Solo Stove Surround Review: Is It Worth It? (2023)

We love fire pits; they can be a great addition to any backyard. Even so, when you are dealing with live fire, safety is a significant concern. Our Solo Stove Surround review has us thinking it might be the perfect solution to this age-old problem.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to enjoy a fire pit's warmth and ambiance without worrying about pets and kids running into harm’s way? We certainly think so.

Solo Stove Surround Review: Is It Worth It?

The Solo Stove Surround is designed to create a safe and functional fire pit experience. The Surround doubles as a serving area and a barrier to protect children and pets from getting too close to the flames.

In this article, well will provide a comprehensive review of the Solo Stove Surround. We will highlight its best features, benefits, and also a few drawbacks.

Features and Benefits of the Solo Stove Surround

The Solo Stove Surround is available in two sizes to accommodate the different size fire pits that the brand offers. The smaller Surround fits both the Solo Stove Ranger, and the Solo Stove Bonfire. The larger size is compatible with the Yukon and Canyon units.

The beauty of the Surround is that is was developed to improve an already awesome experience. We love spending time around the fire pit, but sometimes we would avoid lighting a fire because our kids are rambunctious.

The Surround solves this problem, and adds functionality too.

Tabletop Function

The tabletop functionality is so useful, you will likely wish that you’ve had it for years. It’s the perfect spot to place a cup or plate, which is much better than setting your food or drink on the ground.

Sitting around a fire is an awesome way to spend a Friday evening, but it can also be a little uncomfortable. After all, you don’t want the kids, dogs, critters, or bugs sharing your food and drink with you. So instead of setting them down, you awkwardly hold them.

Not anymore. Simply set your food and drink on the Solo Stove Surround as you focus on enjoying your company, rather than your plate and cup.

Safety Benefits for Children and Pets

According to Consumer Reports, more than 6,000 injuries related to fire pits or outdoor heaters resulted in an emergency room visit in a recent year.

What’s worse is that kids are even more at risk than the average population. In the ten year period from 2006 to 2017, nearly

The tabletop functionality is convenient. Still, the Surround creates a barrier that protects children and pets from getting to close to the flame. The barrier is designed to help prevent accidents and injuries, which gives you peace of mind.

The safety benefits of the Solo Stove Surround can’t be overstated. It is designed to prevent accidents and injuries, which as noted above, are all too common when it comes to fire pits and outdoor fires.

Materials and Durability

Solo Stove products are known for their stainless steel look, which is about more than the aesthetic. Stainless steel is durable, and the design of the Ranger and Bonfire in particular makes them very lightweight.

The Solo Stove Surround isn’t made from stainless steel like the fire pits it is designed to protect, but the materials are still durable. The Solo Stove Surround combines powder-coated steel and durable UV-resistant outdoor fabric.

Both materials are highly durable, and importantly, they are designed to perform durably near hot surfaces.

The tabletop surface on the Surround is perforated in a way that allows air to flow through the table, which cools the surface and keeps it safe. We found that even when the fire was burning, the perforated tabletop still works well to set down a cold drink or you plate of hot dogs and backyard snacks.

Ease of use and maintenance

The Solo Stove Surround is designed for easy use and maintenance. In fact, it is backed by a lifetime warranty, which offers additional peace of mind.

But functionally, the Surrounds design just makes sense. You can move the configurable brackets to match your fire pits size. Since the Surround comes in two sizes, and Solo Stove offers four fire pit sizes, this enables the perfect fit for you fire pit.

And if you use the Surround on gravel or an uneven surface, simply adjust the multi-surface feet to ensure the fire pit setup is level.

To clean off your fire pit, simply use soapy water, and dry off afterwards to protect against long-term decay.

Solo Stove Surround Review

The Solo Stove Surround is expensive as an accessory, but thats not really its value. The value in the Solo Stove Surround is in the safety it provides, and its utility as a tabletop is secondary to that.

So the Solo Stove is very worthwhile purchase if you have children or pets running around, or if you value enhanced safety in general.

Personal Experience Using The Product

The Surround packaging was much heavier than I anticipated. The fabric skirt makes the unit look lighter than it is. And in all honesty, the fabric skirt also makes the Surround look like it is flimsy.

