Best Pocket Bellows to Stoke a Fire
A good pocket bellows can be a godsend if you are trying to start a fire in poor conditions. By injecting a steady flow of air (and oxygen) into the core of the embers, you can quickly get a fire going or even make an existing fire burn hotter.
I’ve been testing pocket bellows for a few years now and have included them in my fire kit since I first discovered them. For this review, I use them all with campfires and fire pits, and measure them for comparison.
My top recommendation is for the Epiphany Outdoors V3, the original pocket bellows that supports a good cause and works effectively.
If you want something even better, the Zippo Firefast makes firestarting easy as a battery-powered bellows. I also suggest an inexpensive option that takes a while to ship.
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Best Pocket Bellows
Epiphany Outdoors V3
Quality, Lightweight, and The Original
The original creator of the pocket bellows is still at it with their third iteration that extends smoothly and performs reliably.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Made by a father-son US veteran duo, this piece of gear has just as good of a story as it works. It’s won plenty of innovation awards, which is a bit surprising considering it’s just a collapsible tube.
Specifications
- Material: Stainless steel
- Features: Carrying tube included
- Size: 20″ extended, 4″ collapsed
- Weight: 0.88 ounces
- Manufactured: USA
Besides supporting veterans, you can count on this to be manufactured in the US to tight standards, which makes their action smooth and quality yards above the competition. I love how small it is, and it fits perfectly into a pen slot in my fire kit that uses a repurposed admin pouch.
Air Flow Speed
I measured the inlet of the Epiphany Outdoor V3 bellows at 0.42″ and the output diameter of the tube at 0.15″, a 64% reduction. When you blow into the large end, the same amount of air has to come out of the small end, meaning it moves much more quickly.
I estimate the air speed increase to be 277% where you have extended it into the fire. While I didn’t consider friction or fluid dynamics, it’s good enough for comparison purposes.
These are quality-made, effective, and lightweight, so it’s easy to see why the Epiphany Outdoors V3 Pocket Bellows is the best.
Budget Pocket Bellows
Outdoor Pocket Bellows
Stainless Steel, Inexpensive, and Ridiculously Cheap
It might take a month to arrive, but it’s hard to pass up a deal like this if you don’t need it immediately.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
While we’re extremely skeptical of mass-produced Chinese gear, this is still worth a look if you don’t need it shipped fast and are looking to try a pocket bellows without breaking your budget.
Specifications
- Material: Stainless steel
- Size: 19″ extended, 3.6″ collapsed
- Weight: 0.92 ounces
- Manufactured: China
I’m not quite sure how they make a profit shipping an expandable tube of stainless steel halfway around the globe, but the darn thing works. The downside is the transit time. It can take over a month for delivery from China, and the one we tested took 28 days. You’ll see other listings as well, but they are all the same as far as we can tell- just branded differently, like many tools from China.
Other than that, it is very close to the Epiphany- just a bit shorter and heavier. The collapse and expand action is pretty smooth, and it even withstood some abuse from the kids.
Air Flow Speed
Despite being shorter, this bellows matched the Epiphany at 0.42″ and 0.15″, a 64% reduction from end-to-end. So, using the same assumptions, this model will increase the air speed in the same way, around 277%.
If you are looking to try a pocket bellows or get one in your survival kits for cheap, this Generic Pocket Bellows is what you need.
Upgrade Fire Bellows
Zippo Firefast
Easy to Use, Reliable, and Effective
If you aren’t up for blowing through a straw, Zippo has you covered with their battery-powered bellows that blows consistently.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
This small handheld impeller is heat-resistant and consistent. Let it pull your ember into a flame quickly and easily without any elbow grease or tube blowing on your part.
Specifications
- Material: Rugged plastic with/ non-slip grip
- Features: 180-minute runtime, powered by 2 AA batteries
- Size: 2.25″ x 2″ x 9.5″
- Weight: 4.5 ounces
- Manufactured: China
If you like to live life in the lap of luxury, this is the bellows for you. If you’ve taken grilling or smoking seriously, you may recognize it, because it’s a great way to get campfires and grill hot quickly. Many people using charcoal grills swear by the Zippo bellows combined with the chimney starter for fast and even charcoal starting.
The same applies to campfires. The Zippo can direct air (oxygen for fires) to build heat or direct small fires with a flick of the wrist. It’s not exactly a survival tool, but it’ll fit in a grill apron pocket and help you out.
If you are looking for a fire bellows that will make any campfire, firepit, or charcoal grill stoke a flame in a snap, grab a Zippo Firefast Campfire Bellows.
Comparison Table
| Pocket Bellows | Recommendation | Price* | Type | Extended | Collapsed | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epiphany Outdoors V3 | Best Overall | $15 | Telescoping | 20″ | 3.5″ | 1.5 oz |
| Outdoor Pocket Bellows | Collapsible | $6 | Telescoping | 19″ | 3.7″ | 0.9 oz |
| Zippo Firefast | Powered | $32 | Powered | 9.5″ | 9.5″ | 4.5 oz |
| Liberty Mountain | $16 | Telescoping | 20″ | 3.5″ | 1.5 oz | |
| Texas Bushcraft | $20 | Telescoping | 19″ | 3.8″ | 1.0 oz | |
| Vargo Ultimate Fire Starter | $25 | Telescoping | 18″ | 5.9″ | 1.8 oz | |
| Spitfire X | $120 | Assembled | 40″ | 21″ | 28.0 oz |
How I Tested
I practically tested the various bellows with campfires and fire pits to see how well they work and how effective they were. Length turned out to be pretty important, since it gives you reach to keep your face and other body parts out of an existing fire.
