Electactic 21" Electric Fireplace Insert Review: simple fake fire that actually heats the room

I picked up this Electactic 21" electric fireplace insert because I have a dead, non-working wood fireplace that was basically just a black hole in the living room. I didn’t want to mess with gas or chimney cleaning, and I mainly wanted two things: some fake flames that look decent, and enough heat so I don’t have to crank the central heating every time I sit on the couch. So this one, with its 750W/1500W settings and remote, looked like a good middle ground.

After using it regularly for a couple of weeks, I can say it does what it says on the box: it plugs in, it turns on, it blows hot air, and the flame effect is better than I expected for the price. It’s not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s a real fire, but if you’re sitting a few feet away, it gives that warm, cozy background you’re probably looking for. The heater itself kicks out a decent amount of warmth for a bedroom or small living room.

It’s not perfect though. There’s fan noise when the heat is on, and the fake log look isn’t super convincing in bright daylight. Some people will hate that, others won’t care. The crackling sound option (if you get the version with sound) is a bit too loud and not adjustable, which is a weird miss in 2024. Thankfully you can just switch the sound off and use your own fireplace sound on YouTube if you want.

Overall, it feels like a practical piece of gear, not some fancy decor item. It’s for people who want a heater that looks nicer than a basic space heater, not for someone trying to build a perfect high-end designer fireplace. If you go in with that mindset, you’ll probably be pretty happy with it.

In terms of value, this Electactic insert sits in a sweet spot. It’s priced higher than a bare-bones space heater, but noticeably cheaper than many full fireplace inserts with glass fronts and fancy trims. Considering what you get—remote control, adjustable flame brightness and speed, two heat levels, and a decent log set—it feels like a fair deal. You’re paying for both heat and decor, not just a box that blows hot air.

Compared to a regular ceramic space heater I used before, this one obviously looks a lot nicer in the room. Instead of a random plastic tower sitting in the corner, you get something that actually fills the dead fireplace and adds some character. You do lose a bit of portability, but if you mainly want heat in one room, that’s not a big issue. Power usage is similar to other 1500W heaters, so you’re not saving or wasting extra electricity; you’re just getting a better-looking package.

The main compromises for the price are the materials (more plastic than metal), the fan noise, and the slightly cheap-looking logs when it’s turned off in bright light. Also, no thermostat with exact temperature settings, just simple heat modes. If you want something ultra-realistic with glass doors and super quiet operation, you’ll need to spend more. But if you’re okay with “looks good enough and heats well,” then it’s solid for the cost.

Overall, I’d call it good value for money for anyone who has an unused fireplace or wants a freestanding fake fire that actually warms the room. It’s not luxury, but it doesn’t feel overpriced for what it delivers. If you catch it on sale, it’s even easier to justify.

Design-wise, this thing sits in the middle: it looks good enough to make the room feel warmer visually, but it’s not going to compete with high-end inserts that cost three times more. The color on this version is a traditional brown with a polished finish, which works well in a standard brick or stone fireplace. It doesn’t scream “cheap plastic” from a distance, but if you walk right up to it, you can tell it’s a budget-friendly unit.

The fake logs and ember bed are where opinions will split. In dim light or at night, they look pretty solid: the embers glow, the logs pick up some of the light, and with the flames projecting behind them, it gives a decent imitation of a real fire. In daylight, or when the unit is off, the logs definitely look fake. Some reviewers even painted or toned down the white-ish versions to make them look less toy-like. On this traditional brown model, it’s less of an issue, but I still wouldn’t call it super realistic up close.

The flame effect is projected from the back using a rotating mechanism and lights. You can adjust both brightness and flicker speed. That flame speed control is actually one of the nicer touches. On slower settings, it looks calmer and more natural; on faster settings, it starts to look a bit cartoonish. I ended up keeping brightness in the middle and flame speed on the slower side for the most natural look. If you have a reflective background in your fireplace (like black metal or tile), the flames look better and deeper, just like one of the reviewers mentioned.