In reality, this just allows air flow, affordability, and portability. The surprising weight of the Surround is testament to its high quality. And the fact that Solo Stove offers a lifetime warranty on the Surround says a lot to me personally.

I love fire pits, and I written about fire pits for years. The one thing that kept me from using our fire pits more often was the safety concerns for our small kids.

In this regard, the Solo Stove Surround is a home run. Its much more enjoyable to sit around a fire when you aren’t on high alert.

The tabletop is conveniently functional, too, but in our minds, the main reason to buy the Surround is safety (and peace of mind).

Installation and Maintenance

To Solo Stove Surround is easy enough to install and maintain. As we noted above, the unit is heavier than we anticipated. Its not overly burdensome, but it took a little more effort to move around than I thought it would.

And even though it the Surround is light enough for one person carry inside the box, it helps tremendously if you have an extra set of hands to put the unit together and move once it is outside of the box.

It will likely only take you half an hour or more to put the Surround together, which will go more quickly if you have a little help.

I am slow putting together furniture, so it took me 45 minutes to an hour. Still, it was time well spent since I thoroughly enjoyed using the Surround.

Features like the multi-surface feet are easily adjustable, and help ensure a sturdy set-up.

Cleaning the Surround is easy enough too. Just use a little soapy water and dry off the unit when you are done.

While the Surround is mostly waterproof, Solo Stove recommends using the Surround Shelter to protect your fire pit from the elements. The most obvious reasons to use the Shelter are to prevent rain, snow, or heat from damaging the unit over time.

One less obvious reason to use the Surround is that it will prevent pollen or other lawn debris from building up on the unit when it’s not in use.

Competitor Fire Pit Surrounds

Most fire pit surrounds are built-in, and made from stones, pavers, or bricks. There aren’t many movable fire pit surrounds on the market, which makes Solo Stove’s product all that more unique.

When you combine the few market offers with the fact that the Solo Stove Surround is designed to perfectly fit and accommodate the brand’s fire pits, you have a no-brainer.

That might be one more reason that this product is more expensive than you might expect. There aren’t many other options. Still, Solo Stove rose to the occasion in developing a solid product that they can be proud of, regardless of the competition.

Solo Stove and Breeo are our favorite smokeless fire pit brands. Breeo doesn't sell a surround, so this is a decisive win for Solo Stove if you have small kids or pets.

Feedback From Other Customers

With more than 200 reviews on Solo Stove’s website, it is safe to say that other customers love the Solo Stove Surround too. The product is rated as 5-stars, and customers comment that the Surround is easy to set up. They also appreciate the peace of mind the Surround provides.

Customers lament that you really need to purchase a bundle that includes a lid for your fire pit and a shelter to cover the fire pit and Surround. The Shelter protects the steel and stainless steel from the elements, and you don’t want your investment to deteriorate more quickly than it otherwise would.

Despite a few grumbles here and there, more than 200 customers averaging a 5 star review is all you need to know about how great the Solo Stove Surround is.

Pros and Cons of the Solo Stove Surround

The Solo Stove Surround is on the expensive side, but it is worth it because you are purchasing safety and peace of mind. The tabletop functionality is simply icing on the cake. And while the Surround is heavy and durable, its still easy to set-up and movable.

We have the Solo Stove Bonfire unit, and it fit perfectly inside the Surround.

Conclusion: Is The Solo Stove Surround Worth It?

The Solo Stove Surround is an innovative choice for anyone looking for a safe and functional fire pit option. First and foremost, the Surround creates a barrier that will help keep children and pets safe. This alone is reason enough to buy.

The fact that the Surround was innovatively engineered to also serve as a table top is just icing on the top. The flat surface is both practical and convenient.

The major downside is that the Surround is a pricey add-on to Solo Stove’s fire pit eco-system. Still, the good news here is that Solo Stove has an industry-leading reputation in the backyard space, and should serve as a reliable investment.

There really isn’t a comparable product on the market that matches the Surrounds reputation, price point, and dual functionality. We recommend that you buy one soon, and this is especially true if you have kids or pets. Your Friday nights will thank you!