Whether you use firewood for your fireplace, a wood-burning stove, your outdoor fire pit, or your smoker or grill, storing the actual wood can be messy and a hassle to handle.
With the help of a suitable firewood rack, you can store the wood neatly, keep it away from the ground, and you will have easy access to the wood without the entire pile of logs falling when you pull out one.
Plus, a good-quality firewood rack will add a rustic and homely accent to your house.
Here is a list of the best firewood racks in 2022, along with some tips on how to choose the most suitable rack for your needs.
Best overall
Amagabeli Outdoor Log Holder Rack
This top-rated firewood rack is a beautiful and versatile rack where you can keep your wood for the fireplace, as well as the fireplace tools all-in-one.
It has a small footprint and yet a large capacity for holding a lot of logs, thanks to its vertical design. The frame is 29.1 x 15.8 x 11.8 inches in size and is made of durable powder-coated steel square tubing.
It comes with a spacious base and a rack where you can store the firewood neatly and yet keep it exposed to the flowing air so that it stays dry.
The bestselling firewood rack comes with two built-in hooks on each side and with a set of four fireplace tools, including a poker, tongs, a shovel, and a broom.
It is great-looking and durable so that you can keep it indoors or outside, depending on your preferences.
The rack is easy to assemble and is the best option you can find on the market in 2022.
The budget option
Amagabeli Log Holder with Canvas Firewood Rack
This highly functional firewood rack doubles as storage for the firewood, as well as a canvas tote bag so that you can easily carry it from the garage to the yard when you are going to be grilling or smoking food.
It has a simple and yet efficient design, and when open, has a size of 18 (L) x 16.5 (W) x 20.5 (H) inches and can be folded flat for easy storage when not in use.
The canvas firewood rack is sturdily built from powder-coated tubular steel and durable canvas and can easily hold 5 to 10 logs.
It helps keep the wood off of the ground to avoid it from rotting, getting wet, or making a mess.
The rack is easy to collapse and set up and has two comfortable carry handles, which turn it into a convenient tote bag to move the firewood from one place to another without having to carry it log by log.
Best design
Amagabeli Log Holder Basket
If you want the firewood rack to be both functional and beautiful, we recommend this wrought iron basket for wood.
It will look lovely indoors with its intricate details and metal leaves but is sturdy enough to be used outside too.
The firewood basket holder is 21.5 inches wide, 12.28 inches deep, and 15.5 inches high and can hold about 25 pieces of split logs.
The rack is made of powder-coated steel and has a foldable design with durable hinges, so you can store it away or transport it easily.
The good news is that it doesn’t require any assembly, so you just need to take it out of the box, unfold it, and you can start using it immediately.
Best 4 Foot Option
Panacea Deluxe Outdoor Log Rack
If you need an affordable and compact firewood rack, then this 4-foot one by Panacea is an excellent option for you.
The affordable log rack is constructed of sturdy powder-coated steel tubes, has a size of 48 (H) x 48 (W) x 14 (D) inches, and weighs a mere 18 lbs.
It has a space-saving vertical design and can fit quite a lot of logs so that they are away from the ground and are aired properly.
It comes with all of the nuts and bolts you will need for assembling it, and the actual assembly is pretty straightforward.
Best 8 Foot Option
Woodhaven 8 ft. Firewood Log Rack with Cover
Are you looking for an outdoor storage option for a large number of logs?
This 8-foot firewood rack is a superb choice. It comes with a nifty cover that will protect the top of the wood from rain, snow, and the elements and keep it dry in all seasons. As you take out the wood, the cover will move down to keep the firewood dry.
The size of the rack is 96 (W) x 48 (H) x 14 (D) inches and is made of arc welded powder coated steel which will withstand all weather conditions without rusting, warping, or breaking.
The large-sized rack is built to last and weighs 46 lbs. Plus, it is made in the USA.
Why do you need a firewood rack?
There are several reasons why you should opt for using a firewood rack instead of simply piling your firewood on the ground or floor.
Firstly, with a rack, the wood will be stored much more neatly and safely, so you won’t risk the pile toppling on you when you pull out a log.
Then, firewood needs to be dry in order to burn clean. Firewood is usually seasoned, which means that it has been dried and cleaned. By keeping it off of the wet ground, you will help keep it dry. Or, if you have green or freshly cut wood, you can use the rack to dry it because most firewood racks allow for free airflow among the logs and wood pieces. Keep in mind, though, that the drying or seasoning of the wood can take up to 6 months.
Also, being off of the ground will prevent more bugs and pests from getting to the wood.
Last but not least, using a firewood rack is much more presentable than leaving an unsightly pile of wood outdoors, so your neighbors will be happy as well.
Important things to know before buying a firewood rack
Buying a firewood rack may seem like a simple task, but there are some features which you may like to take into consideration before choosing the most suitable one, including:
Indoor or outdoor usage
While most firewood racks are sturdily built out of durable materials, some are bigger, sturdier, have covers, and are more suitable for outdoor use. Others are more compact, decorative and have added features, such as fireplace tool holders, added shelves, and others, making them better suited for use inside.
The construction material
You should ensure that the firewood rack is sturdily built from good quality materials because it is not only something that will protect your investment but will also eliminate the risk of the rack falling apart and all of the wood falling with it hurting somebody.
