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The best wood stoves of 2026

EPA test data checked Nov 1, 2026 on the EPA Certified Wood Heater Database

We compared all 156 new wood stoves and 109 pellet stoves using the EPA's own lab tests. No brand pays to be here. Here's the best one for what you care about.

Best all-around Travis 36 Elite NexGen-Hybrid Scores well on everything we compare: more heat than 85%, cleaner than 92%, and more heat per log than 87% of new wood stoves.

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Burns the least wood Blaze King Sirocco 30.2 83% efficient, the highest of any new wood stove. You split and haul less.

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Cleanest burning Woodstock Soapstone Progress Hybrid 209b Least smoke for its legal limit of any new wood stove. Easy on the neighbors.

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Longest burns Blaze King King KE40 The biggest firebox sold today (4.55 cubic feet), so one load lasts longest.

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Most heat Innovative Hearth Products Montecito-C Up to 81,385 BTU an hour, among the most heat of any new wood stove, while still burning cleaner than 60%.

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Best for a small space Vermont Castings Defiant 1975-CAT-C A smaller stove (up to 25,471 BTU an hour) that still scores well on smoke and wood use. Won't cook you out of the room.

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Best fireplace insert Blaze King Princess PI29 Insert The top-scoring wood insert, for turning an open fireplace into real heat.

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Best pellet stove Enerco G2-A130WTS Highest overall score among the 109 new pellet stoves.

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Picked from the EPA Certified Wood Heater Database, checked Nov 1, 2026. We may earn a small commission on "Check price" links. It never changes the picks.

How to choose, in 3 questions

How much space are you heating? Bigger, colder, leakier spaces need more heat. A stove that's too big for the room will overheat it.
How long do you want it to burn? A bigger firebox holds more wood and goes longer between loads, often overnight.
Can you burn wood where you live? Some areas ban burning on bad-air days. Check your area first.

Want the big picture? Our study of all certified stoves shows which types burn cleanest and use the least wood.

No chimney, or burn bans?

An electric fireplace needs no chimney, no permit, and works on no-burn days.

Compare electric fireplaces

The 10 most efficient wood stoves

The 10 most efficient wood stoves, from EPA certification tests checked Nov 1, 2026
Rank	Stove	Efficiency
1	Blaze King Sirocco 30.2	83%
2	Blaze King Princess PE32	82%
3	Blaze King King KE40	81%
4	Travis 44 Elite NexGen-Hybrid	81%
5	Hearthstone Green Mountain 60-1	81%
6	Hearthstone Green Mountain 80 8680	81%
7	Buck Stove Carolina 92	80%
8	Travis Answer NexGen Hybrid	80%
9	Travis Endeavor NexGen-Hybrid	80%
10	Aduro H1 Hybrid	80%

The 10 lowest-emission wood stoves

The 10 lowest-emission wood stoves, from EPA certification tests checked Nov 1, 2026
Rank	Stove	Emissions (share of legal limit)
1	Vermont Castings Intrepid FlexBurn 2115-CAT	0.3 g/hr (15% of limit)
2	Woodstock Soapstone Progress Hybrid 209b	0.46 g/hr (23% of limit)
3	Jøtul F445	0.49 g/hr (25% of limit)
4	Woodstock Soapstone Absolute Steel Hybrid 211	0.5 g/hr (25% of limit)
5	Jøtul F 500 V3	0.5 g/hr (25% of limit)
6	Hearthstone Green Mountain 60-1	0.51 g/hr (26% of limit)
7	Hearthstone Green Mountain 80-1	0.53 g/hr (27% of limit)
8	Hearthstone Mansfield 8013	0.54 g/hr (27% of limit)
9	Hearthstone Heritage 8024	0.54 g/hr (27% of limit)
10	Blaze King Princess PE32	0.55 g/hr (28% of limit)

The 10 wood stoves with the biggest fireboxes

The 10 wood stoves with the biggest fireboxes, from EPA certification tests checked Nov 1, 2026
Rank	Stove	Firebox size
1	Blaze King King KE40	4.55 cu ft
2	Regency F5200	4.42 cu ft
3	SBI HE350	4.28 cu ft
4	Hearthstone WFP100	4.28 cu ft
5	Travis 44 Elite NexGen-Hybrid	4.2 cu ft
6	Travis Liberty NexGen-Hybrid	4.14 cu ft
7	Heat & Glo Pioneer-III-ARC	4.06 cu ft
8	Supreme Astra 38	3.5 cu ft
9	Supreme 38SFC_D_II	3.492 cu ft
10	Vermont Castings Defiant 1975-CAT-C	3.25 cu ft