Modern Ember Aerus 42" Smart Linear Electric Fireplace Review: slim, good-looking heat with a few smart-home quirks

I put the Modern Ember Aerus 42" in our living room as a secondary heat source and a TV-wall centerpiece. I’ve had it running for a few weeks now, long enough to see how it behaves day to day, not just on the first “wow, flames” evening. Short version: it looks good on the wall, throws a decent amount of heat for a small-to-medium room, and the smart features are handy but not perfect.

I mainly wanted something to take the chill off without firing up the whole house system, plus a nicer focal point under the TV than a blank wall. I didn’t want to mess with gas lines or venting, so an electric unit like this made sense. I used the plug-in option instead of hardwiring because I’m not trying to open walls again if I can avoid it. Install was a bit of a project but nothing insane if you’re reasonably handy.

What stood out almost right away is how customizable the look is. You get driftwood logs and crystals in the box, and there are a bunch of flame and ember colors. Some combos look like a realistic fireplace, others look like a nightclub. I ended up mixing the driftwood and a few crystals and sticking mostly to the warmer colors. The flames obviously don’t look real-real, but from a few feet away, it’s convincing enough and gives that “cozy TV background” vibe.

It’s not perfect though. There are some quirks with the app and WiFi control, and like other reviewers mentioned, there are a few quality-control landmines: a small number of people get units that die early or don’t power on at all. Customer service seems responsive, but still, that’s annoying when you’ve built your wall around this thing. Overall though, if you know you’re getting a supplemental heater with a decorative flame and not a miracle device, it does its job pretty solidly.

In terms of value, the Aerus 42" sits in that mid-range electric fireplace spot. It’s not the cheapest basic unit you can find, but it’s also not in the top premium price bracket. For the money, you’re getting: a slim form factor, decent build, 5000 BTU supplemental heat, a good amount of flame/ember customization, and smart features (WiFi + Alexa). The question is whether you’ll actually use those extras or if a simpler, cheaper unit would do the same job for you.

Compared to cheaper non-smart fireplaces, the two big differences are the smart control and the nicer media kit (driftwood + crystals) with more color options. If you know you’re the type who will just hit the power button and never touch the settings again, you might not care about the app or voice control. In that case, you might be better off saving some cash and getting a simpler model. But if you like the idea of telling Alexa to turn the fireplace on, or adjusting the look from your phone, then the Aerus makes a bit more sense.

The 4.1/5 rating on Amazon feels about right. Most people are happy with it, a few are really into it, and a small group got burned by early failures. The good part is that customer service seems to respond quickly and replace bad units, which helps justify the price a bit because you’re not just rolling the dice and being stuck if it dies. Still, I’d say it’s “good value” more than “killer deal.” You’re paying for style and features, not just raw heating power.

If your main priority is heat per dollar, you can get a boring space heater that does a similar job for way less. If you want something that actually looks nice on the wall, plays well with a TV setup, and gives you some customization and smart control, then the Aerus is reasonably priced for what it offers. Just go in knowing you’re paying for the combo of looks + convenience, not just BTUs.

Design-wise, the Aerus 42" hits that modern, low-profile look pretty well. It’s a simple rectangular black metal frame with a glass front and a 5.75" profile, so it doesn’t stick out like an old-school fireplace box. Under a wall-mounted TV, it looks intentional, not like you slapped a heater on the wall as an afterthought. I recessed mine into a bump-out, and once it was in, it blended nicely with the rest of the setup.

The flames are LED-based with 5 flame colors, 5 brightness levels, 3 flame speeds, and 10 ember bed colors. That sounds like overkill, but in practice it’s nice to be able to pick a look and then forget it. For example, I use: medium flame speed, warm orange/amber flame, dimmer ember bed, driftwood logs in front, and a few crystals sprinkled in. That combo looks the least fake. If you go heavy on the blue or bright purple, it starts to feel more like a decorative wall feature than a fireplace, which might be your thing or not.

The included driftwood and crystals are actually decent. They’re not high-end art pieces, but they don’t scream “plastic toy” from across the room either. Being able to mix them lets you tone down the cheesy factor. If you want a more realistic vibe, lean on the driftwood and keep the ember colors on the warm side. If you like a more modern look, go heavier on the crystals and cooler colors. The front panel buttons are low-key and on the side/front edge, so they don’t ruin the clean look.

Noise-wise, the flames themselves are silent since they’re just LEDs. The fan for the heater does make some sound, but in my case it’s not louder than a box fan on low. When the TV is on or there’s basic background noise, you don’t really notice it. If you’re in total silence, you’ll hear the fan, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Overall, design is one of the strong points: it looks modern, doesn’t feel cheap once it’s on the wall, and it actually passes the “do I like looking at this every evening?” test.

The unit itself feels reasonably sturdy. The outer shell is metal, the finish is a basic painted black, and the front glass panel sits flush and doesn’t rattle. When you’re mounting it, it doesn’t feel flimsy or like it’ll warp if you tighten a screw a bit too much. At about 46 pounds, it has enough weight that it feels like a real appliance, not a toy, but it’s still manageable to handle with one other person.

That said, the Amazon reviews show there are some quality-control hiccups. A couple of people reported units that either died in under a month or simply never powered on, even though the outlet was fine. In both cases, customer service stepped in and sent replacements pretty fast, and those replacements worked. So the brand seems to stand behind it, but it also means there’s a small chance you get a dud and have to deal with a replacement process right in the middle of your remodel or install.