As for the overall footprint, it’s compact and doesn’t dominate the room, which I liked. It’s not a huge fake mantel piece; it’s just a log set with a flame screen in front. If you want something that blends into a DIY mantel project, this is actually a good size. If you’re trying to fill a big wide opening, you might find it looks a bit small and will want to build around it or add decor to frame it.

Material-wise, you’re getting a mix of plastic housing, resin logs with an ember bed, and a front flame screen. The unit weighs around 15.4 pounds, so it’s light enough to move around easily but heavy enough that it doesn’t feel like a toy. When you pick it up, it doesn’t creak or flex in a worrying way. It’s clearly not made of metal and glass like high-end inserts, but it’s solid enough for what it is.

The resin logs do their job: they diffuse the light and create the illusion of glowing wood. They’re not super realistic in bright light, but once the room gets dim, they look much better. The ember bed lighting helps sell the effect. The front flame screen is simple but practical; it hides the internal mechanics without blocking the light too much. You can tell the design is focused more on function and safety than on premium aesthetics.

From a safety angle, the materials stay cool to the touch on the exterior, which is important if you’ve got kids or pets wandering around. The heat comes out from a vent, and as long as you don’t block that, the rest of the casing doesn’t overheat. It’s ETL certified and has overheat protection with auto shutoff, so it’s designed with basic safety standards in mind. I let it run for a couple of hours at a time and never had any burning plastic smell or weird noises.

In terms of long-term durability, it’s hard to judge without a full winter season, but based on a few weeks of regular use, nothing feels loose, and there are no rattles. The moving flame mechanism is the part that could wear out over time, but that’s the same for almost every electric fireplace in this price range. Overall, the materials feel in line with the cost: not premium, but not junk either. If you treat it like an appliance and don’t kick it around, it should hold up fine.

I haven’t had this unit for years, obviously, but after a few weeks of regular use, there are some clues about durability. I’ve run it on high heat for long stretches (1–3 hours at a time) and there’s been no burning smell, no dimming of the lights, and no weird rattling from the fan or flame mechanism. The housing doesn’t warp, and the logs haven’t discolored or cracked, which is a good sign for a budget-friendly heater.

The overheat protection gives some peace of mind. I deliberately let it run in a closed room for a long period to see if it would get too hot, and it behaved normally. The outer shell stays cool enough to touch, apart from the front vent where the hot air comes out, which is what you’d expect. If you’ve got kids or pets, that’s important: they can brush against it without getting burned, as long as they don’t stick their hands right into the vent.

The moving parts are the main concern long-term: the fan and the rotating flame mechanism. They’re quiet enough now, just a normal fan sound when heating, and no clunky noises from the flame effect. If something is going to fail after a year or two, it will probably be one of those. The limited warranty is there, but you’d need to check the exact terms for your region. Based on the Amazon rating (4.5/5 with hundreds of reviews), it doesn’t seem like there’s a widespread failure issue, which is reassuring.

So far, I’d say durability looks decent for the price range. It feels like an appliance you’ll keep for several winters if you treat it reasonably well—don’t block the vents, don’t drop it, and don’t run it 24/7 like a furnace. If you want something built like a tank with metal casing, this isn’t it, but for typical home use, it seems solid enough.

On the heating side, this unit is rated for up to 5100 BTU and about 450 sq ft. In real life, I’d say that’s roughly accurate for a well-insulated bedroom or a smaller living room. On the 1500W setting, it noticeably warms up a 12x15 room in about 20–30 minutes. It’s not instant central heating, but it takes the chill out of the air and keeps things comfortable if you’re sitting nearby. On 750W, it’s more of a gentle background heat that maintains temperature rather than aggressively warming the space.

The fan noise is there, no way around it. When the heater is running, you hear a steady fan sound, similar to a small space heater. It’s not jet-engine loud, but if you’re watching a movie quietly, you’ll notice it. I got used to it after a couple of days, and at normal TV volume or with some music on, it blends into the background. If you’re extremely sensitive to fan noise, that might bother you, but that’s pretty standard for this type of heater.

