Fire Pit with Hidden Propane Tank: $300 vs $700

First off, both of these tables hide their propane tanks inside the base. But that’s where the similarity ends, and the price difference between them, currently around $300 versus $700 or more, depending on retailer and timing, is not trivial. If you’re spending real money on a fire pit table, you deserve a straight answer about which one earns it. I’ve been testing both on my patio in through late spring and into summer. My patio is about 400 square feet of bluestone, partially covered, with seating for eight. I’ve also spent several seasons running other propane fire features, so I have a reasonable baseline for what “good” looks like in this category. If you want more context on how these fit into a broader outdoor heating setup, the Fire Pits & Patio Heaters hub has the full picture.

Head-to-Head Verdict

I would say, the Outland Living Series 403 44” Propane Fire Pit Table, Espresso is the better choice for most people. At roughly $300, it delivers 50,000 BTU, a functional tempered glass tabletop, and a pre-attached regulator that connects to a standard 20 lb tank without any additional fittings. It works the first time you use it. The concrete-look top makes it look like a real piece of furniture, not a prop. The Napoleon St. Tropez Rectangle Patioflame Fire Table is better, but for a permanent outdoor room where you’re not going to move it, you want electronic ignition, and you’re either running natural gas to the patio or intending to. At $700-plus, the premium price is real. The natural gas conversion kit included in the box is probably the single strongest argument for paying it.

These products are targeting different buyers, and buying the Napoleon for a casual patio setup is overspending. Buying the Outland Living for a high-end permanent installation is underselling the space.

Side-by-Side Specs

	Outland Living Series 403	Napoleon St. Tropez
Price (at time of writing)	~$300	~$700+
BTU output	50,000	Not published (medium output)
Ignition	Manual push-button	Electronic auto-ignition
Frame material	Concrete-look composite	Rustic bronze aluminum
Tabletop	Tempered glass with cover plate	Lava rock / glass ember bed
Tank location	Enclosed base, 20 lb tank	Enclosed base
Natural gas conversion	No	Yes (kit included)
Approximate table dimensions	44” x 24”	Rectangular (similar footprint)
Weight	Heavy (difficult to relocate)	Lighter aluminum frame
A note on the BTU gap: Napoleon doesn’t publish a BTU figure for the St. Tropez, which I find annoying, but not as annoying as my husband. I mean my husband finds it more annoying, not that my husband is annoying. Although he does have his moments. The Outland Living’s 50,000 BTU claim is a meaningful spec for anyone sizing a fire feature to a seating area. Napoleon’s silence on this makes direct comparison harder than it should be unfortunately.

Testing Notes

Outland Living Series 403: What I Actually Found

Setup took about 45 minutes with two people. The regulator hose is pre-attached to the burner assembly, which saves the fiddling that kills an afternoon on cheaper tables. You drop a 20 lb tank into the base cabinet, connect the hose, and light it. The first ignition worked on the second try (I timed the wait between attempts at about 30 seconds, per the manual – always read the manual).

At full output, heat is genuinely noticeable at 10-12 feet on a 55-degree evening. The claimed 15-foot radius is a stretch in any real wind to be honest, but in a sheltered corner, it’s pretty accurate. The concrete-look top is convincing enough that guests have knocked on it expecting hollow sound and been surprised. With the burner cover plate in place, it functions as a full table surface. I’ve served drinks off it on many fun occasions. The ongoing cost of a 20 lb propane tank deserves a real mention. At current local prices in northwest Connecticut, I’m paying about $25 for a refill. At full burn, that’s roughly 8-9 hours of use. Budget accordingly, or consider running a longer hose to a larger 100 lb tank in a nearby enclosure, which is what I moved to after the second season of constant small-tank swaps. Relocation is a legitimate complaint. Once assembled and filled, this table is not a piece of cake to move. If your patio layout changes or something, you’ll need help to move it.

