FLAMME Knighton Platinum 71" Review: a deep, Alexa-ready electric fire for proper media walls

I put this FLAMME Knighton Platinum 71" electric fireplace into a media wall build in my living room, so this isn’t a quick unboxing opinion. I had to frame around it, wire a socket, and live with it for a bit. So I’ve seen the nice side and the annoying side. In short: it looks good on a wall, the flame effect is decent, and it heats the room fine, but it’s not perfect and you need to know what you’re getting into before cutting a massive hole in your wall.

The main thing with this model is the size and the depth. At 180 cm wide and 26 cm deep, it’s built for proper media walls, not for just hanging on a plasterboard like a little wall heater. If you’re doing the whole TV-over-fireplace thing, this one fits that idea well. The flames and fuel bed are clearly designed to be the visual focus rather than just a heater that happens to glow orange.

I also played around with the smart features: Alexa, Tuya app, and the remote. It all works, but there’s a bit of setup and it’s not as smooth as a big-brand smart home gadget. Once it’s configured, though, voice control for heat and flame colours is actually handy, especially when you’re slumped on the sofa. The heater is 1500W, which is basically like having a decent fan heater built into your wall.

So overall, I’d say it’s a pretty solid choice if you’re already planning a media wall and want a wide, deep fire with a modern look. If you just want cheap heat or something plug-and-play with no DIY, this is overkill and you’ll probably find it more hassle than it’s worth.

In terms of value, I’d say this fireplace sits in the “good but not dirt-cheap” bracket. You’re paying for the width (71"/180 cm), the deep fuel bed, and the smart features. If you compare it to small wall-mounted electric fires, it’s obviously more expensive. But compared to other big media wall units with app control and multiple viewing options, the price feels fair. You’re not paying a high-end designer premium, but it doesn’t look bargain-bin either once it’s installed.

Where the value really shows is if you’re already planning a media wall build. In that context, the cost of the fire is just one line item alongside timber, plasterboard, paint, and maybe a new TV. For that use, the FLAMME Knighton gives you a wide, modern focal point that looks the part. The heat output is enough that you genuinely use it as a secondary heater, not just for looks. The fact that the flames work with or without heat is also handy; you can use it all year, not just in winter.

On the downside, you don’t get any decorative frame or surround included, and the warranty is only 12 months. So if you’re very price-sensitive and just want something to plug in and go, you might find better value in a smaller, simpler unit. Also, electricity prices being what they are, running 1500W for long periods isn’t exactly cheap, so I see this more as a comfort/ambience purchase than a main heating solution.

Overall, I’d call the value-for-money solid if you specifically want a large, modern, smart-compatible media wall fire. There are cheaper options if you drop the size or the smart features, and there are pricier ones with fancier flame tech. This one sits in a sensible middle ground: not flashy luxury, but not budget junk either. If that’s your budget and style, it’s a reasonable buy.

The design is very much modern, straight lines, black powder-coated frame, and a wide glass front. No fake brass, no traditional surround, just a clean rectangle. If you’re building a modern media wall with a big flat-screen above, it fits that look well. The depth of the unit (26 cm) means the fuel bed doesn’t look flat or shallow, which was one of the reasons I picked this over some of the slimmer fires. The logs sit in a deep mirrored bed, and the reflection does help make the flames look fuller.

Flame-wise, it’s good but not magic. You get a lot of colour options and brightness levels, especially through the Tuya app. Out of the box, there are enough presets to keep most people happy: warm orange, blue, purple mixes, etc. Personally, I ended up sticking with a fairly simple orange/amber combo because the more colourful modes look a bit like a nightclub rather than a fire. The “large translucent logs” do look better than basic plastic sticks you see on cheap fires, but you can still tell it’s an electric fire once you look closely.

The three-sided/corner option is a nice design touch if your room layout suits it. Being able to see the flames from the side gives it a bit more presence, especially in an open-plan space. But it also means you have to finish the sides of your wall cleanly, which adds to the work. For my setup, I went single-sided and flush with the wall, and it looks neat and integrated. The frame sits nicely against the plasterboard, and once painted around, it looks intentional instead of “stuck on”.

Visually, the only real downside for me is that the glass picks up fingerprints and dust quickly. If you’ve got kids or pets brushing past it, you’ll be wiping it down more often than you think. Also, the digital nature of the flames means that when the room is fully lit, the effect loses some impact. It looks best in the evening with lamps or low lighting. So in design terms: it’s clean, modern, and fairly flexible, but don’t expect it to fool anyone into thinking it’s a real fire when the lights are on.

The body is alloy steel with a powder-coated finish, and it feels fairly robust when you’re lifting it into place. It doesn’t have that flimsy, rattly feel some cheaper electric fires have. The frame is straight, no warping on my unit, and the glass front sits flush without any obvious gaps. For something made in China at this price point, I’d call the build quality pretty solid. You’re not getting luxury finishes, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart when you move it.

The fuel bed is where they’ve put a bit more effort. The deep mirrored base and the larger translucent logs help the flame effect look less flat. You can rearrange the logs and crystals if you want, which I did once to spread them more evenly. They’re clearly resin/plastic when you hold them, but once they’re in and the lights are on, they do the job visually. The mirror surface does collect dust and the odd bit of fluff if you’re not careful when installing, so I’d say give it a good clean before you seal the unit into the wall.

The remote is probably the cheapest-feeling part of the package. It’s light, all plastic, and not particularly nice to look at, but it works. Buttons respond well and the range is fine from across the room. The included AAA batteries are a small bonus, but nothing special. The on-unit controls are tucked under the front, which is good for looks but slightly awkward if you ever misplace the remote and need to change something quickly.

