MachenFlame Built-In Electric Fireplace Review: a decent wall heater that mainly looks good

I’ve been using this MachenFlame 127 cm electric fireplace for a bit now in my living room, mainly as a TV-stand feature and backup heater. I got it because I wanted that "fireplace under the TV" look without dealing with real wood, smoke, or drilling a chimney. So this is coming from someone who just wants an easy plug‑in unit that looks nice and takes the chill off, not a hardcore DIY installer.

The first thing to know: this is basically a long rectangular box (about 127 cm wide) that you can either hang on the wall, recess into a cutout, or just leave freestanding with the included feet. I tried it wall‑mounted first, then switched to freestanding to see the difference. Both setups are doable if you’re a bit handy and have a drill, but it’s not a two‑minute job.

In daily use, I mainly used it in the evenings for 2–3 hours at a time while watching TV. I played with the flame colors, the brightness, the two heat levels (900W and 1800W), and the timer. The remote got used a lot because I’m lazy and not getting up every time I want to tweak the settings.

Overall, my feeling is: it looks good enough for the price, heats reasonably for a small to medium room, but it’s not perfect. The flame effect is decent but obviously fake, the heater is more of a space heater than a full room solution, and the instructions could be clearer. If you go in with that in mind, it gets the job done.

On the money side, this MachenFlame fireplace sits in that mid-range territory for electric wall fires. It’s not the cheapest small heater you can buy, but you’re also paying for the width (127 cm), the decorative flame, and the 3 installation options (freestanding, wall-mounted, built-in). For what it offers — 1800W heater, 9 flame colors, separate crystals and logs, remote, timer — I’d say it’s good value if you specifically want a wall fireplace look, not just a portable heater.

If you compare it to a basic 2000W fan heater, obviously those are cheaper and will heat just as well or better for pure function. But they look like a box on the floor and don’t add anything visually. This one is more about combining a wall feature with practical heating. Versus other electric fireplaces in the same price range, the features are pretty standard: multi-color LEDs, remote, timer, thermostat. Nothing really stands out as unique, but nothing crucial is missing either.

Where I think the value is decent is in the flexibility. If you move house, you can take it with you and either mount it again or just use it freestanding. A built-in gas fireplace or bioethanol setup is a lot more money and hassle. Here it’s just plug and play after some drilling. Running costs will depend on how much you use the 1800W mode, but that’s the same story with any electric heater.

To be honest, there are probably slightly cheaper no-name models that look similar, but I prefer having a brand that at least seems a bit established and not totally random. It’s not a bargain of the century, but for what it does — decor + moderate heating — the price feels fair, not crazy. If you just want the cheapest way to heat a room, skip it. If you want the TV-over-fireplace look on a normal budget, it’s a reasonable choice.

Design-wise, the unit is pretty simple: a black rectangular metal body with a glass front. No flashy chrome or weird curves. If you like straight lines and a modern look, it fits in easily. Mine sits under a 55" TV, and the proportions look good. It doesn’t scream cheap from across the room, which is what I was worried about. The powder-coated finish is fine — nothing fancy, but it doesn’t look plastic or flimsy.

The main visual part is the flame effect. You can choose between using the crystal stones for a more modern look or the artificial logs for a more traditional vibe. I ended up preferring the logs because they hide the artificial feel a bit better. The flame has 9 color options, from standard orange to blue, purple, and mix modes. Honestly, I stuck to the more classic orange/yellow mix. The blue/purple stuff looks a bit gimmicky to me, but if you like that, it’s there.

Let’s be clear: it still looks like an electric fireplace. It’s not fooling anyone into thinking it’s real wood fire, especially up close. But from a few meters away, with the room lights dimmed, it gives a decent cozy effect. The 5 brightness levels are useful: at max it’s quite bright and a bit too "arcade" for my taste, but at a middle level it’s more subtle and easier on the eyes. The flame animation is smooth enough, not jerky or laggy.

One thing I liked is that the controls on the front aren’t too in-your-face. Once it’s on, you mostly use the remote and forget about the buttons. Also, the unit is only 14.2 cm deep, so even wall-mounted it doesn’t stick out much, which is nice in a smaller room. If you’re super picky about ultra-realistic flame effects, you’ll probably find it a bit basic, but for a mid-range wall fireplace, the design and look are pretty solid.

The fireplace is mainly made of metal with a powder-coated finish and a glass front panel. When you unbox it, it doesn’t feel fragile, and the body doesn’t flex easily when you lift it. That gave me a bit of confidence that it’s not going to fall apart if you move it or remount it once or twice. The edges are reasonably well finished — no sharp bits sticking out on mine, which I checked because it’s going in a living room where kids sometimes pass by.

The included "fuel beds" are: a bag of clear crystal stones and a set of artificial logs. The crystals are obviously plastic/acrylic, and they look a bit cheap up close, but when the lights are off and the flame is on, they reflect the LEDs in a decent way. The logs are hollow and lightweight, again clearly fake, but once they’re in place behind the glass, you don’t really stare at them directly. I’d say the logs look better than the crystals if you want a more classic look.

The glass front panel wipes clean easily with a microfiber cloth. Fingerprints show a bit, but that’s normal for black and glass. The metal housing didn’t show any paint chips or scratches out of the box on my unit. The powder coating looks uniform; it’s not luxury-level, but it’s fine for a mid-range product that’s going to sit on a wall.

