LegendFlame 23" Nora White Birch Review: fake logs that actually feel like a real fire

I picked up the LegendFlame 23" Nora White Birch log set because my real fireplace turned into a dead hole in the wall. I didn’t feel like dealing with chimney inspections, wood delivery, or cleaning ashes every week. I just wanted something that looked like a proper fire, added a bit of heat, and didn’t need a manual the size of a phone book to set up. This one kept popping up with a high rating, so I gave it a shot.

Setup was honestly boring in the best way: unbox, drop it into the fireplace, plug it into a normal 120V outlet, and that’s basically it. No tools, no drilling, no messing with gas lines. I had it running in under 10 minutes, including me fiddling with flame settings just because I could. For a 20‑pound unit, it’s easy enough to move around if you need to adjust the angle or pull it out to clean.

My main expectations were pretty simple: decently realistic flame, some cozy heat for a medium living room, and a crackling sound that doesn’t feel like a cheap toy. Also, I didn’t want the power bill to jump like crazy, since it’s basically a space heater with extra decoration. I’ve used it most evenings for a few weeks now, with and without heat, just to see how it behaves in normal life.

Overall, it does what it says on the box: it makes a dead fireplace look alive again, adds some heat, and doesn’t create any mess. It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely not going to replace a real wood stove for serious heating, but for someone who just wants the vibe without the hassle, it’s a pretty solid option. I’ll break down what works and what’s a bit meh in the sections below.

Price‑wise, this sits roughly in the range of what you’d pay for a half‑cord (or “rick”) of decent firewood in a lot of areas, which one of the Amazon reviewers pointed out. The difference is, with this, you pay once and you’re done. No chimney sweeps, no ash cleanup, no smoke smell, no hauling logs. If you used to burn wood mainly for the vibe and a bit of extra heat, this makes sense financially and practically. If you used wood as serious primary heat, then no, this will never replace that.

Compared to gas logs, it’s cheaper upfront and easier if you don’t already have a gas line or propane setup. No tank, no gas company, no CO risk. The trade‑off is that the heat output isn’t on the same level as a strong gas insert, and the flame still looks slightly more artificial if you stare too closely. But for the price and hassle level, it’s a reasonable compromise. Also, the LED flame system is efficient, so running it just for looks barely sips power compared to running the 1500W heater mode.

One thing I like from a value angle is the flexibility: you can use it year‑round just as a fake fire, then kick the heat on only when you want it. You’re not locked into burning fuel every time you want the ambiance. With the strong overall rating (4.7/5 from more than a thousand reviews) and my own experience, I’d say it’s good value for money if your main goal is ambiance plus supplemental heat. If you buy it expecting a hardcore heater, you’ll feel let down.

So in simple terms: if you’ve got a dead fireplace and you want it to look alive again without dropping a fortune or dealing with installers, this is a sensible buy. If you already have a perfectly working wood or gas setup and you actually enjoy the whole ritual of real fires, then this will feel like a downgrade and probably not worth it for you.

Visually, the white birch log style is what makes this model stand out. Most electric log sets go for dark, charred wood. This one has that pale birch look with darker accents, which works well if your decor leans a bit lighter or more modern. In my older brick fireplace, it actually pops nicely instead of disappearing into a black hole. The logs are resin, but from a normal sitting distance they pass as wood just fine.

The flame effect is where a lot of these units fall apart, and this one is honestly pretty solid. The flames are projected onto the back of the firebox area, and they move with a decent random pattern instead of that obvious repeating loop you sometimes notice on cheaper units. Brightness and flame height are adjustable, so you can go from a soft low glow to a more active fire look. With the room lights dimmed, it looks convincing enough that you stop thinking about it being fake after a few minutes.

The ember bed under the logs has a nice slow pulsing effect that mimics coals. It’s not perfect, but it gives enough depth so it doesn’t look like a single row of LEDs. Some people online mentioned ditching any extra plexiglass; I agree, you don’t need any front cover in a normal fireplace opening. The irregular shape of the log layout also helps avoid that straight, plastic look. Up close, you can tell it’s molded resin, but again, from the sofa, it does the job.

One small annoyance: the unit itself is labeled as “Color: Blace” in the specs, which basically means it’s a black box with white birch logs on top. The black housing disappears into a dark firebox, which is good, but if your fireplace is very shallow or oddly shaped, the 23" width can look a bit tight or slightly oversized. Overall, for the price, the design is pretty realistic and not tacky. If you’re picky, you’ll always find small details to complain about, but for normal everyday use, it looks like a decent wood fire at a glance.

The logs are made of resin, and the outer housing is a mix of metal and plastic. On paper that sounds cheap, but in person it’s pretty normal for this category. When you touch the logs, yeah, they feel like molded resin, not real wood. But visually they’re shaped and painted well enough that you stop caring once you’re not right on top of them. The ember bed and the small details on the bark help sell the effect.

The frame itself feels reasonably solid for a 19.9‑pound unit. You’re not getting thick cast iron or anything like that, but it doesn’t flex when you lift it, and there are no obvious rattles. The finish on the visible parts is clean, no weird sharp edges or flaky paint on mine. It’s definitely designed as a freestanding insert, so it’s not something you’d want to hard‑mount or build into masonry permanently, but for dropping into an existing fireplace or placing in a nook, it feels fine.

