Comparison · brands
Which brand of electric fireplace is best?
There is no single best brand, and anyone who says otherwise has not looked. There are brands that are clearly best for specific purchases, and that is a more useful question.
By Scooter M.Published September 2, 2026Last reviewed September 2, 2026
Disclosure: the buy links below are affiliate links. We earn a commission on Amazon purchases at no extra cost to you. It has never changed a ranking on this site, and every roundup here names a unit we think you should skip. How this site is funded.
Why 'best brand' is the wrong question
Because these companies are not competing on the same thing. Dimplex owns the best flame technology. Touchstone makes the deepest range of linear units. Duraflame owns the drop-in firebox segment. R.W.FLAME engineers for wall depth. Walker Edison makes furniture. Ask which purchase you are making, and the brand answers itself.
What each brand actually specializes in
| Brand | Specializes in | Publishes | Buy when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimplex | Water-vapor and screen flame technology | Full electrical specs; explicit that mist flame gives no heat | Flame realism is the priority and heat is not |
| Touchstone | Linear wall units, 36 to 84 in, three quality tiers | Range and sizes; less granular numeric detail on collection pages | You want a linear unit from a fireplace specialist |
| Duraflame | Log sets, inserts and stoves for existing openings | Good — manuals give voltage and amperage, listings give BTU | You have a firebox and a budget |
| R.W.FLAME | Thin recessed units, 3.86 in deep, 30 to 68 in | The most complete electrical spec at its price tier | You are recessing into a standard 2x4 wall |
| Walker Edison | Fireplace TV consoles and media furniture | Excellent furniture data; no heater wattage at all | You are buying furniture that happens to glow |
| TURBRO | Feature-rich units below specialist pricing | Varies by model — check wattage per unit | You want infrared or app control at a mid price |
What publishing tells you about a brand
We have started treating specification transparency as a brand-level signal, because it turns out to correlate with everything else. R.W.FLAME publishes wattage, voltage, BTU, depth and coverage on a mass-market product page. Duraflame puts voltage and amperage in the manual. Dimplex is explicit that its mist flame produces no heat — which is an actively unflattering fact and they publish it anyway.
Walker Edison publishes none of it. That is not dishonest — it is a furniture company describing furniture — but it does mean you cannot plan a heating decision around their products, and it means anyone quoting you a precise BTU figure for a Walker Edison console got it somewhere other than the manufacturer.
One representative unit per brand
Ranked. The running cost column is computed from each unit's rated wattage, not quoted from a manufacturer. Tap a row for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Cost per hour | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Touchstone The Sideline 50A company whose entire catalog is fireplaces, with a range from 36 to 84 inches. The specialist choice for a linear unit. | Touchstone — linear wall units | 27.5¢1,500 W · 5,118 BTU | |
| 2 | Dimplex Opti-Myst Revive 25" Water Vapor FireplaceThe company that patented ultrasonic mist flame. If flame realism is the priority, this is the brand that has the technology nobody else does. | Dimplex — flame technology | No heaterflame effect only | |
| 3 | Duraflame DFI030ARU 20" Infrared Electric Fireplace Log SetThe volume brand for filling an existing firebox, with the widest availability and the clearest published specs at the price. | Duraflame — inserts and log sets | 27.5¢1,500 W · 5,118 BTU | |
| 4 | R.W.FLAME 36" Ultra-Thin Recessed & Wall-Mount FireplaceThe published 3.86-inch depth across an entire range from 30 to 68 inches. A specific engineering answer to a specific problem. | R.W.FLAME — thin recessed units | 27.5¢1,500 W · 5,118 BTU | |
| 5 | Walker Edison Reema 70" Reeded TV Stand with FireplaceA furniture company that makes consoles. Excellent furniture specifications, and no published heater wattage at all. | Walker Edison — furniture, with a fire in it | 27.5¢1,500 W · 5,118 BTU | |
| — | TURBRO In-Flame INF36-W 36" Wall-Mounted FireplaceGood feature-to-price ratio across the range, but this specific unit is 1,400 W where the class standard is 1,500.Skip this one | TURBRO — features per dollar, with a caveat | 25.7¢1,400 W · 4,777 BTU |
#ad Buy links are affiliate links — we earn a commission on Amazon purchases at no extra cost to you, and it never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Running cost is computed at 18.34¢/kWh; see what these actually cost to run.
