NETTA Electric Fireplace Stove Heater Review: cheap, cosy heat that actually looks like a real fire

I’ve been using this NETTA Electric Fireplace Stove Heater for a little while now in my living room, basically as a backup heater and something to make the room feel a bit less dead in the evenings. I don’t have a real fireplace, and getting one fitted would cost a fortune, so I wanted something that looked the part but didn’t eat up half the room or my bank account. This one kept popping up online with a decent rating, so I gave it a go.

Out of the box, it’s pretty straightforward: no assembly stress, just plug it in and you’re done. I used it almost every evening for a couple of hours, both with and without the heat on, just for the flame effect. I’ve tried small fan heaters and those old oil-filled radiators before, so I had a rough idea of what 2kW heaters normally feel like in terms of heat and noise. This one falls in the same power range (1750–1950W), so I was mainly checking if the noise, looks and build quality matched the hype.

My first impression: it actually looks decent once it’s in place. It doesn’t scream “cheap plastic heater” from across the room, which I was half expecting. The flame effect and fake logs are the main selling point visually, and honestly, for the price, they’re pretty solid. It’s not cinema-level realism, but if you’re sitting on the sofa with the lights dimmed, it gives a cosy vibe that a standard white fan heater just doesn’t.

It’s not perfect though. The noise level, the slightly short power cable, and the fact it’s all plastic do remind you that this is a budget unit. But in day-to-day use, it did what I needed: it warmed a medium-sized room fairly quickly and made the space feel more homely. If you’re expecting something that feels like heavy cast iron, you’ll be disappointed. If you just want a decent-looking heater that gets the job done without wrecking your budget, it’s worth a look.

For what it costs, I’d say the NETTA stove heater offers good value for money, as long as you’re realistic about what you’re buying. You’re paying for a mix of decent heat output, a convincing-enough flame effect, and a compact fake-stove look. You are not paying for premium materials, silent operation, or fancy features. If you keep that in mind, it’s easier to be satisfied with it.

Compared to a plain 2kW fan heater, you’re spending more, but you’re getting a lot nicer aesthetics and a flame effect you can actually enjoy. Compared to higher-end electric fireplaces with glass fronts, metal bodies and remote controls, you’re spending quite a bit less, but you’re giving up that more solid feel and extra features. This one sits comfortably in the budget to mid-range bracket: looks good enough, works well enough, and doesn’t feel like a rip-off.

The running cost is basically the same as any other 2kW electric heater – electricity is electricity – so the “eco-friendly” claim is mostly about having two heat settings and a thermostat so you don’t run it full blast all the time. If you use the lower setting and let the thermostat cycle, it can help avoid wasting power, but it’s not some magic low-energy device. Still, the fact it can heat a room fairly quickly means you don’t have to run it for hours to feel the benefit.

If you’re on a tight budget and just want something that looks like a little fire and takes the chill off a room, this is a solid option. If you have more money to burn and care a lot about materials, brand prestige, or ultra-quiet operation, you’ll probably end up looking at pricier metal-bodied stoves or built-in fires. For most people who just want a cosy-looking, plug-in heater for autumn and winter evenings, this one hits a nice balance between price and what you actually get.

The design is clearly going for that old-school stove look, with an arch-shaped front and a fake cast-iron style. From a couple of metres away, it works. It looks like a small traditional stove sitting in a fireplace, and the black colour helps it blend in with most living rooms. Once it’s in place and you’ve got the flame effect on, it does give the room a bit of character, which you just don’t get with a plain fan heater.

Up close, you can tell it’s plastic. The surface has a cast-iron effect, but if you touch it or tap it, it doesn’t have that heavy, solid feel. Personally, I’m fine with that because it keeps the weight down and makes it easier to move. But if you were hoping for something that feels like actual metal, you’ll probably be a bit underwhelmed. One thing to note: some buyers mentioned light scratches on the body, and that seems to be a recurring theme. Mine had a very minor scuff, but nothing that bothered me once it was set up.

