Lekto Natural Firelighters V.s. Common Fire Starting Materials

Ever wonder what the best way to light a fireplace fire or start up your wood burner is? Which fire-starting material is the best? Old newspapers, magazines and never-ending free junk mail might not the be the answer you are looking for... what about pine cones and gasoline? Sounds tempting? In this article, we are looking at a few different options and maybe break a few old stereotypes while we’re at it.

There are so many myths and misconceptions around the right way to start a fire and what materials to use. To help dispel some of these, we’re going to compare natural, DIY, and bargain shop firelighters with Lekto Natural Firelighters. Which ones are the best and worst ones to start your fire with? Looks can be deceiving. When shopping for firelighters, make sure you compare dimensions, pH, moisture content and freedom from dust and small pieces as well as weight. 

Natural Materials As Firelighters 

Some of the most commonly-used make-shift firelighters are wet natural materials, such as pine cones or sticks, that are picked up off the ground at your local forest or park. Unfortunately, lighting a fire with half-dried, decomposing wood or a damp pine cones isn’t recommended. Wet, natural products hardly burn or don’t burn at all. You’ll end up with a lot of steam, vapour, and smoke, but no fire. 

Flammable Liquids Or Anything Soaked In Ethanol, Gasoline Or Petrol 

Never use a flammable liquid to ignite your fire. Doing so can be very dangerous for you and the people around you. Not only does it increases the risk of uncontrolled flames and potentials burns, but you will also be inhaling harmful chemicals that won’t do you any good. We cannot stress enough just how much of a bad idea this is.

Newspapers, Magazines & Cardboard 

Some people pride themselves on claiming that they have used old newspapers and matches for the past 20 years to start a fire and it has never let them down. Does it work, and is it actually good for your burner? In short - no. Newspapers back in the day used far fewer chemicals, better paper and higher quality ink added to them. Nowadays, magazines/ packaging materials use paper which is mixed with plastic particles, so it’s even harder to light it. Once burning, ink and the plastic particles will stick to your chimney flue and onto the glass doors of your burner. 

Natural Firelighters 

The best Firelighters are those that don’t contain palm oil or liquid chemicals and are dry and dense enough to burn for up to 8 to 10 minutes. Most if not all natural firelighters meet these criteria, but you might think that a parcel of wood wool at your local bargain shop is the cheapest and financially smartest option, but is it? Wood wool pieces are usually ‘fluffed up’ and actually do not contain a lot of actual wood shavings. This is because British Standards renounced set principles by which such products should comply in 1986.

Lekto Natural Firelighters are made from wood shavings compressed into cylindrical briquettes; They contain more wood, are bigger and heavier than any other firelighters on the market. These natural firelighters will burn for up to 10 minutes and produce a strong, reliable flame. No chemicals are added so you can use them with confidence, knowing that they are not only good for you but also the planet.