through the holes, kind of like how carve a pumpkin and put a candle inside it.
But with a fire ring, you’ll get full-sized flames from a decent-sized fire. The fire rings you can buy at the store come fully assembled and, since they use wood instead of gas, they’re cheaper.
If you want, you can even have a fire ring installed in-ground on your property. They make a great addition to your home year-round, and you can find festive designs especially for the holidays.
However, if the options for fire rings are not large enough for your needs, you may decide a fire bowl would be more of a match.
What are Fire Bowls? How do they Differ from Bowls and Pits?
Fire bowls are generally much larger than fire rings. They’re similar to fire pits, but are shaped like a bowl and look modern.
In contrast, fire pits are usually crafted to resemble a real fireplace, whether they’re built into the ground or free-standing. Even when they’re not made from brick, a brickwork pattern is often created to resemble a hearth. This familiar pattern contributes to a warmer atmosphere inside and out.
Cheaper, free-standing fire pits are more often constructed of metal and come in simple designs that use just enough material to contain the fire, but don’t offer much in the way of aesthetics.
Fire bowls literally look like bowls, however, and they can be made out of a variety of materials. They might be built of cast iron, carbon steel, glass, copper, or fiber-reinforced concrete. The overall design, however, typically features smooth, rounded edges to maintain a modern appearance and feel.
In addition to the fire container being shaped like a bowl, the base of a fire bowl may take an interesting shape that makes the unit resemble a piece of modern art.
Fire bowls sit above ground and can be either piped into your home’s existing gas line or fueled independently. Some fire bowls even have a compartment for storing a propane tank.
Fire pits burn wood and need to be ignited with a match or torch, but a fire bowl can burn wood or be powered with gas, depending on the model. Gas-powered fire bowls may be lit with a match or electronic ignition.
Fire Rings are the most portable option
If you’re looking for a way to take your fire somewhere with you, a fire ring will be your best option. A small fire ring will be lightweight, readily portable, and easy to take on a camping trip. You can even find folding fire rings for backpackers that are sold on popular outdoor gear websites.
Fire bowls tend to be heavy and are designed to stay in one place. You can move them when necessary, but they’re not designed to be portable.
Get Creative When you choose your Fire Rings and Bowls
Technically, you can burn a fire in a container of any shape made of a broad variety of materials. Fire rings will always be circular, obviously but you can find fire bowls shaped like animals or formed into geometrical shapes.
People craft custom fire bowls and rings in any shape or design you might desire. If you can find someone who works with metal, he or she can make a custom fire ring that perfectly suits your taste as well as needs.
