Touchstone Sideline Elite Smart 42" Review: a clean-looking smart fireplace for people who like tinkering with options

I’ve had the Touchstone Sideline Elite Smart 42" in my living room wall for a little while now, and I’ll be straight: I bought it mostly for the look, not for the heat. I wanted that TV‑over‑fireplace setup without dealing with gas lines or real wood, and this one kept popping up with good reviews. I’m not an installer or an electrician, just a reasonably handy person who’s stubborn enough to cut holes in drywall.

From day one, my goal was simple: it had to look good on the wall, be easy enough to control from the couch, and not sound like a hair dryer when the heat kicks on. I also wanted something that wouldn’t feel cheap up close, because this thing basically becomes the center of the room. So I was looking at the flame quality, fan noise, and how annoying the WiFi/app setup would be.

In day‑to‑day use, I’ve mostly used it for ambiance. The heat is more of a bonus in the shoulder seasons than a full heating solution. I’ve tried the different flame colors, media options (logs vs crystals vs driftwood), the smart app, and Alexa control. I also pushed it a bit to see how quickly it heats a space and how loud it gets when it’s running on high.

Overall, it’s not perfect, but it does what I bought it for: it looks clean in the wall, the flames are decent for an electric unit, and the smart features actually work instead of being gimmicky. If you’re expecting it to replace your furnace, you’ll be disappointed. If you want a modern fake fireplace that’s easy to live with once installed, it’s pretty solid.

Price‑wise, this isn’t the cheapest electric fireplace out there. You can definitely find basic units for less that still throw 1500W of heat. What you’re paying for here is mainly the built‑in look, the more modern design, and the smart features (WiFi, Alexa/Google, app control, color options). So if you just want a heater, this is overkill. If you want a wall feature under a TV that doesn’t look dated, then the cost makes more sense.

For what you get – tempered glass, multiple media options, a decent heater, and a pretty full set of smart controls – I’d say the value is good but not cheap. You also have to factor in installation. If you pay a contractor and electrician, the total project cost can easily be more than the fireplace itself. That’s not really the product’s fault, but it matters if you’re on a tight budget. If you’re already remodeling a wall or doing built‑ins, slipping this in as part of the project feels more justifiable.

Compared to cheaper plug‑in fireplaces or console units, the big difference is the final look and the integration with your smart home. I like being able to turn it on by voice or schedule it for certain times. The fact that the flames and ember colors are customizable is a bonus, but honestly, it’s something you play with heavily in the first week and then rarely touch again. Still, it’s nice to have.

So in terms of value: if your priority is aesthetics + smart control + a clean recessed install, it’s a pretty solid choice and feels fairly priced. If you only care about heat per dollar, there are better deals. For me, as a living room feature that we actually use almost every evening (even with heat off), I don’t feel like I overspent.

The design is clearly aimed at people who like a modern, clean setup. The frame is thin, black, and doesn’t scream for attention. Once it’s recessed into the wall, you mostly see glass and flames, which is kind of the point. Compared to some bulkier electric fireplaces I’ve seen at big box stores, this one does look more up to date and less like a space heater pretending to be a fireplace.

On the flame side, you’re not going to confuse this with a real wood fire, but for an electric unit it’s decent. You get multiple flame colors (from normal orange to blue and some more artificial hues) and separate media bed colors. I ended up sticking with warm orange flames and a more neutral ember color because the wild blues and purples feel a bit like a nightclub. But if you like to change the vibe for holidays or whatever, you can. Flame speed and brightness also help tweak it so it doesn’t look like a looped video going too fast.

The included media options are actually a nice touch. You get:

• Logs – the most traditional look, what I ended up using
• Crystals – more modern, kind of hotel‑lobby style
• Driftwood – somewhere between rustic and modern

One thing I did notice: because the front is just flat glass, it shows fingerprints and dust pretty quickly, especially when the fireplace is off. A quick microfiber wipe fixes it, but if you’re picky, you’ll be cleaning it regularly. Overall, the design is simple and does its job: it blends into a media wall nicely and doesn’t look cheap, but the flame realism is still clearly “electric” if you stare at it. For a wall feature in a living room or bedroom, though, it looks good enough that guests comment on it in a positive way.

In terms of build quality, the Touchstone Sideline Elite 42" feels better than a lot of cheaper electric fireplaces I’ve seen in stores. The metal body is sturdy, the glass is properly thick and tempered, and nothing feels loose or flimsy when you’re handling it. Once it’s in the wall, it feels like a permanent fixture, not something temporary you’ll swap out in a year.

I’ve run it a decent amount on both flame‑only mode and with heat, and so far there’s been no buzzing, flickering, or strange smells after the initial “new heater” burn‑off. The fan starts and stops smoothly, and the electronics don’t seem overly sensitive. It also remembers its last flame settings, even after being turned off at the wall switch, which tells me the internal memory is doing its job properly.

The only wear‑and‑tear thing you really notice is dust and fingerprints on the glass front, which is more of a cleaning issue than a durability problem. The media (logs, crystals, driftwood) hasn’t discolored or warped, and the frame hasn’t scratched easily, even with a few accidental bumps during installation and wall work. The remote is pretty basic and feels a bit cheap compared to the main unit, but since I mostly use the app, I don’t really care.

