If you’ve never bought firewood before, understanding the different types of firewood and how they’re sold can feel confusing. From bulk bags and crates to boxed logs and wet wood, each option has its own pros and cons depending on your space, budget, and how often you burn logs.
This guide breaks down the main types of firewood available in the UK, how they’re delivered, and which option might be best for you
Ways to buy firewood
There are tonnes of containers and quantities that you can buy firewood in. We'll give you a breakdown of the most popular and the pros and cons of each.
Bulk Bags of Firewood
Firewood is loose loaded into bulk bags (also called builder's bags) and either delivered by your local firewood supplier, or via a pallet company.
We have had customers ask 'how many of your boxes are equivalent to a builder's bag?' and the answer is 'it depends on the builder's bag!'
There is no industry standard for what we call a bulk/builder's bag so the volume can vary by supplier from 0.7m3 to 1.3m3.
Always make sure you know what volume of firewood you're getting in your bulk/builder's bag and that you're not comparing the prices of different sizes!
Pros of buying firewood in bulk bags
- Bulk bags are often one of the cheapest ways to buy Ready to Burn firewood, especially if you get them from a local supplier.
- You can buy all the firewood you need for the season in one go, so you won't run out.
Cons of buying firewood in bulk bags
- Whilst bulk bags are often cheaper long term, you'll need to pay for a lot of firewood upfront.
- It's difficult to know how much firewood you're really buying as the logs being loose loaded means there is a lot of air. You might only receive 0.6m3 of firewood in a 1m3 bulk bag.
- Bulk bags are hard work and you need a lot of space - you'll have to empty all of the firewood out into your log store and bring it inside in small quantities as and when you need it.
- Bulk bags aren't recyclable, so ask your firewood supplier if they will take it back for re-use. If not, you'll be disposing of a lot of plastic!
- Pallet deliveries are generally kerbside meaning you'll have to find a way to move the bulk bag to wherever your log store is.
2. Boxed firewood
Firewood is packed into cardboard boxes and delivered by a courier directly to your doorstep. Normally boxed firewood is sold online - like our Love Logs boxes of firewood.
As they're delivered by the courier networks, boxes of firewood will generally weigh less than 30kg so they can be carried by one person, and don't take up much space in your house.
Boxes of firewood are great for people who don't have space for a huge log store, or aren't able to deal with the hard work of a bulk load.
Pros of buying boxed firewood
- Firewood boxes are easy to store and with minimal space required
- There's none of the hassle of bulk firewood -no loading your log store and bringing logs inside every time it gets cold
- The boxes are recyclable - and if you buy Love Logs, we even use plastic-free tape to seal them
- Only buy as much firewood as you need rather than paying for a whole season's worth of firewood in one go
- Delivery to your doorstep is easy. At Love Logs, we use DPD so you know exactly when your boxed firewood will arrive
Cons of buying boxed firewood
- Boxed firewood is generally more expensive per kg than buying in bulk or in nets
3. Firewood nets and plastic bags
Small quantities of firewood are packed into plastic bags or nets. These are generally sold in petrol stations or garden centres.
We would recommend emptying the plastic nets into your log store and bringing them in when needed, as wood waste can fall through the nets and make a mess in your home.
Pros of buying firewood nets
- Firewood in nets/plastic bags is generally cheaper than boxed firewood
- Handy if you run out or forget to order your firewood - you can pick up a single net at most petrol stations
Cons of buying firewood nets
- As plastic bags and nets are designed to be a cheap firewood solution, the wood itself is often cheap, imported and not great quality - we've seen bags of softwood labelled as hardwood which means it burns faster and you end up using more!
- Plastic bags don't allow any airflow which can make the wood 'sweat' and start to grow mould
- Plastic bags, and especially nets, are unrecyclable and really bad for the environment - we've all seen the pictures of marine life caught in and injured by nets!
- Wood waste can fall out of the nets, creating a horrible mess on your living room floor!
4. Crates of firewood
Firewood is stacked into wooden crates, then normally shrink wrapped and delivered kerbside via a pallet company.
We think firewood crates are the best type of firewood for outdoor storage.
Pros of buying firewood crates
- Easy to store outside if you don't have a log store
- Wood is stacked, so you know exactly how much you're buying
- Firewood crates tend to be cheaper than smaller quantity firewood
Cons of buying firewood crates
- Kerbside delivery can be a problem as you'll need to move the crate to the place it's going to be stored on your property
- Like with bulk bags, buying firewood crates can save you money long term, but you'll need to pay for a lot of wood upfront.
5. Wet load from a local farmer or tree surgeon
Freshly cut load of wood from local tree surgeons or farmers that you stack and season yourself.
You should only burn wood with less than 20% moisture content, but freshly cut wood can have up to 60% moisture content, so you'll need to buy a moisture meter and season your wood until it's ready to burn.
Pros of buying wet wood
- The cheapest way to buy firewood if you have the space to store it
Cons of buying wet wood
- Since May 2022, wet wood can only be sold in quantities greater than 2m3, so you'll need to buy a lot at once
- You can't burn the wood until it's been properly seasoned to below 20% moisture which will take 1 - 2 years depending on species and thickness of the wood
- You need space to stack and cover the wood, somewhere with good airflow
- If the wood is not already cut into logs, you'll need an axe to split the wood before drying it
Ways to buy firewood - a comparison
| Cost | Delivery | Pros | Cons | |
| Bulk Bags | 💰💰 | Kerbside | Cheaper, get all your firewood in one go | A lot of hassle & upfront cost. A lot of plastic waste |
| Boxed firewood | 💰💰💰 |
To your door | Easy to store, convenient delivery, only buy what you need. No plastic waste, or mess in your house | More expensive than other options |
| Plastic bags/nets | 💰💰 |
Pick up | Cheaper, handy if you run out | Plastic waste, often poor quality logs |
| Firewood crates | 💰💰 |
Kerbside | Stacked so you know how much you're getting, easy to store | Kerbside delivery can be an issue, pay for all your wood upfront |
| Wet wood from local farmer | 💰 | Driveway tip | Cheap | Time, space and effort to cut & season to below 20% moisture |
Which type of firewood is best for me?
Firewood isn't 'one size fits all'. The best type of firewood for you depends on
- How often you burn firewood
- What storage space you have available
- How much time/effort you want to put into managing your firewood
- How important the environment impact of your wood is
At Love Logs, we think our boxed firewood is awesome for people with limited time and space, and our crates are perfect for those who use more firewood and have space to store them.
Related product
Box of British Kiln Dried Logs
£34.95