VITESSE 60'' Electric Fireplace Review: slim wall unit that looks good and heats okay

I’ve had this VITESSE 60-inch electric fireplace on my wall for a little while now, and I’ll be honest: I bought it more for the look than for the heat. I wanted something that fills a big blank wall and gives some kind of vibe in the evenings, without dealing with gas lines or a real chimney. This one kept popping up because of the size, the skinny depth, and the price compared to other 60-inch units.

In practice, it does what it says on the box: it throws some heat, and it looks like a fake but decent fireplace. You’re not going to confuse it with a real wood fire, but the flames and ember bed are good enough that guests comment on it. The first night I installed it, I ended up playing with the different flame colors for way too long, like a kid with a new toy.

It’s not perfect, though. The heat output is fine for a medium room, but it’s not going to replace proper heating in a big open space. The remote and touch controls work, but they feel a bit basic and slightly laggy sometimes. Also, if you want it recessed into the wall, you need to be ready to cut drywall and maybe move an outlet, which is more work than the product photos suggest.

Overall, my first impression is: pretty solid for the price, especially if your main goal is ambiance. If you’re expecting it to heat a whole house or look exactly like a real fireplace, you’ll be a bit let down. If you just want a big, modern “fire” on the wall that actually warms the room a bit, it gets the job done.

Price-wise, this VITESSE 60-inch usually sits in the mid-range for big electric fireplaces. There are cheaper 50–60 inch units out there, but they often look more toy-like, with weaker flames and fewer color options. There are also more expensive brands that charge quite a bit more for slightly better materials or smarter features (like app control or more realistic logs). This one lands in that middle spot where you’re paying for size and a decent feature set without going into luxury territory.

For what you get—12 flame colors, 12 ember colors, dual heat settings, timer, remote, and a pretty slim profile—the value is actually pretty solid. It’s hard to find another 60-inch that looks this clean on the wall at the same price point. The 4.4/5 rating with a lot of reviews backs that up: most people seem happy with it, with a few having issues like the heater shutting off early, which customer service apparently fixed by sending a new motherboard.

If you compare it to just buying a space heater, obviously this is way more expensive. But you’re paying for the look as much as the heat. Compared to a real gas or wood fireplace install, it’s way cheaper and doesn’t need permits or venting. So if you just want ambiance and a bit of extra heat, the cost feels reasonable. If you’re super picky about realism or want something that feels high-end, you might feel like spending more on a premium brand is worth it.

In my opinion, value for money is good but not mind-blowing. It does the job, looks nice, and doesn’t feel like a rip-off. There are better units out there if you’re ready to pay more, and there are cheaper ones if you just want something that lights up. This one hits a nice middle ground for people who want a big, modern fake fireplace that’s not junk but also not a huge investment.

Design-wise, this thing is all about being wide and thin. The body is around 60 inches wide, about 18 inches tall, and under 4 inches deep. Once it’s on the wall, it has that long, linear look you see in a lot of modern houses. If your wall is big and empty, this fills the space nicely. It doesn’t stick out too much, especially if you recess it or semi-recess it into a 2x6 wall, which is what it’s designed for.

The front is basically a big glass window with a black frame. The frame is pretty minimal, which I like, but you do see fingerprints and dust on the glass pretty quickly. You’ll end up wiping it down often if you’re picky. The touch controls are on the front glass and light up when you touch them. They look clean, but in the dark you’ll sometimes hit the wrong icon until you memorize the layout. The remote is nothing fancy, just a small plastic thing with labeled buttons. It does the job but feels cheap in the hand.

What stands out most in terms of design is the flame and ember bed customization. You get 12 flame colors, 12 ember bed colors, and 5 flame speeds. In reality, I mostly stick to 2-3 favorites: a more natural orange/yellow for everyday use, and then a blue or purple mix when I’m messing around. Some color combos are a bit tacky, but if you like RGB-style lighting, you’ll probably enjoy it. The flames aren’t super high, but they fill enough of the window that it doesn’t look tiny or weak.

From a distance, the unit looks pretty sleek, especially if you trim it out or paint the wall nicely around it. Up close, you can tell it’s metal and glass with LED lights, nothing luxury. For the price point, I’d say the design is clean and modern, but not premium. If you want something that blends into a high-end built-in wall with custom millwork, you might spend more on a different brand. If you just want a good-looking black rectangle of fake fire, this one ticks the box.

The fireplace is mostly metal and glass, nothing fancy, but it feels reasonably solid for the price. The metal housing isn’t thick, heavy steel or anything, but it doesn’t flex like a cheap toy either. When I lifted it with a friend to mount it, there were no weird creaks or bending. The glass front is the main visual piece, and it’s clear and flat, no warping or distortion when you look at the flames through it.

The finish on the metal is a basic black, kind of a polished or semi-gloss look. It looks good on the wall, but it does show dust and fingerprints, especially around the edges where you handle it during installation. The touch buttons are integrated into the glass and light up when active. They work, but they feel a bit “gadgety” rather than high-end. The remote is the part that feels the cheapest: lightweight plastic, basic buttons, nothing backlit. It functions fine, but if you’re expecting something that feels premium, this isn’t it.

