The 8 Best Electric Fireplace Heaters to Buy in 2019

Instantly warm up a room with these clever gadgets

By Camryn Rabideau

Updated 01/15/19

Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace
Courtesy of Amazon.
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Duraflame Infrared Quartz Stove at Amazon

“It will warm up your home and provide the ambiance of a real fire.”

Runner Up, Best Overall: Duraflame DFS-450-2 Carleton at Amazon

“An effective space heater with the appearance of an antique stove.”

Best High-End: Lifesmart Easy Large Room Infrared at Amazon

“This high-end fireplace heater instantly upgrades your home”

Best Faux Woodstove: Hampton Bay Legion Panoramic Stove at Home Depot

“A charming addition to your rustic decor.”

Best Mini Heater: PuraFlame Clara 9" Portable Heater at Amazon

“The features of a full-size model at a significantly lower price.”

Best TV Console: Ameriwood Home Chicago Fireplace at Amazon

“An electric fireplace heater built into a sleek TV console.”

Best Wall-Mounted: Best Choice Products Electric at Amazon

“An energy-efficient way to supplement the heat in your home.”

Best Budget: AKDY Retro-Style Floor Electric Fireplace at Amazon

“A steal by any standards.”

  • 01 of 08

    Best Overall: Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove

    Excellent

    The Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove is a durable, portable electric fireplace heater that will warm up your home and provide the ambiance of a real fire. The Fireplace Stove is available in several colors to match your decor, but the standard black model is by far the best value.

    The Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove is 24" and 23" high and has a sturdy metal frame, as well as side viewing windows and a glass door that you can actually open. This product uses 3D flame effect technology to create a realistic-looking fire with several brightness settings. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the stove can warm spaces up to 1,000 square feet, and since it uses infrared heat, it maintains the room’s natural humidity — that means no harsh, dry air! What’s even better, the Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove doesn’t get hot to the touch like a real fireplace, so it’s completely safe for kids and pets to be around it.

    You can control this electric fireplace stove with its included remote or put it on an automatic timer. Overall, the Duraflame Fireplace Stove is a great value, as it’s not only aesthetically appealing but highly functional in large spaces.

  • 02 of 08

    Runner Up, Best Overall: Duraflame DFS-450-2 Carleton Electric Stove with Heater

    Excellent

    While it doesn’t have any color options or glass windows, the Duraflame DFS-450-2 Carleton Electric Stove is an effective space heater with the appearance of a charming antique stove. This portable fireplace heater is somewhat of a no-frills option, but at its price point it's a great value for a high-quality product.

    The Duraflame DFS-450-2 Carleton Electric Stove’s exterior is made of plastic, but it resembles an old-fashioned wood stove, complete with a “picture window” on the front. The stove, which is 16" wide and around 20" high, has a glowing ember log and faux flames, creating a cozy ambiance in your home. The Carleton Electric Stove can provide supplemental heat for rooms up to 400 square feet, but you can also use it solely for the fire effect.

    This electric fireplace heater stays cool to the touch, so you don’t have to worry about your kids or pets playing near it, and it also has overheat protection, automatically shutting itself off if the temperature gets too high. Though it has fewer bells and whistles than other models, the Duraflame DFS-450-2 Carleton Electric Stove is an affordable space heater that will warm up your house and look charming in the process.

  • 03 of 08

    Best High-End: Lifesmart Easy Large Room Infrared Fireplace

    Excellent

    This electric heater is so lifelike that it could probably pass as a real fireplace. The Lifesmart Easy Large Room Infrared Fireplace is a high-end electric fireplace heater designed to warm up large rooms with infrared technology.

    If you want a faux fireplace in your home, the Lifesmart Easy Large Room Infrared Fireplace is a great option. The heater is more than 25" tall and 31" wide, and it includes a gorgeous mantle made from oak. The fireplace includes realistic embers and “dancing” flames to give off the ambiance of a real fire, and its infrared heating technology is designed to warm up large rooms with less energy. The Lifesmart Fireplace even includes a remote control that lets you adjust the heater from across the room — perfect for use in bedrooms or living rooms.

