A fire pit takes a backyard from nice to elevated, especially during cold weather. The right fire pit aligns with your backyard decor, brings up the vibes, and creates a cozy atmosphere that no one will want to leave when the night is over.
Our team of shopping editors and product testers has taken a dozen fire pits through a battery of ten tests, including the popular Hampton Bay Fire Pit. Specifically, we tested the Hampton Bay Crossridge 30-inch, 50,000-BTU Antique Bronze Gas Fire Pit, which has an average rating of almost five stars at The Home Depot.
We wanted to see if it lived up to its reputation. Read on for our comprehensive Hampton Bay Fire Pit review.
What is the Hampton Bay Fire Pit?
The Hampton Bay Crossridge Fire Pit is a 30-inch, 50,000-BTU gas fire pit. It uses a standard propane tank and features a rustic aesthetic with a natural stone tabletop. With its substantial BTU rating, this fire pit can produce strong, tall flames that can be felt from several feet away. Its relatively neutral but attractive design can fit in backyards of many different styles.
Related: Breeo Smokeless Fire Pit ReviewMy Thoughts
VIA MERCHANTWe Tried It
Hampton Bay Crossridge Fire Pit Table
A steel-constructed fire pit table with a natural slate top
Pros:
- Easy, simple assembly
- Hidden propane tank and hose
- No propane leakage
- Comes with lava rocks
- Attractive design
Cons:
- Screen warped and burned
- Propane tank cover feels cheaply made
- Heavy to move; may need multiple people
Hampton Bay Fire Pit Features
This fire pit comes equipped with several notable features.
Natural Stone Tabletop
The 30-inch-by-30-inch stone tabletop is sturdy and strong. In fact, it is one of our testers’ favorite features of the Hampton Bay Fire Pit.
50,000 BTU Heat
The high BTU rating means the fire pit produces strong flames.
“On the max setting, the flame is high and deep orange, and it encompasses a majority of the bowl,” says Product Testing Manager Annamarie Higley. It also has one of the strongest low settings of all the fire pits our team has tested.
Enclosed Propane Tank
Your guests won’t even know your propane tank is there: The base of this fire pit serves as a complete enclosure for a standard 20-pound propane tank and its hose. However, we must note that our testers find the base to be “chintzy” and not properly aligned, which makes it feel somewhat out of place compared to the nice, sturdy stone tabletop.
Electric Ignition
This fire pit features an electric ignition that’s easy to use.
“You have to hold down the igniter, then turn the burner knob,” Higley explains. “Once it lights, you let go of the igniter and can adjust the flame size.”
How We Tested It
We put the Hampton Bay Fire Pit through its paces from shopping to set up.
Delivery and Packaging
The Hampton Bay Fire Pit pleased our testing team in several areas, but packaging and delivery were not one of them. Though it was delivered straight to the door with no pallet or freight required, our testers experienced an unpleasant situation upon opening the box.
“On the exterior, this box looked comparable to the rest, but we opened it up to find that lava rocks had spilled everywhere,” Higley said. “The tape on the box of rocks lifted off, so they were scattered throughout the entire box. Because of this, most items were coated in a thin layer of dustvery unpleasant and irritating.”
We felt we needed to mention this in case it’s a frequent occurrence, but it’s entirely possible that this doesn’t happen to you at all.
Assembly
This fire pit was the easiest for our testing team to assemble (moving on from the disastrous packing situation). They experienced some minor hiccups with aligning parts, but overall, it was easy, and the directions were simple to follow.
The steps were comparable to those of other fire pit models our team tested; nothing was out of the ordinary. The weightiness of the stone tabletop is the only thing that might slow you down, says Higley. Our team recorded a setup time of just 35 minutes.
Propane Hookup
The propane hookup was “super simple and easy,” according to Higley. You just screw the hose onto the propane tank. After connecting it, our testing team searched for leaks by spraying connections with soapy water and watching for bubbles as we turned the valve on. They’re happy to report no leakage occurred.
Use
Overall, the Hampton Bay Fire Pit is easy to use, although you may encounter minor setbacks. For instance, our team realized that they initially inserted the alkaline battery incorrectly, so they experienced some false starts during which a fair amount of gas must’ve built up in the hose.
“Once we addressed the issue and turned the fire pit table on, the flames were substantial and pretty smoky,” says Higley. “Oops.”
