How many ways can you think of to improve the your quality of life instantly for about $220? This electric log set instantly added coziness to my new (budget) apartment built in 1980 and helped to aid in relaxation immediately post-move. It has a meditative quality to it. Now, I just can’t imagine if I had moved into this apartment without it.
If you have some slight social anxiety (or like the typical jitters when meeting someone new or new-ish), this is nice to have as a focal point while sipping wine. (:
With the heater “off,” electric inserts are considered safe to leave on (like just the lights/illusion part "on").
It is plug and play! Just put the mirrored plastic piece in its place, plug in, and you’re good to go! In my size fireplace, I had to situate the base in first and kinda finagled the plastic piece in after that. I was worried that it wouldn’t fit, but it ended up being perfect (top of arch extends a bit but does not make it look any less pretty).
Overall, this is beautiful and as realistic as one may reasonably expect - for this price point and well on up. I still cannot believe the value!
CONS:
Although turning the side/backlights on (and to the flickering setting) helps to disguise the shine of the plastic piece (as will a screen - great if you have one built into your surround already), you can see a bit of a glare on the plastic (the part that makes the realistic looking “flame” possible). However, this is not a major drawback as when the lights in your home are super dim or off at night (or even with just the TV on), you can’t really see the glare - especially with the side/backlight feature on.
The remote could be more intuitive. For safety, I keep the instructions on the shelf with the remote. I may type up and laminate a simpler set of instructions on a card to keep with it. To avoid a panicked moment after you’ve enjoyed your cozy evening with the heater on, READ the instructions beforehand.
Finally, this product could be more accessible. If you are unable to hear the “beeps,” you may not know how you have just changed the settings via the remote. There could be changes made to add indicator lights to the side of the base and/or remote to fix this. This would make usage more intuitive for everyone right out of the box.