Best Electric Fireplace Inserts (2026): Measure Your Opening, Then Pick One That Fits

1. Width. Measure the front of the opening, then the back wall. Fireplaces often narrow toward the back. The insert must fit the narrower number.
2. Height. Measure from the hearth floor to the lowest point of the top edge (the lintel) at the front.
3. Depth. Measure from the front edge straight back to the rear wall. The box inserts here need 5 to 10 inches; check the depth on the listing.
4. Fit. The opening the insert needs (shown on every pick and in the table) must be no bigger than your narrowest measurement. Trim on the front of a box insert covers a small gap around the edge.
5. Power. Find an outlet close enough to reach without an extension cord. Dimplex says to plug heaters straight into a wall outlet and that a 15 amp, 120 volt circuit is required.

Want a glass-front box in a real fireplace? Only 1 box insert on Amazon says it is made for an existing fireplace (Masarflame 36-inch electric fireplace insert), and it names no safety mark. Measure the back of your firebox carefully and use the maker's trim kit.

What won't work

• Gas logs still in place: a gas fireplace needs a pro to cap the gas line before an electric unit goes in.
• A firebox that narrows a lot toward the back: a box insert needs its full width all the way in. A log set is more forgiving.
• A TV right above it: check the maker's clearance before you mount one; the heater blows warm air up the front.
• An outlet that only an extension cord can reach: makers say to plug straight into the wall.

All 37 in-stock inserts and log sets, by width: opening it fits, watts, room claim, safety mark and Amazon price

Insert	Fits opening (W × H × D in)	Watts	Room claim	Safety mark	Price	Buy
Log sets: sit in an open brick or stone fireplace
Duraflame 20-inch electric log set	20.5 × 12 × 8.7	—	400 sq ft	Not listed	$129.99	Buy
Legend Flame 23-inch electric log set	23 × 20 × 10	1,500	400 sq ft	CSA	$239	Buy
Oralner 26-inch electric log set	26 × 14 × 8.8	1,500	1,000 sq ft	Not listed	$169.99	Buy
Box inserts: slide into a cabinet, wall cut-out or TV stand
Globalway 23-inch electric fireplace insertsold by Amazon	23 × 17.5 × 5.1	1,400	400 sq ft	CSA	$93.98	Buy
Bossin 23-inch electric fireplace insert	23 × 17.7 × 5.1	1,500	400 sq ft	CSA	$99.99	Buy
Oralner 23-inch electric fireplace insert	23 × 17.5 × 5.1	—	—	Not listed	$109.99	Buy
Costway 23-inch electric fireplace insert	23 × 17.9 × 5.3	1,500	400 sq ft	ETL	$119.99	Buy
Innoflame 23-inch electric fireplace insert	23 × 19.8 × 5	1,400	400 sq ft	CSA	$125.99	Buy
Simoe 23-inch electric fireplace insertsold by Amazon	23 × 17 × 5.5	1,500	1,000 sq ft	CSA	$129.99	Buy
Tangkula 26-inch electric fireplace insert	24.6 × 20.7 × 8.5	1,500	400 sq ft	ETL	$179.99	Buy
Rodalflame 26-inch electric fireplace insert	25.2 × 17 × 7.9	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$229.99	Buy
Rovsun 26-inch electric fireplace insert	26 × 17.2 × 4.7	1,400	—	ETL	$119.99	Buy
Vevor 26-inch electric fireplace insertsold by Amazon	26 × — × —	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$139.90	Buy
Rovsun 26-inch electric fireplace insert with app control	26 × 17.2 × 4.7	1,400	—	ETL	$143.81	Buy
Oxhark Flame 26-inch electric fireplace insert	26 × 17 × 7.9	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$229.99	Buy
Richflame 26-inch electric fireplace insert	26 × 24.6 × 8.8	1,500	400 sq ft	CSA	$319.99	Buy
PuraFlame 26-inch electric fireplace insert	26 × 29.1 × 8.8	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$393.99	Buy
Innoflame 26-inch electric fireplace insert	26.2 × 17.2 × 4.9	1,400	400 sq ft	CSA	$129.99	Buy
Kentsky 30-inch electric fireplace insert	27.1 × 23.6 × 5.3	1,500	—	Not listed	$299.99	Buy
Rodalflame 30-inch electric fireplace insert	27.1 × 23.6 × 5.3	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$309.99	Buy
Valuxhome 30-inch electric fireplace insert	27.5 × 23.8 × 8.5	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$359.99	Buy
Giantex 28-inch electric fireplace insert	28 × 21 × 6	1,500	—	ETL	$135.99	Buy
Kentsky 33-inch electric fireplace insert	29.6 × 23.6 × 5.3	1,500	—	Not listed	$329.99	Buy
Legend Flame 30-inch electric fireplace insert	30 × 24.3 × 10.4	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$329.99	Buy
Richflame 30-inch electric fireplace insert	30 × 24.6 × 8.8	1,500	400 sq ft	CSA	$339.99	Buy
Dreamflame 33-inch electric fireplace insert	30 × 23.7 × 8.9	1,500	—	Not listed	$339.99	Buy
PuraFlame 30-inch electric fireplace insert	30 × 29.1 × 8.8	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$417.99	Buy
PuraFlame 16-inch electric fireplace insert	32.1 × 25.6 × 7.8	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$389.99	Buy
Masarflame 36-inch electric fireplace insert	32.6 × 26.4 × 8.5	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$360.74	Buy
Giantex 33-inch electric fireplace insert	33 × 21 × 5.7	1,500	—	ETL	$179.99	Buy
Costway 33-inch electric fireplace insert	33 × 20.9 × 8.6	1,500	400 sq ft	ETL	$199.99	Buy
Richflame Edward 33-inch electric fireplace insert	33 × 27 × 8.8	1,500	400 sq ft	CSA	$359.99	Buy
Richflame Gavin 33-inch electric fireplace insert	33 × 27 × 8.8	1,500	400 sq ft	CSA	$359.99	Buy
PuraFlame 33-inch electric fireplace insert	33 × 31.5 × 8.8	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$461.99	Buy
Vevor 35-inch electric fireplace insertsold by Amazon	35 × 27 × 5.9	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$198.49	Buy
Giantex 36-inch electric fireplace insert	36 × 21 × 5.7	1,500	—	ETL	$188.99	Buy
Vevor 40-inch electric fireplace insertsold by Amazon	40 × 27 × 5.9	1,500	400 sq ft	Not listed	$239.90	Buy