This inexplicably came with a screen that is not mentioned in the manual, on the box or on the website. However, some customer photo reviews feature the screen.
“Theoretically, we liked the screen because the flames felt more contained with it on, which gave us a sense of security,” Higley says. “That being said, it gave off a foul burning-rubber, chemical smell. It also started to warp and even incurred a burn mark after only 15 minutes of use. Without it on, the fire was more aggressive. There’s also no handle on the screen, so it could be dangerous to move and lift when hot because there’s no good way to grab it.”
After investigating further, we realized that this screen might only be intended for use during the initial setup to contain potential sparks from flying. However, there’s no information on the website or in the user manual, so we can’t be sure.
Flames and Heat
The Hampton Bay Fire Pit produces strong, tall flames on the highest setting (50,000 BTUs), which our testers appreciate. However, they note that the flames seem pretty susceptible to the wind.
“The flames move around easily, and it’s a little scary if you’re close to it,” says Higley. “You definitely wouldn’t want to set anything on the edge of the table, despite what vendor images imply.”
Why You Should Trust Us
Our team at Family Handyman consists of subject matter experts in home topics, as well as experienced, dedicated shopping editors and commerce writers who care about helping our readers make the right purchasing decisions for them.
We also have an in-house product testing team that actually shops for, assembles, and uses the products we review. For this Hampton Bay fire pit review, our product testers took the fire pit through a series of tests we’ve standardized for fire pits, looking at criteria such as packaging and delivery, assembly, ease of use, durability and longevity, heat emission, and value.
FAQ
How do I ignite a Hampton Bay fire pit?
Most Hampton Bay Fire Pits feature electric ignition, so it should be a simple matter of turning a knob and flipping a switch. However, each model may have differences. Be sure to read the user manual for the model you buy.
How heavy is the Hampton Bay fire pit?
Hampton Bay makes multiple fire pit models, so the exact weight depends on the one you buy. The one we testedthe 30-inch, 50,000-BTU Crossridge modelweighs almost 90 pounds out of the box.
What Other Reviewers and Experts Had to Say
This fire pit has strong reviews on its primary online retailer, The Home Depot. Out of nearly 3,000 reviews, it boasts an average rating of 4.4 stars at the time of writing.
Buyer OCmom called it the “perfect fire pit,” while reviewer Steven said, “Great size, easy to assemble and puts off plenty of heat. Definitely a good addition to your backyard oasis!”
Some buyers noted things they’d change about the model.
For instance, buyer Susan said, “I’ve had this for a few years now. It intermittently goes out after burning for several minutes; after several restarts and turning the knob to the magic position, it stays lit. Rather annoying when trying to relax and enjoy the ambiance. Also the grout between the tiles is cracking and coming apart. When the flame does stay on, it’s wonderful and I love it.”
Overall, most buyers are happy with their purchase and get several years of use out of the fire pit.
Hampton Bay Fire Pit vs. Tiki Brand Fire Pit
Our product testers also tried the Tiki Brand customizable fire pit. The experience was different in some ways but the same in others. For one thing, the Tiki Brand customizable fire pit is, well, customizable. It costs substantially more at $499about double the pricebut a big part of the draw is that it’s customizable with various accessories.
During testing, Higley said, “This will probably appeal to a specific taste. It’s more modern-looking with a streamlined profile. It’s all black with rounded edges. It’s cone-shaped, and you can add a tabletop (included in purchase but shipped in a separate box), which would make it look more similar to the other fire pits.”
Like the Hampton Bay fire pit, the Tiki Brand fire pit was relatively easy to assemble but hard to move due to its weight. Our testers think the Tiki Brand pit has more longevity, as it feels much more durable and hefty. You can read our full Tiki Brand fire pit review for more details on the customizable propane fire pit.
Final Verdict
Our team liked the Hampton Bay Fire Pit for the most part, but they think it might be priced slightly high for it to be a must-buy value.
“It’s not a great value, which is a shame because the screen was a great concept, and the natural stone table top was pretty impressive,” Higley said. It might be worth the dough if you catch it on sale (which it often is). Shop for more fire pits with our guide to the best fire pits on Amazon.
Where to Buy the Hampton Bay Fire Pit
VIA MERCHANTWe Tried It
Hampton Bay Crossridge Fire Pit Table
An antique bronze fire pit table that'll upgrade your patio
The Hampton Bay Fire Pit is available at The Home Depot for about $180.
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