Best Fire Pit Covers: How to Measure and Pick the Right Size

One 36-inch cover is sold for fire pits up to 34 inches. Measure edge to edge at the widest point, size up about 2 inches, and cover only a cold pit.

11/4/20263 min read

Best fire pit covers: an uncovered stone fire pit ring with Adirondack chairs in patchy snow with a FREE CALCULATOR badge, and a size chart: a 29 in pit takes a 31 in lid, a 30 in pit a 32 in lid, and a 34 in pit a 36 in fabric coverBest fire pit covers: an uncovered stone fire pit ring with Adirondack chairs in patchy snow with a FREE CALCULATOR badge, and a size chart: a 29 in pit takes a 31 in lid, a 30 in pit a 32 in lid, and a 34 in pit a 36 in fabric cover

A 36-inch cover won't fit a 36-inch fire pit. Duck Covers sells its 36-inch round cover for pits up to 34 inches across, and two steel lids below run the same way: about 2 inches wider than the pit. Measure your rim edge to edge before you order, and you skip the return box.

Quick pick: a steel lid or a vented fabric cover about 2 inches wider than your pit's widest edge, put on a pit that's out cold.

Free calculator: setting a gravel pad around the pit? Get tons and cubic yards in our free gravel calculator. No sign-up.

Gray Adirondack chairs around an uncovered stone fire pit ring on wood chips with patchy snow
Gray Adirondack chairs around an uncovered stone fire pit ring on wood chips with patchy snow

Photo: K F on Unsplash

What size fire pit cover do I need

The rule: pit width plus about 2 inches.

30 in pit: Ardier's 32 in lid.

29 in pit: FEBETCH's 31 in lid.

34 in pit, 24 in tall: Duck Covers' 36 in fabric cover.

Custom covers: give your exact size. Covers & All says it adds 1 to 1.5 inches to width itself and warns against adding more.

A steel fire pit bowl with side handles and square legs burning on ice
A steel fire pit bowl with side handles and square legs burning on ice

Photo: camila ridissi on Unsplash

How to measure your fire pit

Width: tape across the top, edge to edge, at the widest point. For a fabric cover that drops over the sides, count handles and a lip that stick out.

Height: for fabric, the top edge to the ground. A lid sits on the rim, so it only needs width.

Square or table: length, width and height.

Stone ring: a lid must be wider than the opening but should still sit on the cap stones, so measure both.

Glowing coals and white ash in a steel fire bowl over snow
Glowing coals and white ash in a steel fire bowl over snow

Photo: Katja Ano on Unsplash

Cover it cold, and empty the ash

Fabric: wait until the pit is cold. The Solo Stove Shelter FAQ at All Things Barbecue says not to cover a pit that is still hot.

Steel lid: Solo Stove's Ranger Lid listing says it can go on at the end of a burn to hold leftover ash and embers, but not to put a fire out.

Ash: the U.S. Fire Administration says let ashes cool, put them in a tightly covered metal container, keep it at least 10 feet from the house, and pour water on them. Never dump ashes straight into a trash can.

A black metal fire pit with a chimney standing in a puddle of meltwater, red chairs around it and snow behind
A black metal fire pit with a chimney standing in a puddle of meltwater, red chairs around it and snow behind

Photo: Mathias Reding on Unsplash

Fabric cover or steel lid

Fabric: covers the whole pit, legs and all. Water can pool on a flat top, so look for support. Solo Stove's Shelter uses aluminum stays for a domed top, Breeo's cover has anti-sag support, and Duck Covers adds air vents against condensation and wind lofting.

Steel lid: keeps rain, leaves and animals out of the bowl and doubles as a tabletop, per the makers. The outside still gets wet.

Skip both: a small pit that goes in the garage or shed for winter.

A steel fire ring set in the ground with a swing-arm grill grate
A steel fire ring set in the ground with a swing-arm grill grate

Photo: Taylor Friehl on Unsplash

Fire pit covers and lids (#ad)

As an Amazon Associate, Curb Calc earns from qualifying purchases.

Ardier 32 in Round Fire Pit Lid: steel, fits pits up to 30 in, 5.6 lb; the maker suggests insulated gloves. See it on Amazon

FEBETCH 31 in Round Fire Pit Lid: 16-gauge carbon steel, 16.6 lb, for pits up to 29 in, per the maker. See it on Amazon

1MORE 34 in Round Fire Pit Lid: wooden handles, also sold in 28, 36 and 38 in, per the maker. See it on Amazon

DcYourHome 28 in Cover for Built-In Stone Fire Pits: powder-coated steel, 28 × 28 × 1.5 in, for round inserts in stone rings. See it on Amazon

Solo Stove Ranger Lid: 304 stainless, 18 in, made for the Ranger only. See it on Amazon

Breeo X Series Fire Pit Cover for X24: marine-grade fabric with anti-sag support, made for the X24. See it on Amazon

DUCKCOVERS Soteria 36 in Round Fire Pit Cover: budget pick. Fits pits up to 34 in across and 24 in high, with air vents and corner straps. See it on Amazon

A round steel fire pit with a wide perforated surround, firewood boxes beside it
A round steel fire pit with a wide perforated surround, firewood boxes beside it

Photo: Margo Evardson on Unsplash

Fire pit cover FAQ

What size fire pit cover do I need?

About 2 inches wider than your pit's widest edge. A 34 in pit takes a 36 in cover.

How do you measure a fire pit for a cover?

Edge to edge across the top at the widest point, then the top edge to the ground for fabric.

Can you cover a fire pit right after a fire?

Not with fabric. Solo Stove says its Ranger Lid can go on at the end of a burn to hold ash, not to put a fire out. For other lids, follow the maker.

More: how much gravel for a fire pit area and firewood racks with covers.

Watch Curb Calc on YouTube: youtube.com/@curbcalc

Sources: Covers & All, Mar. 1, 2023; Solo Stove Shelter FAQ at All Things Barbecue; U.S. Fire Administration.