The Best Firestarters of 2025

The outdoor element Firebiner ($15) is a simple, compact multi-tool with an easy-to-use fire starter powered by a small ferro rod that the brand says its real-life testing shows gets 3000 + sparks. Simply roll your thumb over the EverSpark wheel (similar to the motion of a lighter) and throw a spark onto your tinder of choice to get your fire started. We clipped this handy, super light, snazzy-looking carabiner to our backpack and brought it everywhere.

This is our preferred fire starter for highly compact emergency kits where weight and efficiency are crucial. However, you do have to bring along or find your own tinder, so keep that in mind. It’s also excellent for lighting our MSR or Jetboil camp stoves since the igniters often don’t last for the stove’s life. Plus, the ability to cut fishing lines, open a bottle, and do a quick field fix with the tiny but effective screwdriver head make this a valuable tool.

It’s so compact that replacing the ferro rod is a challenge, so we’d recommend doing that at home if possible, not in the field. The tiny sparks will need wind protection to land in the right place. But the Firebiner produced sparks reliably every time, whether along the ocean at humid Point Reyes or in the dry scape of Arches National Park. Our only other gripe, which isn’t about the fire-starting mechanism, is that the holes for hanging keys are so tiny that most standard key rings don’t fit.

If you’re looking for a tiny, multi-functional tool you can forget about until you need it, the Firebiner is an excellent option.

A handy quiver-of-one survival tool, Gerber’s Fire Starter ($20) packs a punch in a super compact design. Held together with an easily adjustable lanyard, a small ferro rod slides into the handle of a metal striker, with room for an IPX4 water-resistant capsule to store tinder.

Loosen the lanyard, pop the watertight cylinder apart, and you’re ready to go. This became one of our favorite firestarters for super compact emergency kits where weight and efficiency were key. A bit of included cotton tinder and a 100-decibel whistle round out its effectiveness, allowing you to cover a few survival bases in a small package.

This tool came on our radar when we heard that Bear Grylls himself, the survivalist poster child, helped with its design, and depends on it as his own firestarter in the backcountry. His signature signed model is also available.

With such a low profile, we did find the short ferro rod to be a noticeable con. It takes a bit more work to get that spray of hot sparks you’re looking for, but we can’t complain too much considering how light and compact it is.

The adjustable lanyard helps hold everything together, but since it is interwoven between the rod and striker, your range of motion while striking is often limited.

These gripes aside, we feel that the Gerber Fire Starter offers a lot of great survival tools in a tiny, packable tube. This thing will disappear into your kit, and you’ll forget it’s there until you need it.

The SOL Mag Striker with Tinder Cord ($14) offers a fresh take on the traditional magnesium strike-style firestarter. The large handle is easy to grip, and the included bottle opener makes it a handy tool that you’ll be more likely to use when you have it around camp. It’s the only traditional “mag bar” on this list, and it was as fun to use as it was effective.

At 2.9 ounces, SOL’s Mag Striker was a bit heavier than we expected for the size, although we think it’s well worth it to have the flint and magnesium rods embedded in the handle. It really is much easier to use than other similar mag-strike firestarters with smaller handles.

While very simple, mag bar firestarters aren’t as easy to use as, say, matches like in the UCO Titan Stormproof Match Kit. However, the extended lifespan (over 100 fires, in this case) is worth the extra effort. After gathering some tinder, we didn’t need a heap of magnesium to inspire a burn. The included striker worked well enough, but we could see it dulling after extended usage. The backside of our knife worked much better, and would be our recommendation as long as you have one on hand.

The primary benefit of mag bars is the fact that you don’t need a bunch of tinder to induce a burn. The magnesium shavings can light on their own, allowing you to more easily start a fire in environments where the available tinder has recently been soaked.

It didn’t rain on us during testing, so we decided to dampen some tinder to see if a robust pile of lit magnesium shavings would dry it out. It was our first time using magnesium shavings as the source of the flame, and we were surprised at how well it worked.

If you’re a bit of a gear nerd, or simply want a more entertaining way to start a fire, the Mag Striker should be in your gear closet (or permanently housed in your backcountry pack). It’s a cool way to impress your friends, and more importantly, can be an extremely valuable emergency tool in wet environments.

Is it a strobe light, a taser … a mini lightsaber? Whip out Dark Energy’s Plasma Lighter ($30) to start the fire at your next group camping trip, and you’ll be the coolest cat around.