The flame effect is where the design actually shines a bit. The fake logs and LED flames look fairly realistic for this kind of heater. Is it like staring into a real wood burner? No. But it’s good enough that I found myself leaving the flame effect on without heat just for the atmosphere. It’s not too bright or too fake-looking, and in low light it’s genuinely cosy. Compared to other cheap electric fires I’ve seen, this one looks a bit less toy-like.

Layout-wise, the controls are hidden enough to not ruin the look but still easy to reach. The front door doesn’t actually open – it’s just for show – which is a bit of a shame if you like that tactile feel, but again, for the price, I get why they kept it simple. Overall, the design is pretty solid visually: not premium, not luxury, but decent enough that you won’t be embarrassed to have it in your living room.

Let’s be clear: this thing is plastic from top to bottom. The brand even says it’s made from lightweight plastic to help with portability. So if you’re expecting some heavy cast-iron stove that feels like it’ll outlive you, this isn’t it. The upside is that at 5.5kg, it’s easy to move. I shifted it between my living room and bedroom a few times without any hassle. No need for two people or any furniture sliders.

The plastic itself feels decent enough, but you do get the usual slightly hollow feel when you tap it. The finish is a matte black that tries to mimic cast iron. From a distance, it passes, but up close you can see the mould lines and the fact it’s not metal. For a budget heater, I wasn’t expecting more, but if you’re sensitive to that “cheap plastic” vibe, this might bug you. On the positive side, plastic won’t rust, and it doesn’t get dangerously hot to the touch on the outside, which is reassuring if you’ve got kids or pets wandering around.

In terms of build quality, mine didn’t have any cracks or loose parts. The panels were aligned, and the unit stood flat on the floor without wobbling. The door front and window are obviously just decorative, but they feel stable enough, not like they’ll fall off if you brush past them. The internal log set and flame mechanism are also plastic and LEDs, so there’s nothing fragile like real glass logs or anything like that.

The only real downside with the materials is more about perception: it doesn’t feel premium. It’s functional, light, and probably easier to live with than a heavy metal unit, but it doesn’t give that solid, expensive feel. For the price, I think the trade-off is fair. You’re paying for looks and heat, not high-end materials. If you want something that feels like actual cast iron, you’ll need to spend more on a different brand or a higher-end model.

Durability is always a bit of a guess unless you’ve had the thing for years, but I can at least talk about how it feels and what I’ve noticed so far. After regular use, nothing has rattled loose, no weird noises have started, and the flame effect still works exactly like day one. The unit doesn’t flex or creak when you move it around, which is a good sign for something made entirely of plastic.

The thermal cut-off is a nice safety net. I didn’t trigger it in normal use, but it’s good to know it’s there if the vents ever get blocked or it overheats. The plastic body doesn’t seem to get dangerously hot, just warm, which again is reassuring if it’s in a busy living room. I’ve had cheap heaters before where the casing felt worryingly hot after an hour – this one didn’t give me that feeling.

That said, it’s still a lightweight plastic appliance. If you knock it over hard or drop something heavy on it, I doubt it will shrug it off like a solid metal stove would. The little cosmetic scratches some people mention in reviews also suggest the surface marks fairly easily. So if you’re planning to move it around a lot or you’ve got kids bashing toys into it, expect a few scuffs over time. Functionally it should be fine, but it might look a bit more worn.

The 365-day warranty is decent backup. It doesn’t scream long-term investment, but it does at least cover you for the first year of use, which is when most factory faults usually show up. Overall, I’d rate durability as acceptable for the price: not bulletproof, but not flimsy junk either. Treat it like what it is – a budget electric heater that looks nice – and it should last a fair while with normal use.

Performance-wise, this heater does what it says. With its 1750–1950W power, it behaves like a typical 2kW heater. On the lower setting, it warmed up my medium-sized living room (roughly 4m x 4m) in about 10–15 minutes from a slightly chilly starting point. That matches what one of the Amazon reviewers said about heating a large room quickly. On the higher setting, it’s properly toasty, and you don’t need it blasting for ages unless your house is really cold.

