Duraflame Shiplap Wall Mantel Fireplace Review

What it has going for it

What changes in your evenings

Flame without heat. The heater and the flame run separately, so you can have the glow in July without warming the room. The fireplace earns its place all year, not only in January.

Thermostat. Set a temperature and the heater cycles on its own instead of running flat out until you remember to turn it down.

Remote control. Flames, heat and brightness from the sofa, which is where you will want to be.

Living room or bedroom?

For the living room, a 1,000 sq ft coverage claim is pitched at a main room, not a box room. A mantel is a centrepiece, with a shelf for the photos and the stockings.

For a bedroom or a study, the thermostat holds the temperature instead of baking the room. The flame runs without heat, so it can glow on a warm night too.

On balance it covers both, as long as your wall and your outlet match its numbers.

Great for you if…

• You want the glow all year, heat or no heat
• You hate fiddling with the heat

Skip it if…

• You want the width stated up front: the listing we read gives no width
• You want the heater output stated: the listing we read gives no wattage or BTU figure
• You'd rather not spend an afternoon on flat-pack assembly
• Star ratings come first for you: 4.4/5 is below the 4.6 average of our ranked picks

A better fit for your room?

Want to run it from your phone? The Country Living Brookstone 74" Package (7.5/10) works with Alexa, per its listing.

More flame colors? The Real Flame Anika 49" (7.7/10) lists 12.

Our take

The verdict

The Duraflame Shiplap Wall Mantel Fireplace earns its place with flames with the heat switched off and a thermostat. Only 57 buyers have rated it so far (4.4/5), so treat the score as an early read. Where it falls short: its 4.4/5 buyer average sits under the 4.6 of our ranked picks. We'd pick it if you want the glow all year, heat or no heat; otherwise, put it next to the Real Flame Anika 49" first.