This thing wins big points for its futuristic feel and simple versatility. Pop open a waterproof safety cap on the butt end of the flashlight to reveal a small dual-arc plasma emitter. Opening the cap flips the flashlight button to an igniter switch, and deep purple arcs of electricity buzz to life when pressed. A safety button and latch ensure the emitter is not exposed until you want it to be.

We were shocked at how hot the arcs get, and a dry bundle of tinder will start dancing with flames in seconds when held in contact with the emitters.

This is also one of the more weatherproof portable firestarters we tested. With a waterproof casing and essentially windproof dual plasma arc, we were able to light fires in gnarly conditions when regular lighters, matches, or the short-lived sparks of ferro rods were quickly sn￭ out.

The 120-lumen flashlight on the other end of this compact, 3.75-inch starter adds to its usability. And, it weighs a scant 2.3 ounces. This would be a great multipurpose lighter to throw in your EDC kit.

While we like that this can be recharged, we do wish that it held that charge for a bit longer than it does. The level of heat output and brightness of the light drains the battery quite fast, so you’ll want a backup lighter if you plan on using this as your primary. But that should go without saying.

The Plasma Lighter is the tool for boosting the “wow” factor of your emergency kit or providing a unique waterproof backup for starting fires in inclement weather.

Retro, dependable, versatile — three words that come to mind while using the aesthetic and simple Zünden Fire Starter ($16). A beautiful hardwood handle, 550 paracord lanyard, and a multitool scraper complement this elegant tool, which quickly became one of our favorite ferro rods for rugged adventures.

The Zünden is available in three different sizes: trad (5/16” and 12,000 strikes), pro (3/8″ and 15,000 strikes), or fatty (½” and 20,000 strikes). The ferro rod spews some of the hottest, fattest sparks of the ferro rods we tried with minimal effort. Sparks shower at 5,500 degrees F, catching even less-than-ideal tinder bundles aflame.

We were interested to see if the relatively short 2.5-inch rod would inhibit striking ability, as we tend to gravitate to ferro rods that measure at least 4 inches to get a stronger strike. While using the Zünden, however, we had little trouble chucking concentrated, hot sparks on our tinder.

The thicker rods afford more surface area for the scraper but are also a tad heavier. We’d prefer it to be a bit longer, but its compact design is part of the allure of this model.

The wood handle molds well to your hand, making this one of the more comfortable starters to use on stubborn tinder bundles that take strike after strike to ignite. The Überleben Zünden is an affordable, classy, multifunctional tool that would be great for an EDC kit or simply a reliable addition to your fire-making arsenal.

Zippo has been doing fire for a long time, so it’s no surprise that the brand also makes one of the best firestarter kits out there. The Zippo Firestarter Kit ($22) is the whole package and has everything you need, up to laying down kindling. It even includes collapsible stainless steel fire bellows to urge the fire forward once it’s going.

The ferrocerium rod is used alongside the striker, which has a triangular shape for the best grip. This allows you to direct the sparks right into the included shredded pine tinder bundles, which burn for 8 minutes apiece.

Everything about this kit makes it user-friendly. You don’t need to buy separate fire sticks, strikers, or ferro rods. It’s all here with the nice addition of the bellows.

As our world slowly moves away from gas, electric lighters are becoming more popular. Very similar to the Dark Energy Plasma Lighter above, the SOL Fire Light electric lighter ($28) is a quick and easy solution when bad weather hits, or at a high altitude. While standard lighters struggle to light in extreme cold or wind, the SOL Fire Light works simply with the click of a button.

The weatherproof housing keeps the lighter in good condition no matter what. You can carry it in any pocket with its compact size of 4.5 x 0.5 inches.

The battery inside will last for about 45 uses, timed out at 7 seconds per use. If you do the math, that’s just over five minutes over a continuous electric arc. In reality, you shouldn’t need much more than the blink of an eye to touch the arc to tinder and get a fire started.

The SOL Fire Light is a complete firestarter kit when you need it in an emergency. The paracord lanyard can be broken down, and the inside jute can be used as emergency tinder. When things get tough, there’s a built-in 100-lumen flashlight that will last for up to 3 hours on a full charge.

The Exotac Firerod ($33) is another sleek little ferro rod that quickly found its way on many of our backcountry adventures. Designed to fit seamlessly in ferro loops on the sheaths of bushcraft knives, it is packable and thoughtfully crafted.

The 6061 anodized aluminum handle is just big enough to afford a solid grip on the starter and has a tiny waterproof compartment to house dry tinder. It comes with a couple of waterproof “quickLIGHT” treated cotton tabs to get you started, but is spacious enough for your own tinder, such as char cloth.

