The 8 Best Fire Logs of 2023

Best Overall

Duraflame Outdoor Firelog

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Despite its name, the Duraflame Outdoor Firelog can be used in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings such as in wood-burning fireplaces, chimineas, and traditional and smokeless fire pits, earning it high marks for versatility. The log is designed to ignite in less than five minutes when you light the easy-to-see marks on the wrapper, which serves as the firestarter. Our pick can be used for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs, unlike most wax fire logs, which are not recommended as being food safe.

Unlike the logs of 50 years ago, modern Duraflames use bio-based wax as a binder, which is better for the environment. In 2007, Duraflame also discontinued using traditional petroleum-based waxes, which can have a strong odor that some may find unpleasant. 

Most logs are designed to be one-and-dones. But the Duraflame Outdoor Firelogs are designed to be stacked in the shape of an “x” before they’re lit, which can help make your fire look more like a traditional wood fire. The logs are designed to burn a maximum of three hours, with the option to keep adding more. This is why the product is sold in packs of three (9.6 pounds) or six (about 19 pounds).

The Duraflame Company is transparent about what exactly is in its logs: “mostly oak with some maple and/or hickory. The agricultural fibers are ground walnut and almond shells.” We love the all-natural components, which also contribute to the “crackle” sound the logs produce when they burn.

Price at time of publish: $15

_{Material: Renewable/recyclable wood and agricultural fibers with bio-derived waxes; firestarter wrapper | Size: About 15 inches, including wrapper | Weight: 3.2 pounds | Duration: 1 hour per log | Roasting food? Yes}

Best Splurge

Goodwood Easy-Light Firebag plus Extra Logs

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The chic but simple Goodwood Firebags are 5-pound jute bags filled with all-wood compressed logs and wood shavings. To use, light the jute bag, which ignites the material inside. The firebags are expected to burn for about two hours. But the company’s “Four Evenings By the Fire” kit includes four Firebags, plus a 30-pound box of firelogs, which you can add to keep the fire going. 

We buy into Goodwood’s claim of being more environment-friendly than many wax-based logs. First, Goodwood sources its wood from surplus lumber mill shavings and compresses the wood to make a dense log that uses no binders such as wax. The plant-based jute bag is a more sustainable choice than the colored wrappers that wax logs are packaged in.

We also like that the small company is big on using local resources, and employs developmentally disabled adults to work in its warehouse, near Watsonville, California, between Big Sur and San Francisco along the Pacific coast. In fact, the company donates a portion of its proceeds to reforestation efforts. Goodwood Firebags are also showing up as an amenity in environmentally-conscious hotels in the region.

Price at time of publish: $43

_{Material: Compressed wood (mostly from cedar, redwood and poplar) logs, jute bag and paper label. | Size: Not applicable | Weight: One Firebag is 5 pounds | Duration: 2 hours | Recommended for roasting food? Yes}

Best Scented

Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar Scented Firelog

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The irony of a scented fire log is you aren’t supposed to smell it after you light it. “You really should never smell wood burning in your fireplace,” says Russ Dimmitt, director of education at the Chimney Safety Institute of America. If you do, “that means your fireplace isn’t working right. You should have your chimney checked.”

Hence, the label on the Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar Scented Firelog says to “enjoy fragrance before burning.” The pleasant forest aroma of the Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar is one of the candle company’s signature scents. The log is made by Pine Mountain, which makes a number of popular and reliable fire logs. 

If forest fragrance isn’t your thing, you can always try Pine Mountain’s Dark Roasted Coffee or Citronella scented logs. Pine Mountain’s Java Logs aren’t scented, but because they are made with recycled coffee grounds, they do smell like coffee when burning.

Price at time of publish: $24

_{Materials: Pine Mountain describes its binder as a “blended wax” and lists “recycled biomass products” such as wood sawdust and ground tree nutshells.| Size: About 12 inches by 4 inches long. | Weight: 4.5 pounds | Duration: 3  hours | Recommended for roasting food? No}

Best for Camping

TimberTote Firewood

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Not everyone has the foresight to know they’re going to want or be able to have a campfire, or the ability to pack or easily acquire wood. The TimberTote is our favorite option if you’re a “we’ll-buy-it-when-we-get-there”-type person. Also if you don’t care what the exterior of the log looks like because you just want a functional fire. 