The thing no brand can differentiate on
| Usage | Hours | Heat on (1,500 W) | Flame only (~100 W) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One evening | 4 | $1.10 | $0.07 |
| A week of evenings | 28 | $7.70 | $0.51 |
| A month, 4 hrs a night | 120 | $33.01 | $2.20 |
| A 90-day winter, 4 hrs a night | 360 | $99.04 | $6.60 |
| Per hour | 1 | 27.5¢ | 1.8¢ |
Heat. Every one of these brands is capped at the same 1,500 W by the same circuit, producing the same roughly 5,118 BTU/hr at the same 27.5 cents an hour. A brand cannot sell you more warmth than another brand. What it can sell you is a better flame, a better housing, a thinner unit, a longer warranty and a specification sheet you can actually plan from.
#1 · Touchstone — linear wall units
Touchstone The Sideline 50
A company whose entire catalog is fireplaces, with a range from 36 to 84 inches. The specialist choice for a linear unit.
Touchstone makes fireplaces and nothing else, and its Sideline range spans 36, 42, 45, 50, 60, 65, 72 and 84 inches with Elite and Elite Pro tiers above the base models. That kind of range depth only exists at a specialist.
The Sideline 50 is the volume model and the reference point most linear units get compared against.
The trade-off is that Touchstone publishes less granular numeric specification on its collection pages than mass-market retailer listings do. Confirm dimensions with the brand before you cut anything.
What it does not do: Recessing needs a framed cavity. Surface-mounting it works but leaves the unit standing proud of the wall, which reads very differently in a small room.
Published specs
- Width:
- 50 in
- Form:
- Recessed or wall-mounted linear unit
- Line:
- The volume seller of the Sideline range
What it costs to run
- 27.5¢/hr on full heat
- $99.04 across a 90-day winter at 4 hrs a night
- 5,118 BTU/hr · 12.5 A on a 120 V circuit
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh (EIA, June 2026). Your rate will differ — work out your own.
#ad We earn a commission on this link at no cost to you. How this is funded. Price shown on the retailer's page.
Specs from: Touchstone electric fireplaces collection — The Sideline 50.
#2 · Dimplex — flame technology
Dimplex Opti-Myst Revive 25" Water Vapor Fireplace
The company that patented ultrasonic mist flame. If flame realism is the priority, this is the brand that has the technology nobody else does.
Dimplex holds the Opti-Myst patents, and ultrasonic water-vapor flame remains the only mechanism in the category that produces a flame with real three-dimensional volume. Everything else is a lit surface.
Dimplex publishes 120 V and 1,250 W for the Revive 25, hardwired or on a compatible cord, and is explicit that the flame effect produces no heat and is cool to the touch.
Premium pricing, and largely sold through hearth dealers rather than Amazon. For flame realism, there is no equivalent.
What it does not do: No heat from the flame effect at all, and it needs a water reservoir refilled. If you want warmth, this is the wrong product and no amount of enthusiasm changes that.
Published specs
- Electrical:
- 120 V, 1,250 W
- Width:
- 25 in
- Flame:
- Ultrasonic water mist from ordinary tap water, lit by LEDs
- Heat:
- The flame effect produces NO heat. Heaters are a separate option on some models
- Install:
- Hardwired, or a compatible 120 V power cord
What it costs to run
No heater. The flame effect alone draws far less than a heating unit — see what these cost to run.
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh (EIA, June 2026). Your rate will differ — work out your own.
#ad Dimplex is not a program we have joined, so we earn nothing here. How this is funded. Price shown on the retailer's page.
Specs from: Dimplex Optimyst water vapor fireplaces — how the mist flame works; Dimplex Opti-Myst Revive 25 in — 120 V, 1,250 W.
#3 · Duraflame — inserts and log sets
Duraflame DFI030ARU 20" Infrared Electric Fireplace Log Set
The volume brand for filling an existing firebox, with the widest availability and the clearest published specs at the price.
Duraflame's electric range is built around the drop-in problem: log sets and stoves that go into an opening you already have, at prices well below the specialist brands.
