16 Best Small Log Burners & Wood Burning Stoves [Ecodesign Approved]

Looking to fill a small space with a fantastic log burner? An Ecodesign small log burner is going to be just the ticket for you.

A small wood burning stove is a fantastic addition to any room. It’ll provide you with plenty of heat, as well as efficient consumption to save you money on big fuel costs. They often bring enjoyment to the owner too, providing a sense of warmth in more ways than one.

Even better, your small log burner doesn’t have to break the bank. Of the 16 stoves below, almost all of them come in well under £1000. Even better, the prices of many of the best small stoves seem to be coming down this summer 2023.

The problem can be choosing the right small wood burner for your home. There’s lots of choice out there. So, let’s make it easier for you with my list of the best small log burners UK in 2023.

Please note, this article does contain a few affiliate links. This means if you click to view a product and go on to buy it, this website will receive a small commission. Nothing more and nothing less than this. Happy small stove shopping!

Quick List of Best Small Wood Burning Stoves

A good quality, small log burner will give you decades of reliable heat. So it’s worth making sure you do your research and make a purchase you’ll be happy with to last you for the foreseeable.

Good job you’re here then!

I’ll go into more detail below, but if you want to get straight to the stoves, here’s a quick list of the 16 best small wood burners for 2023.

All of the small log burners here are 5kW or less in heat output, Ecodesign ready and competitively priced.

1. Charnwood Country 4
2. Portway Arundel
3. The Hobbit Salamander Stove
4. Axon Chadwick
5. Esse One
6. Axon Keswick
7. Go Eco
8. Ekol Crystal
9. Firefox 5 Cleanburn
10. Woolly Mammoth 5
11. Helios 5 Compact
12. Saltfire ST1
13. Woodpecker WP4
14. Carron 5 Eco
15. Tiger Cub
16. MI Fires Skiddaw

All of these stoves are available from Direct Stoves, who have kindly given me a 5% discount code – TINYECO5.

Go directly to the stoves below or find out more info on what you need to consider from your small log burner, plus more details on each of the stoves.

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16 Best Small Wood Burning Stoves For Sale 2023

With all that in mind, let’s have a closer look at 16 of the best small stoves and mini log burners that could be perfect for your space in more detail.

Wood burners are also a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an off-grid heating solution – all you need are a few dry logs, a bit of kindling and you’re off. Back to nature and back to simple living. You can also review the best eco logs here.

If you’re not too bothered about size, you might want to check out these blogs on the best Ecodesign wood burners and Ecodesign multifuel stoves.

All the small stoves below are Ecodesign ready, meaning they are much better for the environment.

1. Charnwood Country 4

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Charnwood Stoves
• Efficiency: 84%
• Dimensions: 545mm (height), 416mm (width), 326mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast iron door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £1,049

Compact and traditional in style, the Country 4 is the smallest in the English-made Charnwood range. This hugely popular stove has a big front window, airwash system and spinning primary air wheel to control your fire perfectly.

This stove also comes with a 10 year guarantee when bought through Charnwood approved sellers.

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2. Portway Arundel

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Portway
• Efficiency: 82.5%
• Dimensions: 580mm (height), 430mm (width), 332mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £599

Elegant and with a A+ efficiency rating, the Portway Arundel is a fantastic option for your small wood burner.

The Portway Arundel has two air controls, has a large viewing window and a cleanburn airwash system. For the price and efficiency, alongside a 10 year guarantee, this stove is an absolute winner.

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3. The Hobbit Salamander Stove

• Output: 4.1kW
• Manufacturer: Salamander
• Efficiency: 79%
• Dimensions: 465mm (height), 302mm (width), 272mm (depth)
• Construction material: Cast iron
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £710

The Hobbit is a fantastic little wood burner by Salamander Stoves. It’s a popular small stove and I’ve used it many times when visiting shepherd’s huts. I’ve always been impressed.

For its size, it pumps out a lot of heat and looks great too. It’s made of solid cast iron and takes multi-fuel types including wood and eco logs. Salamander also now incorporate 20% recycled cast iron into their stoves. You can’t go wrong with the Hobbit!

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4. Axon Chadwick

• Output: 4.6kW
• Manufacturer: Axon
• Efficiency: 75%
• Dimensions: 530mm (height), 475mm (width), 260mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast iron door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £629

With a contemporary and elegant design, the Axon Chadwick is an Ecodesign approved wood burner with a 75% efficiency rating. It has a large front window and stunning metallic black finish.

