fire pit table buying guide

Propane fire tables compared on burner output, tabletop space and how they survive a winter outside.

A fire pit table that earns its spot on the patio

Burner output, how much drink-space is left once the flame is running, and whether the frame survives a wet winter -- the three things that decide whether you use it in October or cover it in September.

See the comparison

Quick answer: Our top pick for fire pit table is the Outland Living 403 Series 44-Inch Propane Fire Table (Best Overall). If you're looking for best for milder evenings, the Outland Living 401 Series 44-Inch Propane Fire Table, Slate Grey is a strong alternative.

What actually separates one fire pit table from another

Reviewed by the FirePitPicks team · last updated 2026-08-31

Almost every propane fire pit table on the market lights the same way and burns the same fuel, so the spec sheet flattens them into near-identical products. The differences that show up after a season are elsewhere: how much of the tabletop is still usable once the flame is running, whether the propane tank is hidden inside the base or standing beside you on a hose, and how the frame handles rain when the cover slips off in a storm.

Burner output is the number everyone compares, and it does matter, but not in the way the marketing suggests. A 50,000 BTU burner in a 44-inch table spreads heat along its length; the same figure in a 28-inch square concentrates it. If you are trying to keep four people warm in October, the shape of the burner matters as much as the rating on the box.

A fire table also rarely arrives alone. It tends to be the piece that makes the rest of the patio worth sitting in, which is why we also compare the seating that usually follows it -- see our pages on adirondack chairs and outdoor conversation sets for the pieces people buy in the same season.

Where the propane tank lives

The single biggest difference in daily use. Tables with an interior cavity and an access door hide a standard 20-lb tank completely; cheaper tables run a hose to a tank standing on the patio. The hidden-tank design costs more and adds weight, but it is the difference between furniture and equipment.

Usable surface once it is lit

Measure the tabletop, then subtract the burner opening. A 44-inch rectangle typically leaves a usable strip on both long sides; a 28-inch square often leaves room for two glasses and little else. If you expect people to eat around it, the rectangle is the only honest choice.

BTU rating against how you will actually use it

50,000 BTU pushes back a genuinely cold evening but drains a 20-lb tank faster. 35,000 BTU runs longer and reads as atmosphere rather than heat. Choose for the evenings you will actually sit outside, not the coldest night of the year.

How the frame handles being left out

Tempered glass tops and powder-coated aluminium survive a wet winter with a cover. Resin wicker looks warmer but traps grit in the weave, and bare steel edges are where rust starts. Whatever you buy, budget for a fitted cover in the same purchase rather than later.

What comes after the table

A fire table changes how the rest of the patio gets used, and most people add seating within the same season. Worth thinking about the whole arrangement before you commit to a footprint -- our adirondack chair and outdoor conversation set comparisons cover the two directions that usually follow.

Product Best For Price Rating
Outland Living 403 Series 44-Inch Propane Fire Table Best Overall $550-$650 4.6/5
Outland Living 401 Series 44-Inch Propane Fire Table, Slate Grey Best for Milder Evenings $450-$550 4.5/5
BALI OUTDOORS 30-Inch 50,000 BTU LP Gas Fire Table Best Value $250-$320 4.4/5
BALI OUTDOORS 28-Inch Propane Fire Pit Table with Lid Best Budget $180-$240 4.3/5
Best Overall

Outland Living 403 Series 44-Inch Propane Fire Table

★★★★★ 4.6

A 44-inch rectangular table with a 50,000 BTU stainless burner, tempered glass top and an interior cavity that swallows a standard 20-lb tank behind an access door. The wide format is what makes it work as furniture rather than a heater with a rim: there is genuinely room for glasses and a bowl on either side of the flame.

  • 50,000 BTU across a long burner, so heat reaches both ends of a four-seat arrangement rather than pooling in the middle
  • The 20-lb tank lives inside the base behind a pull-ring door, so nothing stands next to the table on a hose
  • Tempered glass surface leaves usable surface on both sides of the burner opening
  • At 44 inches it needs a genuine patio footprint; on a small balcony it dominates everything
  • Glass rock set adds weight to an already heavy table, so repositioning is a two-person job
$550-$650 View on Amazon
Best for Milder Evenings

Outland Living 401 Series 44-Inch Propane Fire Table, Slate Grey

★★★★★ 4.5

The same 44-inch chassis and hidden-tank design as the 403 but with a 35,000 BTU burner and a resin wicker base. Less output means a softer flame and a slower burn through a tank, which suits people who light it for atmosphere on a mild evening rather than to push back a cold night.

  • 35,000 BTU stretches a 20-lb tank noticeably further than the 50,000 BTU models
  • Resin wicker panels read as patio furniture instead of appliance
  • Push-button spark ignition with a variable flame valve, so you can run it low
  • The lower output is felt once the temperature drops below roughly 10 degrees Celsius
  • Wicker panels collect grit in the weave and need a brush rather than a wipe
$450-$550 View on Amazon
Best Value

BALI OUTDOORS 30-Inch 50,000 BTU LP Gas Fire Table

★★★★★ 4.4

A 30-inch square table with a stainless burner and steel bowl at roughly half the price of the 44-inch models. The tank sits outside rather than inside the base, which is the trade you accept for the price, but the output matches tables costing twice as much.

  • Full 50,000 BTU at a price where 30,000 is more common
  • 30-inch square footprint fits a balcony corner that a 44-inch rectangle cannot
  • Steel bowl and piezo ignition, so nothing exotic to replace later
  • Tank stands beside the table on the hose rather than hidden in the base
  • Square top gives less clear surface per side than the rectangular tables
$250-$320 View on Amazon
Best Budget

BALI OUTDOORS 28-Inch Propane Fire Pit Table with Lid

★★★★★ 4.3

The cheapest table here that still runs a real 50,000 BTU burner. The lid is the reason to pick it: drop it over the burner opening and the whole top becomes a flat side table, which matters when the thing has to earn its footprint year-round on a small patio.

  • Lid converts the burner opening into flat surface, so it works as a side table when unlit
  • Under roughly $240 while still running 50,000 BTU
  • Wicker-look panelling on a 28-inch frame that two people can carry
  • Steel tabletop scratches more easily than the tempered glass on the Outland tables
  • At 28 inches the usable surface beside the flame is limited to a couple of glasses
$180-$240 View on Amazon
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Which one should you get?

You want it to double as a dining or drinks table when the flame is off

The BALI OUTDOORS 28-inch with the lid is the only one here that closes off the burner opening into flat surface. On the larger tables the opening stays open, so you are working around it.

You are trying to keep four people warm well into autumn

Go for the Outland 403 (Best Overall). The 50,000 BTU output spread along a 44-inch burner reaches both ends of a seating arrangement, which a compact square simply cannot do.

The patio is small and the table has to justify its footprint year-round

The BALI OUTDOORS 30-inch (Best Value) fits a corner that a 44-inch rectangle would block, and still runs the full 50,000 BTU.

More Outdoor Living Essentials

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Four-piece wicker conversation sets compared on frame material, cushion quality and how they sit around a fire table.
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