It is also the brand with the best-documented specifications at the entry tier. The DFI-5010 manual gives 120 V and 12.5 A; the retailer listings give 5,200 BTU/hr; the log sets carry stated supplemental ratings of 400 and 1,000 square feet.
What it does not make is a premium linear unit. Different problem, different brand.
What it does not do: The 1,000 sq ft figure is the manufacturer's supplemental-heat rating, not a claim that it will hold temperature in a 1,000 sq ft room. See our BTU page for what the wattage actually buys.
Published specs
- Heater:
- Infrared quartz, rated by the manufacturer for up to 1,000 sq ft
- Width:
- 20 in
- Form:
- Drop-in log set for an existing firebox
- Flame:
- LED with resin cast logs and glowing embers
- Control:
- Remote with adjustable thermostat
What it costs to run
- 27.5¢/hr on full heat
- $99.04 across a 90-day winter at 4 hrs a night
- 5,118 BTU/hr · 12.5 A on a 120 V circuit
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh (EIA, June 2026). Your rate will differ — work out your own.
#ad We earn a commission on this link at no cost to you. How this is funded. Price shown on the retailer's page.
Specs from: Duraflame DFI030ARU listing — infrared, 1,000 sq ft rating; Bed Bath & Beyond product page — 20 in infrared log set.
#4 · R.W.FLAME — thin recessed units
R.W.FLAME 36" Ultra-Thin Recessed & Wall-Mount Fireplace
The published 3.86-inch depth across an entire range from 30 to 68 inches. A specific engineering answer to a specific problem.
The 3.86-inch figure is not incidental. A standard 2x4 wall gives about 3.5 inches of cavity, and R.W.FLAME has built its whole recessed range to sit in that with almost nothing proud.
750/1500 W at 120 V, 5,100 BTU/hr, 400 square feet supplemental, and 12 flame and 12 ember-bed colors with five brightness and five speed settings.
It is also the brand on this page that publishes the most complete electrical specification at its price point, which we value more than a longer feature list.
What it does not do: No mantel, no surround and no trim for a masonry opening. Recessing it means cutting drywall and, in most homes, running a receptacle inside the cavity.
Published specs
- Heater:
- 750 W low / 1,500 W high
- Electrical:
- 120 V
- Heat output:
- 5,100 BTU/hr (manufacturer figure)
- Depth:
- 3.86 in — thin enough for a 2x4 stud bay
- Coverage:
- Rated by the manufacturer for up to 400 sq ft
- Flame:
- 12 flame colors, 12 ember-bed colors, 5 brightness levels, 5 speeds
- Sizes in the line:
- 30, 36, 42, 50, 60 and 68 in
What it costs to run
- 27.5¢/hr on full heat
- $99.04 across a 90-day winter at 4 hrs a night
- 5,118 BTU/hr · 12.5 A on a 120 V circuit
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh (EIA, June 2026). Your rate will differ — work out your own.
#ad R.W.FLAME is not a program we have joined, so we earn nothing here. How this is funded. Price shown on the retailer's page.
Specs from: R.W.FLAME recessed/wall-mount product page — full specifications.
#5 · Walker Edison — furniture, with a fire in it
Walker Edison Reema 70" Reeded TV Stand with Fireplace
A furniture company that makes consoles. Excellent furniture specifications, and no published heater wattage at all.
Walker Edison is the largest name in the fireplace-console shape and it is a furniture business. The product pages reflect that: 70 by 23.75 by 15.75 inches, 126 pounds, TVs up to 80 inches, an 18-inch insert with a remote.
What is not on the page is a wattage, a BTU figure or an amperage. We checked. For furniture that is unremarkable; for a heating appliance it is a real gap, and it is why we will not quote you a number for these.
Buy Walker Edison for the cabinet. Do not buy it expecting documented heat performance.
What it does not do: Walker Edison does not publish a wattage or BTU figure for the insert on the product page. We asked the page and it is not there — so we do not quote one, and neither should anyone else.
Published specs
- Dimensions:
- 70 in L x 23.75 in H x 15.75 in W
- Weight:
- 126 lb
- Max TV:
- Up to 80 in
- Insert:
- 18 in freestanding fireplace insert with remote
- Heat:
- Runs with or without heat
What it costs to run
- 27.5¢/hr on full heat
- $99.04 across a 90-day winter at 4 hrs a night
- 5,118 BTU/hr · 12.5 A on a 120 V circuit
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh (EIA, June 2026). Your rate will differ — work out your own.
