Tested: The Best Fire Starters for the Firepit, Fireplace, and Beyond

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A fire starter can help ignite a fire quickly—find out which ones excelled in our hands-on testing.

Fire starters make it easy for anyone to start a roaring fire. Rather than having to wrestle with damp wood or crumpled-up newspapers to get the first flames going, users can employ a fire starter to achieve this with a single match or the flick of a lighter. The catch is that they’re not all created equally.

Some fire starters stand out for their ability to help ignite a fire rapidly and effortlessly, while others are difficult to light or won’t stay lit long enough to ignite a wood fire. We wanted to know which ones were worth buying, so we tested them in our own fireplaces, chimineas, wood-burning stoves, and fire pits. Ahead, we’ll cover how the following products earned a place in our lineup of the best fire starters.

1. BEST OVERALL: Superior Trading Co. All-Natural Fire Starter
2. RUNNER-UP: Lightning Nuggets Fire-Starting Nuggets
3. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Rutland Safe Lite Fire Starter Squares
4. BEST NATURAL: Better Wood Products Fatwood Fire Starter
5. BEST FERRO ROD: Exotac FireRod XL Fire Starter
6. BEST FOR FIREPLACE: GreenSpark Fire Starter Squares
7. BEST FOR FIRE PIT: Black Beard Fire Starter Fire Sticks
8. BEST FOR CHARCOAL GRILL: Kingsford Quick Light Fire Starters
9. BEST FOR CAMPING: UCO Sweetfire Strikable Biofuel Fire Starter
10. BEST FOR EMERGENCIES: Pull Start Fire Pull String Fire Starter

How We Tested the Best Fire Starters

We considered a variety of factors when deciding which fire starters to test. We selected starters that would burn long enough to ignite wood or charcoal without needing to add other burnable materials, such as wadded-up paper or cardboard. A fire starter should also be easy to use, so we chose options that light easily with a match or lighter—with the exception of the ferro rods we tested, which function a bit differently.

During our testing, we followed the manufacturers’ instructions, placing one or two fire starters as suggested and using them to start the recommended fire types. For many of the tests, we used a traditional fireplace, but we also used a fire pit, a chiminea, and a wood-burning stove if the directions recommended using the fire starters with those appliances. We also tested a few fire starters to see how well they worked for lighting charcoal—but only if they were listed as safe to use for grilling food.

If a fire starter was advertised as waterproof, we dropped it in a glass of water and then attempted to light it. We determined that many waterproof fire starters aren’t genuinely waterproof but rather water-resistant. In other words, they needed a little time to dry out before lighting.

We timed how long it took for a fire starter to catch fire from a match or lighter, how tall its flames were, and how long it burned before extinguishing. We discovered a fire starter needed to remain lit for 5 to 9 minutes, at minimum, to fully ignite the rest of the wood and logs in a fireplace.

The only fire starter we tested differently was the ferro rod, which is intended to ignite finely textured, highly flammable tinder via sparks. We tested it on cotton-fiber tinder that was included with the rod, and then we built up the fire with progressively larger twigs and kindling.

During the testing phase, we awarded points based on how well each fire starter performed the tasks. After testing, we added and averaged the scores and compared packaging, prices, dimensions, and other factors to categorize the products for different applications.

Our Top Picks

In total, we tested 15 different fire starters: 12 small accelerant products, and three ferro rods that could fit into a pocket on a camping or hiking trip. Our main goal was to determine which fire starters performed the best in their relative categories. We didn’t test matches or lighters, but we did use them to light the accelerant fire starters. Not every product we tested made the cut for this guide. Each of the products below earned a spot by being a top performer in our hands-on testing.

Best Overall

Superior Trading Co. All-Natural Fire Starter

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Product Specs

• Material: Wood shavings, wax
• Quantity: 50
• Burn time: 10 to 15 minutes

Pros

• Made from natural materials, recycled sawdust, and food-grade wax
• Odorless and nontoxic, which is especially great for using them in grills where food is prepared
• Waterproof, but they need to dry out before use

Cons

• These are slightly more expensive than some of the other tested fire starters
• Some of the bagged pods may be crushed during packing or shipping

These Superior Trading Co. fire starters are safe, easy to use, and effective. We found that just one pod was typically all we needed to get a log fire lit and burning. Made from wood shavings and food-grade wax, the pods are odorless, nontoxic, and environmentally safe, making them ideal for everything from indoor fireplaces to camping bonfires.

