Giantex 28.5" Electric Fireplace Insert Review: budget heater with surprisingly decent fake flames

I’ve been using this Giantex 28.5" electric fireplace insert for a bit now in my living room, mainly to fill an old, useless fireplace opening and to avoid cranking up the main heating all the time. I wasn’t expecting much at this price point, more like a glorified space heater with a screen. In practice, it’s actually a pretty solid mix of heat and ambiance, with a few quirks you should know about before buying.

The unit is fairly compact and light for what it is, about 26 pounds, so I could unbox it, slide it into the old hearth, and plug it in by myself. No real installation headaches, which I appreciated. It’s basically plug-and-play unless you want to recess it in a custom cabinet or wall. I tried it first just freestanding against the wall to see how it behaved before committing to a final spot.

What jumped out right away: the flame effect is decent for the price, especially when the room lights are dimmed. It’s not going to fool anyone in broad daylight, but in the evening it gives a pretty cozy look. Heat-wise, the 750W/1500W modes actually make a difference in a medium-sized room. It’s not central heating, but it takes the chill off nicely, especially if you’re sitting nearby on the couch.

It’s not perfect. The fan makes a noticeable hum when the heat is on, the remote feels a bit cheap, and you don’t get fancy feedback on what setting you’re on. But overall, if you just want a simple electric insert that looks decent and warms the room a bit, this one gets the job done without too much hassle. I’ll break down the good and the annoying parts in more detail below.

In terms of value for money, this Giantex insert sits in a nice spot. It’s not the cheapest electric fireplace out there, but it’s also far from the premium models that cost two or three times more. For the price, you get: decent heat output (750W/1500W), a fairly convincing flame effect in low light, adjustable flame colors and brightness, a thermostat, timer, and both wall/recessed/freestanding options. That’s a pretty solid feature set for a budget unit.

Compared to some more expensive electric fireplaces I’ve seen at friends’ places, those often have more realistic flames and sometimes quieter fans, but the actual heat output is similar (most are around 1500W anyway). So you’re mostly paying extra for looks and brand name. If your main goal is to heat a room a bit and add some cozy visuals, this Giantex does the job without feeling like you overpaid. If you’re super picky about flame realism and want something that looks almost like a real gas fire, then yeah, you’ll probably need to spend more.

There are a few downsides that affect perceived value: the remote feels cheap, and the lack of spare parts for the remote is annoying if it breaks after a few years. Also, the design is pretty basic up close, and the blue flame option looks a bit toy-like in my opinion. But when you factor in the strong user rating (around 4.5/5 from a lot of reviews) and the fact that it’s been on the market for years without major recurring issues popping up, it’s hard to complain too much.

Overall, I’d say it’s good value for money if you see it as a practical heater with a decent fake fire effect, not as a luxury centerpiece. If you catch it on sale, it’s an even better deal. If you want premium build and ultra-realistic flames, this isn’t that, but for most people just trying to make a room cozier on a budget, it hits a pretty good balance between cost and performance.

From a distance, the design is clean and modern: black frame, tempered glass front, rectangular shape. It blends in well with a black TV, black soundbar, or darker furniture. In my case, I put it into an old brick fireplace opening with a white mantel, and it actually looks decent — not high-end, but not cheap junk either. The frame hides the gap nicely as long as your opening isn’t way larger than the unit.

Up close, you see where they kept costs down. The black metal and glass are fine, but the log set and background are clearly plastic. With the flames on and the room lights low, it looks way better than when everything is fully lit. The illusion works best in the evening. During the day, it’s obviously an electric unit, and the blue flame option looks a bit gimmicky in my opinion. The mixed orange/blue setting is fun, but I mostly stick to the plain orange-red, which looks the most natural.

I like that you can use it as wall-mounted, recessed, or freestanding. I tested it first just freestanding against a wall to check heat and noise before sliding it into the old hearth. The housing feels solid enough when you move it, and I didn’t notice any rattling or loose parts. The glass front wipes clean easily; I had some dust and fingerprints after a week and just used a microfiber cloth.

One thing to note: the control panel LEDs and buttons are visible when you’re close, which takes away a bit of the illusion. You kind of see the tech behind the "fire" if you look straight at it. It doesn’t bother me much, but if you’re very picky about realism, it’s something to keep in mind. Still, for the price, the overall design is pretty solid and fits most modern or simple living rooms without looking out of place.

In terms of day-to-day comfort, this thing does what I wanted: it makes the room feel cozier and takes the chill off without having to blast the whole-house heating. I tend to run it on high (1500W) for the first 20 minutes when I sit down in the evening, then drop it to low or turn the heat off and just keep the flames on. Sitting about 8 feet away, I feel a noticeable warm airflow on my legs and feet, which is exactly what I was after.

The noise level is acceptable but not invisible. When the heat is on, you clearly hear a fan running, like a typical space heater. It’s one consistent hum, not a rattly or clicking sound, which helps. If you’re watching TV, it blends into the background. If you’re someone who wants absolute silence, you’ll notice it, but for normal living room use, I’d call it fine. With just the flame effect and no heat, it’s quiet, so for pure ambiance you don’t have to worry about noise.