The Chadwick has three air supply controls to give you perfect handling of your fire. The good news is that it’s also backed by Axon’s lifetime guarantee.

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5. Esse One

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Esse
• Efficiency: 82%
• Dimensions: 510mm (height), 410mm (width), 372mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £639

The Esse One is a British-manufactured wood burning stove with an A+ energy rating. It’s a highly efficient stove that’s Ecodesign ready and with a primary, secondary and tertiary air supply for maximum control.

It looks brilliant too with its black steel body construction and would be great in your room.

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6. Axon Keswick

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Axon
• Efficiency: 75%
• Dimensions: 487mm (height), 388mm (width), 355mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £699

A great choice for small rooms and snug spaces. The Axon Keswick has a large window, a sleek black body and pumps out 5kW of heat.

Very affordable, the Keswick stove is backed by the Axon lifetime guarantee.

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7. Go Eco

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Go Eco
• Efficiency: 80%
• Dimensions: 520mm (height), 358mm (width), 329mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £639

Simple and suave, the Go Eco stove is a fantastic addition to any room.

It boasts an A+ efficiency rating and a heat output of 5kW. The large viewing window provides a great view of your fire and an effective airwash system makes sure that the window is clear of any soot and dust. 

The Go Eco is Ecodesign-approved, meets all new emissions standards and is DEFRA-approved, meaning you can use it legally to burn wood in smoke control areas. 

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8. Ekol Crystal 5

• Output: 2-5kW
• Manufacturer: Ekol
• Efficiency: 80.3%
• Dimensions: 540mm (height), 395mm (width), 328mm (depth)
• Construction material: Cast iron
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £749

This is a classic, good-looking stove from Ekol made from solid cast iron. With clearSkies rating of 5 this is a clean-burning stove ideal for any room of the house.

At just over 80% efficiency and an A+ energy rating, you’ll get high quality heat from your load with this log burner. It also comes with a 5 year guarantee.

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9. Firefox 5 Compact

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Firefox
• Efficiency: 82.5%
• Dimensions: 535mm (height), 405mm (width), 360mm (depth)
• Construction material: Cast iron
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £669

This Firefox 5 is a fantastic, small multi-fuel burning stove. It’s built from premium cast iron and can push out 5kW of heat.

It has a good airwash system meaning you’ll always have a great view of the flames to give you that cosy feeling.

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10. Woolly Mammoth 5

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Woolly Mammoth
• Efficiency: 75.6%
• Dimensions: 480mm (height), 470mm (width), 333mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £679

The generous body of the Woolly Mammoth makes this stove a focal point in any room or space. It’s efficient, has great air flow and control system and is very much affordable.

Woolly Mammoth stoves are a British company based down in Essex.

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11. Helios 5 Compact

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: The Gallery Collection
• Efficiency: 82.5%
• Dimensions: 486mm (height), 350mm (width), 327mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast iron door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £659

The freestanding Helios 5 is a compact, small log burner that supports both wood and multi-fuel types.

It has a robust look suitable for any fireplace or cosy room and packs a great A+ efficiency rating of 82.5% and at an affordable price.

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12. Saltfire ST1

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Saltfire
• Efficiency: 83.9%
• Dimensions: 495mm (height), 440mm (width), 310mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £699

This Saltfire ST1 mini wood burner is one of the most advanced and efficient stoves out there. It can be used to burn wood anywhere in the UK, including in Defra smoke controlled zones.

This all steel construction has a great heat output of up to 5kW, which is plenty of warmth for your small space.

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13. Woodpecker WP4

• Output: 4.3kW
• Manufacturer: Woodpecker
• Efficiency: 75.4%
• Dimensions: 464mm (height), 373mm (width), 360mm (depth)
• Construction material: Cast iron
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £674

The Woodpecker WP4 is the smallest wood burner in the Woodpecker range. With a sleek and trendy design this stove will add a stylish yet practical element to your room.

The WP4 has a heat output of 4.3kW and a solid cast iron construction. This stove is suitable for wood logs only and has a large glass window to see your beautiful fire!