Day-to-day, the main material issue is cleaning the glass. It shows fingerprints, dust, and smudges pretty easily, especially when the flames are on and the room is dark. A quick wipe with glass cleaner sorts it, but if you’re picky about marks, you’ll be cleaning it regularly. I’ve not noticed any discolouration or weird smells from the metal or paint when the heater is running, which is a good sign. Overall, the materials are decent and practical, more functional than premium, but nothing feels worryingly cheap for the price.

I haven’t had this fireplace for years, so I can’t pretend to know how it will age long term, but I can talk about what I’ve seen so far and what other buyers mention. I’ve been using it regularly for a couple of months, mainly evenings, with the flames on most nights and the heater on a few times a week. No issues yet with flickering LEDs, weird noises, or app disconnects beyond the usual smart device quirks. The fan still sounds the same as day one, and the glass hasn’t loosened or rattled.

The unit comes with a 12-month limited warranty, which is fairly standard but not generous. For something you’re building into a wall, I’d prefer at least two years, because pulling it out to replace it is not a five-minute job. That said, the Amazon rating (around 4.6/5 from 100+ reviews) suggests most people aren’t having constant failures. I did notice one review saying they had to return a damaged unit, but the replacement was sorted quickly, so damage in transit is something to watch for when it arrives.

Structurally, once it’s in the wall and supported properly, there’s not much mechanical stress on it. The main wear points will be the fan, the heating element, and the LED system. In my use, the fan hasn’t developed any extra rattles, and the heat output feels consistent. I tend to use the heat in shorter bursts rather than leaving it on full blast for hours, partly to be kind to the components and partly because of electricity costs.

If you’re worried about durability, I’d say: check it thoroughly on delivery for dents, cracked glass, and any odd noises, run it for a few hours before you fully close up your wall, and keep your receipt handy. I wouldn’t call it bombproof, but it doesn’t feel fragile either. It sits in that middle ground of “good enough for home use” as long as you install it properly and don’t expect commercial-grade hardware.

Performance-wise, the first thing to know is that this is a 1500W electric heater. So it’s roughly on par with a standard fan heater or oil-filled radiator in terms of raw heat output. In my medium-sized living room (about 18–20 m²), it warms the space up from “a bit chilly” to comfortable in maybe 20–30 minutes. It’s not central heating, but for evening use while watching TV, it does the job. The hot air comes out of the middle of the fire, which is actually good, because it doesn’t blow straight up onto the TV if you keep a sensible gap.

The fan noise is there, but it’s acceptable. On the higher heat setting, you can hear a clear hum/whirr, similar to a desk fan on low-medium. When the TV sound is at a normal level, it doesn’t bother me, but if you’re very sensitive to noise, you’ll notice it in quiet scenes. With the flames on and the heat off, it’s much quieter, more of a light background noise. Some reviewers mention a crackle sound effect; personally, I find that fun at first but slightly gimmicky after a while, so I usually leave it off or low.

The smart side is decent once you’ve set it up. Pairing with the Tuya app took me a couple of tries and a router reboot, which is fairly standard for budget smart devices. After that, Alexa control worked: I could turn it on/off, set the heat, and change some flame settings with voice commands. It’s not as polished as, say, a big-brand smart thermostat, but it’s functional. For day-to-day use, I end up using a mix of the remote and voice control. Being able to turn the heat off quickly without getting up is genuinely useful.

In terms of safety and positioning, having no real flame or vent is a big plus. It’s vent-free and designed to sit under a TV, and after running it for a couple of hours, the wall around it was warm but not worrying. Obviously you still need to follow the clearance instructions in the manual. Overall, the performance is solid for a 1500W electric fire: it heats a normal room fine, the flames look decent, the noise is manageable, and the smart features are more than a gimmick if you actually use Alexa or the app.

Out of the box, the FLAMME Knighton Platinum 71" is basically a big metal box with glass on the front, a deep fuel bed, a bag of logs and crystals, a remote, and the usual paperwork. No fancy frame or surround, so don’t expect to just unpack it and have a finished look. This thing is designed to be built into something, whether that’s a stud wall, MDF media wall, or some kind of custom frame. So if you thought you were getting a full fireplace unit with mantel, that’s not what this is.

The manufacturer says you can install it as a single-sided, corner, or three-sided fire. In practice, that means the sides are glass and you can choose how many are visible when you build your wall around it. If you’re not used to that kind of DIY, the options are nice but also slightly overwhelming. I ended up going single-sided because it was simpler and matched the TV wall layout. The manual is fairly clear about clearances and mounting, but you still want to measure three times before cutting or framing anything.

In terms of controls, you’ve got three options: on-device buttons (which you’ll barely use once it’s in the wall), the remote, and the Tuya app/Alexa integration. The remote covers the basics: on/off, heat levels, flame colours, brightness, and a timer. It’s plastic and feels a bit cheap, but it works and the layout is straightforward. The app gives you more granular control of colours and some scheduling options, which is nice once you’ve gone through the pairing faff.

One thing to keep in mind: the unit is heavy and long. You really want two people to lift and position it safely, especially if you’re resting it on a narrow frame while you fix it. Also, the power lead is just a standard corded plug, so you either need a socket inside the wall/void or a neat way to route the cable out. Overall, what you get is basically a solid, no-frills media-wall fire insert with smart features, not a decorative piece you just drop into a hole and forget about.