Comfort also comes from how easy it is to control. The remote is convenient, and being able to tweak flame brightness and color from the couch is nice. I usually keep the flames on medium brightness; max brightness is a bit in-your-face in a small room, while the lowest setting is quite subtle. The timer and thermostat mean I don’t have to get up constantly to adjust things, especially when I’m half-asleep on the sofa.

One small downside: if you’re very sensitive to warm dry air, keep in mind this is still a resistive heater blowing out hot air, so it can dry the room a bit. I noticed I drink a bit more water when I have it running for several hours. Nothing dramatic, just something to keep in mind. Overall, for comfort, I’d say it’s pretty solid: good warmth near the unit, cozy vibe, manageable noise, and easy enough controls for everyday use.

Out of the box, the build quality feels decent for the price. The frame is solid, the glass front doesn’t flex, and there are no weird gaps or loose pieces. Moving it around a couple of times (first testing it freestanding, then sliding it into the fireplace opening) didn’t cause any creaks or new noises. It doesn’t feel like a premium unit, but it also doesn’t feel flimsy. For a budget-friendly electric fireplace, that’s about what I expected.

Looking at other user feedback, there are people who’ve had this unit for several years. One review mentioned it still working fine after 5 years, with the only real wear issue being the remote control starting to fall apart and no spare parts available from the manufacturer. That’s not shocking at this price point, but it’s something to note: the main unit seems to hold up, while the remote is clearly the weak spot. If the remote dies, you can still operate it from the front panel, but it’s less convenient.

There is overheat protection and ETL certification, which is reassuring. I’ve run it for several hours at a time on high during colder evenings, and it hasn’t shut off unexpectedly or given off any weird smells beyond the usual first-use "burn off" that lasted about 10 minutes. The glass stays warm but not scorching, so you’re not going to burn yourself just by touching the front. Still, I wouldn’t block the vents or leave it running on high all day unattended.

Long term, I’d expect the fan to be the first thing to wear, like any space heater. So far, it’s been consistent with no change in noise level. For the price bracket, I’d call the durability good but not bulletproof. If you want something to last a decade of daily heavy use, you might want a more expensive brand. For seasonal or evening use a few hours a day, this seems like it should hold up fine, as long as you treat it like an appliance and don’t bash it around.

On the heat side, it’s fairly simple: 750W (low) and 1500W (high), plus the option to run flames with no heat. In my medium-sized living room (roughly 250–300 sq ft, older house, not great insulation), the high setting noticeably warms the room after about 20–30 minutes. It’s not like turning on a full furnace, but if you’re sitting on the couch 6–10 feet away, you definitely feel it. On low, it’s more of a gentle boost, good for taking the edge off on a cool evening.

The thermostat range from 62°F to 82°F is handy in theory, but don’t expect precise climate control. It’s more of a target than a lab-grade thermostat. I found that setting it around 70–72°F kept the room comfortable, and once it reaches that, it cycles on and off. The timer (up to 8 hours) is genuinely useful at night: I set it for 2–3 hours in the evening so it shuts off automatically if I fall asleep on the couch.

Flame-wise, you get 3 colors (orange-red, blue, mixed) and 5 brightness levels. At max brightness in a dark room, the flames look fairly realistic, and a couple of people who visited asked if it was gas at first glance. When the room is bright, the effect is less convincing and you can see more of the mechanics behind it. Some users say the flame isn’t as realistic as some higher-end inserts, and I agree. It’s decent, especially considering the price, but not on the same level as more expensive brands with more advanced flame tech.

Noise-wise, the fan makes a steady hum on both low and high heat. It’s not silent, but it’s not obnoxious either. With the TV on or some music playing, I don’t really notice it after a few minutes. With just the flames and no heat, the unit is basically silent. Overall, the performance is pretty solid: it heats better than I expected, the flames look good enough in the right conditions, and the controls do what they’re supposed to do without too much fuss.

Out of the box, the Giantex 28.5" electric fireplace is pretty straightforward: the main unit, a basic remote (with the battery already inside and a plastic tab you have to pull), and a short manual. No fancy extras, no fake logs to assemble. The logs and flame background are already built in behind the tempered glass front. For me, that’s fine — less fiddling, more plugging it in and using it.

The dimensions are 6"D x 28.5"W x 21"H, so it fits nicely into most old fireplace openings or TV stands that have at least that much clearance. Before I bought it, I measured my old brick hearth opening and had about an inch of wiggle room on each side, which worked well. If you’re planning to recess it in a wall or cabinet, you really do need to check your measurements, because this thing isn’t adjustable in width at all.

Control-wise, you’ve got two ways to run it: the front panel buttons and the remote. The front panel is handy if you lose the remote (which I already did once under the couch), but you’ll mostly rely on the remote once you get used to it. The remote lets you tweak flame color (3 options), brightness (5 levels), heat modes (off, low 750W, high 1500W), temperature setting (62–82°F), and the timer (0–8 hours). It’s not super intuitive at first, but after a couple of evenings you remember which button does what.

Overall, the presentation is simple and functional: no nonsense, no fancy app, no Wi‑Fi, just a corded electric heater with a fake flame front. If you’re expecting flashy smart features, this isn’t it. If you want a unit that you can unbox, plug in, and use within five minutes, this fits that bill. The manual is clear enough and you don’t really need to be handy to get it going.