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14. Carron 5

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: Carron
• Efficiency: 78.6%
• Dimensions: 534mm (height), 480mm (width), 350mm (depth)
• Construction material: Cast iron
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £799

The Carron 5kW Eco is a highly efficient, clean-burning stove suitable for wood logs only.

It’s a stylish option with large viewing window and classic design. This stove has a A efficiency rating and is constructed using cast iron. It’s Ecodesign ready and Defra approved.

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15. Tiger Cub

• Output: 4.3kW
• Manufacturer: Tiger
• Efficiency: 76%
• Dimensions: 591mm (height), 338mm (width), 397mm (depth)
• Construction material: Cast iron
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £639

The Tiger Cub is an elegant looking stove made from cast iron. It’s a freestanding mini log burner and a super choice for holiday homes and cosy corners.

The Tiger Cub stove comes with a 10 year warranty and excellent reviews.

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16. MI Fires Skiddaw

• Output: 5kW
• Manufacturer: MI Fires
• Efficiency: 85.1%
• Dimensions: 573mm (height), 410mm (width), 332mm (depth)
• Construction material: Steel body, cast iron door
• SIA Ecodesign: Yes
• Prices: from £825

The MI Skiddaw is a fantastic and efficient small woodburner that meets high environmental standards. It’s named after the Lake District’s Skiddaw mountain.

With a efficiency rating of 85.1%, this stove is impressive. It also has a good airwash system to see your fire and a heat output of 5kW for great warmth.

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Who will benefit from a small wood burning stove?

A small wood burner is a fantastic choice for those who live in smaller homes or for those who are looking to supplement their mains heating in a specific room or area in their home.

Because of their compact nature and dimensions, a small log burner is ideal for spaces such as:

• Small living rooms
• Kitchen diners
• Snugs
• Cottages
• Period properties
• Caravans
• Sheds
• Cabins
• Boats
• Shepherd’s huts
• Off-grid homes
• Mobile homes and tiny houses

A small wood burning stove is also great if you’re looking to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels from the grid.

How much heat do I get from a small log burner?

If you opt for a bigger stove than necessary, you’re going to find yourself overheating your space on a regular basis. This might not sound like a big problem, but it’s unnecessary and inefficient, which will cost you money in the long run.

In compact spaces, a small log burner will give off a powerful amount of heat. Most small wood burning stoves tend to give out between 3kW and 5kW of energy. Measured in Kilowatts, this will be the stoves ‘nominal heat output’ or ‘maximum heat output’.

You can get wood burners that emit greater outputs over 5kW, but these may be too big and give off too much heat and create an uncomfortable environment.

Are small stoves efficient?

The new compact small log burners really are effective and heat efficient.

When you’re looking at stoves, make sure you take into account the ‘stove efficiency’ rating.

This tells you how much heat the stove actually gives off, once some of the fuel has quite literally gone up in smoke and out of the chimney.

How much heat your stove emits depends on how much wood or fuel you can put in there over what period of time.

This depends on how big the actual firebox is. The bigger the firebox, the more fuel you can put in there, the hotter your space will get.

You can get an idea of how much a log burners costs to run here.

Small wood burning stove – What do I need to consider?

Let’s take a look at the stove considerations you need to take into account before buying.

Small log burner dimensions and size

The dimensions of the stove are perhaps the primary most consideration. If you don’t have a stove that fits your space, then you don’t have a stove at all.

The most important dimensions to consider for your cast iron stove are:

• Width and depth (how much floorspace is takes up)
• Height
• Clearance at the back/sides from the wall or nearby materials

For a small space, such as a shepherd’s hut where the area is less than 150 square feet, a power output of 3-5kW will be ideal. You can have a look at some shepherd’s hut floor plans here to gauge where your stove might fit in.

The power output is a measure of how many kilowatts of output the stove can produce with one fuel load. This isn’t an exact figure as the manufacturer doesn’t know how much fuel you’ll load up, but it generally means a smaller firebox (the place where you put the logs), so that the heat the stove can produce is limited. As stated, more logs on the fire = more heat.

Your wood burner will also need to sit on a hearth. This ensures that the floor area can deal with the heat from the stove. In traditional houses with a wooden floor, you’ll notice that the fireplace area has a concrete flooring which is where the stove would sit.