The top firewood racks for 2022 are all made of durable powder-coated steel or wrought iron, which are suitable for both indoors and outside use. The lighter-weight ones made of steel tubes are more portable, and the heavier-duty ones are more durable and weather-resistant.
Some of the portable ones even incorporate lightweight but sturdy materials such as canvas for holding the firewood.
Size and firewood holding capacity
This is among the most important features to consider, which is why we have dedicated a whole section regarding the size of the rack and the capacity it has for holding firewood of different types.
Proper airflow
Firewood needs to be seasoned and dry if you want a clean fire, so make sure that the rack you pick allows for the air to flow freely around the stored firewood.
Even if you buy kiln-dried and seasoned wood, you should still ensure that it is stored in a well-ventilated place to avoid it from becoming damp and rotting.
You can even use a firewood rack with good airflow to dry and season your own firewood, but remember that you will need to dry it for at least 6 months before you can use it. Of course, the drying time is different for different types of wood. Hardwood such as maple or oak can take nearly 2 years to dry, while softwood such as cedar or pine dries faster.
Portability
It might be rather laborious to load the rack with wood and bring it inside or outside. Fortunately, some firewood racks are made to be portable. They are collapsible, lightweight, and small. For even simpler and more comfortable transportation, some even incorporate carry handles.
Additionally, because the rack is collapsible, it will require very little storage space when not in use during the summer.
Aesthetics
Of course, it is not all about the functionality of the wood rack but also about its aesthetics, especially for people who are mindful of the style of their home and outdoor space.
If you don’t care what the rack looks like and simply want a rugged rack for keeping your firewood, then you can find a sturdier wrought iron firewood rack. Keep in mind that over time, the iron will start developing a patina, which some people love, but if you don’t like it, you can simply scrub it off.
If you want a rack that will bring beauty to your outdoor space or inside, there are some very beautifully designed and made racks with different vintage elements such as metal leaves, curled legs, and more which you can choose from.
Assembly
Usually, the assembly of the firewood rack should be pretty straightforward, and you will receive all of the parts (usually nuts and bolts) and sometimes even the tools which you need for the assembly.
There are some types of racks that do not require any assembly and only need to be unfolded.
Others come with a design that allows for tool-free assembly, with sliding elements which come together without nuts and bolts.
In any case, when you are picking the most suitable firewood rack, make sure you check whether there are detailed assembly instructions, tools included, and how complicated the assembly is, especially if you are not very handy.
What size rack will be the right one for you?
As mentioned earlier, the size of the rack is a key feature. You will need to calculate how much space you have allotted for the rack indoors or outside as well as what its capacity for wood storage should be before picking the most suitable one for your specific needs.
It makes sense to choose a rack that has a capacity suitable for the amount of firewood you are planning on storing. The space you have available also matters when you are choosing the appropriately sized firewood rack.
Some racks with vertical designs have smaller footprints, so they will take up lesser floor space and yet have a large capacity for holding large volumes of firewood.
If you are picking a firewood rack that is more of a decorative element for holding a few logs beside the fireplace, then you can opt for one of the foldable and more compact ones on our list. These are portable, so you can easily take them outside and fill them with some wood from a larger firewood rack and then bring them inside or to your outdoor fire pit with minimal effort.
If you use wood as a primary source for heat at home, you should think about getting a larger capacity wood rack in order to avoid having to go out every couple of hours in the cold to get more wood in the winter. The best option is to go for an 8-foot rack or larger if you use up a lot of wood.
Thankfully, there is a wide variety of firewood racks of all sizes and types, so you are very likely to find one which suits your needs perfectly.
And if you are a DIYer, you can take the measurements, make the calculations and then build your own custom-made firewood rack.
Make sure that you choose a suitable, durable material for the rack, and make sure that you build it in a way that allows air to pass through it. For the best results, think about positioning the rack somewhere where it is in the wind’s direction. The more air the wood gets, the cleaner and hotter the fire will burn.
To calculate the size of the rack, you will need to measure the cord and face cord of the firewood.
The full cord is 4 x 4 feet tall and wide and 8 feet wide. The face cord is 4 feet tall x 8 feet long, and the logs are 12 to 20 inches in length.
While the face cord focuses on the area, the cord defines the volume.
If you find these calculations confusing, you can use this handy free firewood cord calculator here.
A large rack for wood can hold about ¼ to 1/3 face cord of wood, while a small-sized portable one may hold only a few pieces of wood.
At the same time, keep in mind that the wood can get wet when placed on the ground or exposed to the rain or snow, so design your rack in a way to prevent the wood from coming into contact with the ground if it tends to get wet. If it is situated directly under the sky, then you may want to think about a cover to protect it.
Final Thoughts
Fire has been essential for human survival and evolution and is still a popular choice for heating, cooking, and for creating an atmosphere.
Burning wood for your offset smoker, your stove, or fireplace does require more effort and storage space, but the resulting fire is worth it.
Plus, burning wood will help preserve the limited fossil fuels and produces lower carbon dioxide emissions than many of the other commonly used fuels.
Whether it will be burning wood to smoke a brisket or other meat, or heat up your home, or simply relax and enjoy a relaxing and romantic grow of a fire in the fireplace, it is crucial to store your wood properly.
The best way to do it is to buy a suitable firewood rack, which hopefully we have helped you choose.