LegendFlame 71" Smart Electric Fireplace Review: big modern look without the gas headache

I installed the LegendFlame 71" smart electric fireplace in a new living room build, so I had the chance to plan around it instead of trying to squeeze it into an existing wall. I’ve been using it almost every evening for a few weeks, both with and without heat, just to see if it’s the kind of thing you forget about after a week or if it actually becomes part of your routine. Short version: it’s not perfect, but I keep turning it on, which says a lot.

The first thing you notice is the size. Seventy-one inches across is no joke. It instantly becomes the main thing on that wall, especially if you mount a TV above it. The 1–3 sided view option is also not just a gimmick. If you leave one side open into another room or hallway, it gives you that fake “see-through” fireplace vibe that normally costs a lot more with gas. That’s probably the main reason I picked this model over some of the cheaper flat-only units.

In daily use, I mostly run it on the classic orange flame with a red ember bed. The extra colors are fun to show guests, but in reality I’m not sitting there watching blue and purple flames every night. Heat output is decent for an electric unit: it takes the chill off an open-concept main floor, but it’s not replacing a real furnace. Fan noise is noticeable, especially if the house is quiet, and the crackling sound effect is a bit fake unless you lower the volume.

If you’re expecting this to fully copy a wood or gas fireplace, you’ll be a bit let down. You still know it’s electric as soon as the fan kicks in. But if you want the look of a modern linear fireplace, with glass on the sides and all the smart features (remote, Wi‑Fi, Alexa/Google), without running gas lines or venting, this is a pretty solid compromise. Not cheap, not flawless, but it gets the job done and looks good on the wall.

In terms of value, this sits in that middle-to-upper range for electric fireplaces. It’s not the cheapest, especially in the 71" size, but it also isn’t priced like high-end gas units. The question is basically: are you okay paying a bit more than a basic electric unit to get the 1–3 sided look, larger size, and smart features? For me, the answer was yes, mainly because I wanted that side-glass effect without dealing with gas lines and venting.

Compared to flat-only electric fireplaces I’ve used or seen (the ones that just mount on the wall), this definitely looks more built-in and less like a temporary appliance. You’re paying extra for the size, the three-sided option, and the Wi‑Fi control. If you only care about heat and a simple flame in a small room, you can find cheaper, smaller units that will do the job. But if you’re building a feature wall and want something that looks more custom, this feels like a reasonable compromise between price and finish.

Running costs are similar to any 1500W electric heater: not free, but not insane either if you’re just using it to supplement heat in the evenings. You can always run the flames without heat if you just want the look. From a cost/benefit angle, the main downside is installation. If you have to pay someone to open your wall, frame, run power, and patch everything, the total project cost climbs fast. In that case, you might start comparing it to cheaper units or even to entry-level gas fireplaces if gas is an option in your home.

Overall, I’d say value is good but depends heavily on your situation. If you’re in new construction or already redoing a wall, this is a pretty solid buy: big visual impact, decent heat, smart controls, and a modern look without the complexity of gas. If your wall is already finished and you just want an easy upgrade, this is probably overkill, and you’d be better off with a simpler wall-mount unit. For what it offers and how it performs, I don’t feel like I overpaid, but it’s not a crazy bargain either.

The design is pretty straightforward: a long black rectangular box with tempered glass across the front and optional glass on the sides, depending on how you install it. The frame is thin enough that it doesn’t scream “cheap electric unit,” and once you finish the wall material right up to the edge, it does look fairly built-in. I went with a three-sided look, with drywall and a simple painted finish around it, and it definitely has that modern linear fireplace style you see in newer houses.

The flame effect is where a lot of these units either feel cheap or passable. I’d put this one in the “pretty solid for the price” category. The dual flame color system lets you combine the classic orange with up to 8 other colors, and the fuel bed/logs also have 8 colors. If you want blue, purple, or more “fake” colors for parties, you can do that. For daily use, I stick to orange flames and red/orange embers because that looks the most natural. From a few meters away, especially with the room lights dimmed, it looks convincing enough that you stop thinking about it.