Inside, the ember bed materials (crystals/rocks) are typical for this category. They don’t feel luxurious in the hand, but once they’re in place and lit up, they look decent. You can swap them out for different media if you want, but what’s included is fine for most people. The mounting brackets and screws included in the box are okay, but if your wall situation is weird or you want extra security, you might want to buy some heavier-duty anchors or use proper blocking behind the drywall.

Overall, the materials are in line with the price: solid enough that it doesn’t feel cheap on the wall, but clearly not a high-end, built-in gas unit. I haven’t seen any paint chipping or rust so far, and the glass hasn’t scratched with normal cleaning. For a mid-range electric fireplace, I’d call the materials decent and practical, not fancy.

On the performance side, I’d break it down into three parts: heat, noise, and visuals. For heat, the 1500W setting is the one that actually matters. In my case, it comfortably warms a roughly 300–350 square foot room with average insulation. In a 400 sq ft space, it still helps, but don’t expect it to feel like a furnace. It’s more like a strong space heater with nicer looks. A user said they heat a 500 sq ft insulated garage and it keeps up in mild cold; I’d say that matches my experience if you’re not in extreme winter weather.

Noise-wise, the fan is there, but it’s not crazy loud. On high heat you can hear a steady hum, like a small space heater. If you’re watching TV, you’ll notice it at low volumes but it doesn’t drown anything out. With flames only and no heat, it’s basically silent, which is nice for late-night use. I’ve had cheap fireplaces before where the fan rattles; this one hasn’t done that so far. I did see one user mention a motherboard issue where the heater shut off after 30 seconds, but they got it fixed with a replacement part. Mine hasn’t done that, but it’s something to keep in mind.

The flame effect is honestly the strongest part of its performance. The LEDs are bright enough to be seen clearly even with normal room lights on, and in a darker room they look pretty good. It’s obviously not real fire, but it has enough movement and brightness that it feels cozy. The 5 flame speeds are useful: slower for a relaxed vibe, faster if you want more movement. The separate ember bed colors let you tweak the look a lot, though some colors look more like a nightclub than a fireplace.

In day-to-day use, I mainly use it on low or medium brightness with heat on when the room is chilly. The timer function is handy; I often set it to 2–4 hours in the evening so it shuts off on its own. It hasn’t tripped any breakers or overheated on me yet, and the auto-heat kill safety is at least reassuring on paper. Performance overall: it does what you’d expect a mid-range electric fireplace to do, without major surprises. Good for ambiance, decent for supplemental heat, not a replacement for central heating.

Installation depends a lot on what you’re trying to do. Wall-mounting it like a TV is the easiest option: you screw the included bracket into the studs, hang the unit, and plug it into a nearby outlet. With two people and a drill, that’s maybe an hour if you already know where your studs are. If you’re okay seeing the cord, that’s basically it.

Where it gets more involved is if you want the clean, recessed look. The unit is designed to fit into a 2x6 wall, so you’ll likely need to cut a hole in the drywall, frame the opening a bit, and either run a new outlet inside that cavity or at least hide the cord somehow. In my case, cutting the wall and installing a hidden outlet took more time than dealing with the fireplace itself. One reviewer said the same: the unit is easy to mount, the wall work is the annoying part.

The actual bracket and mounting system on the fireplace are straightforward. You attach the bracket to the wall, lift the fireplace onto it, and then secure a couple of screws to keep it from shifting. The manual gives measurements and clear diagrams, so as long as you can measure and use a level, you’re fine. Just don’t try to do it completely alone; balancing a 60-inch glass-front unit by yourself on a ladder is asking for trouble.

I’d rate the install difficulty as moderate. Not a nightmare, but definitely more work if you want it recessed and all the cables hidden. If you rent or don’t want to cut walls, just wall-mount it and use a cord cover; it’ll still look decent. Electric-wise, it’s just a standard plug, so you don’t have to hardwire anything, which is nice. Just make sure the circuit can handle a 1500W heater plus whatever else is on that line.

Out of the box, the VITESSE 60-inch fireplace is basically a big, flat black metal box with a glass front, a bag of decorative bits (crystals and/or rocks depending on your version), mounting hardware, and a simple remote. No fancy extras. The unit itself weighs about 50 pounds, so it’s not crazy heavy, but you also don’t want to hang it on flimsy drywall anchors. I needed one other person to help lift it into place safely.

VITESSE says it’s good for about 400 square feet, and that’s roughly what I’ve seen. In a medium-sized living room or a converted garage, it can actually take the chill off. You get two heat settings: 750W and 1500W, plus the option to run just the flames with no heat. That last part is honestly what I use the most, especially at night when I just want the look without roasting the room.

The control options are pretty straightforward: there’s a touch panel on the front and a remote that lets you adjust flame color, ember bed color, flame speed, timer (1–8 hours), and heat. It also has a sleep mode and an auto shut-off if it overheats, which is nice for peace of mind. The manual is decent, not the best I’ve seen, but clear enough that you don’t spend all day guessing what the icons mean.

First impression when everything is plugged in and running: it looks more expensive than it is, but you can still tell it’s a mid-range electric unit, not some high-end built-in gas fireplace. For the price range, the feature set is pretty generous: multicolor flames, separate ember bed colors, timer, two heat levels, and relatively low noise. Nothing revolutionary, but a solid package if you just want a big wall fireplace that works without too much drama.