The Best Woodburners

The relaxation and blood pressure-reducing benefits of a wood burning stove are well-documented. But what about the tiny sooty particles that they release into the air?

Luckily, new stoves are built with the EcoDesign directive in mind. So you can enjoy a warm, cosy home, without breaking your environmental obligations.

1. Ekol Edge

The Ekol Edge wood burner is simple in appearance but does not compromise on performance. It is a great choice for those who live in smoke-free areas, since it has ClearSkies Level 5 credentials. This means that it can burn dry and seasoned wood logs as well as approved solid fuels. Its large heat output makes it a fantastic option for large spaces. The huge fire glass also allows you to enjoy the flames.

It features a contemporary steel body that allows it to be installed into both traditional inglenooks and freestanding areas. It comes with an air wash system that keeps the glass clean, and prevents soot accumulation. The stove has excellent efficiency during the winter months, which means that a significant portion of the heat it generates is transferring to your home, rather than being lost up the chimney.

Wood burners have been the subject of many criticisms in recent years, as it has been proven that they contribute to microscopic sooty particles in the air, known as PM2.5, which has been linked to heart and lung problems. However, the latest models that are made to meet the Eco design Regulations are much less likely to generate these particles. Wood burning stoves contribute to the pollution that is produced from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and gas.

It is important to choose the right wood for the stove in order to get the most efficient heat output and combustion. There are many kinds of wood that can be used wood burning stoves, including eucalyptus and Ash. Eucalyptus is fast-burning and also produces plenty of heat, Best Woodburners is an excellent choice. However, it must be well-seasoned. Beech is a great choice, but it's difficult to manage due to its thorns.

The Ekol Adept is designed to comply with the new regulations. It's cleared by ClearSkies and Defra, so you can use it so it is if you follow the guidelines. It's a heavy-duty burner that is built to last, with solid construction and a 10-year body warranty, back by its impressive heating performance.

2. Arada Holborn 5 Widescreen

Wood burning stoves remain popular despite the confusing guidelines that are thrown at the use of these stoves. In fact, some campaign groups are calling for tighter restrictions and even a complete ban on log burners, so it's worth taking a look at our guide to stove pollution and regulations prior to you buy a new log fire or multifuel burner.

One company which is making an effort to keep the popularity of woodburners at a high is Arada Stoves, who recently launched a widescreen version of their popular Holborn 5 Multifuel/Wood Burning stove. It's a DEFRA-approved, SIA 2022 Ecodesign Ready stove with a wide door glass that gives you the best flame view and an airwash system to prevent soot build up.

With a power output of 4.9kW this is a great stove to heat all rooms. It's extremely easy to use and maintain. Its curving lines and classic design make it suitable for traditional or contemporary decor. The flat back design means that it can be inserted into smaller recesses and it's very easy to install a direct-air system to increase the efficiency even more.

This stove also has a built-in ash dump which makes it simple to remove ashes and clean them regularly. This decreases the chance of dust and odours escaping the room. You can choose between two types of flue adaptors dependent on the chimney type. It also comes with an wireless remote control.

While the debate continues about whether wood-burning stoves are beneficial to your health, we can all agree that they create wonderful ambience in our homes. However, it's important to consider the effects of particulate matter and how burning wood and other types of fuel can affect the quality of our indoor air and health. So, if you're going to have a woodburner installed, it is recommended that you shut the door when you're not working on the fire. Also, you should regularly clean the stove to ensure that the indoor air is as healthy as it can be.

3. Go Eco 5kW Plus

A woodburner can add a wonderful ambience to a room, it's not just relaxing to watch the flames flicker but it can also help lower blood pressure. However, it's not all positive news. Research has proven that older stoves are dangerous because they emit microscopic particles of soot that can get into your respiratory system. This has resulted in new regulations being put into place, which means that new log burners have to meet higher standards. This reduces the risk on smoke leakage, creosote accumulation and, most importantly harmful gases like carbon monoxide.

New woodburners must comply with a new standard, and this is where the Go Eco 5kW Plus stands out. This multi-fuel stove not only meets, but surpasses the new standards. It features a large-screen glass viewing window that gives you an excellent view of the flame, and is maintained clean by the power of an air wash system. The stove boasts an impressive efficiency rating of 80. It's DEFRA exempt, meaning that it can be used in areas that are smoke-free. It's also SIA Ecodesign ready, which means it already meets the European restrictions on the emissions of wood-burning stoves that will be in force in 2022.

If that wasn't enough this stove is supplied with a free air venting kit making it much easier than ever before to set up. It's a sturdy little unit constructed with high-quality steel. The finish is a classic matte black. It's easy to clean as the body has been coated with an enamel that repels dirt.

The clearSkies label on this stove demonstrates that it has been independently tested and confirmed to be environmentally friendly and efficient. This goes above and over the minimum requirements laid out by Ecodesign. It's one of the few stoves that have the full five-star ClearSkies rating, which means you can be certain that this woodburner is as efficient as it gets.

4. Chilli Penguin Defrost

A spirited Welsh brand, Chilli Penguin has become a big player in the wood burner market with a maverick flair that's not to be ignored. They specialise in small do-it-all multi-fuel stoves, which have earned them popularity due to their low flue-draught requirements, stove tops with hotplates, integrated ovens as well as a variety of features and sizes. This 4.7kW model is a great example of their brand focus and demonstrates that they can offer a premium product at the price that's not too high. This DEFRA approved woodburner can be used in Smoke Control Areas and is fully in compliance with the current emission limit of 5g/hr. It also comes with ClearSkies level five credentials. It's the perfect option for those who don't know what the directive will be and want to feel secure that their log burners will be free of smoke control regulations.