Traditional fireplaces are a pain to get started, and even harder to keep going. That’s why I've tested the best electric fireplaces on amazon. Trust me, when warmth and convenience matters, electric is where it’s at!
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. R.W.FLAME - Recessed and Wall-Mounted Electric Fireplace
Highlight: Comes with a touch screen, recessed frame, remote control, and mounted into the wall.
Helpful review: Love this thing! Although I almost had a panic attack when I first got it. After I had just hit purchase, I read some reviews that complained of a clicking sound from the unit and I hope that wouldn’t be the case with mine.
When it arrived, I tested it out, and yep, it was making a clicking sound. Fortunately I found an easy fix for it, although I do think the manufacturers should fix this on their own. It only takes a few minutes though. Essentially, you just take the glass off and then flip the fireplace upside down. You can pretty much take the bottom panel off, which is like nine screws (and make sure you don’t lose them).
Then you can just plug the fireplace in and wah lah! Once you turn it on, problem solved. There’s a rod that has reflective plastic pieces, and those are the pieces that are rubbing when the rod turns around, and that’s the source of the noise.
Just pay attention to which ones of the rods are rubbing together. I used a nail clipper to trim them back. Pretty simple. Just two or three, so no biggie. Once you do that, the noise is gone! All that’s left is to put the panel back on, and that it works great. I mean, it worked great before, but if you’re like me and don’t like annoying sounds then this is the solution for you haha.
Overall, it gives off a great amount of heat. Not too overwhelming, but def warm enough for a cold winter night.
A FEW WORDS FROM A NEIGHBOR:
I was replacing an old propane fireplace and searched almost every option...electric fireplace, no fireplace, new propane–you name it I searched it. My first thought was just to invest in a propane fireplace, but they can be up to ten grand to get right, and yeah, no thanks. Still, living in upstate New York, winters are cold and long, and power failures are frequent. I needed something.
Then I came across the idea of electric fireplaces in a showroom and saw they were like two grand, which was still a lot, but then I discovered more affordable choices on Amazon and a lot of different brands, too. I really liked the reviews on this thing, and I loved that one user uploaded a video showing how real the flame looked. That was important to me, because I want this to upgrade my home, not make it look cheap.
And lo and behold, flame looks awesome. However, the LED part appeared kinda weird, but a quick search on Amazon and I came across black crystals for the LED under ten bucks. Made a huge difference, but I still didn’t like the reflections, so I put electrical tape along the siding and the front, and that did the job! So much better.
As for how well it will actually keep you warm, don’t get your expectations too high haha. It’s not a real fireplace so it’s not going to keep you warm just this alone. It does curb some of the chill, but it’s really better for Spring and Fall, or to just complement the heat you might already have in your home. It fits really nice into my walls and just looks really classy in the living room. I’m really happy with how this turned out and can’t recommend it enough! — Lori Crowley
Get it from Amazon now: $219.99 & FREE Returns
2. Duraflame - Electric Infrared Quartz Stove with 3D Flame Effect
Highlight: Flame effect in 3D Flame, which you can use with heat or without it.
Helpful review: I live in a house that’s almost a hundred years old and I have a lot of hard wood and cement floors, and my windows really lack insulation, plus I have four doors leading outside. In other words, lots of room for chill to seep in. Winters here are no joke, and sometimes the temperatures even drop down into the low tens, and really until Spring, it never gets warmer than the forties.
In the past I’ve used my normal heating, but it’s been kind of unreliable, and I think I want something more to help enhance the heat in the house.
My electrician said my unit is really old and essentially needs to be rewired because the last person who did this put it together in an unsafe way, just taping and connecting different wires. I’m over just having people come here to patch it up, and I knew I needed an alternative, something I could dampen on to the last me the whole winter out here.
Ideally, I also wanted something to lower my electric bill. In the winter, sometimes it’s up to two hundred bucks a month out here.
