With energy costs still at a premium, there has never been a better time to buy a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove. It's time to turn down your central heating or heat pump and fire up a reliable log burner this winter. In this article, our in-house experts have provided a selection of top-rated eco stoves that meet a range of different budgets, styles and sizes. All of the wood heaters we recommend exceed the criteria for Ecodesign which is the Government's clean air strategy. Prices for high-quality log burners start at around £600 whilst top-of-the-range models can easily reach over the £1000 mark. If you are considering a wood burner with specialist features or a larger heat output, prepare to invest more money. The stoves featured in this article have all been used and tested by our team to ensure we recommend a wood burner that will be value for money and top-rated.
Contents
How do I choose the right wood burner for my home?
Best value for money log burners
Best overall quality wood burners
Best eco-stoves with clean burning credentials
Best modern style log burners
Best large output stoves
How did we test these log burners?
How do I choose the right wood burner for my home?
Before we delve into the specific wood burners you should consider buying, there are a few common questions we are often asked that could determine which log burner is the best for you and your heating requirements. Choosing the correct heat output, the style and the aesthetics you desire are important factors you should consider before purchasing. We’ve given you a list of topics you should consider before you buy a log burner.
- Wood burning or multi-fuel? - You should consider what fuel you will likely burn within your stove. Multi-fuel stoves are capable of burning multiple types of fuel including seasoned wood, smokeless coal and other authorised mineral fuels. Dedicated wood burners should only be used with logs and for the most efficient burn, you should fuel your stove with kiln-dried or seasoned wood with no more than 20% moisture content. Burning wood from the wrong types of trees or using logs that are damp or have too much moisture locked inside can damage your stove and release greater numbers of polluting particulates, so if you're burning logs it is really important to ensure you have the correct ones. Logs that don't come from responsibly managed forests can contribute to deforestation, so buying sustainably sourced fuel is another factor. Keep an eye out for the 'ready-to-burn' mark on the wood you purchase, this fuel has less than 20% moisture content and is sustainably sourced.
- Which size stove should I buy? - One of the most important factors for you to think about when choosing a log burner is the heat output requirement for your room. You can use our handy heat output calculator to help you work out the heat requirements of your living space. You'll also need to consider how insulated the room is, often an installer can measure heat loss within a room which can help with your decision and bear in mind that the more heat your room needs the larger the stove will be.
- Which style of log burner should I choose? - One of the first things you’ll need to do is choose the preferred design of your wood burner. Ask yourself if you want a traditional stove or an inset fire or whether you want to go for a contemporary freestanding style. A log burner can be freestanding against a wall of your home or can fit neatly into an inglenook fireplace.
- Can I have a wood burner in my home? - Here in the UK, we have lots of different chimney and flue types. Wood burning and multi-fuel stoves can be installed almost anywhere, even if you don’t have a working chimney you can often install a log burner with the right twin wall flue system. Head over to our chimneys and flues blog to help you further understand whether a log burner is suitable for your home.
- Do you live in a smoke-controlled zone? - If you live in a town or city, there is a good chance that you live in a Smoke Control Area. When it comes to buying a log burner, it is important to consider local smoke control restrictions that may be in place. Stoves and fires that are approved for smoke control locations mean that even homes in the most urban areas may be able to use these exempt appliances. In smoke-controlled areas, you can only burn logs on a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove that has been approved by DEFRA as sufficiently designed to be exempt from the regulations.
Best value for money log burners
If you're looking for a log burner on a budget, we've put together our best options for cheaper wood-burning stoves that offer some amazing value for money. We've not just selected these models on price though, they all feature some of the latest clean-burning technology and meet the criteria for Ecodesign and DEFRA.
Best overall quality wood burners
This selection of log burner stoves are all built using the best quality materials that money can buy including steel and cast iron, we’d say they are built to a commercial grade and you can literally drive a tank over some of these models (we’re not kidding, it has been done). We’ve provided a selection of 5kW heat output stoves that tick all the boxes when it comes to build quality, warranty, efficiency and design.
Best eco-stoves with clean burning credentials
Buying a wood burner or a multi-fuel stove doesn't mean that you’re giving up our commitment to a cleaner planet, there is a wide range of clean-burning and eco-friendly log burners to choose from. We’ve listed the best options below for clean burning room heaters that boast efficiency levels well over 80% and exceed all the Ecodesign criteria set out by our Government.
Best modern style log burners
If you're looking to make a statement in your living space then our top-rated contemporary stoves are well worth looking at! We've included wood burners with log stores, pedestals, large glass viewing windows plus hanging wood burners that are suspended from the ceiling!
Best large output stoves
Do you have a large living room or open-plan barn-style conversion space? A high heat output and powerful log burner would be a good option to heat it. We've selected a range of wood stoves that are tested to produce heat outputs starting at 8kW and up. They’ll create a cosy ambience even in the largest of living spaces.
How did we test these log burners?
We’re fortunate to have our very own showroom and we are also able to visit our partners to get a hands-on experience with each model of log burner. All the stoves we’ve listed in this article have been used and tested by a member of our team and they meet DEFRA and Ecodesign standards plus clearSkies approval for some models.
We considered each heating appliance’s kilowatt heat output, as well as the energy efficiency and fuel efficiency. As we’ve already mentioned, you can use our heat output calculator which can tell you what kW burner is suited to the size of your room you have. We also had to choose wood burners that were both stylish and ones that provided truly magnificent flame visuals in their windows as this can be a deciding factor.
There’s no doubt that navigating all the regulations surrounding wood-burning stoves and the huge pool of appliances available can be difficult but we can assure you that buying a stove can make your home a wonderfully cosy place to be, especially when the dark and cold nights draw in.