If I had to nitpick, the mounting hardware is basic. The screws and wall plugs are okay, but if you have crumbly plaster or odd walls, I’d probably buy better wall anchors from a hardware store. Also, the cable could be a bit longer. It’s standard length, but if your outlet isn’t close, you’ll end up using an extension, which never looks great under a wall-mounted unit. Overall, materials and build feel pretty solid for the price, just don’t expect premium finishes or ultra-realistic logs.

The heater part is where you need to be realistic. It’s rated at 1800W max, with three power modes: 0W (flame only), 900W, and 1800W. In my case, I used it in a roughly 18–20 m² living room. At 900W, it gently takes the edge off the cold but doesn’t really warm the room fast. At 1800W, you actually feel it after 15–20 minutes, and after about 45 minutes the room is clearly warmer. If you expect it to heat a big open-plan space, that’s asking too much. Think of it as a decent space heater for a medium room, not central heating.

The heat output is front-facing, so if you mount it under a TV, make sure there’s enough clearance so the hot air isn’t blowing straight into your TV’s bottom edge. I kept around 30–40 cm gap, and the TV stayed fine. The thermostat range (16°C–27°C) is okay, but don’t expect lab-grade precision. It’s more "rough comfort setting" than exact temperature control. I mostly ignored the exact number and just picked something that felt comfortable.

Noise-wise, the brand claims ≤ 38 dB. I didn’t measure it with a meter, but subjectively it’s a low fan noise. You hear a soft whoosh when the heater is on, especially at 1800W, but it’s not loud enough to fight with the TV sound. If you’re very sensitive to noise, you’ll notice it in a quiet room, but for normal living-room use, it’s fine. With just flames and no heat, it’s basically silent.

The nice part is that flame and heat are controlled separately, so you can have the visual effect without heating in warmer months. That’s actually something I used more than expected, just for ambience in the evening. Overall, performance is decent: it heats a medium room at full power, the fan noise is acceptable, and the controls (heat level, timer, thermostat) do what they’re supposed to. It’s not a powerhouse, but it’s not weak either — just normal for 1800W.

Out of the box, you get the fireplace unit, a remote, the user manual, mounting hardware, and two types of "fuel bed": clear crystal stones and artificial log pieces. The unit itself is 127 cm wide, 34.1 cm high and only 14.2 cm deep, so it’s pretty slim. That shallow depth is handy if you want to recess it into a stud wall without eating too much space. It’s a corded electric model, so no plumbing or venting, just a standard outlet.

The brand sells it as a 3‑in‑1 install: freestanding, wall‑mounted, or built‑in. I tested wall‑mounted first. The mounting bracket and screws are included, but the manual is a bit basic. It tells you what to do, just not in a super detailed way. If you’ve ever hung a TV wall bracket, you’ll be fine. If not, you might need a YouTube video or a friend who knows their way around a drill. For freestanding use, you just attach the included feet and park it against a wall, which is obviously easier.

Function-wise, it has two main roles: visual fireplace and space heater. You can run it with just flames (0W heat) if you only want the look, or choose 900W or 1800W for heating. The flame has 9 color options and 5 brightness levels. Temperature can be set roughly between 16°C and 27°C, and there’s a timer from 1 to 8 hours. All of that is accessible via the remote or the buttons on the unit.

In practice, the product is pretty straightforward: plug it in, pick your fuel bed (crystals or logs), pick your flame color, and decide whether you want heat or just visuals. It’s not complicated tech. The main thing is making sure you’ve got the right spot on the wall and a nearby plug. If you expect more fancy smart features like Wi‑Fi or app control, it doesn’t have that. It’s a basic, plug‑in heater with a decorative front.

In daily use, the thing I appreciated the most was the remote control. All the main functions are on it: power, flame color, brightness, heat level (0/900/1800W), temperature setting, and timer (1–8 hours). I almost never touched the buttons on the unit after the first day. The remote range is fine; I used it from the sofa about 3–4 meters away with no problem. It’s nothing fancy, just plastic, but the buttons are clear enough once you get used to them.

The timer is handy in the evening. I often set it for 2 or 3 hours so it switches off by itself after I fall asleep or move to another room. You can also run the flame only with the timer, which is nice if you tend to forget things on. The heat and flame being separate is genuinely practical. In autumn when it’s not super cold, I often used just the flame effect without heat, so it wasn’t wasting power.

One thing to mention: the first setup and trying all 9 flame colors and 5 brightness levels feels a bit like playing with a new toy. After a few days, I ended up using 1–2 presets and never touching the rest. The multiple colors are nice to have, but for me it’s more of a one-time fun feature than a daily thing. That said, if you like changing the mood for parties or movie nights, you might use the color options more.

In terms of safety and comfort, it’s vent-free and there’s no real flame, so no smoke or fumes. The front glass gets warm but not "burn your hand" level in my experience. Still, I wouldn’t let a toddler press their face on it, but for normal use with kids and pets walking by, it seems safe enough. The unit runs quietly enough that it doesn’t annoy during TV or reading. Overall, in practice, it’s an easy, fairly low-maintenance heater that you can actually live with every day without thinking too much about it.