The thermostat is basic but useful. Once the room gets to a comfortable temperature, the heater cycles on and off instead of running constantly. It’s not super precise like a smart thermostat, but it keeps the room from turning into a sauna. I mainly used the lower heat setting most evenings, and that was enough to take the edge off without feeling like I was wasting loads of electricity. The option to run just the flame effect without heat is also handy when you just want the look without extra warmth.

Now, the noise. This is where opinions differ a bit, and I can see why. There’s definitely fan noise. It’s not ear-splitting, but you know it’s on. One reviewer said it was “barely noticeable”, another said it was “rather noisy”. I’m somewhere in the middle. If you’re watching TV at a normal volume, you’ll hear a background hum, but it didn’t drown anything out. If you’re very sensitive to noise or want near-silence, you might find it annoying over long periods. For short bursts of heating, I found it acceptable.

Overall, in terms of pure heating performance, it’s good value for money. It moves a lot of warm air, it does it quickly, and the flame effect adds a bit of atmosphere while it’s doing it. Just don’t expect oil-radiator levels of quiet. It’s more like a standard fan heater with better looks. If you’re okay with that trade-off, it performs well for what it costs.

On paper, this heater is pretty simple: 1750–1950W electric fireplace stove, freestanding, with a fake log and flame effect. The dimensions are 37.5cm wide, 23cm deep, and 51cm high, and it weighs about 5.5kg. So it’s not massive – more like a small stove you can tuck into a fireplace opening or against a wall. The brand sells it as portable, and that’s fair: you can pick it up and move it between rooms without breaking your back.

The controls are basic but functional. You get two heat settings and an adjustable thermostat, plus the option to just have the flame effect on without heat. There’s a built-in thermal cut-off, which is basically a safety feature so it doesn’t cook itself or your house if it overheats or gets blocked. It comes with a 365-day warranty, which is decent for this price range. No remote control, no smart features, nothing fancy. Just switches and a dial.

In terms of packaging, it arrived in a standard cardboard box with foam protection inside. Nothing premium, but it did the job. A few people mentioned light scratches on the cabinet in reviews, and I did spot one tiny mark on mine, but it was only noticeable when I was right up close. From normal distance, you don’t see it. If you’re picky about finishes, that might annoy you, but for me, at this price, it was acceptable.

Function-wise, it’s basically trying to be three things at once: a heater, a visual fireplace replacement, and a decorative piece of furniture. It doesn’t nail all three perfectly, but it’s decent enough in each area to justify the money. If you want plug-and-play simplicity and don’t care about apps or remote controls, this is very easy to live with. If you like gadgets and lots of settings, this will feel pretty basic.

In everyday use, I’d say this heater is effective both as a heat source and as a way to make a room feel less bland. I used it mostly in the evenings for 1–3 hours at a time. On cold nights, I’d start it on the higher setting to warm the room quickly, then drop to the lower setting or just leave the flame effect on once things were comfortable. It definitely made the room feel more inviting than when I was just using a bog-standard white fan heater in the corner.

One thing I liked is that you can separate the look from the heat. There were a few nights where the central heating was already on, so I didn’t really need more warmth, but I still switched on the flame effect. It sounds silly, but just having that fake fire glow going in the background makes a noticeable difference to how the room feels. It’s not real, obviously, but it’s better than staring at a blank wall or a dead black TV screen.

On the downside, the fan noise means this isn’t something I’d personally leave on for hours in a bedroom while trying to sleep. For pre-heating a bedroom before you go to bed, fine. But for overnight, I’d go for something quieter like an oil-filled radiator. Also, like a lot of new heaters, there was a slight smell the first couple of uses – that “new heater” odour. One reviewer mentioned it too. It faded after a few sessions, but it’s worth opening a window the first time you run it on full power.

Compared to other heaters I’ve used at similar wattage, it’s on par for heat, slightly noisier than an oil-filled unit, but miles nicer to look at than a basic fan heater. So in terms of overall effectiveness – heat plus atmosphere – it scores well. It’s not perfect, but for a budget-friendly fake fireplace that actually warms a room properly, it does the job.