The 5/16 inch ferro rod is plenty thick, and 3.1 inches long, giving you an adequate striking surface. You can also purchase replacement rods, at either 2.4 inches or 3.1 inches in length, when the original one wears down. The rods easily screw into and out of the handle. This is a definite plus to the Firerod, as the ability to change rods prolongs its lifespan.

This is a great option for someone who needs to fill an empty ferro loop on the sheath of their favorite knife, or those looking for a simple, packable addition to their firestarter kit. After nearly 4 months of using this, it has found a home on one of our most-used bushcraft knives and never leaves its side. It has started plenty of fires for us, and remains one of our top picks for whipping up a quick flame.

MSR’s gear for the backcountry — stoves, windscreens, water reservoirs, and the like have become a reliable stable in our gear piles over the years. You really can’t go wrong with MSR, and it’s because, for us, its products all seem to be built super well. Take this little Strike Igniter ($18), for example. It can produce a 5,500-degree F spark, perfect for lighting a stove or campfire in a pinch.

The length of the rod (3.8 inches) — and attached cord — is good for getting down close to a stove unit or fire. The cord keeps the rod and striker attached, so you can’t lose the components. Our tester has used theirs around 500-600 times, both car camping and backpacking. We’ve used it in all four seasons, and it hasn’t failed us yet.

Ferro rods/strikers are far more reliable than lighters, as they are less affected by cold or moisture and don’t run out as fast. They are also a much better choice than matches, which can also fail if damaged by moisture or rain, even if they are waterproof.

MSR says the Strike Igniter lasts for 3,000 to 12,000 strikes — far more than average lighters, too. And like many MSR stove accessories, it also has a built-in bottle opener once you’ve got the fire started. The MSR striker weighs 1.4 ounces and has become a no-brainer anytime we’re packing for a backcountry trip.

By popular demand — and after thumbing through the thousands of glowing reviews on Amazon — we finally took the Prepared4X Survival Torch ($22-25) for a spin and came away impressed. Pulling the 6.7 ounce package from the box we initially had some hesitation as to what its best application would be, but soon understood its discrete allure. Though it has a higher scale reading than others, this truly is an independent all-in-one package that’s not only a cinch to use, but downright fun to ignite.

Also, we’re perhaps being too critical on the weight front. While the larger version is a bit chunky, a small iteration is also available and clocks in at a respectable 3.6 ounces. This is still a bit of a con in contrast to something like the sleek one-ounce Exotac Firerod, which also includes weather-resistant tinder, but the convenience of a long-burning hemp rope, and an included striker make it easier to justify the weight. We wouldn’t hesitate to bring this into the backcountry — or even on lightweight backpacking trips.

Let’s talk about the rope. Perhaps the best, most obvious feature is the included (but removable) 36-inch wax-infused hemp rope, which can be wrapped around the ferro rod and stored in a small burlap sack. It is routed through a sturdy but lightweight aluminum cylinder attached to the bottom of the ferro rod and serves as an easy-to-light tinder.

Simply fray the end of the rope with the serrated end of the striker and spray sparks down directly onto the frayed end. Even a small spark immediately takes and swiftly matures into a steady flame.

We had read that the rope serves as a long wick and will stay lit for 3+ hours, but we were shocked at how long it resists smoldering and how consistent the flame is. The cylinder under the rod allows you to regulate the size of the flame by slightly pulling the rope back into the cylinder and slowly feeding it out as the flame burns on. Pull the rope all the way back into the housing to extinguish the flame.

This thing could be held under moist tinder bundles and would eventually set that — or even larger kindling — alight. Replacement ropes can be purchased if needed.

Aside from the weight, a couple of other negatives did surface. Namely, the wax rope is quite difficult to ignite if it gets wet (and the case it comes with isn’t water-resistant), and we predict the ferro rod will be difficult to strike once it wears down past the aluminum housing.

The housing holds the rod on top of the cylinder, the rope feeds through, but runs about halfway up the side of the rod. As time goes on, we see this impeding our strikes, making it harder and harder to get a nice spray of sparks, and reducing the rod’s lifespan.

These quibbles aside, we’ve been really enjoying this streamlined fire-starting package. It is one of the easiest-to-use ferro rod and tinder combos we’ve tested, and the hemp rope keeps a sizeable flame going for hours, taming even the most stubborn tinder bundles.