Some stoves are certified that they won’t heat the floor to more than 100^oC. If this is the case, the hearth can be 12mm thick of non-combustible material. If the stove hasn’t been certified and may heat the floor above 100^oC, then it must sit on 5” of brick or concrete.

Good hearth materials are concrete, brick, ceramic tiles, stone and slate. For more info on hearths read this detailed post.

Stove efficiency rating

The efficiency of your cast iron wood burner is important.

It’s a measure of how much of the energy within the fuel gets converted to heat for you versus how much is lost up the chimney.

The efficiency rating is given as a percentage, so for example a stove might have rating of 72%, which means 28% of heat goes up the chimney and 72% gets emitted to the room.

An efficiency rating of 75% or over is very good and will offer great heat efficiency as well as cost efficiency on the log front. If you can get one with an A+ efficiency rating then even better.

Price point of small log burners

Ok, you understand the size and type of stove you want, now to work out what makes and models fit in with your budget.

For an Ecodesign small wood burner of 3kW-5kW output, you can pay anywhere from £500 to £2,000.

Most of the models on my list above are under £1,000. By all accounts, I think this classes them as cheap small log burners. But don’t be fooled, the quality is still there for most.

Like most products – furniture, cars, watches – the difference is price comes in the build quality and craftsmanship.

With a cast iron log burner, you’ll find the key differences between the lower price end and higher point due to:

• Design of the stove
• Longer warranty
• Better functionality – door locking system, flame control, air flow
• Better finish
• Higher quality glass on the window (or windows for very fancy design)

Whilst we’re on glass, learn the best ways to clean your stove glass here.

Ecodesign Ready stoves

From 2023 there will be changes in the woodburning and solid fuel stove industry.

All stoves and log burners sold after 1st January 2022 have to be certified as ‘Ecodesign Approved’, ‘Ecodesign Ready’ or ‘SIA Ecodesign Ready’. SIA stands for Stove Industry Alliance who formed in 2008 to promote the benefits of wood burners and biomass appliances, such as biomass boilers.

Ecodesign ready stoves is the stove industry’s response to the Clean Air Strategy 2019. The Ecodesign status is a European-wide initiative to lower stove emissions.

The accreditation shows that the new stoves sold are the very latest designs that have passed strict environmental tests that are now a requirement by DEFRA (UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

It’s important too. Independent research available on the Stove Industry Alliance website show that Ecodesign stoves are typically 90% more efficient than open fires and 80% on stoves that are just 10 years ago.

For the manufacturers and sellers, it means any wood burning or solid fuel stove sold after 2022 will need to have reached certain environmental standards and be approved as Ecodesign compliant.

These rules aren’t back-dated, so if you have a stove installed before 2022, then you’re fine, but it’s certainly something to look out for. You can read all about what Ecodesign ready stoves are and the regulations here.

What happened to DEFRA Approved Stoves?

As part of the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968, local authorities have the power to control certain smoke emissions. This means many parts of the UK, particularly towns and cities, are smoke control areas where you can’t emit smoke from a chimney unless you’re burning an authorised fuel or an exempt appliance, such as a certain stove or burners.

Previously, the more environmentally friendly stoves were known as DEFRA-approved. But now they have to be even more eco friendly and energy efficient. DEFRA approved appliances meant you could burn wood in a safe and legal manner within a smoke control area. You must however, only use the types of fuel that the manufacturer says can be used in the appliance.

As of 2023, all new stoves sold in the UK and EU have to be Ecodesign approved. This means they have passed strict environmental tests ensuring they won’t cause excessive air pollution.

The difference between Ecodesign stoves and Defra-approved is that the new rules for Ecodesign are more stringent. The limit for particulate matter emissions under Ecodesign stoves is 55% lower than Defra-approved stoves, ensuring they are better for air pollution and the environment.

Wrap up on small wood burning stoves

An energy efficient small wood burning stove really is a great addition to any space. Any of the 16 best stoves above will allow you to have the best of both worlds – a fantastic, efficient wood burning stove, which doesn’t harm the environment.

You can find plenty more small wood burning stoves here at DirectStoves.com. Located in the North West, Direct Stoves offer free delivery and 14 day no hassle returns.

If you’re looking for a bigger wood burner or a multifuel stove, you’ll be able to find them all.

Use the code TINYECO5 for 5% off all stoves!

If brand new isn’t quite your thing, check out these great places on where to find second hand log burners for sale.

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