Customer reviews from bioliteenergy.com
BioLite - FirePit - Black
Average customer rating
4.3
(271 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 271 reviews
5 Stars
168
4 Stars
55
3 Stars
24
2 Stars
11
1 Star
13
83%of customers recommend this product.
(
142 out of
172)
Customer Reviews for BioLite - FirePit - Black
Posted by: Michael Melo
Verified Purchase:Yes
This product has some great potential and nearly hits the mark on its first iteration so kudos to the team. First the good stuff. The firebox is well made with stainless steel components, and well designed folding legs. It has tons of room for typical cord wood, lights up fast and offers great visibility of the fire. Heat output with good firewood is excellent and because of its “open” design its well distributed around a circle of people. There are some issues that I believe can be fixed, all of which center on the electronics. First, they designed a proprietary blower, it's based on the classic squirrel cage, good for the amount of volume required vs power available but there are some issues with the implementation. The blower itself has had one side removed leaving each blade unsupported, at slow RPM this isn't an issue but at higher fan speeds the unsupported blades will resonate and cause vibration and high noise levels (not to mention decreased efficiency). The fan to motor mount has two issues; first the connection itself; the fan is friction fit on to the tiny motor shaft, there is very little there to keep it stable or precision to keep it spinning straight. This slight wobble interfaces with the other issue; the housing they attach the motor to sits inside the fan and the gap is small, so when the fan spins at higher speeds the inside of the fan knocks against this housing causing more noise. The motor is a cheap 180s “dollar store” variety, it is not quiet and they mount it directly to the plastic housing with no vibration damping considered so the entire housing acts like a resonator increasing the volume of the vibrations. So in a nutshell it's just too noisy at anything above the lowest fan speed and seriously detracts from the experience when used in more quiet settings. Thankfully there are dozens of pre-existing nearly silent squirrel cage fan designs and already manufactured units on the market, so hopefully they will consider using one of those or modelling some of the best practices used in those designs. I look forward to V2 of the electronic unit. In the meantime I’m voiding my warranty and putting a better fan inside my existing one I wouldn’t bother if I didn’t think the product was great in most every other way.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
2
Not very durable, wait for a newer model
on November 10, 2019
Posted by: focusmore
from Washington D.C.
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
This is a great FirePit, it puts out a massive amount of heat, looks very cool, and is fairly portable. However, after having this for a year and using it every 3-4 days, I can say it is not made to last. The unit is completely rusted out, the metal is very thin, and whatever protective coating that was on it quickly was reduced down to nothing. The metal has also started to warp due to being very thin and us using it in freezing temperatures. I imagine if you're someone dry, this unit would be great, but on the east coast its taking a beating. The battery has also become finicky, and often turns off randomly. All that said, this thing has really been great, it no longer looks pretty but it does a truly fantastic job of heating up an area as opposed to things like the solo stove. I am hoping they improve on these things, and after that I would definitely recommend this to anyone. But for now, for the price, I would just wait for a newer model to come out that fixes these problems.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
2
Rusted out after a year
on November 23, 2019
Posted by: Chris
from Sacramento CA
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
I really wanted to like this product, but after a year (and maybe 4 times used) the unit is rusted out, and the cover is starting to disintegrate. Would like to see an enamel coated version of this (like Weber grills) for better durability
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, Support, November 25, 2019
Hi Chris! We're sorry to hear about this. We can certainly help out here, if you shoot us a message by going to bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact one of our product specialists will email you back in 1-2 business days.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
3
Love the concept - lacks durability
on November 14, 2019
Posted by: BookloverTX
from Spring, TX
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
I want to love this firepit. Great tech, looked great, cool concept. Unforunately, it rusted after two uses and is just not very durable. We live in Texas - we planned to take it camping, but it hasn't even made it out of the backyard. Even with the protective cover/bag and indoor storage, it hasn't been able to withstand the weathering through light usage. I do hope a more durable body is developed and these challenges are addressed but reading reviews don't see assurances this has been tackled.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, Support, November 14, 2019
Hi Kelly! Thanks for writing in.The high temperature paint provides protection, but the steel is still prone to rust when exposed to moisture. We recommend burning the FirePit for at least 10 minutes after cooking is complete to burn off any debris, grease and oils from food, and wiping it down with a dry rag after each use (whether cooking or not). Be sure to store the unit in a dry, dark place.
If you have any other questions or want additional tips, we encourage you to contact our product specialists at bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact
If you have any other questions or want additional tips, we encourage you to contact our product specialists at bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Posted by: Mr trout
from Sun valley Idaho
Length of ownership:1 week
Verified Purchase:Yes
Cool design but it didn’t work well and when I turn the fan unit up it just stirs up the ashes
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, December 1, 2020
Hey there, we're sorry to hear that the FirePit hasn't worked well for you. Our team is here to help you build that perfect fire and work with the fan so that the ashes aren't stirred -- just reach out to us here: https://www.bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
1
Scrap metal
on October 12, 2020
Posted by: Revel2018
from East Coast
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
I’ve had this for about 2 years. At the beginning Bluetooth was finicky, not a big deal. 2 months in I hardly use it. It only turns on 1-10 times. Can’t use without the fan It is not designed that way. Tried the online help and nothing. Don’t waste your money like I did.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, October 15, 2020
Hey there, we're so sorry to hear that you've had trouble with the FirePit. Our team is here to help, and if you've already submitted a case (https://www.bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact) we'll get back to you within a few days with some tips for troubleshooting.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Posted by: Judy
Verified Purchase:Yes
Do not get this of you leave near the ocean. We used it once and it is all rusted inside and out! Rather startling actually...
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Posted by: Chris
from Portland Oregon
Length of ownership:1 month
Verified Purchase:Yes
Looks good as separate pieces, however the power unit needs to be forced into place as the tabs on the pit itself don't line up. The grill top also is too narrow or the pit opening is too wide which allows the grill to fall in or slide off when adding material to the fire. I wish I could give this a better review but the quality control is just absent. It's like they didn't even test fit it before shipping.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, May 15, 2020
Hi Chris, we're sincerely sorry that your FirePit arrived like this. Please reach out to our support team here: https://www.bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact and we'll get the necessary parts replaced for you under warranty.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com