The flame effect itself is better than a lot of cheap units I’ve seen. With 5 levels of brightness and adjustable flicker speed, you can tweak it until it looks right for you. On low brightness, it feels softer and more relaxing; on max brightness, it looks more like a decorative feature. The ability to run the flames without heat is key. I ended up using it flame-only most evenings and turning the heat on only when the room actually felt cold. That’s one of the strong points: you get the visual effect all year without roasting yourself in summer.

One thing to note: if your model has crackling sound, there’s no volume control, which is a bit silly. The sound is too loud to feel realistic, so I just turned it off and used my own sound from a speaker when I wanted that effect. Apart from that, performance is pretty consistent. It heats, it doesn’t randomly shut down unless it’s overheating (which is a safety feature), and the remote commands respond quickly. For basic daily use, it gets the job done without any drama.

Out of the box, the Electactic 21" insert is basically one compact unit: the log set with the built-in heater, a front flame screen, and the remote. No screws, no complicated assembly, no confusing bags of hardware. I literally slid it out of the box, peeled off the plastic, plugged it in, and it was running in under five minutes. If you’re used to flat-pack furniture nightmares, this is the opposite of that.

The size is 20.53" wide, 8.56" deep, and 11.51" high, so it’s clearly meant to sit inside an existing fireplace opening or on a flat surface as a freestanding piece. In a standard fireplace, it doesn’t fill the whole opening top to bottom, but it looks fine once it’s centered. If you’re picky about looks, you might want to add a dark backing or some trim around it to make it look more built-in. On its own, it’s more of a neat heater than a full-on fireplace makeover.

The controls are split between a small side panel and the remote. On the side you’ve got basic buttons for power, flame, and heat, and the remote lets you adjust flame brightness, flame speed, and toggle the heater on or off. No Wi-Fi, no app, no smart home nonsense. Personally, I liked that. I just wanted to point and click from the couch, not pair it with my phone. The remote is light and a bit plasticky, but it works reliably and hasn’t dropped connection or lagged.

Function-wise, it’s pretty straightforward: two heat modes (750W and 1500W), independent flame and heat controls, and safety features like overheat protection and auto shutoff. It’s ETL certified, which is reassuring if you’re planning to use it in a bedroom or around kids and pets. In short, you’re getting a basic but complete package: fake logs + flames + fan heater + remote, all in one piece, with no extra hidden bits required.

In daily use, I’d say this heater is effective for small to medium rooms, as long as you’re realistic. It’s not going to replace a full heating system in a big open-plan area, but in a 200–400 sq ft room, it does a decent job. I used it mainly in a living room that’s roughly 13x14, and on the 1500W setting, it noticeably raised the temperature after about 20 minutes. Sitting 6–8 feet away on the couch, you can feel the warm air blowing toward you.

If you’re someone who’s always cold, you’ll probably want to use it as a supplement to your main heating, not as the only source. It’s perfect for evenings when you don’t want to heat the whole house but just want your main sitting area to be warmer. On the lower 750W setting, it’s more about maintaining a comfortable level without getting too hot or using as much power. That mode worked well for longer sessions, like having it on for a couple of hours while reading or watching TV.

On the ambiance side, it does the job. The flame effect, combined with the glowing logs, gives a cozy feel even when the heater is off. I often ended up using just the flame function at night for the visual effect. The adjustable flame speed helps a lot here: slower flames feel calmer, faster ones start to look fake, so once you dial it in, it’s actually quite pleasant to look at. It’s not cinema-level realism, but from a normal sitting distance, it’s more than good enough for a relaxed vibe.

So in practice, effectiveness is pretty straightforward: it heats a small room well, looks nice enough in the background, and lets you separate the visual effect from the actual heating. If you expect it to heat a whole large floor of a house, you’ll be disappointed. If you expect it to replace a basic space heater and look nicer while doing it, it hits that mark.