It took about 4 seconds for the pod to catch fire when we lit it with a single match. It started burning slowly, but within 5 minutes, the flames were about 8 inches tall, and the pod continued burning for about 15 minutes, which was plenty of time for the logs to catch fire.

The manufacturer lists these fire starters as waterproof, so we dropped a couple in a glass of water before testing them. We couldn’t get them to light immediately, but that was understandable. Once they dried out, they lit quickly and burned well. We used them in a fireplace and a charcoal grill. We placed one Superior Trading Co. fire-starter pod under the charcoal basket in our grill and lit it. By the time the flame from the pod burned down, the charcoal was lit.

Get the Superior Trading Co. fire starters at Amazon or Superior Trading Co.

Runner-up

Lightning Nuggets Fire-Starting Nuggets

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Product Specs

• Material: Sawdust, wax
• Quantity: 50
• Burn time: 15 minutes

Pros

• Light pine scent offers pleasant aroma when lit
• 50 nuggets in 1 box for plenty of fires
• Made of natural wood and wax, so there is no worry about toxic chemical fumes

Cons

• Unsuitable for use in grills because of pine scent
• May require more than 1 match to light successfully

Forget about newspapers and kindling—we were able to get a real wood fire going using just one small Lightning Nugget. It took three matches to light the nugget, but once lit, it burned brightly with a hot flame about 6 inches high for a little more than 10 minutes.

The nuggets are made from a blended composition of all-natural, recycled, and nontoxic flammable materials, including pitchwood sawdust and paraffin wax. Pitchwood is a type of pine that contains natural resins that are flammable.

When burned, these nuggets give off a slight pinewood scent, making them suitable for fireplaces and campfires. We were hoping for more of an aroma, but it was pretty weak. Each box comes with 50 nuggets, and since it takes just one nugget to light most fires, one box goes a long way. They’re not suitable for use in grills, however, since they are scented.

Get the Lightning Nuggets fire starters at Amazonor Tractor Supply Co.

Best Bang for the Buck

Rutland Safe Lite Fire Starter Squares

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Product Specs

• Material: Recycled wood chips, paper fiber, wax
• Quantity: 24
• Burn time: 10 minutes

Pros

• Lights quickly with just a single match
• Burns for up to 10 minutes, which is typically long enough to ignite most log fires
• Made from natural and nontoxic ingredients, so they can be used in grills to cook food

Cons

• The squares have a shorter burn time than some other tested fire starters

Buyers don’t have to spend a lot to get quality fire starters. With 24 fire starter squares in a box, this option from Rutland is one of the more affordable fire-starting options.

We placed a couple of Rutland fire starter squares beneath logs in our fireplace. They lit quickly—within 1 or 2 seconds of touching them with a lit match. The flames rapidly engulfed the squares and continued burning for about 8 minutes, which was more than enough time to ignite the logs in the fireplace.

The fire starter squares are made from recycled wood chips, paper fiber, and wax. Although the manufacturer claims they’ll light when wet, we couldn’t get them to light after we dropped them in a glass of water and then took them out. After about 15 minutes, however, they were dry enough to light.

These are nontoxic fire starters, and we couldn’t detect any odor as they burned, making them suitable for starting charcoal fires for grilling food. It took two Rutland squares to get the charcoal in our grill started; the first one burned out before the charcoal caught, so we slipped a second one under the charcoal basket and lit it. The briquettes caught fire a few minutes after that.

Get the Rutland fire starters at Amazon, Ace Hardware, or Tractor Supply Co.