The TimberTote isn’t a picturesque log that resembles bark-wrapped, fresh-cut firewood; in fact, It resembles a naked log with its bark whittled off, but this rope-handled log (hence “tote” in the name) is affordable. It also is easy to procure, as you can buy it at a variety of convenience stores (where you might also be able to find s’mores materials to go with your campfire). 

The log is made of kiln-dried wood, which has been baked in a hot oven to remove excess moisture, making it easier to burn. But some may find the lighting part tricky. First, you must stand it vertically instead of horizontally, and position it so the side vent hole faces away from the wind. Then, you have to light the firestarter stick that’s included and then drop the flaming stick into a pre-drilled hole in the top of the Timber Tote log. 

When lit, the upright log looks more like a Fourth of July firecracker than a traditional campfire. But its ability to roast food and estimated 2- to 2.5-hour burn times make the Timber Tote ideal for those who want a quick, short-burning fire before retiring under the stars.

Price at time of publish: $18

_{Material: Kiln-dried wood, firestarter, paper label, rope handle | Size: 12 inches by 8 inches | Weight: 2.6 pounds | Duration: 2 to 2.5 hours | Recommended for roasting food? Yes}

Best Realistic-Looking

Eco Forest Light n’ Go Yule Log

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It shouldn’t be surprising that our pick for the most realistic looking log is made from real wood; kiln-dried birch, with the classic creamy-white bark exterior. The photogenic Eco Forest’s Light n’ Go Yule Log can help create an ideal backdrop for holiday photos, whether it’s lighted or not. You may want to first remove the rope handle that’s attached to the log to make it easier to carry. But you don’t have to remove the handle to burn the log.

The Light n’ Go is so named because it includes a built-in firestarter that’s housed in pre-made slits, cut horizontally across the top of the log. You just need to light the firestarter, and flames should quickly burn, from end to end, in a few minutes. You can burn the log indoors or outdoors, and it’s safe for roasting food such as marshmallows. 

The caveat is that it may be difficult to find one to buy. Although the New Jersey-based company sells logs through chains like Walmart and Home Depot, they are often listed as out of stock. The manufacturer advises calling stores in advance to see if they have the logs. EcoForest also makes a similar but smaller log called the Light n’ Go Go Log, made of birch or alder wood.

Price at time of publish: $12

_{Material: Birch, firestarter, rope handle, paper label | Size: Varies, but about 5.5 inches by 18 inches | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Duration: About 1 hour | Recommended for roasting food? Yes}

Best Log for Crackle

Duraflame Crackleflame Firelogs

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The pop from a real wood fire is steam making noise as it escapes the decomposing wood. When natural seeds inside the Duraflame Crackleflame get warm, they produce a sound that mimics that pleasing "pop." But artificial logs designed with sound features, like Duraflame Crackleflame, are touted as being less messy, because they shouldn’t produce the flying embers that real wood fires can shoot out when they pop. 

The Crackleflame is designed to burn for three hours, but outdoor weather conditions, such as wind, can speed up the burn time. If your outdoor fire burns more quickly than you want, Duraflame recommends adding another Crackleflame. However, this log is not recommended for roasting food.

Price at time of publish: $19

_{Material: Renewable/recyclable wood and agricultural fibers with bio-derived waxes; wrapper that serves as a firestarter | Size: Sold in a package of four logs, with each measuring about 13 inches long | Weight: 4.5 pounds | Duration: 3 hours | Recommended for roasting food? No}

Best to Clean Your Chimney

Creosote Sweeping Log

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Smoke leaves behind a tar-like residue called "creosote," which is a fire hazard. Specialty logs, like the Creosote Sweeping Log, contain substances that, when burned, cause a chemical reaction that can break up the creosote, so it can be removed. But you should read the instructions carefully before lighting the log. If you don’t follow the directions, you could inadvertently create conditions that could send the smoke created by the log into your house instead of out your chimney. “I wouldn’t want to breathe it,” said Russ Dimmitt, director of education at the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

Although the log’s ingredients are proprietary, Dimmitt says they are similar to the chemicals that professional chimney sweeps use to remove creosote. After you use the log, you still should have a professional chimney sweep clean and inspect your chimney, Dimmitt recommends.

The manufacturer notes that even though the log burns in a few hours, creosote ash can continue to fall for more than a week. But you can still use your fireplace as usual.

Price at time of publish: $18

_{Material: Not listed | Size: | Weight: 3.1 pounds | Duration: 2 hours | Recommended for roasting food? No}