The 7 Best Fire Extinguishers to Buy in 2017

Owners say the Amerex B500 is long-lasting and reliable, and a perfect size for general home use. This is a chemical fire extinguisher that will work on all kinds of fires: trash, wood, and paper; flammable liquids; and electrical blazes. It weighs 10 pounds, has 5 pounds of powder, and has a 2A, 10B-C rating.

The Amerex has all-metal valves and comes with a wall mount and a pressure gauge. Reviewers like that unlike many home fire extinguishers, this one is refillable. They also say that its...MORE 14-second discharge is enough to put out substantial household blazes, but at about 15 inches tall, the canister is still small enough to fit in a cabinet or in other tight storage spaces. The metal handle and trigger also earn a lot of praise for sturdiness and durability compared to cheaper plastic versions. It comes with a six-year warranty.

The Kidde Pro 210 is very similar to the Amerex B500, but it contains one pound fewer of extinguishing agent. Like the Amerex, it is also a chemical fire extinguisher that can handle all types of blazes, whether they’re conventional, liquid, or electrical fires. It weighs 7 pounds, contains 4 pounds of chemical extinguishing powder, and has a 2A, 10B-C rating.

Like the Amerex, the Kidde Pro is refillable and comes with a wall mount and a pressure gauge. Discharge time is 13 to 15 seconds, and...MORE Kidde reports a range of 10 to 15 feet. It’s about an inch taller than the Amerex but a few inches narrower, so it won’t take up too much space. Reviewers like the sturdy chrome-plated trigger and say the unit feels durable. Those who’ve had to use this extinguisher say it did its job well, but potential buyers should also note that Kidde has been plagued by a significant number of fire-extinguisher recalls in recent years. It comes with a six-year limited warranty.

Buyers who want to be prepared with a beefier fire extinguisher should look into the Kidde Pro 10MP, which has a larger-capacity canister that holds 10 pounds of chemical fire extinguishing agent. It can handle all major types of fires, weighs 16 pounds, and has a 4A, 60 B-C rating, which indicates that it has enough power to handle larger blazes.

As a high-capacity extinguisher, the Kidde Pro 10MP is more than 21 inches tall and will require more storage space than smaller units. It does come...MORE with a wall mount and a pressure gauge. Discharge time is 19 to 21 seconds, and range is about 20 feet. Reviewers like having the peace of mind that a bigger fire extinguisher provides, and one reports having used is successfully on a substantial brush fire. They also like the rugged metal trigger, but a few report users report issues with receiving dented or partially discharged units.

Anyone who wants an easy-to-use aerosol fire extinguisher should check out First Alert Tundra, reviewers say. Sold alone or in a two-pack, the 14-ounce Tundra extinguishers look similar to large cans of bug spray and weigh 22 ounces each. Despite their humble looks, they are still capable of putting out all major kinds of small fires, including grease and electrical fires. However, buyers should note that there is no pressure gauge on these cans, and aerosol extinguishers have performed poorly...MORE in expert tests. Many experts warn against them or recommend that they only be used as a supplement to normal fire extinguishers -- never as a replacement.  

Reviewers love being able to stash a can of Tundra in a cabinet or on a counter because it is so small. They also say these little cans are less intimidating than a heavy, utilitarian traditional fire extinguisher, and a handful of owners say they’ve used them to put out a fire successfully. First Alert says Tundra cans have a wide-spray nozzle that helps them cover a wide area, and recommend using them from about 3 to 4 feet away from the fire. 

Sold in a two-pack or a 12-pack, Fire Command Fire Suppressant is very similar to First Alert Tundra. These 16-ounce cans weigh a bit over a pound each and are effective against all manner of small blazes, including paper, oil, grease, electrical, gas and wood fires. Of course, as experts warn, they aren’t a substitute for full-size extinguishers, but owners say they can be a handy, easy-to-use addition for kitchens, RVs or other cramped spaces.

Each can of Fire Command has a quick-aim trigger, a...MORE range of up to 10 feet and an impressive 60-second discharge time. The aluminum cans are recyclable, and the foam is non-toxic and biodegradable. Shelf life is three years. Reviewers love being able to easily stash these in a kitchen cabinet or under a bathroom sink where they won’t take up too much space, but no one yet vouches for how effective they are during use.

In some settings, cleaning up messy chemical fire-extinguishing agents can wreak havoc. In those situations, buyers may want to pay more for a clean-agent extinguisher such as the H3R Performance HG100C HalGuard, which doesn’t leave behind any hard-to-clean residue after use. This extinguisher can handle gasoline, oil, grease, or electrical blazes but is not for trash, wood, or paper fires. It has a 1 B-C rating, holds 1 pound of extinguishing agent and weighs a little under 4 pounds.

Some...MORE reviewers insist that the HG100C is worth the extra cost after seeing the costly, messy aftermath of traditional fire extinguishers. It earns particular recommendations for engine fires or incidents in rooms with sensitive equipment such as computer labs. Others simply love the shiny chrome finish, especially if the extinguisher needs to sit somewhere in plain view. It comes with a steel strap, mounting bracket and pressure gauge, and has all-metal valves. At just under a foot tall, it’s also small enough for a cabinet or other tight spots. The manufacturer reports a range of 6 to 8 feet. It is backed by a five-year warranty.

Small enough to stash in even the most compact cars, the First Alert FIAFESA5 Auto Fire Extinguisher is 5 B-C rated to handle small fires common in cars, such as gasoline, oil, grease, or electrical blazes. Note that it is not suitable for trash, wood, or paper fires, however.

Reviewers like how small the First Alert is—one user compares it to the size of a 2-liter bottle at under 11 inches tall, small enough to stash in a trunk, in some larger glove compartments or even under seats. The few...MORE owners who’ve had to use it said it put out small automotive fires quickly and easily. It comes with a pressure gauge and a mount engineered to provide additional stability in a car. Note that like many other auto-specific fire extinguishers, the First Alert is not refillable. It comes with a five-year warranty.