I’m Already Spending Nights Outside With Ninja’s Patio Heater-Fire Pit Mashup

Benefits

• Combines elements of a fire pit and patio heater

• The flames were completely smokeless

• Easy to install and use

• Light enough to move around the yard

Disadvantages

• The dials were a bit bulky

• Cover is not included

This winter didn’t really feel comfortable – more like a slow, relentless onslaught of freezing temperatures and crippling snowfall. In an effort to spend more time outdoors during the shoulder season, I went in search of heat. Ninja’s Fireside360, a patio heater and fire pit mashup, caught my eye when I saw it making the rounds on social media. Leave it to Ninja to reinvent yet another home staple and somehow make it the answer.

THE By the fire360 is the Ninja version of a patio heater topped with a hearth. Powered by propane, the heater creates a circular heat zone on the sides via gas burners and dancing flames on top with the turn of a few knobs.

In my attempt to turn March into an outdoor month, I carried around the Frankenstein heater to see how much heat Ninja’s Fireside could provide and how it compares to more traditional patio heaters and fire pits.

Here’s what I thought after a cool weekend with the Fireside360.

To start

The unit itself weighs about 40 pounds, so it was easy for me to move around the yard without assistance. The setup was as simple as possible. All you need is to remove the porcelain lava rocks, place them in the center of the fire pit, attach a standard propane tank like you would a grill, and you are ready to fire up this patio heater.

The igniter worked as promised after holding it down for a few seconds and the flame was adjustable, although I didn’t feel like I could control it with the precision the advertising suggested.

You can use it as a patio heater, fire pit (or both)

The Fireside360 lets you choose from three operating modes: powerful outdoor heating (heat only), smokeless fireplace (flame only), or both, all controlled by two dials.

It was a cool evening, with temperatures dropping to around 40 degrees at one point, when some friends and I tested the Fireside360. We ended up using both heating modes and were able to sit comfortably for hours. When only the side heating or the hearth was operating at full speed, there was a noticeable drop in heat output. On a milder evening, using just one of the two heat sources may be sufficient.

The side heater surrounds the entire device, providing 360-degree heat. While perhaps not as rustic or charming as a fireplace, the burners provided more focused heat than a traditional low-intensity fire that primarily diffuses its heat.

The smoke-free fireplace was indeed smoke-free, allowing us to get as close to it as needed without any concerns about air quality or the risk of smoky clothing. When the wind picked up, we noticed a slight reduction in heat output.

How the Fireside360 differs from a standard patio heater

The main difference between a standard tower patio heater and the 360 ​​is the ambiance. Both types provide good heat, but the Ninja version has a central open flame fire pit that’s great to look at, gather around in and warm your hands on a chilly evening. Ceramic stones give the flame a natural appearance, even though it is powered by a propane tank below

It is lower to the ground and therefore less imposing than a heating tower. It also sends the heat released from a lower location. Because the heat increases, it stands to reason that more of the fire’s heat is delivered to the target areas, so less heat drifts unnecessarily above the humans gathered around it and into the atmosphere.

How much does the Fireside 360 ​​cost? Is it worth it?

The combined patio heater and fire pit are listed for $499.99 at most online retailers, including Ninja’s own site.

What I liked most about the Fireside360 was the directed heat. Fireplaces give off much of their heat, so it is necessary to gather almost above the fire to feel its full effects. The Fireside offers more of the target heat of a patio heater with controlled burners, but at least some of the charm you get from a fire pit with a bowl of flames dancing above.

With 80,000 BTUs, it packs enough punch to warm me and a few friends well into the evening on a cold March night. All the power means it will also burn a good amount of propane. We got through about half the tank in just a few hours with the heaters on full blast.

At $500, it’s comparable to other high-performance patio heaters and fire pits. If you want the best of both in one unit, the Fireside360 is one of the few options on the market to offer.