Best Charcoal Starters & Grill Lighters

Lighting Your Charcoal has Never Been Easier!

Lighting charcoal isn't always easy… but why can't it be? Ditch those tricky, unwieldy charcoal chimneys. Forget synthetic lighter fluid. Our tenured charcoal grilling experts heartily recommend handheld charcoal lighters. They're the simpler, steadier way to light stubborn charcoal — without relying on potent additives that give your flavor profiles a chemical overhaul.

Our best minds have come up with the following shortlist of the best charcoal starters and grill lighters based on their quality, performance, and features. Take a look at the latest and greatest in charcoal tech, and leave outdated twentieth-century fire-starting techniques back where they belong.

Looftlighter X Battery Powered Lighter & Firestarter

Looftlighter X Battery Powered Lighter & Firestarter

What We Love:

  • Automatic Ignition Program provides the right balance of heat and airflow
  • Max temperature of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit quickly lights charcoal
  • No need for fuel making this safe to use indoors and outdoors

Looftlighter II Supercharged Charcoal Starter

Looftlighter II Supercharged Charcoal Starter

What We Love:

  • Easy, fast, and safe grill lighting with superheated air
  • Lights all fuels including lump charcoal, briquettes, and logs
  • Reaches up to 1400°F with 30% increased air flow

BBQGuys Signature Chimney Starter

BBQGuys Signature Chimney Starter

What We Love:

  • Put down the lighter fluid and use this quick and easy alternative that won’t leave behind chemical tastes and smells in your food
  • Environmentally-friendly alternative that doesn’t require charging or plugging in
  • 6 lb charcoal capacity makes it easy to fill your grill with hot coals in 15 minutes

We hope you've found this article helpful (we like to think we're good at it). Have any other questions about charcoal grilling? You do? That's great news! Our extensive Charcoal Grill Buying Guide has all the bases covered. If you're in the market for one, you can check out our expert picks for the best charcoal grills around — and what makes them shine. As always, for any further help, our trained BBQ advisors are standing by at 1-877-743-2269.