The Best Electric Fireplace

A crackling fire can add cozy warmth to even the chilliest of winter nights. If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, you can toss some logs in and snuggle up for hours.

However, with great fireplace comes great responsibility. You’ve got to maintain your chimney and the flue, clean up burnt logs and keep pets and kids at a safe distance. Electric fireplaces are a modern option that requires tiring upkeep and cleaning out of the equation.

There are two ways to add an electric fireplace to your home. You can buy and assemble an electric fireplace, like Southern Enterprise’s Carved Electric Fireplace, and put it anywhere in your home. If you already have a fireplace but you’re tired of the maintenance, you can buy an electric fireplace insert, like PuraFlame’s 30-in-1 Western Electric Fireplace.

Full electric fireplaces are shipped directly to your home. The parts usually come in two boxes: one to hold the fireplace and mantel and another to hold the electrical components. You can easily put it together on your own, then place it in any room that needs a little extra warmth.

Electric fireplaces create heat through metal coils. They heat up when the fireplace is plugged in and turned on, then a blower fan pushes the heat into the room. The fireplace is cool to the touch, so it’s safe for curious pets and rambunctious kids. It also doesn’t waste or lose any heat, since the fan pushes all of the warmth out into the room.

The electric fireplace’s realistic-looking flames are created by refracting the light from a normal light bulb. This creates a three-dimensional pattern for realistic-looking flames. You can also customize the look of your fireplace with imitation logs or pebbles.

Electric fireplaces come in a variety of styles. Some of them, like the e-Flame USA Jasper Portable Electric Fireplace, come as a single complete unit that you can move around to any room in your home. Others, like Southern Enterprise’s Carved Electric Fireplace, have an old-school style with a mantle that you can use to display photos and knick-knacks.

Electric fireplace inserts, like PuraFlame’s 30-in-1 Western Electric Fireplace, are a great way to turn your current fireplace into a cleaner, more energy-efficient operation. The inserts use the same technology as standard electric fireplaces, but they fit neatly into your home’s current fireplace. You can close up your flue, pop in the insert and enjoy remote-controlled “fires” after an easy installation.

A wall-mounted electric fireplace is ideal for anyone who’s after a more modern look. The Touchstone Onyx Electric Fireplace is designed for wall mounting, or you can install it inside your wall for a recessed look.

Whether you’re craving a classic look or searching for a futuristic electric fireplace, you’ll have to think about a few things before you commit to your fireplace. Our Tips & Advice can help you choose the electric fireplace of your dreams.

• Once you’ve decided that you want an electric fireplace in your home, you’ll need to figure out which room it belongs in. Electric fireplaces offer you a lot of freedom in terms of where you can put them. They stay cool to the touch when they heat up, and the way they produce heat is relatively safe, so you don’t have to worry too much about kids or pets. However, you will want to check the maximum voltage on your wall outlets before you buy a fireplace and plug it in. If your fireplace exceeds the outlet’s maximum voltage, you could wind up with a busted fireplace and a hefty bill from the electrician.
• If you plan on moving your fireplace from room to room, check out the fireplace’s weight before you buy it. The e-Flame USA Jasper Portable Electric Fireplace is a lightweight 12.5 pounds, while the Southern Enterprises Carved Electric Fireplace is a hefty 104 pounds.
• Double check on how far away your wall outlets are from where you intend to plug in your fireplace. The e-Flame USA Jasper Portable Electric Fireplace has a generous six-foot cord, while the Touchstone Onyx Electric Fireplace’s wall-mounted design needs to be right next to an outlet.
• If you already have a fireplace, you can save yourself a lot of time and energy by installing an electric fireplace insert, like the PuraFlame 30-in-1 Western Electric Fireplace. You won’t have to worry about ashes, extensive chimney maintenance or cleanup anymore.
• Electric fireplaces also double as space heaters for small areas. All of our top picks provide supplemental heat for up to 400 square feet.
• How precise do you need your temperature range to be? The Southern Enterprises Carved Electric Fireplace has a range from 62-82 degrees Fahrenheit at 4 degree intervals. The Touchstone Onyx Electric Fireplace only has High and Low heat options.
• If you plan on dozing off to the crackling of your electric fireplace, you’ll want one with an auto-shutoff safety timer. All four of our top picks feature these timers.