The 6 Best Electric Fireplace Heaters of 2021

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Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove at Wayfair

"This quartz fireplace stove gets high marks for its simple setup, attractive design, and small footprint."

Best Splurge:

Real Flame 56-inch Emerson Grand Electric Fireplace at Pottery Barn

"While significantly more expensive than other options, this mantle-style fireplace provides the most realistic look."

Best Faux Woodstove:

Real Flame Hollis Electric Fireplace at Pottery Barn

"This unit marries the convenience of an electric fireplace with the ambiance of a woodstove, complete with an optional flue."

Best Faux Wood:

Laurel Foundry Terrence Electric Fireplace at Wayfair

"More affordable than the real thing, this rustic wall mantel comes in four different finishes that will complement most decor."

Best Modern:

Lauderhill Wall-Mounted Electric Fireplace at Wayfair

"If you're short on space—or just want a more unconventional heat source that will turn heads—look no further than this modern option."

Best Budget:

Stylewell Freestanding Infrared Electric Fireplace at Home Depot

"Stylewell's affordable unit can heat up to 1,000 square feet of space, with a maximum of 5,115 BTUs of heat,"

Electric fireplace heaters offer aesthetics along with supplemental heat that can make any room more comfortable. Often styled like a traditional fireplace with a mantel or a wood stove, these functional heaters are a great option for living rooms, bedrooms, or anywhere that you’d like to add the flicker of a flame while enjoying variable heat.

Most electric fireplaces have heaters with 1,000 to 1,500 watts of power. You’ll also want to consider the BTU-rating of any model you’re considering, since that translates into how much heating power the unit has. Typically, you’ll find electric fireplace heaters have in the range of 4,000 to 5,000 BTU.

Here, the best electric fireplaces on the market.

Duraflame DFI-5010-01 Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove with 3D Flame Effect, Black

Excellent

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Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove Review

For a realistic and effective electric fireplace heater, this model with infrared heat is a popular pick. The Duraflame Infrared Electric Fireplace is equipped with a powerful 5,200 BTU infrared quartz heater. As a result, this electric fireplace heater radiates heat to people and objects in the room without sapping the room of its humidity.

A digital thermostat makes it easy to select the temperature setting that suits your needs; it’s adjustable from 62 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, in 2-degree increments. You can also turn the heater off altogether and enjoy the flames alone—which put on a great show. You can take your pick of five different finishes for the metal body of this heater: cream, navy, red, classic black, or chic gray.

The 6 Best Electric Fireplaces of 2021

Real Flame 56-inch Emerson Grand Electric Fireplace

Buy on Pottery Barn

The Emerson Grand electric fireplace is a stately option from Real Flame and includes quality features like a hardwood veneer mantel and a heater capable of producing up to 5,000 BTU. The heater can be adjusted from 72 degrees to 99 degrees Fahrenheit and is rated to warm spaces up to 1,000 square feet in size. Though it’s a spendy option for an electric fireplace, it stands out for its quality of materials and heating ability. You’ll be able to enjoy this fireplace heater all year long, since the heater function can easily be turned off to enjoy a flame-only ambiance in warmer months.

You can opt for an English oak veneer or a rustic white finish. While this electric fireplace features a traditional mantle, it does have a limited weight capacity of 30 pounds and isn’t intended for double duty as a television stand.

Buy on Pottery Barn

For the look of a wood stove with the convenience of an electric fireplace, check out the Hollis Electric Fireplace. This faux wood stove puts off 4,780 BTU of heat and has adjustable thermostat settings from 71 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Just like a real wood stove, you’ll enjoy the ambiance of the flames, but with the added benefit of selecting from six different flame colors.

An optional flue gives you the chance to create an authentic look for this faux wood stove, but you can also choose to skip it for simpler installation. The powder-coated steel body is available in both black and white finishes, and each is finished with a glass front and top heater vent to give your space a warm ambiance all year long.

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For a faux wood electric fireplace with multiple finishes to choose from and a trendy shiplap finish, check out this model. The Terrence electric fireplace comes in oak, gray, weathered white, and charcoal finishes. No matter which look you choose, you’ll have the choice of using either fire glass beads or a traditional log and ember set, since both are included.

This faux wood fireplace heater is relatively easy to assemble, so you can quickly get around to appreciating the cozy aesthetic it offers. The 23-inch fireplace insert features a top-mounted blower. You can switch the heater and flame functions on or off separately, making it easy to adjust for different seasons—but it lacks flame adjustability or thermostat settings. The heater has 4,600 BTU and can heat rooms 400 square feet or less in size.

Buy on Wayfair

Turn heads while turning up the heat with this modern electric fireplace. Available in white, black, stainless steel, and mirror finishes, this wall-mounted electric fireplace is a sleek and stylish way to add warm air and ambiance to any room in your house.

This fireplace heater has an impressive 5,118 BTU heater and can comfortably warm spaces up to 400 square feet in size. No hardwiring is need, but you will need to mount it to the wall. You have the choice of going for a totally modern look by using the included glass fire beads or picking the more traditional faux wood logs.

Albury 31 in. Freestanding Compact Infrared Electric Fireplace

Buy on Home Depot

If you’re looking for an affordable source of supplemental heat, check out this compact but powerful electric fireplace heater. The StyleWell Albury fireplace heater stands just under 3 feet high but uses a quartz infrared heater to crank out up to 5,115 BTUs. This budget electric fireplace heater includes adjustable controls for both the flame intensity and the thermometer, so you can get the settings just right.

The heater on this model offers 1,350 watts, which is less than some other electric fireplaces on the market, but still plenty to warm up a cold room. With the ability to heat up to 1,000 square feet of space, this model of electric fireplace heater can be used in living rooms, bedrooms, basements, and more. In addition, the heater has wheels that make it easy to move from room to room.

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What to Look for in an Electric Fireplace Heater

Heating capacity While electric fireplace heaters shouldn’t be your primary source of heat, they can provide an impressive amount of supplementary heat in your home. If you want to use your fireplace heater to warm part of your house, consider its recommended heating capacity. Most units clearly state what size room they’re designed to be placed in.

Style Fireplace heaters come in a wide variety of styles, from sleek, modern, wall-mounted units to rustic, wood stove-inspired models. You’ll want to consider your decor and how the heater will fit into the room as you shop.

Safety features Electric heaters are a common cause of house fires, which is why it’s important to find a product that has built-in safety features. Look for a model that automatically shuts off if it overheats, and if you have young children or pets, you may want a product that stays cool to the touch.