Obviously I can’t speak for 10+ years of use, but based on the materials and how it behaves so far, I’d expect it to last as long as any decent electric heater. There’s always a risk with electronics and WiFi modules over time, but the core heating and flame functions feel solid. I wouldn’t baby it, but I also wouldn’t be afraid to run it regularly during the colder months.

Performance‑wise, I’d split this unit into two parts: ambiance performance and heat performance. For ambiance, it does the job well. The flames run smoothly, the fan noise at no‑heat or low heat is pretty quiet, and I can leave it on while watching TV without being annoyed. The different flame and ember settings are actually usable, not just a gimmick. I found a combo I like and saved it, and it does remember your last settings when you turn it back on, which is handy.

On the heating side, it’s a 1500W electric heater with vents on the top front, rated for around 400 sq ft. In my case, in a medium‑sized living room that’s somewhat open to a hallway, it takes the chill off nicely but doesn’t “heat the whole house” or anything like that. On high, you feel the warm air in front of it after a couple of minutes. On low, it’s more of a background boost. If your room is large or has high ceilings, treat this as a supplemental heater, not your main heat source. Also, sitting right under the hot air isn’t super pleasant, so placement matters.

Where this fireplace surprised me a bit is the smart features. The WiFi app setup took a bit of patience (you need to follow the steps and be on 2.4 GHz WiFi), but once it was paired, it worked reliably. From the app, you can:

• Turn the fireplace on/off
• Change flame color, speed, and brightness
• Adjust ember bed color and brightness
• Control heat and thermostat
• Set timers and schedules

Noise level is reasonable. On fan‑only or low heat, it’s easy to ignore. On high heat, you hear a clear fan sound, but it’s not obnoxively loud. No weird rattles or buzzing on my unit so far. So in practice: as a heater, it’s decent but not more than that; as a visual and smart device, it’s pretty solid and convenient once set up.

Installation is where people either love or hate this kind of product. This fireplace is clearly designed for in‑wall recessed installation, and that means cutting into drywall, dealing with studs, and thinking about power. If you’re used to hanging shelves and doing basic home projects, this is a step up in difficulty, but not impossible. If you’re not comfortable with electrical work or cutting into walls, I’d honestly say get a contractor or at least an electrician.

The manual is fairly clear about the required opening: roughly 40 7/16" wide x 18" high x 5 1/8" deep. The “measure twice, buy once” advice is legit here. I had to slightly adjust a stud to center it on my wall, which added time. The unit slides into the opening and mounts via brackets and screws. Because it weighs around 45 pounds, having a second person to help hold it while you secure it makes a big difference. Doing it solo would be annoying and a bit risky.

For power, you have two options: plug it into a standard 120V outlet or hardwire it. If you want that clean, no‑visible‑cord look under a TV, hardwiring is the way to go, but that’s where I drew the line and brought in an electrician. He ran a dedicated line and wired it in properly, which cost extra but gave me peace of mind. If you already have an outlet in the cavity and don’t care about seeing a cord, plug‑in is easier, but it does look less built‑in.

Once installed, you mostly forget about the effort and just use it. But I wouldn’t call this a simple plug‑and‑play product. If you’re doing a whole feature wall with a TV, shelves, etc., it fits nicely into that kind of project. If you thought you could just unbox it and have it running in 30 minutes, that’s not realistic. In my opinion, the end result is worth the hassle, but you need to know what you’re signing up for.

Out of the box, the Touchstone Sideline Elite 42" is basically a heavy rectangular metal box with a glass front, plus a pile of accessories. You get the main fireplace unit, a remote, a bag of clear crystals, a log set, some driftwood pieces, mounting hardware, and the usual paperwork. It’s about 42" wide, 19" high, and just over 5" deep, so it’s clearly meant to live inside a wall, not just lean against it.

The unit itself feels solid and a bit heavy at around 45 pounds. This isn’t one of those cheap lightweight plug‑in fireplaces you slide into a TV stand. You’ll want two people to lift it and hold it while you secure it in the wall. The glass front is tempered, 4mm thick, and sits flush with a slim black metal frame. The vents are up front along the top, so you don’t have weird hot air blowing out the bottom or sides.

In terms of features, it’s pretty loaded for an electric fireplace. You get WiFi control via an app, Alexa/Google Home compatibility, two heat settings (high/low) with a thermostat in the 68–88°F range, different flame colors, flame speeds, brightness levels, and separate color options for the ember bed. Touchstone says 60 color combinations total, which sounds like marketing fluff, but there are enough combinations that you’ll probably find one you like and then never touch it again.

From a practical standpoint, the basics are there: 1500W heater, claimed coverage around 400 sq ft, can be plugged into a standard outlet or hardwired. Out of the box, it’s ready to plug in, but if you’re doing a clean built‑in look, you’ll probably hardwire it. So as a package, it’s not minimal, but it’s also not confusing. Everything you need to make it look finished is in the box; you just have to decide which media (logs, crystals, driftwood) fits your room best.