I also did some measurements and calculations to help me get some data on how the bellows affect air flow, and their size and weight impact of being included in a survival kit.
Why Trust TruePrepper
A pocket bellows isn’t essential for a survival kit, or any fire kit for that matter. But it is a lightweight gadget that can make starting a fire from stubborn tinder or kindling much less of a headache.
I’m Sean Gold, and I’ve been reviewing pocket bellows for a few years now. I’ve included various models in my fire kit since I first discovered them and how useful they can be. I’m an engineer as well as an avid survivalist, so I like to gather data for my reviews to support my experience testing.
Digging into the details on such a simple tool was straightforward, although I made assumptions about how the measurements impact air flow speed for simplicity’s sake. I also collated the manufacturing specs into a table to support my informed recommendations.
What to Look For
The best pocket bellows have a few features to look for:
- Value
- Air Flow
- Ease of Use
- Size & Weight
- Durability
When you get the right blend of these, you can find a fire bellows that will reliably stoke a small flame into a large, hot fire. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the fire tubes that truly set themselves apart.
What is the Best Value?
The amount of money you spend on something as simple as a portable blow poke shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. It isn’t necessary to start a fire; it just makes it way easier.
You never want to spend too much money on one thing when it comes to survival gear. It’s better to diversify your equipment to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios.
Air Flow
The difference between a pocket bellows and just blowing on fire is that they give you reach (keep your face out of the fire), but they also concentrate and direct the airflow. This is important for making the fire larger and hotter quickly.
Different designs of bellows put out different amounts and concentrations of air. You don’t want too little or it will be no help, and you don’t want too much or it could put the fire out. Once you find the sweet spot, any sort of blow poke is much better than a manual or powered fan.
On collapsible bellows, the difference between the ends affects how the tube increases air flow. The larger the percent difference in the inner diameters of the tubes, the quicker the air moves out of the end.
Ease of Use
There is no need to overcomplicate a fire bellows. While they are easy to use, they do take some getting used to. Getting that ‘sweet spot’ of airflow that we mentioned above can take some practice with real embers and fire.
Also, having a longer tube can make it easier to use since you won’t need to bend over as far to reach a fire. This makes expandable bellows very versatile since you have plenty of reach and can continue to use them to increase heat while the fire is already going.
Size & Weight
The whole point of a pocket bellows is to fit in a pocket. Otherwise, you could have a hearth bellows or lug a blacksmith-style bellows everywhere. All of our picks came in extremely lightweight and fit in your pocket. The odd thing is that you shouldn’t carry it around in your pocket- it’s too niche of a tool for EDC. I slotted mine right into a spare ferro rod slot in my fire kit pouch.
While the collapsible bellows don’t even crack an ounce, our upgrade pick still sits below a quarter pound, so none of them are that heavy. The Zippo is meant more for grills and campfires, though, so you’ll typically have more resources around if you are using that one.
Durability
Bellows can be made of a wide range of materials, but each material can affect durability. Expandable pocket bellows tend to be made of stainless steel so they can withstand the heat of fires and maintain their precise shape when they expand and collapse over and over.
Our upgrade pick is a bit different, using robust ABS plastic but still being heat-resistant. It is made for convenience rather than durability, but you shouldn’t be getting as close to fires as the expandable bellows, plus the only moving part is the impeller.
How to Use a Pocket Bellows
To make a fire, you need the fire triangle: oxygen, heat, and fuel.
A bellows adds more of the first part, oxygen. By blowing focused air into a fire, you are adding more oxygen, which can speed, amplify, and increase the life of a fire.
With expandable pocket bellows, you expand the bellows and place the tip near the fire source. Then you blow steadily into the far end to stoke the fire hotter, reignite embers, or help a bird nest catch a flame.
Luke shows off our top pick, how to use it, and gives his take on it in this video:
Who Needs a Fire Bellows?
Nobody needs a fire bellows, and it isn’t considered essential for a fire kit. Still, they are worth investing in because they can help start fires in a wide variety of conditions.
Depending on your situation and resources, we suggest considering one for your:
They come in handy anywhere you are making a fire, from the fireplace in your home to your campfire on the trail.
Sources & References
All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best pocket bellows are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience:
Aston, D. (1989). Ancient Egyptian “Fire Dogs” – A New Interpretation. Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Abteilung Kairo. Volume 45. Pages 27-32. (Source)
Hough, W. (1926). Fire as an Agent in Human Culture. U.S. Government Printing Office (Civilization). Issue 139. (Source)
Rehder, J. (2013). Blowpipes versus Bellows in Ancient Metallurgy. Journal of Field Archaeology. Volume 21. Issue 3. Pages 345 – 350. (Source)
Conclusion
A portable pocket bellows can make starting everyday fires easy, but they also make starting near-impossible fires possible. Having one in your fire kit isn’t necessary- but I think they are worth including in your fire kit.
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