Ninja Fireside360 Review: The Smokeless Fire Pit with a Built-In Heater That Keeps Everyone Outside

There’s a point every fall when backyard evenings start getting cut short. The sun drops, someone grabs a hoodie, and before long everyone has drifted back inside. Wood fire pits leave your clothes smelling like smoke, and patio heaters keep you warm without giving anyone much of a reason to gather around them. Ninja thinks it can do both with the Ninja Fireside360, a propane fire pit with a built-in outdoor heater. We spent the past few weeks finding out whether it can keep a group outside long after dark.

Setup is about as painless as it gets for something that runs on propane. You pull the Ninja Fireside360 out of the box, cut away the straps that keep everything from shifting around during shipping, pour the ceramic stones into the bowl on top, and hook up your propane tank.

The tank lives inside the base behind a door, so it stays out of sight once it’s connected, and the included AAA battery powers the igniter.  There’s even a clamp that holds your propane tank in place so it doesn’t shift around.  From opening the box to the first flame took us less than 15 minutes, and we never needed a tool.

Running it is just as simple. There are two dials on the front, one for the flame and one for the heating element, and each one lights its side and sets how strong it runs. That’s the whole interface. No app, no remote, no menu of modes to scroll through.

You can run the flame by itself on a mild night when you just want the look of a fire, run the heater alone when it’s windy or you only care about staying warm, or turn both up together, which is how we ended up using it almost every time. It’s the kind of setup anyone in the house can figure out without a walkthrough, and guests can adjust it themselves without asking how it works.

Quick Specs:

Ninja Fireside360 Fire Pit and Outdoor Heater (Model OF101CY)

• Price: $449.99 on sale (regularly $499.99)
• Fuel: Propane, standard 20-pound tank (not included)
• Output: Up to 80,000 BTUs of combined heat and flame
• Modes: Flame only, heat only, or flame and heat together
• Controls: Two dials, one for the flame and one for the heater
• Dimensions: 21.8 x 21.8 x 28.8 inches
• Weight: 39.99 pounds without the tank
• In the box: Ceramic rocks, AAA battery for the igniter, quick start guide
• Seating: Up to six chairs around the heat zone, according to Ninja
• Color tested: Cyberspace Blue
• Warranty: Two-year limited
• Optional accessories: Fireside360 Soft Cover ($49.99), Ceramic Rock Cover ($69.99)

Ninja makes two big promises here: smokeless flames and head-to-toe warmth. Both held up in our testing. Because it burns propane, no smoke drifts into anyone’s face, no embers pop out, and nobody heads home smelling like a campfire. There’s also nothing to clean up at the end of the night. You turn the dials off, and you’re done, which beats waiting for a wood fire to burn down before you can go inside.

The heat is where the Ninja Fireside360 really separates itself from a typical propane fire pit. Most gas fire pits look nice but only warm you if you’re sitting close with your hands out. The heater on this one throws warmth all around the unit, and you feel it on your legs and feet, as well as your hands and face. That 360-degree coverage matters with a full circle of chairs, since nobody gets stuck on the cold side.

The best test came when my wife had a group of friends over. They pulled chairs around the Ninja Fireside360 and stayed out there for hours, warm the entire time and, by their own account, a little hypnotized by the flame. Nobody asked to move inside. That’s exactly the scenario Ninja designed this thing for, and it nailed it.

It also just looks good. The Ninja Fireside360 is a clean, modern cylinder with the flame dancing over the stones on top, and it makes a natural centerpiece for a patio or backyard seating area. Our Cyberspace Blue unit adds color without being loud.

At under 22 inches across, it’s compact enough to fit in a smaller space, and at roughly 40 pounds without the tank, it’s easy to move around, though it’s a bit bulky for one person to carry.

Our review unit is the standalone model, and Ninja also sent along the Fireside360 Soft Cover, which is sold separately for $49.99 (there are bundles that include a cover if you’d rather buy it all at once). The fit is spot on. It’s snug enough to stay put and keep the weather out, but not so tight that you have to wrestle it on and off. Since Ninja recommends covering the unit between uses, it’s worth budgeting for one.

There’s one catch, and it matters for families with kids. Ninja doesn’t recommend cooking over the Fireside360, which means no roasting marshmallows and no s’mores. If a fire pit to you means sticks, marshmallows, and sticky little hands, this isn’t that. For us, it wasn’t a dealbreaker, but you should know before you promise the kids a s’mores night.

The closest competitor is the Solo Stove Infinity Flame, another propane fire pit that hides a 20-pound tank inside and skips the smoke. It’s rated at up to 72,000 BTUs and lists at $599.99, more than the Fireside360. The Solo Stove has a wide tabletop surface around the flame, which is handy for drinks and plates, but it’s a fire pit first.

What the Ninja Fireside360 adds is a dedicated heater you can run with or without the flame, and that’s what made the difference on a cold night with a full circle of chairs. On the other side, a standard mushroom-style patio heater can cost less, but it doesn’t give people anything to gather around. And if s’mores are non-negotiable, a wood-burning smokeless pit like the Solo Stove Bonfire still lets you cook, but you have to buy wood, tend the fire, and clean out the ash.

So should you get the Ninja Fireside360? If you want to spend more of the fall and winter outside and like the idea of a fire without the smoke, ash, or wait, the Fireside360 is easy to recommend. It works equally well for a quiet night on the patio and a backyard full of friends.

Keep a spare propane tank on hand if you plan to run the flame and heater together for long stretches, and add the cover to extend its life. The only people we’d steer elsewhere are the ones who want to cook over their fire pit. For everyone else, this is one of the easiest ways we’ve found to keep the backyard in use as the temperature drops.

The Ninja Fireside360 sells for $499.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample

What I Like:  Setup takes less than 15 minutes with no tools; Two simple dials control ignition, flame, and heat; Truly smokeless, with no embers, ash, or cleanup; Warmth you can feel head to toe, all the way around the unit; Propane tank hides neatly inside the base; Attractive design that makes a great backyard centerpiece; Optional soft cover fits well and is easy to put on and take off

What Needs Improvement: Not designed for cooking, so no s’mores; Cover is sold separately with the standalone model