Biolite Firepit Plus Camp Firepit and Grill Review

Biolite Firepit Plus Written Review- How it Burned For Us Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews, which is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average snowboarder/surfer/backyard chiller/camper’s perspective.

How This Review Happened:

Precious Good Ride dollars were spent to buy this and review it.

How It Was Tested

I used this for seven months in my backyard, from late fall through winter and into spring. Because of the weather, I only used it about fifteen times. I left it exposed to the elements without any cover or protection to see if it had rust issues like the previous model did. Spoiler alert: It did pretty well.

Approximate Weight

(We don’t put in the exact weight because, with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board weight)

Rechargeable Battery

So, coming from the Biolite Camp Stove to this, I was pretty disappointed that the fire doesn’t recharge the battery of the Airflow device in the Biolite Firepit Plus. You need to recharge it via a micro-USB port, which is not ideal. I really wish this 12,800 mAh battery had a high-speed USB-C port instead and also charged from the fire like the stove did. I also would like to have a replaceable battery inside the Airflow device. Batteries fade over time and eventually don’t hold their charge, which is pretty important.

Battery Life

The Biolite Firepit Plus isn’t easy to do a battery run-down test. There is an auto power off and auto power down feature, so you can’t run at high for a long period of time or at low indefinitely. I think it might sense the airflow and adjust accordingly. I can say that 3-4 hrs of use seem to knock it down about 25% at mostly low to medium speeds with a few high-speed bursts here and there.  So I think I could get 3-4 days of camping without charging the Airflow device. After that, it will just become a regular smoky fire.

Versatility

What I love the most about the Biolite Firepit Plus is the ability to use it as a BBQ or a firepit. It is small enough to throw in the car when I go camping but also great in my backyard. Sometimes, when I’m not cooking a lot of food, I use it in the backyard to BBQ. Then, when the coals get low, I lower it and throw a log on.

Smokeless Airflow & Speeds.

I wouldn’t say the Biolite Firepit Plus is completely smokeless, but it is massively better. You have to ensure the logs are below the top vents to make this work. You have 4 speeds that really help the logs burn bright and efficiently. I could never get the logs to burn this way in a regular old firepit. The mesh sites help it light up things in a pit way more than 1 log would.

Cooking

So, this Biolite Firepit Plus cooks evenly and efficiently with BBQ coals. I love how well it cooks despite how small it is compared to a regular BBQ.

Reliability

So I was worried about the rust issue with the previous model, but after 7 months of neglect in my back yard, it’s holding up almost as well as my normal BBQ. There is only a little rust around some of the screws and on the bottom vent.

Portability

I like having the bag to keep it clean in the car, and you can fold the legs down.

Assembly

It took about 20 min to assemble. Super easy.

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoyed the Biolite Firepit Plus. It isn’t perfect, but it is a great firepit to travel with, especially with the fire restrictions. If that is restricted, I can cook with it and keep my family warm with coals instead of wood.