The Best Electric Fireplaces
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
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The Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove is as close to a unanimous pick as this category produces. It took Best Overall at The Spruce, which tested 32 electric fireplaces and ran the Duraflame through four separate cycles with an infrared thermometer, and Best Overall again at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Popular Mechanics named it Best Freestanding, Business Insider called it their best value, and both The Consumers Guide and Electric Fireplace Lab put it at the top of their freestanding rankings. Six independent teams, one stove.
The reason it keeps winning is heat. The infrared quartz element is rated at 5,200 BTU and a full 1,000 square feet, which is more than double the 400-square-foot coverage most wall-mount and insert rivals claim. The Spruce wrote that it impresses more every time they test it, with strong output and a realistic flame across three-sided viewing windows. And there is no project attached: it plugs into a standard outlet, so you get real supplemental warmth the day it arrives with no framing, recessing, or electrician.
At around $230 it sits in the mainstream sweet spot, well below the premium wall and built-in units without feeling like a compromise. If you want one electric fireplace that heats a large room and simply works, this is the one the reviewers agree on.
What It Won't Do
The honest weak points are looks and a hot grill. Good Housekeeping noted the freestanding stove silhouette reads traditional and will clash with a minimalist modern room, so if you are building a sleek media wall this is the wrong shape. The Spruce also found the top grill gets genuinely hot during operation, which means it needs clearance from small children and pets. And because it is freestanding, it sits on the floor rather than disappearing flush into a wall the way a linear unit does.
The TURBRO Suburbs TS20 is the pick for anyone who wants a real flame effect without spending real money. Good Housekeeping named it their best value electric fireplace, and The Consumers Guide called it the best ultra-budget choice in a field where nothing else competed on price. It lands around $110, less than half the Duraflame winner.
What you get for that is more than the price suggests. The 1,400-watt element puts out 4,777 BTU for a room up to 400 square feet, enough for a bedroom or home office, and it adds a crackling sound effect and adjustable flame brightness that usually show up on pricier units. It is also CSA certified with built-in overheating protection, which The Consumers Guide flagged as reassuring on a sub-$110 heater. For a first electric fireplace or a second one for a spare room, it removes the risk from the purchase.
What It Won't Do
The TURBRO is a small heater and it looks the part. The 4,777 BTU output tops out around 400 square feet, so it warms a bedroom rather than a great room, and the compact 20-inch stove and simpler flame effect look less substantial in person than a full-size unit. It is freestanding only, so there is no way to recess or wall-mount it if your taste later runs to a built-in look.
Who Should Buy Which
Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove
The freestanding stove six independent review teams kept ranking first, with infrared heat for a full 1,000 square feet and no installation at all
- Anyone who needs to heat a large room, up to 1,000 square feet, today
- Buyers who want the pick six independent review teams agreed on
- People who want real warmth with zero installation or wall work
- Households that value a long-established heating brand and its certifications
- Shoppers who want premium coverage without a premium price
TURBRO Suburbs TS20 Electric Fireplace Stove
Good Housekeeping's best value pick delivers a crackling flame and real warmth for roughly the price of a nice dinner out
- First-time buyers who want a low-risk fireplace under $150
- Anyone heating a bedroom, office, or other small room
- People who want a crackling sound effect on a tight budget
- Shoppers who want a safety-certified heater with overheating protection
- Buyers who would rather spend $110 than $230