Best Natural

Better Wood Products Fatwood Fire Starter

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Product Specs 

• Material: Seasoned pine fatwood
• Quantity: 10 pounds, about 160 pieces
• Burn time: 14 minutes

Pros

• Fatwood is an all-natural, unprocessed product that would otherwise be wasted
• Naturally waterproof without added protection or preservatives
• Lights easily, produces high heat and flame, and burns for a long time
• Use 2 or 1 or even just a partial piece to start a fire, depending on conditions

Cons

• Produces a large amount of smoke, especially during the first few minutes
• The smoke and smell are very pungent

Nature offers excellent fire starters, but gathering traditional materials such as birch bark, tinder fungus, or cattail fluff is not always practical. One of the best natural fire starters, fatwood, comes from naturally resin-saturated pinewood. These fatwood fire starter sticks from Better Wood Products catch fire quickly, even when wet, and burn longer and hotter than factory-made fire starters. Our 10-pound bundle of fatwood contained 160 sticks, each measuring 8.25 inches long and about .5 inches in diameter.

After submerging two sticks in a bucket of water for 5 minutes, we pulled them out, shook off the water, and held a lit match against them. Within 5 seconds, both sticks were ablaze like giant matchsticks. They appeared to burn more intensely than typical wood shavings or compressed fiber and wax fire starters. Compared with those, these fatwood starters produced a larger flame with more heat—enough that we could feel it from 3 feet away. We were also impressed by the 14-minute burn time, but the downside was an excessive amount of smoke and pungent pine aroma.

Possibly the most intriguing quality of a fatwood fire starter is its versatility. The seller recommends lighting two sticks at a time with a match as an easy way to get a fire going with dry, seasoned firewood. We experimented with smaller amounts and managed to start one with just half a stick. Another time, we made a nest of fine fatwood shavings and lit it with sparks off of the ferro rod. However you light it, this stuff just works.

Get the Better Wood Products fire starters at Amazon.

Best Ferro Rod

Exotac FireRod XL Fire Starter

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Product Specs 

• Material: Ferro rod with aluminum handle
• Quantity: 1
• Burn time: Not applicable

Pros

• Large, high-quality ferro rod produces a lot of sparks
• Threaded ferro rod can be removed from the handle and replaced if needed
• Aluminum handle features a waterproof chamber that holds cotton tinder
• Perfect size to fit in a ferro rod loop on a knife sheath

Cons

• The premium price may be a deal-breaker for thrifty shoppers who can use a simpler option

Getting back to basics by creating a fire with friction no longer means using flint and steel; today’s outdoors enthusiasts trust ferrocerium alloy to supply the sparks. In skilled hands, a quality ferro rod and some dry tinder are all it takes to build up a roaring fire in no time. We preferred the Exotac FireRod XL over competing models, not least because of the massive shower of sparks it produced. We also appreciated its precision-machined aluminum handle with a watertight tinder chamber and the fact that the rod can be unthreaded from the body and replaced with a new one if needed. It did not come with a striker, but the spine of a fixed blade or lock-back folding knife served that role perfectly.

Before the ferro rod could make sparks, we had to scrape away some of the black surface coating. We then dropped it in the water bucket to find out if the tinder chamber was truly watertight. It was. Next, we dried our hands, opened the tinder chamber, and pulled out one of the three included cotton fiber tinder pieces. We loosened the fibers and placed the tinder in a bundle of dry pine needles shaped like a bird’s nest. The very first strike sparked into the tinder and ignited it, which then lit the pine needle nest. We built the fire up with kindling from there.

We’ve tried smaller ferro rods, such as Coghlan’s Fire-in-a-Box and the spring-loaded UST BlastMatch. The FireRod XL’s large rod and chunky handle made it easier to use with gloves, and it produced a larger spark shower to light the tinder. Three of the six fires we started with the FireRod XL only required a single strike. We also appreciated the built-in waterproof tinder chamber inside the handle, as this allowed it to serve as a complete fire-making kit at all times. On the downside, the precision-machined aluminum handle seems to be a costly addition, as the price was multiple times more than that of a similarly sized drilled ferro rod on a lanyard.

Get the Exotac fire starter at Amazon, Target, or Exotac.

Best For Fireplace

GreenSpark Fire Starter Squares

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Product Specs

• Material: Pinewood, wax
• Quantity: 70
• Burn time: 8 to 10 minutes

Pros

• Comes in packs of 70, 140, or 400 squares, enough to start multiple wood fires
• All-natural and rec