Touchstone Smart Electric Fireplace-The Sideline 50" Wide-in Wall Recessed - 30 Realistic Ember Color/Flame Options - 1,500W Heater w/Thermostat - Log & Crystal Hearth Options - Alexa/WiFi Enabled

Research: I went to a local store that had a number of different fireplaces on display. I ended up ordering the touchstone as it seemed to best balance cost + asthetics. This indeed turned out to the case. The Sideline flames look better than any of the other brands I checked out. I was also very pleased that they had a 100" available and the price is very good relative to the competition, coming in at several hundred less. Buying via Prime gave me extra piece of mind and I took out the extra warranty.Delivery: the unit was snugly strapped to a linear pallet, which preserved it from any damage and made moving it around much easier. It was sent via UPS freight and they did a good job.Installation: this is a cumbersome unit that will bode well with two people. Or if you're like me and impatient/impetuous, I managed on my own, but I was VERY careful. One wrong move and that glass facade goes bye-bye, or you drop and ding/damage the metal housing. Installation was actually a piece of cake once I carved out the opening in the drywall.My one issue: so, as they suggested you do, and I'm glad I did BEFORE installation, I plugged the unit in to test it. At first I thought it was simulated embers crackling, but then I realized my unit is making a horrible grinding noise. I was able to peer inside and see that the "flame rod" was not attached on one end of the unit and was just kind of spinning out of its socket and scraping the metal housing. I thought it was bent, but after TouchStone customer service replied (very quickly), they gave me a supplemental guide on how to open the unit and fix the flame rod. A bit of a pain in the butt removing like 50 screws from the back of the unit, enough that was the issue. Fortunately, it was not bent, it just needed to be mounted back within the bracket/bushing. what I did note is there was no way this could have happened during shipping, nor could that have just popped out of that bracket. It was readily apparent that this was a quality control issue at the factory. So I let them know, and hey, I guess crap happens. Fortunately, it was an easy fix so I didn't have to sending unit back or have a repair person come out. I do admit it also gave me an opportunity to really study the guts of the unit and understand how it works... I think this knowledge will bode well for maintaining the unit over the years. I noted other people's reviews mention grinding noises and they may not have realized they had the same issue going on with a dislodged flame rod. When it's installed and working properly, it is virtually silent (without heat on).Final installation: so once I got through the adventure above and got it installed... It looks absolutely fantastic. What I love... I think the flames are extremely realistic looking. They give you the option of putting down little bit of fake crystals, or I'm using the fake wood which actually looks really cool. I also like that there are multiple dimming options, and one of the most important reasons I chose this unit, I love the blue-only flames. So if I just wanted in regular "fireplace" mode, I just put on the orange flames. But when watching a movie it's really cool to put it on the dim blue flames only; not too obtrusive, and a really cool look. I live in Florida, so honestly, other than maybe a few weeks out of the year at best, I won't really be using the heat. Thus sorry I can't comment on that aspect yet.I'll upload pics when the project is completed and the stone ledger is installed around it.

I have purchased two of these. The first one has been in the living room for 3+ years. It works perfectly, looks very good, and I have no complaints. The heat function is "adequate" but will not blow your socks off- so we don't use it very much. Very easy to install- just follow the clear instructions. I installed the second one 4 months ago in the master bedroom. Same results.

Perfect for what we needed! The clean look, the flames and the heat function are all great. The app works great with our Alexa home system. We just love it! Called customer service to ask a question and they called me right back, so Great customer service too.

This fireplace is really beautiful. Installed it recessed into the wall and hardwired to electrical rather than building an outlet inside the wall. There was a problem with the remote control that shipped with the unit, however, Touchstone was immediately responsive, helping me troubleshoot the issue and sending out a new remote control which worked perfectly.The fireplace installs flush to the wall, protruding about 3/4 of an inch from the recess. Fit perfectly into a normal 2x4 wall. The flames are very realistic, staring straight at the fireplace you can tell its electronic, but in reflections and indirect viewing you'd be hard pressed not to feel like you're sitting in front of a roaring fireplace.The heat provided by the unit is a nice, another review mentioned that it is quiet, which it is, but that is a relative term. You know when it is on, though it isn't overly intrusive. It has two heating levels, the higher of which has proven to be problematic for the unit as installed inside the wall. I never tried it extensively outside of the wall, but inside it tends to overheat when used on the high setting for half an hour or more. The low setting goes on without an issue. If the unit does overheat, turning it off and letting it cool down remedies the situation. This might be completely anecdotal and related to only my unit or my installation so take that for what it is worth. This downside in no way affects my opinion of the beauty and utility of the fireplace since the low setting is more than sufficient for my purposes.The adjustable lighting level is merely a brightness thing. There is no noticeable impact to the height of the flames, just the brightness.If you lose your remote, this fireplace can only be turned on to the flames but no heat, as there are no operating controls on the appliance aside from on and off.For its size, utility, and price I feel that this was an excellent value and am proud to have it in my home. Everyone who has seen it has become an instant fan.