Looking for a fire pit for the outdoor sitting area. Solo stove seem well reviewed but certainly pricey. Has anyone used one and does it live up to the hype?
Any other brands offer similar performance and quality?
Edit, this bundle seems to be the best price.
We have a solostove ranger and adore it. Use it a lot. It’s a year old and still in perfect condition. They are expensive but if you wait there are sales
I've got that one and love it. A little smokey when lighting but quickly gets to a temperature where the smoke pretty much disappears. I spent a while trying to find something similar at a lower price but ended up buying the Bonfire when it was on one of the manufacturers many sales. About £20 cheaper than above but without the spark screen and stand.
Ive a stainless frontier style camping stove in our covered pergola.
Smoke goes out the chimney above the roof line and I can control the burn properly 3 glass sides so lots of flame visible.
Ive got a solo mesa Xl - was at a campsite a few weeks ago and the antisocial gits in the next tent were burning sticks theyd found on the ground under the trees in a open fire pit and smoking the place out. I was using the same fuel in the solo mesa and it was a very smoke free burn. That convinced me the expense was worth it.
How about a dragon fire pit? Spews fire and smoke like most dragons so it doesn't quite meet your requirements 😫🔥🐉 
I've got a Solo Stove Bonfire. It's worth the money, well made, and as long as you keep it fed it burns very cleanly.
Gas.....sorry.
That does look nice but is it that much different to the ubiquitous washing machine drum conversion in terms of smoke? in fact i'd have thought the lack of side holes means less heat output to the side and more just going straight up. Unless the stainless steel is a good heat radiator as well.
e.g. https://kidsofthewild.co.uk/2017/02/23/make-washing-machine-drum-tutorial-firepit-incinerator/
Solo Mesa here too, was sceptical until we got it, great wee thing though.
Washing machine drum here.
You have to build up a fire if you don't want smoke.
Once its going it fairly east logs though. But leave almost nothing behind.
Came on the thread to say washing machine drum.... Glad it has already been mentioned, but now really want the dragon one
The secret to smoke free seemed to be big holes at the bottom, smaller holes at the top and some kind of small cone at the top edge. Bottom holes are for combustion air. Then the hot fast air running past the top holes pulls extra airflow in which directs the smoke column.
I just saw the price of the solo stove 🤣
You could buy an actual washing machine for that and use the old one for a drum.
Loads of smoke is usually because you're trying to burn wet or damp wood. You need proper dry wood.
Get the kindling setup, get it burning well and hot before you put any bigger pieces of wood near it. Proper dry wood will burn with very little smoke.
I just saw the price of the solo stove 🤣
You could buy an actual washing machine for that and use the old one for a drum.
or you could just wash your clothes in a sink… depends on how tight you want to be.
I got one of these
www.amazon.co.uk/BioLite-FirePit-Outdoor-Smokeless-Grill/dp/B08BCTC22X/ref=asc_df_B08BCTC22X?mcid=8d1b9e15e0663293b5b09ca991e55f33&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697200511410&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5446972321678763822&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007030&hvtargid=pla-1147476389276&hvocijid=5446972321678763822-B08BCTC22X-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1&th=1
Managed to get it at much lower price (c£100 with a slightly dodgy web site price match at Go Outdoors!)
It gets smoke free much quicker than a normal fire pit (including washing machine drum).
Only negative is the hum of the fan kind of spoils the beauty of the sound of a fire pit (but on the positive it has an app so you can control the fan-which stupidly really appeals to the child in me!)
Weber fire pit here. gets used more than the BBQ. Can be smokey but is beautifully made.
As above smokers down to wet wood. We have an open fireplace, get very little one. Biggest issue was sparks flying out but managed to get curved glass sections that sit on the rim, about 20cm high, which reduced the flyingbits of burning wood significantly.
Lit the dragon this evening. First time since cutting an extra breathing/ash exit hole and it works a lot better. There is the usual start up smoke then shortly after a reasonably clean burn. The new hole drops the ash out onto the base rather than blocking the original air intake hole. 
Ive had the original weber one with the metal frame and lid for around 15 yrs or more. It's bigger than the newer one with the lid that stands up on the side. There is a huge heat difference if you use the lid on the stand, it redirects the heat towards you around the whole fire pit. it is fine with decent wood as long as its roaring. it gets smokey when it burns down. I like the idea of the ones the OP mentions but it looks like a lot of the heat is going straight up?
Pal has this UK made smokeless model. It's great, no smoke for our post ride winter fire sessions.
Bought a ceramic BBQ egg for the garden, small, heavy and probably easily broken but on first use it was pretty good. The smoke on initial lighting comes out the chimney, then beyond that it turns in to a ceramic radiator emitting heat. Nicely cooked some chicken breasts as well. 
Well good, but chews through wood