Touchstone Sideline 50" Smart Electric Fireplace Review: a solid fake fire that actually feels cozy

I put the Touchstone Sideline 50" into my living room wall where an old, useless wood fireplace used to be. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now, mostly in the evenings and weekends. My goal was simple: I wanted the look of a fireplace without dealing with gas lines, chimney cleaning, or hauling logs. I wasn’t expecting miracles, just something that looks decent and takes the chill off the room.

First impression: it’s better than I expected for a fully electric unit. The flames obviously don’t look like real fire if you stare closely, but from a few meters away, with the room lights dimmed, it gives a pretty convincing cozy vibe. It doesn’t scream “cheap heater from the hardware store,” which was my biggest fear. The front glass and the overall frame look clean and modern, not plasticky.

In daily use, we mostly run it with low flames and sometimes no heat, just for ambience while watching TV. On colder nights, I switch the heater on for a bit. It behaves more like a strong space heater than a real fireplace, which is exactly what it is. You feel the warm air in front of it, but it’s not going to replace your main heating in a big house, and I wouldn’t buy it with that expectation.

If you’re hoping for a full gas-fireplace replacement, you’ll probably find it a bit limited on heat and realism. But if you want something that looks good, is simple to live with, and gives your room a focal point, this one gets the job done without drama. That’s basically how I’d sum it up after actually living with it.

From a value standpoint, I’d put the Touchstone Sideline 50" in the “good but not crazy cheap” category. You’re paying more than you would for a basic electric heater or a cheap wall-mounted fireplace, but you’re getting a cleaner look, more features, and smart controls. Given it’s often ranked near the top in electric fireplaces and has a 4.6/5 rating with a lot of reviews, it’s clearly hitting a decent price-to-features balance for many people.

If you compare it to the cost of installing a gas fireplace (gas line, venting, permits, etc.), this thing is a bargain. One of the reviewers even mentioned they wanted gas but couldn’t justify the cost, and I’m in the same boat. For a fraction of that price, you get something that looks good, gives off some heat, and doesn’t lock you into any long-term maintenance like chimney sweeps. On the flip side, compared to a super cheap electric unit, you do pay extra, but you’re getting better flame effects, a more solid build, and proper in-wall installation.

Where the value takes a small hit is if you start adding extra work around it: electrician fees, drywall work, trim kits, etc. If you have to pay pros for everything, the total bill climbs fast. In that case, you have to really want the built-in look and smart features, otherwise a simpler plug-in unit under a TV stand might be enough for you.

Overall, I’d say it’s good value if you care about both looks and function, and you’re okay with the fact that it’s a nice space heater plus ambience, not a full-blown heating system. If you just want raw heat for as little money as possible, this is overkill. But if you want your living room to feel more finished and cozy without jumping to gas or real wood, the price makes sense.

Visually, the Sideline 50" is simple and clean: black frame, big glass front, and not much else. That’s actually what I wanted. It doesn’t try too hard with weird shapes or fake stone. Once it’s recessed into the wall, it looks like a built-in unit, and the glass border acts as the finishing trim. In my case, I had to deal with an older, larger fireplace opening, so I still needed a trim solution around it. If you’re going into a standard stud wall, you probably won’t have that issue.

The flames themselves are honestly decent but not mind-blowing. You can adjust flame height and color, plus the ember bed color. There are a bunch of combinations (the brand says 30 flame/ember options) so you can go from yellow/orange “fake wood fire” to blue/white “modern” or even more colorful setups. In a dim room, it looks pretty good. In bright daylight, it looks more like a screen with lights, so don’t expect miracles there.

One thing I liked is the front-facing heater vents. That means you can mount it under a TV (they recommend at least 8 inches gap) without cooking the electronics above. The control display (temperature, settings) pops up when you change something, then fades away, so you’re not stuck with glowing numbers in your line of sight while watching TV. That’s a small thing, but it matters when you actually live with it.

On the downside, there’s no built-in sound, so if you want crackling logs, you’ll be using a soundbar or a YouTube fireplace video. Also, the flame doesn’t fill 100% of the glass height; there’s some dead space at the top and bottom that makes it look slightly less like a real fire. You get used to it, but if you’re super picky about realism, you’ll notice. Overall, I’d say the design is modern and neat, and once installed, it looks like it belongs in a proper living room, not a dorm.

In terms of build quality, the Sideline 50" feels fairly solid for the price. The unit is heavy enough (about 59 pounds) that it doesn’t feel flimsy, and the metal housing doesn’t flex or rattle when you move it. The front glass is thick and stays put once you hook it and secure the two side screws. I’ve taken the glass off a couple of times to swap between logs and crystals, and nothing felt like it was about to snap off in my hands.

The internal parts, like the logs and crystals, are obviously decorative plastic and glass, so don’t expect premium materials there. But once they’re in place and the flames are on, you’re not touching them anyway. The heater has been running on and off for several weeks now, and I haven’t noticed any weird smells after the first burn-in, or changes in fan noise. The fan sound is there, like any space heater, but it’s not crazy loud. With a TV or music on, you barely notice it.

One thing I paid attention to was heat around the frame and wall. The brand claims the sides and back stay cool, and that seems accurate. After running the heater on high for a while, the glass gets warm, but the surrounding wall and frame are just slightly warm, not hot. That’s reassuring if you’re putting it under a TV or into a framed wall. No discoloration or warping so far.