Internally, you’ve got a quartz burner/heating element and a fan. I can’t see the guts without tearing it apart, but after running it daily, I haven’t noticed odd smells, hot spots on the casing, or weird noises like grinding or rattling. That’s usually a good sign that the fan and internal mounts aren’t garbage. The vent-free design means no ductwork or venting, which is convenient, but you still need to respect clearances so you’re not cooking your wall or nearby furniture.

Long-term durability is hard to judge after only a few weeks, but so far, no flickering LEDs, no random shutoffs, and no error codes. The main worry, based on other buyers, is early failure. If you get past the first month or two with no issues, I’d feel reasonably confident it’ll last several seasons. Just keep your receipt and warranty info handy, and maybe test it as soon as it arrives instead of waiting months like one reviewer did.

On the performance side, the Aerus is rated as a 5000 BTU supplemental heater for up to about 400 square feet. In real life, in a mid-sized living room, it does what it claims: it takes the edge off on cold days. It’s not going to turn an ice-cold basement into a sauna, but it can bump the room from “chilly” to “comfortable” in maybe 20–30 minutes. One Amazon reviewer in New York mentioned barely needing their baseboard heaters once this was running, and that lines up with my experience: it’s enough for regular use, but if it’s freezing outside, you’ll still want your main heat source.

The thermostat settings range from 68° to 88°F. I mostly set it around 70–72°F and let it cycle. It’ll kick the heater on and off as it reaches the set temperature, which is nice because you don’t have to babysit it. You can also turn the heat off completely and just run the flames for ambience, which I actually do a lot in the evenings. That “flames-only” mode is a big plus in warmer months when you still want the look but not the extra warmth.

Smart performance is where it’s a bit mixed. The WiFi connection and app control basically work, but they’re not bulletproof. I’ve had a couple times where the app would change the flame color or speed just fine, but the heater wouldn’t turn on from the app, even though it worked from the remote and front panel—exactly like that one Amazon review described. It’s not constant, but it happens enough that I wouldn’t rely 100% on the app for heat control. Voice control via Alexa is convenient when it behaves; asking to turn the fireplace on or off or change flame color is actually something I use.

The remote is the backup hero here. It’s simple, runs on a single AAA battery, and has dedicated buttons for power, heat, flame settings, and timer. Range is reasonable—works across the room with no issue. Overall, performance is solid for what it is: a decorative heater with some smart tricks. Just don’t expect smart-home perfection or whole-house heating, and you’ll be fine.

Installation is where you want to slow down and actually plan. The Aerus gives you two options: wall-mount or recessed. Wall-mount is simpler: you hang a bracket, anchor it into studs, and hook the unit on. Recessed looks cleaner but takes more work. I recessed it into a bump-out under the TV, and that meant framing an opening, planning where the outlet or hardwire connection would go, and making sure there was enough space around it for airflow. If you’re not comfortable with basic framing and electrical, get help—this isn’t a “five minutes and done” situation.

The unit can either plug into a standard 120V outlet with the included plug kit or be hardwired. I went with the plug option because it keeps things simpler and future-proof; if the unit ever dies, I don’t have to open the wall to disconnect hardwiring. An electrician put in a dedicated line and outlet behind the fireplace location, which is what I’d recommend if you can. It draws up to about 1.47 kW, so you don’t want this sharing a circuit with a bunch of other heavy hitters.

Mounting it itself was straightforward: follow the template, mark your holes, hit studs where you can, use proper anchors where you can’t, and lift it into place. Two people make that last step way easier. Once it’s up, day-to-day use is dead simple. You’ve got front panel buttons if you misplace the remote, the remote for couch control, and the app/voice control if you’re into that. There’s a bit of a learning curve at the start as you figure out which combination of flame color, speed, and brightness you actually like, but after a few evenings you’ll probably pick a favorite and stop messing with it.

One small annoyance: the manual could really use a proper troubleshooting section. If something weird happens (like it turning on then off instantly, which one reviewer mentioned), you’re pretty much guessing or contacting support. So while the physical install is fine if you plan it, the documentation for issues is weak. Overall, I’d say the install is manageable for a reasonably handy person, but not a casual “no tools required” job.

Out of the box, the Aerus 42" comes with the fireplace unit, a remote, the plug kit, mounting hardware, and a “premium media kit” (driftwood logs and clear crystals). The package is heavy but manageable for one person if you’re careful; two people is easier when you’re lifting it into place. The unit itself is about 42" wide, just under 18" tall, and a bit under 6" deep, so it’s slim enough to recess into a standard 2x6 wall or just hang on the surface.

The manual is decent but not amazing. It tells you how to mount and wire it, but it’s thin on troubleshooting, which lines up with that one-star review complaining there’s no help when something goes wrong. I had to rely on common sense and a bit of YouTube to feel confident about the install steps, especially around clearances and where to put the outlet. If you’re hardwiring, I’d honestly say get an electrician unless you already know what you’re doing—this thing pulls real power (up to around 1500W).

Setup of the smart features is done through a Tuya-based app, and if you already have stuff on Feit Electric, you can apparently pair it there too. Pairing for me was pretty straightforward: power on, follow the app prompts, connect it to WiFi, and then link it to Alexa. It took a couple tries but nothing crazy. Once it’s in the app, you can change flame color, speed, ember bed color, and turn the heater on or off from your phone or with your voice. It’s convenient when it behaves, but sometimes there’s a lag or a command doesn’t go through on the first try.

So in practice, what you’re getting is a 5000 BTU supplemental heater with a bunch of visual customization and decent smart-home integration. It’s designed for rooms up to around 400 sq ft, and that feels about right. For a basement or a family room that tends to run cooler, it’s enough to make the space comfortable, but it’s not a replacement for a real furnace. If you go in with those expectations, the overall package makes sense and doesn’t feel like a gimmick.