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Published October 25, 2026. Prices and specs checked October 18, 2026.
The best electric fireplace for most rooms is the Duraflame DFI-117-01-A23 stove at $219.99, listed for up to 1,000 square feet. The Real Flame Foster adds a mantel at $476.72, the Dimplex Multi-Fire XHD28L fits a built-in opening, and the Touchstone Sideline 50 mounts on a wall.
I’ve split and hauled enough wood for farmhouse stoves to know what a real fire asks of you. A plug-in fireplace asks for nothing but an outlet, and it gives back a lot less heat. That trade is worth making in a spare room or a den. As the main heat for a house, it falls short.
Quick picks by room
- Best value, stove: Duraflame DFI-117-01-A23 — $219.99, 1,500 W, 5,200 BTU
- Best with a mantel: Real Flame Foster 5020E-BK — $476.72, 1,400 W, 4,700 BTU
- Best for a wall: Touchstone Sideline 50 — $549.00, 1,500 W, 5,000 BTU
- Best built-in: Dimplex Multi-Fire XHD28L — $700.48, 1,465 W, 5,000 BTU
- Shortest warranty: Costway 25-inch iron stove — $252.95, 1,400 W, 3-month warranty
Electric Fireplace Comparison
Every one of these plugs into a standard 120 V outlet and runs the flame with or without the heater. They differ in shape, in how much room each maker says it heats, and in what you pay. The table uses the makers’ figures as their pages and the retailer listings print them, with prices read on October 18, 2026.
| Model | Type | Watts | BTU per hour | Heating area (maker) | Flame without heat | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duraflame DFI-117-01-A23 | Infrared stove | 1,500 W | 5,200 | 1,000 sq ft | Yes | 1 year | $219.99 at Home Depot |
| Costway 25-inch iron stove | Freestanding stove | 1,400 W | 4,777 | 700 sq ft | Yes | 3 months | $252.95 at Home Depot |
| Real Flame Foster 5020E-BK | Stove with mantel | 1,400 W | 4,700 | 1,000 sq ft | Yes | 1 year | $476.72 at Home Depot |
| Touchstone Sideline 50 (80004) | Wall-mount or recessed | 1,500 W | 5,000 | 400 sq ft | Yes | 1 year | $549.00 at Touchstone |
| Dimplex Multi-Fire XHD28L | Built-in firebox | 1,465 W | 5,000 | 1,000 sq ft | Yes | 1 year (owner’s manual); 2 years on electrical parts (data sheet) | $700.48 at Home Depot |
Look at the heating-area column against the watts. The Touchstone and the Duraflame both draw 1,500 W, yet one says 400 square feet and the other 1,000. At 3.412 BTU per watt, 1,500 W is 5,118 BTU an hour whichever box it comes in. The difference is the claim, not extra heat.
Electric Fireplace Heater Cost to Run
A heater costs what its watts cost. The U.S. Energy Information Administration puts the average residential price at 18.31 cents per kWh for July 2026 (Table 5.6.A). Cost per hour is kilowatts times $0.1831. The monthly columns assume the heat runs 30 days at the hours shown.
| Draw | Per hour | 4 hours a day, 30 days (120 hours) | 8 hours a day, 30 days (240 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 W (Duraflame, Touchstone) | 1.5 kW × $0.1831 = $0.27 | 180 kWh × $0.1831 = $32.96 | 360 kWh × $0.1831 = $65.92 |
| 1,465 W (Dimplex) | 1.465 kW × $0.1831 = $0.27 | 175.8 kWh × $0.1831 = $32.19 | 351.6 kWh × $0.1831 = $64.38 |
| 1,400 W (Real Flame, Costway) | 1.4 kW × $0.1831 = $0.26 | 168 kWh × $0.1831 = $30.76 | 336 kWh × $0.1831 = $61.52 |
None of these makers publishes a flame-only wattage, so the table prices the heater alone. Your own utility rate moves every row up or down.
Dimplex Multi-Fire XHD28L: Best Built-In Firebox
The XHD28L is a 28-inch firebox that sits in a framed opening or surround. Home Depot lists it at $700.48 and showed 158 available to ship to a store on October 18. It plugs into a 120 V outlet, and the flames run with the heater off.
Dimplex’s data sheet lists 1,465 W at 12.5 A and 5,000 BTU, and its sell sheet claims up to 1,000 square feet. The owner’s manual rates the heater at 1,500 W in a 32 °F room, falling to 1,350 W at 77 °F.
The manual says to plug the unit straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip. It gives a 12-month warranty, while the data sheet lists a 2-year limited warranty on electrical components, so ask Dimplex which applies before you buy. Skip it if you want something to set down in a room. It is a firebox, so it needs an opening built for it, and it is the priciest unit here.
Duraflame DFI-117-01-A23: Best Value Stove
This infrared stove is $219.99 at Home Depot, with 781 available on October 18. Home Depot lists 1,500 W at 12.5 A, 5,200 BTU, up to 1,000 square feet and a one-year warranty. It has five flame colors, a digital thermostat, a timer, automatic shut-off and a remote.