Obviously, I haven’t had it for years yet, so I can’t comment on 5-year reliability, but with thousands of reviews and the way it feels in hand, I’d expect it to hold up fine under normal use. There’s a limited warranty, but I didn’t have to use it. My only small concern is the remote, which feels a bit generic and light; if anything fails first, I’d bet on that. But the unit itself gives off the impression that it’s built to last longer than a cheap portable heater from a discount store.

On the performance side, you basically have two things: the visual effect and the heating. For the flames, you get multiple brightness levels and colors for both the flame and the ember bed. After playing around for a few evenings, I ended up mostly using warm yellow/orange flames with medium brightness and the log set. That combo feels the most natural. The colored modes (blue, purple, etc.) are fun at first or for parties, but in daily use I didn’t touch them much.

Heating-wise, it’s 1,500W with up to about 5,000 BTU, which is standard space-heater territory. In my medium-sized living room (roughly 350–400 sq ft), it takes the edge off the cold pretty well. If the central heating is on low and I turn this on high, the room gets comfortable faster. But let’s be clear: this is not a full heating system. In a big open space with high ceilings, it feels more like a hair dryer blowing warm air in front of you, just like one of the Amazon reviewers said. It’s good as a supplement, not as the only source of heat.

The WiFi and app control are actually useful, not just a gimmick. Once I figured out that you need to hold the ON button to pair it, setup took a few minutes. From the app, you can schedule it, change flame settings, and turn the heater on or off. Integration with Alexa/Google works for on/off and some basic commands, but not full heater control, likely for safety. For me, the best part is being able to turn the flames on from the couch or even before coming home, so the room looks cozy when I walk in.

The remote itself works fine but isn’t super intuitive at first. You definitely need the manual the first time to understand what each button does. Once you memorize the icons, it’s okay. Response time is quick enough; you don’t have to mash the buttons. Overall, the performance is solid: it does what it says, with enough control to dial in what you want, but don’t expect it to heat a whole house or fully mimic a real wood fire.

For installation, I’d say it’s very doable if you’re handy, but not exactly plug-and-play if you’re cutting into a wall for the first time. In my case, I had an existing fireplace opening, so I didn’t have to cut new studs, just clean up the space and sort out the electrical. The unit can be plugged into a normal 110–120V outlet with the included 6-foot cord, or you can hardwire it. I had an outlet installed behind the unit so there’s no visible cord, which looks much cleaner.

The manufacturer says it pulls a max of 12 amps, so it’s fine on a 15-amp circuit as long as you’re not running a bunch of other heavy stuff on the same line. If that circuit already has space heaters or a big entertainment system, you might pop a breaker. I had an electrician confirm my setup, and honestly, for anything more than just plugging it into a nearby outlet, I’d at least ask a pro, especially if you’re dealing with old gas lines from a previous fireplace.

Mounting the unit itself is straightforward: it’s designed to attach to framing studs, and the sides and back stay cool to the touch, so you’re not cooking your wall. Getting the opening size right is the key. If you have a larger old fireplace like me, you may need a trim kit or some custom framing around it. That’s one thing I think Touchstone could improve: they don’t include or sell a dedicated trim kit for odd-sized openings, so you’re on your own for that. Not a deal-breaker, but worth knowing.

If you don’t want to cut into a wall at all, you can use the included wall-mount bracket and just hang it, but it definitely looks more “finished” when it’s recessed. Overall, I’d rate the installation as medium difficulty: fine if you’re comfortable with basic carpentry and following instructions, but if words like “framing studs” and “circuit load” scare you, budget for a handyman or electrician to help.

Out of the box, the Touchstone Sideline 50" is a 59-pound rectangular unit with a black frame and a big glass front. In the package I got: the fireplace itself, the glass front already attached, a set of faux logs, a bag of clear crystals, mounting hardware (anchors and screws), and a remote. No AAA batteries for the remote, so have two on hand. There’s also a pretty thick instruction booklet, which is more detailed than most stuff I buy lately.

You can either recess it into a wall or use the included bracket to wall-mount it. I recessed mine into an old fireplace opening. The body is about 5.5 inches deep and roughly 50.4 inches wide by 21.5 inches high, so you really do need to measure properly beforehand. The brand’s “measure twice, buy once” warning isn’t just marketing; if your opening is off by even a couple of inches, you’ll be swearing at drywall instead of enjoying fake flames.

Inside, you decide whether you want the log set or the crystals, or a mix of both. I tried both for a few days each. Logs look more traditional and hide the fact it’s an electric unit a bit better. Crystals give it more of a modern hotel-lobby vibe. Swapping them isn’t hard: you pop off the front glass (two screws on the sides plus hooks), take the logs out, and pour the crystals in. Not something you’ll do every day, but fine for seasonal changes.

Function-wise, you get flame color and intensity controls, ember bed colors, a heater with two levels, a thermostat, timer, and WiFi/Alexa/Google support. It plugs into a standard 110–120V outlet with a 6-foot cord, or you can hardwire it if you’re doing a cleaner install. Overall, what you get for the price feels pretty solid: not luxury, but also not cheap junk. It’s basically a decent-looking electric heater with a lot of light effects and smart control options layered on top.