One thing to note: the “Finish Type: Wood” in the specs is a bit misleading. There’s no actual wood in the structure; it’s just the visual style. So if you’re expecting real wood trim, that’s not the case. Material‑wise, it’s closer to a small electric heater with decorative resin on top. The burner type is listed as resin as well, which basically just means there’s no real flame or combustion, just LED effects pushing through the log structure.

In daily use, the materials hold up well enough. The logs don’t get hot to the touch like real wood in a fire, and the outer shell stays within a safe temperature range, which is good if you’ve got kids or pets wandering close. Overall, the materials are functional and in line with the price. It’s not luxury furniture, but it doesn’t feel like a flimsy toy either. For what it’s supposed to do—sit there, look like burning wood, and house a heater—it’s adequate.

I haven’t had this unit for years obviously, but I’ve been using it almost daily for several weeks, long sessions in the evening, sometimes with heat on and sometimes just for the flames. So far, no weird noises, no flickering LEDs, no random shutoffs. The fan still spins smoothly, and the crackling sound hasn’t started to distort. That’s usually where cheaper units start to show their weak spots—fans get noisy or the lighting starts to stutter—but for now it’s been stable.

The one‑year limited warranty is pretty standard and not super generous, but between that and the large number of reviews (over 1,500 with a 4.7/5 average), it doesn’t look like people are seeing a ton of early failures. Most complaints I saw were about minor things like sound preferences or remote quirks, not the unit dying after a month. It’s also a vent‑free, LED‑based system, so there’s no real combustion, no soot buildup, and no parts directly exposed to flame, which generally means fewer things to wear out quickly.

What I’d keep an eye on long term: the fan and the electronics. Like any space heater, if you run it hard all winter at 1500W, the fan and internal components are doing a lot of work. I’d avoid blocking the vents, and I wouldn’t run it on an overloaded circuit. It’s meant for a standard 15‑amp circuit, so don’t plug it into the same outlet as a bunch of other high‑draw devices if you can help it. Basic stuff, but people forget and then blame the unit.

Overall, durability so far feels pretty solid for the category. It’s not built like a cast‑iron wood stove that lasts 30 years, but that’s not the price bracket or the goal. For a plug‑in electric log set, I’d expect a few winters of regular use without drama if you treat it normally and keep it in a dry, indoor space. If you want something totally bombproof, this isn’t that, but nothing in this class really is.

On the performance side, this thing is basically three products in one: a space heater, a fake flame machine, and a sound machine. The heater has two power levels, 750W and 1500W. In my roughly 350–400 sq. ft. living room, the 1500W setting takes the chill off in about 20–30 minutes. It’s not blasting hot like a dedicated ceramic space heater pointed straight at you, but it makes the room feel comfortable. One Amazon user said it was helping in a 700 sq. ft. space; I’d say that’s pushing it. It’ll help, but don’t expect miracles.

The built‑in thermostat is basic but handy. You don’t see an exact temperature on the unit, so you kind of have to feel it out or do what one reviewer did and keep a cheap thermometer in the room to dial it in. Once it hits the set level, the heater cuts off but the flames can keep going. That’s actually nice because you don’t end up roasting once the room warms up. Fan noise is there, but it’s not crazy loud. It’s about what you’d expect from a small electric heater: a low whoosh that fades into the background once you’re watching TV or talking.

The crackling sound is better than I expected. There are multiple levels, and on low it sounds close enough to a real fire that your brain accepts it. On higher settings, it can get a bit more artificial and slightly “tinny,” which matches some of the reviews. I just leave it on the lower level, and it’s fine. If you hate fake sounds in general, you can always turn it off and just keep the visuals. The flames themselves are adjustable and look decent even with the heat off, so you can use it year‑round without cooking yourself.

One weird downside someone mentioned, and I ran into something similar: the remote seems to share IR frequencies with some TV soundbars. When I first set it up, turning the fireplace on messed with my audio system once or twice. It’s not every time, but it’s annoying when it happens. If your TV setup is right above the fireplace, just know you might have to reposition the soundbar or be ready to restart it occasionally. Overall, though, in terms of performance, it does what I expected: good enough heat for a medium room, convincing flames, and a sound effect that’s decent if you keep it on the lower setting.

Out of the box, the LegendFlame Nora 23" comes as one main piece: the log set with the built‑in heater and flame system, plus a basic remote control with 2 AAA batteries already included. That last part sounds minor, but it’s nice not to go hunting for batteries before you even turn it on. There’s no complicated assembly. The logs are pre‑mounted, and all the electronics are inside the unit. You literally just place it where you want it and plug it in.

The unit is rated for up to 400 square feet of heating coverage, with 750W and 1500W modes and about 5000 BTU output. That puts it in the same ballpark as a standard small space heater, but with flame effects and sound layered on. LegendFlame is clear that this is not meant to be a primary heat source, which I agree with after using it. It takes the edge off a cool room, but it’s not going to carry your whole house in winter.

One thing I appreciate is that it’s CSA certified and uses a standard polarized 120V plug, so you don’t need a special outlet or a dedicated electrician visit. It’s vent‑free, so no chimney or venting needed, and you can use the flame effect with or without heat. That’s handy if you just want the look in warmer months. The manufacturer also throws in a one‑year limited warranty, which is pretty standard for this kind of product. At around 20 pounds, it feels light enough to move but not so light that it feels like a toy.

In practice, the overall package feels pretty straightforward:

• Log/heater unit (23" W x 20" H x 9.5" D)
• Remote control + 2 AAA batteries
• Basic instructions