It stands 23 inches high and 19.5 inches wide, with a 14.6-inch-wide firebox, and the legs ship in the box. That small size is the point in a corner of a bedroom or office. Skip it if you want a mantel to set things on, or a unit that mounts flush in a wall.
Touchstone Sideline 50: Best Wall-Mount Electric Fireplace
The Sideline 50 (80004) is 50 inches wide with a front heat vent, so it can sit flush in a wall. Touchstone’s own store lists it at $549.00, marked down from $829.00. Lowe’s sells it for $576.45 and showed 281 available on October 18.
Lowe’s lists 1,500 W, 5,000 BTU and 400 square feet, and calls that supplemental warmth. You can plug it in or hardwire it at 120 V. It runs flame with heat, flame alone, or heat alone, has Wi-Fi control and a timer from 30 minutes to 7.5 hours. Touchstone includes a one-year warranty. Skip it if you want a freestanding unit, because it needs a wall opening or wall mounting.
Real Flame Foster 5020E-BK: Best Stove With a Mantel
The Foster is a 25-inch iron stove that comes with a mantel, a blower and a log set. It is $476.72 at Home Depot, with 21 available on October 18. Home Depot lists 1,400 W at 11.7 A, 4,700 BTU, up to 1,000 square feet and a one-year warranty.
A thermostat steps through 68, 77, 86 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. There is no remote control. Home Depot’s listing also contradicts itself on a timer, with the highlights saying none and the specifications table listing one, so confirm that before buying. Skip it if a remote matters to you.
Costway 25-Inch Iron Stove
This stove is $252.95 at Home Depot, marked down from $302.99, with 212 available on October 18. It lists 1,400 W at 11.67 A, 4,777 BTU and 700 square feet. The firebox has a three-sided flame view.
It weighs 35.5 pounds, measures 25 by 15 by 28.5 inches, and has a 67.5-inch cord. The warranty is three months, the shortest here by nine months. Skip it if you want long coverage; the Duraflame costs $33 less and comes with a year.
Do Electric Fireplaces Provide Heat?
Yes, when the heater is on. A plug-in electric fireplace is a space heater in a decorative case, and all five here list between 4,700 and 5,200 BTU an hour. The flame alone gives light and no warmth.
If warmth is the only goal, space heaters for small rooms give the same 1,500 W for less money, without the flame. A fireplace gets chosen for the look and the way a room gathers around it. Before paying for either, draft stoppers and weatherproofing are the cheaper first step for a room that loses heat at the doors and windows. In a closed-up farmhouse in winter the air gets dry, so humidifiers for dry winter air are worth a look too.
Are Electric Fireplace Heaters Safe?
They are heaters, so they need the same care as any heater. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and look for a UL or ETL listing on any heating product. Dimplex’s owner’s manual for the XHD28L says never to run it on an extension cord or power strip, which is a sound rule for any 1,500 W heater.
CPSC’s recall database lists none of these five models. It does list electric fireplaces recalled for fire hazards that Lowe’s sold: allen + roth 62-inch units in 2020 and Style Selections 42-inch units in 2023. Check a model against that database before you buy.
The math on circuits matters too. A 1,500 W heater draws 12.5 A (1,500 ÷ 120), most of a 15 A circuit, so keep other loads off it.
Can You Leave an Electric Fireplace On All Night?
Not with the heater running while you sleep. Treat a fireplace in heater mode like any other space heater, and turn the heat off at bedtime.
Use a timer if the unit has one. The Touchstone runs from 30 minutes to 7.5 hours, and Home Depot lists a timer on the Duraflame. Eight hours at 1,500 W is 12 kWh, or about $2.20 at the July 2026 average rate, so the bill is not the reason to turn it off.
Frequently Asked Questions About Electric Fireplaces
Do electric fireplaces use a lot of electricity?
They use what any 1,500 W heater uses. At the July 2026 average rate of 18.31 cents per kWh, that is about 27 cents an hour with the heat on. None of these makers publishes a flame-only draw.
Can you use an electric fireplace without heat?
Yes. Every listing for these five says the flame works with or without the heater. The Touchstone also runs heat without the flame, per Lowe’s.
Can you plug an electric fireplace into an extension cord?
No. Dimplex’s manual for the XHD28L says to plug straight into a wall outlet and never to use an extension cord or power strip. A 1,500 W heater draws 12.5 A, which is more than many household cords are built to carry.
Can an electric fireplace heat a room?
Treat it as supplemental. Lowe’s calls the Touchstone’s 5,000 BTU output supplemental warmth for rooms up to 400 square feet. The five units here draw 1,400 to 1,500 W, so the 1,000-square-foot claims on some boxes rest on the same heat output as the Touchstone’s 400.
Which Electric Fireplace Should You Buy?
I would start with the Duraflame DFI-117-01-A23 at $219.99. It has the lowest price, a one-year warranty and the thermostat, timer and remote most people want. If you want a mantel and no wall work, the Real Flame Foster at $476.72 is the one.
Pick the Touchstone Sideline 50 at $549.00 if you are building into a wall, and the Dimplex XHD28L at $700.48 if you already have an opening framed for a firebox. The Costway at $252.95 costs $33 more than the Duraflame and gives up nine months of warranty.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
