Antarctic Star 42" Recessed/Wall Review

What it has going for it

What changes in your evenings

42 in wide, per the listing. A compact size for a narrow wall, a bedroom or a study. Check in the installation drawing whether the figure is the frame or the viewing area, then hold it against your wall cavity.

1,500 W, up to 400 sq ft claimed. Supplemental heat for the room you sit in: it takes the edge off a cold evening while the furnace stays turned down. The 400 sq ft figure is the seller's; real coverage depends on your insulation, windows and ceiling. Our supplemental heat planner puts it in numbers for your room.

12 flame colors. Classic orange for winter evenings, something bolder when friends are over, or just the embers glowing behind a movie. How real each setting looks is for your eyes to judge in the photos and videos; the count is the seller's. Our flame effects guide sorts the settings you'll use from the ones you'll forget.

Living room or bedroom?

For the living room, a 400 sq ft coverage claim is pitched at a main room, not a box room. All those flame colors are made for showing off when friends come round.

For a bedroom or a study, at 42 in wide it fits a bedroom wall or a study. The timer switches it off after you fall asleep. The thermostat holds the temperature instead of baking the room. The low heat setting is gentle enough for a smaller room. The flame runs without heat, so it can glow on a warm night too.

On balance it is happiest in a bedroom, a study or a cosy corner.

Great for you if…

• You have a narrow wall or a bedroom to warm up
• You want the chill off one room on cold evenings
• You like to change the mood of the room

Skip it if…

• You want it to replace your heating: it is supplemental heat for one room
• You'd rather wait for buyer reviews: none are captured for this listing yet
• You want to run it from your phone: the listing names no app or WiFi

A better fit for your room?

Want a wider fire for a bigger wall? The Touchstone Sideline 60" Smart (9.5/10) states 60 in.

Our take

The verdict

We like the Antarctic Star 42" Recessed/Wall for 42 inches of fire across the wall and 1,500 watts of supplemental heat. No buyer has reviewed it yet, so our 7.3/10 comes from the spec sheet alone. The catch with this Antarctic Star recessed or wall-mounted fireplace: no word on the supply it needs. We'd pick the Antarctic Star if you have a narrow wall or a bedroom to warm up; otherwise, put it next to the Burutpike 50" Ultra-Thin Recessed/Wall first.