Sizes, watts, room claims and safety marks are as each Amazon listing states them; we read every listing by hand. Width × height × depth is the part that goes into the opening where the listing gives it, otherwise the overall size. A dash means the listing doesn't say. Prices read live November 4, 2026.

Do electric fireplace inserts really heat a room?

A little, like a space heater. A plug-in insert on high uses at most 1,500 W, which makes about 5,118 Btu an hour (EIA: 3,412 Btu per kWh). That warms one room, not a house. Of the 30 inserts and log sets here rated at 1,500 W, the room-size claims run from 400 to 1,000 sq ft for the same heat. See our study of space heater room claims.

How much does an electric fireplace insert cost to run?

About $0.27 an hour on high (1,500 W) and $0.14 an hour on low (750 W) at the U.S. average home price of 18.19¢ per kWh (EIA, year to date through July 2026). The flame alone uses far less; most inserts run the flame without heat.

Can I use an extension cord?

No. Dimplex's insert manual says: "Always plug heaters directly into a wall outlet/receptacle. Never use with an extension cord or relocatable power tap." It also says a 15 amp, 120 volt circuit is required, and a dedicated circuit is preferred.

Log set or box insert?

A log set sits in an open fireplace, like a grate of logs, and you see the brick around it. A box insert is a sealed firebox with a glass front that slides into the opening or into a cabinet, with trim to cover the gap. Measure first: a log set needs only width and depth; a box insert needs width, height and depth.

Which safety mark should I look for?

A UL, ETL or CSA mark means a lab tested it to a safety standard. Only 18 of the 37 inserts and log sets here name one in their listing, so check before you buy. All our picks name one.

Do I need to close the chimney damper?

An electric insert makes no smoke, so it does not need the chimney. Closing the damper keeps warm room air from escaping up the flue.

• Do pricier space heaters heat more? Our study of 59 room claims
• What a space heater costs to run in your state
• The most energy-efficient space heater
• Heated blanket vs space heater

1. 1

   U.S. EIA: Btu conversion factors (3,412 Btu per kWh)

   The constant behind the heat figure.

2. 2

   U.S. EIA: average home electricity price

   U.S. average 18.19¢ per kWh, Year-to-Date through July 2026. Same figure as our space heater cost page.

3. 3

   Dimplex electric fireplace insert manual (DFI2310)

   Wall outlet only, no extension cord; 15 amp, 120 volt circuit; minimum opening sizes.

4. 4

   Amazon listings: dimensions, watts, room claims and safety marks as each listing states them

   Read by hand; price, seller and stock read live November 4, 2026. No certification directory covers electric fireplaces, so these are the makers' own figures.