Living in New England, having a fireplace is practically a must-havenot just for the warmth it brings during the bitter winters, but also for how cozy they are. However, were one of the unlucky ones. Living in an apartment, we dont have the privilege of having a cute fireplace to cozy up to. On one hand, its convenient to not have to buy or chop wood for the winter, but on the other, I feel like we miss out on the quintessential aesthetic of living in the Northeast. Thats why I was so excited to test and review the Duraflame electric fireplace.
What is the Duraflame electric fireplace?
The Duraflame electric fireplace is meant to provide warmth and ambience to any space in your home. While its not a huge roaring fireplace thatll warm up our entire apartment, this unit is an adorably compact fireplace stove. It stands at around 2 feet tall, making it ideal for small spaces. The 3D flames inside create a comforting atmosphere, appearing exactly like real fire without the smoke or labor to build your own fire while preparing for winter.
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Duraflame Electric Fireplace
Add heat and a cozy ambience to your space with an easy-to-use electric fireplace.
Duraflame Electric Fireplace Features
The Duraflame electric fireplace includes a 5,200 British thermal unit (BTU)- heater to provide supplemental zone heating for up to 1,000 square feet to help you save money on your heating bills. Since we have a boiler that heats with oil in our home, this helps us from using too much oil on the colder days. The infrared quartz heat helps keep more natural humidity in the air, for comfortable heat without drying out the rooms air. Plus, this fireplace is available in eight colors to match your room’s decor.
The flame effect operates with or without heat, for the ambience of a gentle rolling fire all year long. However, if you do want heat, the Duraflame electric fireplace has an adjustable digital thermostat that allows you to decide the temperature of your room with the click of a button on the included remote. The remote also has an electronic timer function to automatically shut off the fireplace from 30 minutes up to nine hours.
How We Tested It
The best electric fireplaces are pretty simple products with minimal functions. Its purpose is to do two things: create a cozy environment and/or heat up a space in your home. With this in mind, I focused my testing metrics on a few key factors.
Assembly
Conveniently, assembly for the Duraflame electric fireplace was incredibly simple. The only tool required was a Philips head screwdriver to screw the legs onto the stove. Everything else came preassembled, so the entire process took about five minutes or less. The remote control came with the AAA batteries needed, which saved us from having to buy some or take some from another piece of electronic in the home.
Size
The Duraflame electric fireplace stands just slightly under 2 feet. This means that is quite small and compact. Its great if you have a small space, but will look a bit out of place if your room is quite large. I do wish it was slightly bigger or even taller with the option to use the top as a surface, like an end table or for decorations.
Aesthetics
Our home is in the midst of some home renovations, which has affected my ability to feel cozy in my own space. When we got the fireplace, it immediately turned our living room into a comfortable and welcoming place for me to relax, read a book or watch TV. While its definitely quite small and doesnt have the same impact a large fireplace would, it still provides a comforting aesthetic thats much appreciated in the winter.
The visual of the fireplace moving adds a realistic element and even the sound of the heater running provides white noise to an otherwise quiet space. The only thing I would have loved is the sound of crackling fire for a more realistic feeling.
Heating
One of the features I thought was most important to test and review is the heating capabilities of the electric fireplace. With an impressive 5,200 BTUs, I was curious how well it would heat up the main level in the apartment. Turning on the heat function is incredibly easy. Theres a specific button on the remote that turns on the heat, however, there’s also a control panel available in the bottom right corner of the fireplace that also displays the temperature of the heat.
The stove contains a fan-forced infrared element heater. The thermostat setting ranges from 62 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The button on the remote will only turn the heater on or off to whatever thermostat temperature set. If you want to make it warmer, you have to manually change it on the control panel.
Recently, we ran out of oil in the tank that heats up the house and the oil company wasnt going to arrive until the next day. This was the perfect opportunity to test the heating capabilities of the Duraflame electric fireplaceand it did not disappoint. After setting the thermostat to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, we started to feel the effect within 30 minutes. The living room and dining room became significantly warmer. In fact, at one point I had to start stripping off some of the throw blankets I covered myself with because it became too warm in our space. Luckily, the timer has options to set it for 30 minutes all the way up to nine hours.
Pros
- Heats up to 1,000 square feet of space
- Offers an impressive 5,200 BTUs
- Convenient remote included
- 3D flames add ambience
- Compact size and easy to move
- Easy to assemble
- Only weighs 28.6 pounds
Cons
- A bit short, standing at 2 feet tall
- Remote cant change temperature
FAQ
Do electric fireplaces take a lot of electricity?
Most electric fireplaces use 1,000 to 2,000 watts of power. The average electricity rate in the U.S. is 16.21 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), according to EnergyBot. The Duraflame electric fireplace is 1,500 watts, equal to 1.5 kilowatts. A 1,500-watt appliance that’s on for one hour uses 1.5 kWh, so it would cost around $0.24 an hour to use this electric fireplace.
Are electric fireplaces safe to run all night?
Due to the risk of fire, electric shock and injury, its important to not leave the electric fireplace running all night. Conveniently, the Duraflame fireplace has a timer setting, so you can set it to auto shutoff after a couple of hours. This will help you fall asleep in a warm room, but wont keep it running unattended.
Can electric fireplace sit on carpet?
Since the structure of the fireplace sits off the ground, its safe to use on carpeted areas. However, its important to note that the electric fireplace shouldn’t be left on unattended and combustible materials, such as furniture, pillows, bedding, curtains, paper and clothing, should be at least 3 feet away from the front of the appliance.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
From over 12,300 ratings on Amazon alone, the Duraflame electric fireplace has an average of 4.5 out of five stars. Here’s what people are saying in their reviews:
Five-star reviewer, Arianna, loves how it fits in her small space. I saved and researched and fretted over buying this, she begins. I am so glad I chose this one. I love it. Its beautiful, easy to use and the flames are so realistic. I really like having the controller to turn it on. Its the tiny focal point of my tiny apartment living room. The ambience is great.
All I had to do was screw the feet into the base of the fireplace and plug it in, says another five-star reviewer, Robgbh. It puts out a lot of heat, so if you need a space heater that can heat up a good sized room, this will do it. The feature that I love the most is the ambience of the fake fire. You don’t have to have the heater part of the electric fireplace going to enjoy the fake fire setting. It’s the most realistic looking fake fire and I love it. The beveled glass is pretty, too. Overall, I adore this fireplace. It’s easy and lovely.
Verified purchaser, Cindy Peter, says, I really like this heater. It heats my living room, kitchen and hallways. I’ve had the heater for about a month. Our thermostat is on 68 [degrees Fahrenheit] but I feel cold sometimes at night, so I turn it on for a few hours in the evening. It heats up the room to about 70 in about 45 minutes. Our living room is 20 by 16 feet and opens to our kitchen and hallways. It’s not too loud, either. I haven’t had any problems with anything so fareverything works like it’s supposed to.
Final Verdict
If youre looking for an inexpensive way to add heat to your space with the added bonus of a atmospheric fireplace, the Duraflame electric fireplace is an excellent choice. Its strong heating capabilities work for larger rooms, and its compact size makes it convenient for even the smallest of homes.
Where to Buy the Duraflame Electric Fireplace
We Tried It
Duraflame Electric Fireplace
An electric fireplace doesn't have to take up a lot of room, as shown with this Duraflame model.
You can shop the Duraflame electric fireplace on Amazon and Wayfair for $230. Cozy up with a good book and enjoy the ambience (and warmth) this winter.