#ad We earn a commission on this link at no cost to you. How this is funded. Price shown on the retailer's page.
Specs from: Walker Edison Reema 70 product page — dimensions, TV size, 18 in insert.
Skip this one
TURBRO In-Flame INF36-W 36" Wall-Mounted Fireplace
Good feature-to-price ratio across the range, but this specific unit is 1,400 W where the class standard is 1,500.
TURBRO puts WiFi, app control, crackle speakers and infrared quartz into units priced below the specialists, and the 60-inch In-Flame is a genuinely well-featured product at its price.
The 36-inch INF36-W is the one to flag: Home Depot lists it at 1,400 W and 4,780 BTU/hr, where every other unit in this catalog is 1,500 W and about 5,118. It is a 7% shortfall on the one specification the entire category shares.
That is a brand-level note worth carrying: check the wattage on TURBRO units individually rather than assuming the class standard. The 60-inch model publishes the full 1,500 W.
What it does not do: It is 1,400 W, not 1,500 W. That is 100 W less than the class ceiling — a real difference of about 340 BTU/hr, and the only unit in this catalog where the number is not the usual maximum.
Published specs
- Heater:
- 1,400 W convective
- Heat output:
- 4,780 BTU/hr
- Width:
- 36 in
- Mounting:
- Wall-mounted, with an optional standing base
- Control:
- Thermostat, timer, remote
What it costs to run
- 25.7¢/hr on full heat
- $92.43 across a 90-day winter at 4 hrs a night
- 4,777 BTU/hr · 11.7 A on a 120 V circuit
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh (EIA, June 2026). Your rate will differ — work out your own.
#ad We earn a commission on this link at no cost to you. How this is funded. Price shown on the retailer's page.
Specs from: Home Depot product page — TURBRO INF36-W, 4,780 BTU; TURBRO 36 in wall-mounted fireplace listing — 1,400 W heater.
Questions people actually ask
Which brand of electric fireplace is the best?
There is no single answer, because these brands specialize in different things. Dimplex for flame technology, Touchstone for linear wall units, Duraflame for existing fireboxes, R.W.FLAME for thin recessed installs, Walker Edison for furniture. Decide the purchase first.
Is Dimplex worth the money?
If flame realism is your priority, yes — Opti-Myst is the only mechanism producing a flame with real three-dimensional volume, and no competitor has an equivalent. If you want heat, no: Dimplex is explicit that the mist flame effect produces no heat at all.
Are cheaper brands worse?
Not on heat — every plug-in unit at every price is 1,500 W and about 5,118 BTU/hr. On flame quality, housing and specification transparency there are real differences, and those are what the money buys.
Which brand has the best warranty?
Warranty terms vary widely and change, so we point you at the manufacturer's own current terms rather than publishing a figure that may be out of date. It is one of the few genuine differentiators at the premium end and worth checking before you buy.
Sources
Every figure on this page is either taken from one of these documents or computed from a formula shown on the page. Nothing here is recalled from memory.
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3 — US residential average, June 2026
- Dimplex Optimyst water vapor fireplaces — ultrasonic mist and LED mechanism
- Dimplex Opti-Myst Revive 25 in — 120 V, 1,250 W
- Touchstone Home Products — electric fireplace range and sizes
- Duraflame DFI-5010 user manual — 120 V, 12.5 A
- R.W.FLAME recessed / wall-mount range — 3.86 in depth, 750/1500 W, 5,100 BTU
- Walker Edison Reema 70 — dimensions, max TV size, 18 in insert
- Home Depot — TURBRO INF36-W, 1,400 W, 4,780 BTU
Read next
- Electric vs gas fireplace
Install cost, running cost, heat, realism and venting — with an honest account of where gas wins.
- Flame technology explained
The four flame mechanisms, how each physically works, and the exact conditions where each one gives itself away.
- The electric fireplace buying guide
Five decisions in order, the specs that matter, and the four that do not differ between units at all.
- The best electric fireplaces for heat
They all draw 1,500 W. Ranked instead by heat placement and heater type — and the one that is 100 W short.