Up close, you can tell it’s an electric flame: the movement pattern repeats, and the depth of the flame isn’t as rich as a gas unit. But compared to some cheaper fireplaces I’ve seen in rentals, this one has more variation and a better blend of colors. The logs and ember bed don’t look high-end, but once they’re lit, they do the job. The side glass really helps sell the effect because you can see the flame from different angles instead of just a flat window on the wall.

One thing I appreciated is that the controls for brightness and flame speed give you some room to tweak the look. I ended up lowering the brightness a bit and slowing the flame speed, which made it look less like a TV screen and more like a relaxed fire. It’s still not going to fool someone who’s used to a real wood or gas fireplace, but for a plug-in electric unit, the design and visuals are more than decent. If you’re picky, you’ll notice the limits; if you just want a nice visual centerpiece, it gets the job done.

It’s still fairly new on the market (first available May 2024), so there isn’t long-term feedback over several winters yet. I’ve only had it for a few weeks of regular use, so take this as early impressions, not a five-year durability report. That said, the build quality out of the box felt decent. The metal body doesn’t flex easily, the tempered glass feels solid, and there weren’t any weird rattles or loose parts when unpacking or moving it into the framing.

Once installed, the unit sits firmly in the wall, and nothing has shifted or squeaked so far. The fan kicks on and off as expected when the heater is used, and there haven’t been any strange burning smells or electrical noises beyond the normal “new heater” smell in the first hour or so. The finish on the visible frame is a simple black powder coat. It’s not fancy, but it doesn’t scratch just from normal cleaning with a soft cloth. The glass cleans easily with standard glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth; fingerprints and dust show up, but that’s normal.

The electronics (remote, Wi‑Fi, controls) have been stable so far. The remote responds consistently, and the Wi‑Fi connection hasn’t randomly dropped once it was set up. The flame effect has been consistent every time I turn it on; no flickering LEDs or dead spots so far. The crackle sound speaker is what it is: a small speaker inside a metal box. I wouldn’t judge the whole unit’s durability based on that. It sounds a bit cheap at high volume, but that’s more a design choice than a durability problem.

There’s a one-year limited warranty, which is pretty standard but not generous. For a unit in this price range, I’d have liked to see at least two years on the electronics. On the plus side, the brand does mention accessible customer service, and the existing Amazon reviews don’t show a wave of failures yet. Overall, early signs are positive: it feels solid, doesn’t look fragile, and works the same after a few weeks as it did on day one. I’d still keep the receipt and install it in a way that you can access it if something needs service later, instead of sealing it behind a crazy amount of finish work.

From a performance point of view, you have two main things to look at: heat output and noise level, plus the smart side of things. On heat, this unit is exactly what you’d expect from a 1500W electric heater. In my open-concept main floor (kitchen + dining + living), it doesn’t replace the main heating, but if the thermostat is set a bit lower, turning this on makes the living area feel more comfortable. In a medium-sized living room or large bedroom, it should be enough to make a clear difference. Just don’t expect it to heat a whole house.

Noise-wise, this is where it’s not perfect. The fan has a noticeable hum when the heater is on. It’s not jet-engine loud, but if you’re watching a quiet movie or reading in silence, you’ll hear it. It’s the standard “electric heater fan” sound, nothing more. On top of that, there’s the crackling sound effect. At default volume, it sounds a bit tinny and fake, like a cheap speaker playing a campfire loop. Once I found the setting in the app and lowered the volume, it became more tolerable. I still wouldn’t call it realistic, but at low volume it fades into the background and doesn’t bother me.

The smart features are actually useful. Pairing with Wi‑Fi took a couple of tries but worked in the end. After that, controlling it with Alexa or Google is straightforward: you can turn it on/off, adjust basic settings, and change flame colors. In reality, I mostly use voice to turn it on when I walk into the room with my hands full or to turn it off when I go to bed. The remote is still the main control for detailed tweaks. Response time is decent; there’s sometimes a one-second delay, but nothing dramatic.

