I’ve got nothing against the Solo Stove. It’s a cool product, and I’ve successfully nagged a few friends and family into buying one so that I could enjoy its sleek, wood-fueled flame. But at several hundred bucks, they’re pricey. That’s why I’ve been on a mission to convince my friends to buy them, rather than me just buying one.Electactic Smokeless Fire Pit Table for 10% off. Whether you’re thinking ahead because you have one in mind for when the nights grow chillier later this summer or if you want a dramatic flair for all the warm afternoons and evenings on your patio left in the season, you can grab one for under $100 right now. That’s way less than most fire pits.a smokeless fire pit on a budget(opens in a new window)ElectacticSmokeless Fire Pit Table(opens in a new window)$85.04 (reg. $94.49) at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)Electactic sells a 28″ square version, but this is the 20″ square version. That means both sides measure 20″, and it’s about 24.5″ high. For those who aren’t great at visualizing what that means, it’s a bit lower than a desk but a bit higher than a coffee table. Since it’s a fire pit table, it’s the right height for setting down drinks next to your dining table outside.There’s a three-sided glass wind guard that protects the flame from dancing around and going out in high winds, while still leaving one side open so that you can feel the pleasant touch of the flame (and roast marshmallows, become c’mon).Being propane powered, you don’t have to mess with wood or ash. Just connect a 20 lb. propane tank, which stays hidden inside the base, and turn up the flame, all the way up to 50,000 BTU, if you like. And then break out the marshmallows and the metal grilling skewers.more fire pits worth checking out(opens in a new window)Solo StoveBonfire Essential Bundle with Pellet Adapter(opens in a new window)Available at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)$379.98 (reg. $419.99) at Walmart (No Pellet Adapter)Buy Now(opens in a new window)This Solo Stove Bonfire Bundle comes with a stand lid, carry case, removable ash pan , and pellet adapter for burning pellets instead of mere loose wood. Unlike the Electactic, the archetypical Solo Stove burns wood or, in this case, also pellets, so you have to deal with emptying and disposing of ashes. But a crackling wood fire has a quality all its own that propane, for all its convenience, can’t match.(opens in a new window)Solo StoveInfinity Flame Propane Fire Pit(opens in a new window)Available at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)The Solo Stove Infinity Flame Propane Fire Pit is Solo Stove’s take on a propane-powered fire pit, a break with their tradition of wood-fired outdoor stoves. It’s gorgeous, it has a neat ledge all around the flame’s diameter for resting your drinks, and it’s expensive at $600. Is it fancier than the Electactic? Yes, but it’d damn well better be for more than six times the price.(opens in a new window)0711Patio Smokeless Outdoor Fire Pit(opens in a new window)Available at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)Available at WalmartBuy Now(opens in a new window)Bare stainless steel is timeless, or it will be until the fickle consumerist forces of fashion tell us otherwise, but it has an industrial look that not everybody loves. Let me introduce the TIKI Patio Smokeless Outdoor Fire Pit. Still made of metal, because what else is a bucket of fire going to be made of, but with a more (should I say it?) organic look to it. I put it down to the slotted sides. Like the Solo Stove Bonfire, this one burns wood.The post This Smokeless Fire Pit Is Only $85 (And It’s a Cheaper Alternative to the Solo Stove) appeared first on VICE.