Electactic 21" Electric Fireplace Insert Review: simple plug-in heat with decent fake flames

I picked up this Electactic 21" electric fireplace insert because I wanted something to fill an old non-working fireplace and actually throw a bit of heat in the evenings. I’m not into chopping wood or cleaning ash, and my chimney is questionable at best, so an electric log set felt like the lazy but safe option. I’ve been using it almost every day for a couple of weeks in a medium-sized living room, so I’ve had time to see what’s good and what’s slightly annoying.

Right away, the thing that stood out is how plug-and-play it is. You literally slide it into place, plug it into a normal outlet, and hit the power button. No mounting bracket, no venting, no special wiring. If you’ve ever used a basic space heater, this is the same idea, just with fake logs and flames tacked on. That simplicity is honestly the main reason I bought it.

The flames themselves are pretty solid for the price range. It’s obviously not a real fire, but from a few feet away, with the room lights dimmed, it creates a nice background glow. The heat output is about what you’d expect from a 1500W heater: it’s not going to warm your entire house, but it does fine for one room if you’re not expecting miracles. The fan noise is there, not silent, but I’ve had louder heaters.

Overall, my first impression after a few days was: this is a decent mix of ambiance and practical heat, as long as you treat it like a dressed-up space heater and not some high-end built-in fireplace. It’s not perfect, but for the price, it gets the job done without any drama.

Looking at the price range and the Amazon ranking (#3 in electric fireplaces, 4.5/5 rating from 500+ reviews), this Electactic insert sits in that affordable but not bargain-bin category. You’re not paying for a built-in unit or a fancy mantel, just the insert with heater and remote. For what you get—flame effect, two heat settings, remote control, safety shutoff—it’s good value if you just want a simple solution to fill a dead fireplace or add some ambiance to a room.

Compared to a plain 1500W space heater with no visual effect, you’re paying extra for the fake logs and flames. If you only care about raw heat per dollar, a basic space heater would be cheaper. But if you like the idea of sitting in front of something that at least looks like a fireplace, the extra cost makes sense. You’re essentially paying for the mood plus the functionality.

On the flip side, if you compare it to higher-end electric fireplaces with glass fronts, built-in wall mounts, or integrated mantels, this one is more stripped-down. No fancy app control, no realistic crackling sound with volume options, no detailed thermostat. For me, that was fine—I just wanted something that looked decent and worked with minimal hassle. But if you want lots of bells and whistles, you’ll probably need to step up to a more expensive model.

Overall, I’d say the price-to-features ratio is pretty solid. You get a heater that works, flames that look decent, a remote that actually controls the important stuff, and built-in safety features. It’s not some crazy bargain, but it feels fairly priced for what it offers. If you already have a fireplace opening and just need a plug-in insert, this hits a nice middle ground between cheap junk and high-end showpieces.

The design is pretty straightforward: a rectangular 21" wide unit with resin logs sitting on an ember bed, with a flame effect projected behind them. I went with the traditional brown version, which is less flashy than the white/gray logs some people mentioned in reviews. From a couple of meters away, with the lights dimmed, it looks decent—definitely better than staring into a black empty fireplace. Up close, you can tell it’s plastic and projection, but that’s expected in this price bracket.

The flame effect is where the design is actually not bad. You get five levels of flame brightness and adjustable flicker speed, which sounds like a gimmick but is actually useful. Slower, dimmer flames look more relaxed and realistic. Faster, bright flames start to look a bit fake and cartoonish. I mostly keep it around mid-brightness with a medium-slow flicker, and it gives a nice, steady vibe in the room. One thing to know: the flame is basically done with a rotating mechanism and lights, so if you look from above or at a weird angle, you can see the trick.

The unit itself doesn’t scream premium, but it doesn’t look cheap either. It’s more like “neutral appliance” style. The polished finish is fine, doesn’t draw too much attention. The dimensions (about 20.5" W x 11.5" H x 8.5" D) worked well for my old fireplace opening, but I did have to measure carefully beforehand. If your opening is much wider or taller, you might end up with gaps around it that you’ll want to cover with trim or decor.

Overall, design-wise I’d say: it looks good enough for normal use, especially if you care more about the glow than the hyper-realistic look of the logs. If you’re very picky about realism or you stare at your fireplace up close all the time, you’ll probably notice the plastic and the projection. But from a sofa distance, in a dim room, it does its job and the fake factor isn’t in your face.

The unit weighs around 15.4 pounds, so it’s not heavy at all. That tells you right away it’s mostly metal housing with resin logs and plastic parts inside. When you pick it up, it doesn’t feel like some tank of a device, but it also doesn’t creak or feel like it’s going to fall apart. The housing has a solid enough feel, and nothing was rattling or loose out of the box in my case.

The resin logs and ember bed are clearly fake if you’re close, but they do their job once the lights are off and the flames are running. If you’re the type who obsesses over realistic logs, you might end up doing what one reviewer did and touching them up with paint to tone down any overly bright or uniform color. With this traditional brown version, I didn’t feel the need to tweak anything, but I can see how the white/gray option would look a bit toy-like when the unit is off.