In daily use, I’d rate the overall performance as solid but not mind-blowing. It heats as much as a typical 1500W heater can, the flames look good enough, the fan is a bit louder than I’d like, and the crackle sound is borderline cheesy until you adjust it. If you go in with realistic expectations for an electric unit at this size and price, you’ll probably be satisfied. If you’re expecting silent operation and gas-level realism, you’ll be underwhelmed.

This fireplace is clearly meant for pre-drywall installation or at least for a serious remodel where you’re opening the wall. The Amazon review saying “must be installed before drywall” is basically right. You need framing to support the 105-pound unit, the right opening size, and proper access to an electrical outlet or hardwired connection inside the wall cavity. This is not a plug-and-play wall-hanging unit, and if you try to treat it like one, you’ll have a bad time.

In my case, we were already building a feature wall, so we framed a cavity to the manufacturer’s specs. Two of us lifted the unit into place, checked clearances, and then ran power to an outlet inside the framing. Once it was in and leveled, it was pretty straightforward. The front and sides line up well with standard drywall, and once you finish the wall material up to the edge, it looks nicely integrated. But yeah, this is at least a half-day job for someone who knows framing and electrical basics, and a full day if you’re slower or doing it alone.

For a corner or three-sided installation, you also have to think about how the side glass will line up with the wall finish. Any mistake in framing shows up as gaps or uneven edges around the glass. It’s not incredibly hard, but it definitely requires more planning than just cutting a hole and shoving it in. If you’re not comfortable with this kind of work, I’d seriously consider hiring a handyman or contractor for the install. The unit itself is too heavy and too expensive to risk dropping or messing up.

Setup after physical installation is easier. Plug it in, turn it on, pair the remote, and then connect to Wi‑Fi using the app. The Wi‑Fi pairing is the usual routine: connect to the device, let it join your home network, then link it to Alexa or Google. Took me maybe 10–15 minutes including one failed attempt. Once that’s done, you don’t really touch the app often, unless you want to tweak sound/flame settings that aren’t obvious from the remote. In short: installation is the main pain point. If you’re in a new build or full reno, it’s fine. If your wall is already finished and you’re hoping for a quick upgrade, this is not the one.

On paper, this thing checks a lot of boxes: 71" wide, built-in installation, 1–3 sided view options, 750W/1500W heater, Wi‑Fi, Alexa/Google Assistant, remote control, and multi-color flames and ember bed. It’s CSA certified, vent-free, and rated at 1500W with about 5100 BTU output, which is standard for this type of electric fireplace. It weighs around 105 pounds, so it’s not some flimsy, light box you can hang like a picture frame. You need proper framing and at least two people to move it safely.

In the box, you get the main fireplace unit, a remote control (you’ll need 2 AAA batteries), the decorative fuel bed/logs, and the basic paperwork. No fancy extras, no wall-mount brackets (because it’s not a surface-mount type), just what you need to build it in. The visible opening is about 70.9" wide by 15.7" high, so you get a long, low, linear look. Depth-wise, the visible part is 5.5", but the whole body is deeper and sits inside the wall.

The big selling point compared to many cheaper models is the 1–3 sided configuration. You can do:

• Single-sided: just the front glass visible, like a standard linear fireplace.
• Corner: one front + one side glass exposed.
• Three-sided: front + both sides visible, like a peninsula look inside a feature wall.

Function-wise, it has two main heat settings (750W and 1500W) and separate controls for flame and ember colors. You can run the flames without heat if you just want the look. Smart features let you connect it to Wi‑Fi and control it via an app or voice assistants. In practice, I ended up using the remote 80% of the time and voice commands when I was already using Alexa for lights and wanted to turn the fireplace on/off from the couch.

Overall, the spec sheet matches what you actually get. No big surprises, but also nothing missing that they advertise. If you read the product page carefully, the real constraint is that this is clearly designed to be installed during construction or a major remodel. It’s not something you casually add to a finished wall in an afternoon.