There’s no doubt about it, a brightly lit stove in the corner of a room instantly makes everything cosier. There’s something about the warmth from a real fire that you just can’t capture with radiators or central heating. Picking the right stove for your home and your family can be a bit of a minefield though. The choice is often between wood burning or pellet stoves, so we’ve outlined the three key benefits of each below for you to take a look at, plus some further comparison.

Wood burning stove benefits

1. As the name would suggest, wood burning stoves burn wood. The benefit of this is that wood is readily available and can be purchased at a very low cost. If you’re lucky enough, you might be able to yield wood from your own land, making it completely free.

2. Wood burning stoves don’t rely on any external power sources. This cuts the costs of having an electrically powered stove and may also be handy if you live somewhere prone to power cuts. All you need is wood and matches and you’re good to go!

3. Woodburning stoves are aesthetically pleasing – you get a traditional appearance with burning logs, which can really lift the look of a room.

Pellet stove benefits

1. Pellet stoves emit virtually no smoke and therefore leave almost no carbon footprint, making them a very ‘green’ choice. They also burn wood waste, in the form of pellets.

2. Only a small hole in the wall is required to ventilate a pellet stove, leaving you with a lot of flexibility as to where you have yours positioned in the room. This is great for tricky spaces and can reduce installation costs.

3. The contained flames of pellet stoves make them a really safe option with less risk of flying sparks, which is especially great if you have young children or pets in your household.

It’s also worth thinking about comparing initial costs with running costs. Typically, woodburning stoves are a little pricier to install, but with the benefit of cheaper fuel and no related electricity bills. Pellet stoves, on the other hand, can be a little more affordable to install and, as mentioned, are easier to fit in terms of ventilation.

Whichever option you go for, you’re guaranteed to enjoy a warm glow that will see you through all the seasons. A wood or pellet burning stove is an investment worth making when you’re designing your living room – and once you’ve decided which to go for, you get all the fun of picking accessories to match!