    This high-end fireplace heater instantly upgrades your home with its realistic appearance and impressive warming capabilities. However, it’s a fair bit more expensive than many other products and features similar heat output.

  • 04 of 08

    Best Faux Woodstove: Hampton Bay Legion Panoramic Infrared Electric Stove

    Courtesy of Home Depot.

    The highly-rated Hampton Bay Legion 1,000 sq. ft. Panoramic Infrared Electric Stove looks incredibly similar to a real wood stove, making it a charming addition to your rustic or old-world decor. This electric space heater boasts glass panels on three sides, allowing you to view its fake flames from every part of the room.

    The Legion Panoramic Infrared Electric Stove is 23" tall and 20" wide, and the front features two operable glass doors that give it the look of a real stove and allow you to view the fake bed of embers and flames. The product includes a fan-forced air heater that can provide supplemental heat for rooms up to 1,000 feet, and the adjustable thermostat allows you to pick the perfect temperature for your home.

    This electric fireplace heater is easy to assemble, and it’s earned many favorable reviews thanks to its charming appearance, effective heating capabilities and reasonable price tag. You really can’t go wrong with the Hampton Bay Legion 1,000 sq. ft. Panoramic Infrared Electric Stove.  

    Continue to 5 of 8 below.
  • 05 of 08

    Best Mini Heater: PuraFlame Clara 9" Mini Portable Electric Stove Heater

    The PuraFlame Clara 9" Mini Portable Electric Stove Heater is significantly smaller than many other heaters, making it a good option for small spaces. This affordable product, which is just 12", comes in three colors and is easy to move around your home as needed.

    This mini fireplace heater has all the features of a full-size model at a significantly lower price. The PuraFlame Clara 9" Mini Portable Electric Stove Heater measures 12" high and 9" wide, and it can provide supplemental heat for a space up to 400 square feet. The heater has an adjustable thermostat, as well as a LED-lit fake fire for you to enjoy. Because this electric fireplace is so compact, it’s easy to move from room-to-room as needed, and it even has a handle for easy transport.

    As for safety features, the PuraFlame Mini Portable Electric Stove Heater has both tip-over and overheating protections to keep your home safe. Overall, this compact heater is a reasonably priced option for heating smaller rooms.

  • 06 of 08

    Best TV Console: Ameriwood Home Chicago Fireplace TV Console

    The Ameriwood Home Chicago Fireplace TV Console features an electric fireplace heater built into a sleek TV console, making it easy to incorporate the heater into your living room or bedroom. This product can heat spaces up to 400 square feet, and it can support a flat screen TV up to 50 inches.

    This electric fireplace is part of a beautiful TV console in a dark espresso finish. The console is 31" high and 47" wide, with several storage spaces, including two glass doors. It’s perfect for displaying your TV and its various accessories, and the built-in fireplace heater will lend a welcoming ambiance to the room. The fireplace is powered by an LED light that lasts up to 50,000 hours, and its heating unit can provide supplemental warmth to a medium-sized room.

    There is some assembly required for this TV console, but once you’ve put it together, you’ll have a stunning piece of furniture that’s highly functional. The Ameriwood Home Chicago Fireplace TV Console is a solid purchase if you want to seamlessly integrate an electric fireplace heater into your room’s decor.

  • 07 of 08

    Best Wall-Mounted: Best Choice Products Electric Wall Mount Fireplace Heater

    For a sleek, modern electric fireplace heater, you should look into the Best Choice Products Large 1500W Heat Adjustable Electric Wall Mount & Free Standing Fireplace Heater. This product boasts a simple, elegant exterior, and it can even be mounted on your wall to create the look of a built-in fireplace.

