A 3 Step Buying Guide for The Perfect Fire Pit Covers

So you finally bought that fire pit you’ve had your eye on for months. Nice! Summer is prime time for long, lingering evenings outside. Gathering around a fire pit with friends and family - maybe with a glass of wine or lemonade in hand - is one of life’s simple pleasures. We hope you enjoy evenings like these for many years to come, so let’s protect your fire pit investment so that your next fun purchase can be those Adirondack chairs you’ve got pinned to your board.

Why You Need To Cover Your Fire Pit?

First, let’s talk about why you need to cover your fire pit in the first place. The short answer is, if you don’t, it won’t last long, and it won’t look too snazzy, either. Water damage is no joke, so unless you live in a place that literally NEVER rains or snows, you need a cover. Another reason to cover it is for safety. If you have kids, you know they get into many things. Need we say more? Covers can prevent a lot of mischief-making, even if you think your six-year-old can’t strike a match. We’ve seen things.

Now that you know you need a cover, you need to know what material and what size and style is right for your fire pit, because this is a make or break choice. Obviously a cover that’s too small won’t work, but using an oversized cover allows water to seep through, which can lead to the metal parts rusting out and cracking, and that’s hardly better than no cover at all. So you need a precise fit, and fortunately, that’s easy. First, though, let’s talk about shape and style.

Step 1 - Choose a Style and Shape

The world of fire pits is diverse, and these days fire pits come in all sorts of shapes, styles and sizes. Fortunately, so do our covers. Custom fire pit covers come in more than just standard round or square, although we of course have those, too. But we also have triangles, octagons, hexagons, rectangles, and covers that fit column-shaped fire pits. We have bowl-shaped covers and even covers that are designed especially for your firewood stack. If you haven’t yet purchased a fire pit and you’re exploring your options, consider how you want to use it. There are four basic models on the market based on how they burn fuel. These are wood-burning, propane, gas burning, and gel fuel based.Some are madefor yards,some are designedfor indoor and tabletop use, and some are even made for grilling. Choosing the right fire pit based on how you want to use it is the easiest way to narrow things down, and from there you can look at what size and shape you like best. If you already purchased your fire pit, congratulations! Covering it is the easy part, and that’s what we’re here for. So, relax. We’ve got you covered!

Step 2 - Find Your Perfect Fit

Your fire pit cover, no matter what the style or shape, should fit securely, not look like a giant messy tarp thrown over the top. A secure fit means no water getting in, so it’s worth the small effort of taking proper measurements to get it right. Plus, a well-fitted cover just looks nicer, and when it looks good, you’ll feel better about seeing it in your yard or patio.

How to Measure

• First make sure your fire pit is sitting on an even surface before you take your measurements. If your fire pit has flat sides as in a square or rectangle shape,simplymeasurethe height, width, and length. If youhavearoundorbowl-shapedpit,you’ll needtogetthe height plus the diameter. Please see our diagrams in the product catalogue for reference.
• Using a standard measuring tape, measure the height of the bowl first. This will be a straight line from the top edge of the bowl to the bottom. Next, measure the diameter of the bowl. This is a straight line across the center of the fire pit bowl.
• If your fire pit is a unique shape like an octagon or hexagon, we’ve got you covered there, too.In thiscaseyoumay find our measuring diagrams especially handy so you can see exactly which lines to follow for a precise measurement.
• We also provide some extra tips and pointers on our website to make sure the cover you receive is a perfect fit.

Remember:

• Provide the exact measurement from edge to edge.
• We add 1" to 1.5 " leeway onthegiven width/depth for easy pull-in and pull-out.
• The height dimensions will remain exactly as provided by you.
• Don’t add any extra inches in your measurement! Adding extra inches to your measurement might seem like a good idea because you don’t want something too small, but it won’t fit like a glove which is what you’re aiming for.
• That’s why we do not provide any leeway on height. A snug, sure fit is a perfect fit.

Once you find the cover shape that most closely matches your fire pit and you’ve taken the measurements, you can select your size from our menu options. If you don’t see your measurements, no worries. Just tell us the exact measurements you need and we’ll custom make one for you. It’s that easy. Life is hard enough as it is, so we’re glad we can make a simple tasklikeordering a fire pit cover a breeze!

Step 3 - Materials Matter and You’ve Got Choices

So which material should you buy? All three of the material options we make and sell are 100% waterproof and UV resistant, sorest assured that whatever you choose,your bases will always be covered. The main difference between our cover options is the weight of the material, and the composition of the material itself. You’ll want to choose the one that is best suited for where you live and how you use and store your fire pit.

Our Cover Fab covers are madefrom polyester and have a lightweight fabric feel to them. These will work (and look) great if you live where the weather is nice most of the year (hello southern California, we envy your life!) and you want the most stylish cover for use on your terrace, garden, or patio. These come in two color options. This is also a good choice for tabletop fire pits and fire pits thatare designed for indoor use.

The Cover Max material is our medium weight cover option, meant for moderate weather. This is the cover most people will need, as it’s 100% weatherproof but not as heavy as an industrial style cover. But if you live in a place where there are lots of severe storms or heavy snow and ice, especially if your fire pit stays outdoors year-round, then you’ll need our Cover Tuff cover. It is madeto take whatever nature dishes out and comes with a five-year warranty. Michigan, we see you braving those winter storms. Your fire pit definitely needs Cover Tuff.

If you’re a business owner and are covering the fire pits at your restaurant, hotel, or other venue, you can customize your cover to add your logo. And even if you’re not a business owner and you just want your family crest on your cover, hey, that works too!Pretty cool, huh?Simply uploadyour logo or image during checkout and we’ll do the rest!

A Word About Fire Pit Safety

We’re in peak fire pit season now through fall, so it’s worth revisiting some basic safety tips.

• Firstly,neverleaveanyfireunattended, even if it’s contained. This is never worth the risk.
• Only use a fire pit in an open area, never under a canopy, awning, or enclosed area, and make sure it’s at least ten feet away from any structure, tree, or shrubbery of any kind.
• Always makesureyour fire pit isplacedona non-flammable surface like concrete, and never, ever on wood!
• Invest in a wire mesh cover to keep any loose embers from flying out.
• Keep a shovel on hand to keep unruly flames down and to empty the ashes. Which brings us to one of the most important rules of all: always dispose of ashes in a metal container only! Use water to extinguish the fire, then dispose of the cooled ashes in a can used specifically and only for that purpose. Ashes, even cooled ones, have the potential to catch fire for days.
• Finally, keep your fire pit covered when it’s not in use.

We hope you have a safe, fun summer and enjoy your fire pit all year round!