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A great fire starts before you even strike the match. With the right combination of firelighters and kindling, you can get any stove, log burner or open fire going in minutes. No smoke billowing into the room, no half-charred logs, no frustration. This is the page where everything to start a fire lives: natural firelighters that do not smell, wood wool that catches with a single match, and kiln dried kindling that is bone-dry and ready to burn.
A lot of people skip one or the other and wonder why their fire keeps going out. The truth is that you really do need both, and they each have a specific job:
Skip the kindling and your firelighter burns out before the logs catch. Skip the firelighter and you will burn through a box of matches trying to light damp kindling. Use both properly and you will have a clean, fast-burning fire in under five minutes.
We stock three main types of firelighter, each suited to different setups:
Twisted strands of natural wood wool dipped in wax. Light easily with one match and burn hot for 8–10 minutes. The most reliable choice for stoves, log burners and BBQs. Brands like Flamers are popular for the same reason.
Compressed wood fibre with vegetable-based binders. Compact, easy to store, no chemical smell. A clean alternative to supermarket paraffin cubes, and just as easy to use.
Thin natural sticks that ignite easily, even outdoors in damp conditions. Popular for pizza ovens, fire pits and camping, anywhere you want a steady flame at the base of the fire.
Most supermarket firelighters are made from paraffin-soaked compressed sawdust. They light fires, but they bring a few problems along with them: a strong chemical smell that lingers in the room, soot residue on your logs, and a fuel taste if you are using them under a BBQ. Natural firelighters skip the paraffin entirely. Ours are made from clean wood wool soaked in food-grade wax, or pressed wood fibre with natural binders. The result:
The cost difference is small, the quality difference is big. If you light fires regularly, the switch is worth making.
Cheap kindling is often sold as "seasoned", left to air-dry outdoors with no guarantee it is actually dry by the time you buy it. Kiln dried kindling is dried in a controlled oven down to below 20% moisture. The difference shows up straight away when you light it: a clean catch on the first match, a fast hot burn, and no hissing or smoking from trapped water. All our kindling is kiln dried, sorted into uniform stick sizes, and tested for moisture before it leaves us. Dry, predictable, ready to burn.
Different setups need slightly different combinations:
| Where you're burning | Firelighter | Kindling | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Log burner / wood burning stove |
Wood wool | Kiln dried kindling | The classic combo |
|
Open fire |
Wood wool or eco | Plenty of kindling | Build a larger base |
|
Pizza oven (Ooni, Gozney) |
Fire starter sticks | Small kindling | Thin flame helps |
|
BBQ (charcoal) |
Wood wool | Optional | Wool tucks under coals |
|
Fire pit / chiminea |
Eco firelighters | Kiln dried kindling | Wind-resistant |
|
Camping |
Fire starter sticks | Bring some kindling | Light in damp conditions |
A fire-lighting kit is only half the job. You will also need decent logs to keep the fire going. Kiln dried hardwood logs are the easiest pairing, since they are guaranteed to be at the right moisture to catch from kindling. If you want something with an even longer burn, heat logs are a great companion to traditional firewood.
Firelighters are small blocks or strands made from wood wool or pressed wood fibre. They produce a steady flame for 8–12 minutes. Kindling is small, thin pieces of dry wood that catch fire from the firelighter and burn hot enough to ignite your logs. You need both, firelighters alone won't get logs going, and kindling alone is hard to light without a firelighter.
For most people, wood wool firelighters are the best choice — they light easily with a single match, burn for 8–10 minutes, and don't smell. Brands like Flamers are well-known for this style. If you prefer something more compact, eco firelighters made from compressed wood fibre work just as well. Avoid paraffin-based supermarket firelighters if you can — they're cheaper but smell strongly and leave chemical residue.
Kiln dried kindling — every time. Softwood kindling (pine, spruce) lights very easily, which is why most kindling is made from softwood. The crucial thing is moisture content: if it's not properly dry, it won't catch from a firelighter no matter how good the wood is. All our kindling is kiln dried and tested for moisture.
A small handful — usually 6–10 sticks — is enough for a single fire in a typical log burner. Build them in a criss-cross stack on top of two or three logs, then add your firelighter on top. If your kindling is properly dry and your logs are kiln dried, you won't need more than that.
A typical natural firelighter burns for around 8–12 minutes. That's long enough to ignite kindling and start a base layer of logs in a stove. Wood wool firelighters tend to burn slightly longer than compressed eco firelighters, and fire starter sticks fall somewhere in between.
Yes — wood wool firelighters work brilliantly under charcoal. Because there's no paraffin, there's no fuel taste on your food, which is the main reason people switch from supermarket firelighters. Tuck two or three pieces under your charcoal pile, light them, and you'll have hot coals in 15–20 minutes.
Safer than paraffin-based cubes, yes. Our natural firelighters are made from wood wool, food-grade wax and natural binders — no toxic chemicals. Kindling is just dried wood. That said, both are still fuel, so keep them out of reach and store them somewhere dry, like any other fire product.
Yes. Firelighters come in packs of 50, 100, 200 and 400 pieces. Kindling is available by the bag, box, bulk bag and full pallet. Bulk packs work out cheaper per unit and are popular with regular burners, B&Bs, pubs, holiday lets and campsites. Stocking up at the start of winter saves you reordering when the cold sets in.
We deliver firelighters and kindling across the whole UK. No need to drive to a stockist or hope your local petrol station has stock — order online and have everything delivered to your door, usually next working day.