I really wanted something that would be cool if I touched it, that wouldn’t fall over easier, (because of the kiddos and the kitties) and something that well, just worked well. Well enough to warm an ice chilly room, because the older the house, the more there’s always a draft here. I definitely didn’t want plastic either, and I liked this one because it has a reputable name and I love that it’s also made of metal. Oh, and it just looks like an actual fireplace which is awesome.
This heater is all that and more. I can easily move it from one room in the house to another. It’s big enough that it heats a modern size bedroom pretty fast and it’s quiet too, so I can use it when my kids are sleeping which is super convenient.
The fan sound is there, just not super obvious, and you can feel the heat of it radiating from about three feet from the base, which is perfect. If you close the door, it will warm further. Gets a little hot in the front, where heat exudes from, but def not hot enough to burn me or any animals. In fact, my kitty lays on top of it for her naps, and it helps keep her warm, and yet still comfortable. I really love this heater so much. And so far, it’s saving on the bills, too. Def buying more for the other rooms in my house.
UPDATE:
Five months in since having this heater in my home, and man did it get cold this winter. And yet, I put the heater in the room where my kiddos sleep, and it stayed super warm (even when it was ten degrees F out!). My bill definitely went up a little though, about eighty bucks more than usual, but I also had like four space heaters across the house. Pro-tip: Close the rooms that you’re not using, install thermal curtains on any bedrooms without an actual door, usually in hallways, and that will not only keep the rooms warmer, but also let you not have to run all the different heaters at the same time. Despite the learning curve, I honestly love this thing and plan to use this in the future moving forward. It’s my new best friend (and my cat would be pissed if I got rid of it haha). Five stars from me and Mr. Whiskers! — Cat Lawrence
Get it from Amazon now: $299.99 & FREE Returns
3. Amerlife - TV Stand with 36" Electric Fireplace
Highlight: Works as a TV stand and storage cabinet.
Helpful review: The price (which is quite high) is worth it, if you ask me. I put it together all by myself and I just can’t say enough good things about it. Whatever you do, once it’s up, make sure you clean it well! It was pretty dirty, so I def recommend you clean it before using it. That being said, it works awesome.
The glass of the fireplace does extend over the shelving and onto the sides. At first I thought they had given me the wrong size doors, but once you put the fireplace in, it somehow comes together nicely, and I love it. There are three color settings for the fire–purple, red, and blue. And I love how the LED light that hangs over the 2 drawers has about ten to fifteen settings. Not super bright, but it is what it is.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t buy this purely for the heat, so I haven’t tested out the heating part of the fireplace, I mainly just really like the crystal flames. Still, it does actually work, which is awesome. Keep in mind, the boxes are freaking heavy! The packaging was solid and didn't notice any real damage on the stuff when I opened it up. I’d really just recommend opening it by yourself, and if you’re unsure, you could probably use a dolly too. It also got delivered early which was surprising, and I appreciated that.
If you can request they get delivered to your door, I’d probably recommend that, as the packages are huge. Even so, I put it together by myself. The instructions are pretty clear, just make sure all the pieces are there before you get going.
UPDATE:
Over the winter, I finally tested out how the heating worked. I liked the two power levels, and the thermostat was a nice touch. It was super comfy and actually warmed me up really well. It didn’t heat the TV cables and it was nice that it looked pretty and actually served a purpose. Be careful about running it with too many things at once or you can trip a circuit, but other than that, I love it!
A FEW WORDS FROM A FRIEND:
The packages arrived early, with the fireplace in a separate box, and although there were some mishaps with delivery (apparently one piece got damaged and was going to be returned) I managed to contact the seller and found that they’d sent me an email before I even got through to him. They’re def on top of things! All I did was confirm my address for shipping and they sent a new one right over! Took a few days to get here, but man, it was worth the wait. So easy to put together by myself, customer service was awesome, and it actually heats up my house, which is why I wanted it. I also love how the lights and flames change color and how you can alter the heat to different settings too. There’s also a no heat setting if you just want it to look pretty, which I plan to use in the Fall! — Denver Veiro
Get it from Amazon now: $349.99 & FREE Returns