    The Best Choice Products Fireplace Heater is 35" wide and 22" tall with a tempered glass front, and it can either stand on its own or be mounted to the wall. The heater has two heat settings, which can be controlled with its remote, and is an energy-efficient way to supplement the heat in your home. Plus, the product uses 3D flame technology to emulate a real fire without putting off any emissions.

    If you’re looking for a versatile electric fireplace heater that can be mounted on the wall, the Best Choice Products Large 1500W Heat Adjustable Electric Wall Mount & Free Standing Fireplace Heater is an attractive modern option that’s available at a surprisingly affordable price.

  • 08 of 08

    Best Budget: AKDY Retro-Style Floor Electric Stove Heater Fireplace

    If you’re looking for extra warmth on a budget, you should consider the AKDY 16" Retro-Style Floor Freestanding Vintage Electric Stove Heater Fireplace, which is a steal by any standards. This freestanding electric fireplace has a classic stove appearance, and you can even adjust the brightness of its fake flames for a personalized ambiance.

    This electric heater, which measures 21 inches tall and 16 inches wide, has a plain exterior and features a working glass door that lets you look in on its fake wood log and flames. There are two heat settings available, and though the manufacturer doesn’t specify what size room it will heat, it would likely be sufficient for 400 to 500 square feet based on its 5,200 BTU.

    With its simple retro appearance, adjustable brightness and various heat settings, the AKDY 16" Retro-Style Floor Freestanding Vintage Electric Stove Heater Fireplace is a great value for its low price. Many reviewers mention that it is smaller than they expected, however, so break out a measuring tape before you buy.

Products Tested by

How We Tested

We bought three top-rated electric fireplace heaters that our reviewers tested for over 100 hours. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these fireplaces, from their heating capacity to their safety features. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.

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.

Test Results: Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove (Best Overall)

Excellent

What We Like

  • Great ambience

  • Heats room

  • Good value

What We Don't Like

  • Difficult to adjust temperature settings

Our testers loved how much this product looks and feels like a real fireplace. In addition to providing heat, the “fake flame really adds ambience to the room,” according to one of our reviewers. One of our testers gushed, “It has really brightened up our living room and it adds cheer to our apartment during fall and winter.” The only negatives mentioned were not being able to control the temperature from the remote and not having a way to turn down the heat without scrolling up through all the available temperatures. However, that didn’t take away from the general consensus: “This product is well worth the cost,” one of our testers declared.

Test Results: Duraflame DFS-450-2 Carleton Electric Stove with Heater (Runner-Up, Best Overall)

Excellent

What We Like

  • Heats quickly

  • Quiet

  • Automatic shut-off feature

What We Don't Like

  • Heavy

  • Antiquated design

This product came highly recommended by our reviewers for anyone looking for a supplemental source of heat in a charming design. Our testers loved how quickly it warmed up a large room and the fact that it only emitted a subtle sound. “In fact, I found the ambient noise comforting, especially when going to sleep, and it adds to the heater’s overall cozy ambience,” explained one of our reviewers. The unit is on the heavier side, though, so one of our testers warned it’s not a convenient choice if you’re looking to move it from room to room. Another plus? Our reviewers liked the safety features, including an automatic shut-off if it tips over or senses overheating. Finally, while one of our testers felt some would deem the “old-fashioned” style not worthy of the price tag, if you appreciate more of a retro feel, this model is the perfect pick.

Test Results: Lifesmart Easy Large Room Infrared Fireplace (Best High End)

Excellent

What We Like

  • Provides good heat

  • Convenient remote

  • Rolls easily

What We Don't Like

  • Loud fan

  • No color options

Our testers found this electric fireplace heater to be both convenient and aesthetically pleasing. In addition to “realistic and beautiful flames” and a remote control that “provides quick and easy functions so you don't have to get up from the couch,” one of our reviewers liked that it can simply be rolled from room to room. Our testers did wish for more color choices so you could match the unit to the decor of your home. The takeaway? “[It’s] definitely worth buying if you want a heater that can quickly provide heat to a medium- to large-sized room,” one of our reviewers advised.