The front screen and outer shell are decent. No sharp edges on mine, the finish is even, and the vents are cut cleanly. The power cord is standard, not super thick but not flimsy either. It’s long enough to reach a nearby outlet without needing an extension in most living room setups, though if your only outlet is far from the fireplace, you’ll have to plan around that.

In short, the materials feel in line with the price: not premium, but not junk. It feels like something you can move around without worrying about breaking it, but I wouldn’t treat it like a step stool or shove it around by the logs. If you want heavy cast iron and glass, you’ll have to spend more and go for a different style of electric fireplace.

In day-to-day use, the performance is basically split into two parts: heat and ambiance. On the heat side, the 1500W setting actually pushes out a decent amount of warm air. In my roughly 220 sq ft living room, it raises the temperature a few degrees in about 20–30 minutes. You’ll feel the warm airflow if you’re sitting within a few meters. The 750W setting is more for just taking the edge off a mildly cool room. I wouldn’t rely on it as the only heat source in winter, but as a supplement, it’s totally fine.

The downside is the fan noise. It’s not crazy loud, but you definitely hear it. I’d compare it to a small space heater or a desktop fan on low-to-medium. If you’re watching TV, it kind of blends into the background, but if the room is quiet and you’re reading, you’ll notice it. Personally, it didn’t bother me much, but if you’re super sensitive to noise, that’s something to keep in mind. When the heat is off and just the flame effect is running, it’s much quieter.

On the ambiance side, the flame brightness and speed controls are actually one of the best parts. Being able to slow the flame down makes it look less fake. Cranked up too fast, it starts to look like a screensaver. On slower speeds, especially at medium brightness, it feels a lot calmer and more realistic. The fact that you can run the flames with no heat is nice too—good for summer evenings when you want the look without turning the room into a sauna.

Overall, performance is pretty solid for what it is: a space heater with a decent flame effect. It heats about as well as most 1500W heaters I’ve owned, it’s not silent but not obnoxious, and the adjustable flames help it feel a bit less cheap. Just don’t expect it to heat a whole floor of your house or to be completely silent in a quiet room.

Out of the box, the Electactic 21" insert is basically a one-piece unit: the log set with the built-in heater and flame screen. In my case, there was no assembly beyond peeling off some plastic, placing the unit in the fireplace opening, and plugging it in. You also get a remote control and a simple flame screen. No extra screws, no weird brackets. If you’re expecting a big project, you’ll be almost disappointed by how little there is to do.

The control layout is pretty straightforward. There’s a side control panel on the unit itself and then the remote, which mirrors the main functions: power, flame on/off, heat on/off, flame brightness, and flame speed. There is no complicated thermostat with exact temperature numbers, but you do have two heat modes: 750W (low) and 1500W (high). In practice, I used the remote 95% of the time and only touched the side panel once to test it.

The product is marketed to heat up to 450 square feet, and that feels roughly accurate if you’re talking about taking the chill off a normal-sized living room or bedroom. I used it in a roughly 14x16 ft living room, and on high, it made the room noticeably warmer within 15–20 minutes. On low, it’s more of a gentle bump in temperature. Don’t expect it to replace central heating, but as a zone heater, it’s fine.

In terms of safety, it’s ETL certified and has overheat protection and auto shutoff. The front stays relatively cool to the touch compared to a real fire, which is reassuring if you’ve got kids or pets wandering around. That’s a big part of why I went electric instead of messing with gas or wood. Overall, the presentation is basic but practical: it’s a compact, self-contained unit that behaves exactly like a heater with decorative extras, nothing more fancy than that.

On the heating side, this thing behaves like a typical 1500W space heater, just dressed up as a fireplace. In my use, the 450 sq ft claim is a bit optimistic if you want serious warmth, but realistic if you just mean making a room feel less cold. In my 14x16 ft living room with average insulation, running it on high for half an hour made the room noticeably more comfortable. It’s best thought of as a zone heater: good for the room you’re in, not for your whole home.

The two heat settings are simple: low (750W) and high (1500W). I mostly used high in the evening and low if I just wanted a bit of warmth while the central heating was already running. There’s no digital thermostat showing you exact temperatures, so you basically go by feel: if it’s too warm, you drop it to low or turn it off. Not high-tech, but it works. The airflow is front-facing and decent; you’ll feel it if you’re sitting in front of it, and over time it circulates through the room.

The independent flame and heat control is genuinely handy. I ended up running the flames without heat more often than I expected, just to have some background glow in the evenings. Then, if the room started to cool down, I’d hit the heat button on the remote and bump it to low or high. That flexibility is probably the best “effectiveness” feature: one unit that handles both mood and practical heating.

If you’re expecting it to replace a gas fireplace or full central heating on a freezing night, you’ll be disappointed. If you just want something that takes the chill off and looks nicer than a plain heater, it does that job well. For the price point, I’d say the heat output is fair, nothing more, nothing less.