Napoleon St. Tropez: What I Actually Found

The aluminum frame is a good bit lighter than the Outland Living composite, which matters if “outdoor room that might occasionally need to shift for a party” is your use case. The rustic bronze finish hasn’t faded or shown corrosion after two seasons of Connecticut weather, which is a real test, given the freeze-thaw cycles we get.

Electronic ignition is the feature I didn’t know I wanted until I had it. Turn the dial, hear the click, have fire. No hunting for a lighter, no testing the gas flow first, no first-try failures on a cold night. It sounds minor but it’s actually a joy. The glass ember bed requires maintenance that the Outland Living does not. Ash, debris, and moisture collect over time. I clean mine twice a season maybe, which takes about 20 minutes (go me). But it’s a real task that the Outland Living’s simpler pan burner doesn’t need. The natural gas conversion kit is the argument I keep coming back to. If you’re already running natural gas to an outdoor kitchen or grill, converting the St. Tropez eliminates the tank cost and refill logistics entirely. For a permanent installation, that payback math works in the Napoleon’s favor over two to three seasons.

Who Each Is Best For

Buy the Outland Living Series 403 if:

You want a fire pit table that does its job reliably, looks like furniture rather than a piece of camping kit, but doesn’t require a four-figure investment. If you’ve been managing a wood-burning fire pit and are tired of smoke, ash, and the half-hour wind-up before guests arrive, the Outland Living solves all three problems for $300. The 50,000 BTU output is actually competitive with tables twice the price. I’ve compared evenings on this against what I was getting from a Landmann Triton fire bowl I ran for two seasons before switching, and there’s no contest for heat distribution.

This is also the right choice if the table may potentially move. Furnished patios get reconfigured. The Outland Living is heavy but not permanent, so no issue there.

Buy the Napoleon St. Tropez if:

If you’re building a permanent outdoor living space, you want electronic ignition, and you’re either running natural gas now or planning to. The Napoleon is the kind of purchase that makes sense when the fire table is the centerpiece of a space you’ve designed carefully, not an addition to an existing patio. At $700-plus, it competes against the Endless Summer GAD1401M and similar mid-premium tables. And the natural gas conversion gives it an edge over almost all of them for long-term cost management. The aluminum frame and superior finish longevity also matter if you’re in a climate with real winters like I am. A concrete-look composite top left on a patio through a hard freeze will show it eventually. The Napoleon’s aluminum frame will not, which I appreciate, though I’ll admit I store both tables under fitted covers from October through April. For more options across the full range of propane and natural gas fire features, the fire pits and patio heaters section covers everything from tabletop units to permanent built-ins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use a fire pit table on a covered patio or pergola?

Both tables can be used under a pergola or partial cover, but clearance matters. A minimum of 80 inches overhead clearance is the standard guidance, and neither manufacturer recommends enclosed spaces. On my partially covered patio, both have run without issue. Full enclosures are a different situation, and generally not appropriate for any open-flame propane feature.

How long does a 20 lb propane tank last with the Outland Living Series 403?

At full 50,000 BTU output, expect 8-10 hours from a standard 20 lb tank. In practice, most evenings don’t run at full flame the entire time, so real-world use stretches that figure. If you’re running multiple sessions per week through summer, a 100 lb tank with an adapter hose is definitely worth considering.

Does the Napoleon St. Tropez require professional installation for natural gas conversion?

The conversion kit is included and designed for DIY installation, but running a natural gas line to the patio location itself requires a licensed plumber or gas fitter. The conversion of the fire table once the line is in place is straightforward. Just don’t confuse the two tasks.

Will either table work in cold weather?

Both function in cold weather, with the usual propane caveat, below about 20°F, propane pressure drops and flame output decreases. For shoulder-season use, both tables perform fine. For true winter use below freezing, you may notice reduced output, particularly with the Outland Living on a nearly empty tank.

Is the Outland Living Series 403 table surface actually usable as a dining or serving table?

With the burner cover plate in place, yes definitely. The tempered glass surface is flat, stable, and takes the weight of dishes and drinks without issue. It’s not a formal dining table, but for outdoor serving and casual use, it reads as a real table surface. The cover takes about 20 seconds to seat properly.