Do you want to increase the warmth of your fire feature, and at the same time make it look amazing? Just add fire media. Here is our ranking of what materials retain the most heat, starting with the hottest:

#1 Steel

• Steel just heats up like crazy. Put some steel in your fire and after a few minutes the heat will warm your space like nothing else.

• Our steel log sets are big, heavy, and custom made in Montana. They take the trophy for most heat retention. They arrive looking metallic, and turn black after a few burns. After being weathered, they will begin to patina for that rustic log look. 

#2 Ceramic Logs

• In at a close 2nd are our ceramic logs. These are nice and dense, heavy, and individually cast. After about 5-10 minutes of being in the fire, they glow red with heat

• Even after you turn off the flame, they just keep radiating

• The added benefit of looking like real wood, and being far more affordable than steel logs. Plus they will last a VERY long time.

• You create the look you want, because each log is separate from the rest

#3 Ceramic Fiber (Cannonballs and River Stones)

These are like magic. They’re super light, look like real stone, and are filled with a fiber that retains heat and yet doesn’t crack, break, or burn up over time

• Cannonballs have a slight edge over river stones in the heat retention department, simply because they’re larger. They bring this ancient, yet ultra-modern appeal. And after burning for a while, you’ll notice at night that they glow RED!

• River Stones look like real river rock. You shouldn’t use real river rock because the heat can cause them to crack. But the ceramic fiber stones are safe to burn for years and years. They retain heat, have various colors, and just look incredible. Place them over the burn area, or use them to accent the fire area by placing them around ceramic logs, etc.

#4 Fire Glass and Lava Rock/Pebbles

• Tied at #4 would be the smaller fire media options. They look great, and as long as you pair them with a Crossfire burner, you will keep warm!

• Sit closer to the fire

• Put your feet up on the ledge

• Let the fire media heat up for 8-10 minutes

• Turn it up!

Take advantage of our lava and glass calculators. Use your fire pit inside dimensions to determine your quantities. 

You should start with 3″ of filler, such as lava rock or lava pebbles. Then add ‘upper media’ to taste, such as river stones, glass, logs, or cannon fireballs.