Electric fireplaces are inherently family-friendly, more so than any other type of fireplace. As with wood-burning and gas fireplaces, the ambience of an electric fireplace creates a gathering place where friends and family are drawn together. However, there are additional features that make electric fireplaces even more family-friendly than gas or wood-burning fireplaces:
- The glass on the front of an electric fireplace stays cool to the touch, even when the heater is turned on. This is because there is no combustion inside the fireplace, so the flames are not the source of heat.
- Because there is no combustion inside an electric fireplace, there is no risk of carbon monoxide leaking into the home. In fact, there are no carbon emissions of any kind, so that’s a win-win for families and the environment!
- Electric fireplaces are TV-friendly – there is no excessive heat to fry delicate electronics, whether your family is binge-watching or gaming.
Over and above these common features of all electrics, there are additional features on some models that make them the Best Family-Friendly Electric Fireplaces. We’re sharing our top picks, below.
Media cabinets
These are ready-to-assemble furniture pieces that include an electric fireplace. They can be set up anywhere, making them portable and easy to move as needs change. Use them in a spare room to create a tweens’ hangout, or drop one in the basement for your teenagers and their friends. As ages and stages evolve, a media cabinet can be moved from room to room to keep up with the changing demands. With families spending more time at home, many rooms have become multi-functional, and a media cabinet with electric fireplace is a great solution to provide a home for the TV & electronics or gaming consoles, as well as a bit of storage or display space.
Heat-Lock feature
Since most electric fireplaces will be placed at a height that’s extremely easy for toddlers to reach, it’s important to have a way of preventing them from turning the heater off and on. While the heater will not make the glass hot, and is not posing a danger to little ones, you don’t want the heater on in July! Many electric fireplaces have a setting that allows parents to lock the heater controls so that little fingers can push away, but nothing will happen. When you’re ready to use the fireplace, just press the magic combination of buttons to release the lockout, and you’re good to go.
The following family-friendly electric fireplaces have this feature: (Click each name to explore sizes and features.)
Napoleon: Alluravision Slim, Alluravision Deep, Clearion, Trivista, Ascent, Cineview, Element, and Entice.
Modern Flames: Spectrum Slimline, Redstone
Dimplex: Ignite, Prism, Revillusion, XHD
Timer feature
This feature allows you to predetermine when the fireplace will turn itself off. Timers usually range from 0.5 hours to 8 hours, so you can be sure that if someone forgets to turn off the fireplace, it won’t run indefinitely. Many electric fireplace heaters are thermostatically controlled, so they will turn themselves off when the desired temperature is reached. However, if no one is using the room, why have the heater running on and off unnecessarily? Likewise, the LED lights that create the flames in an electric fireplace don’t use a lot of power, but why run them when no one is there? With a timer feature, you can be sure the entire fireplace will turn off if everyone leaves the room and forgets about it. This is a handy feature in kids’ spaces or family rooms, or anywhere that someone might fall asleep in front of the fireplace.
The following family-friendly electric fireplaces have this feature: (Click each name to explore sizes and features.)
Napoleon: Alluravision Slim, Alluravision Deep, Clearion, Trivista, Ascent, Cineview, Element, and Entice.
Modern Flames: Spectrum Slimline, Challenger, Redstone
Amantii: Symmetry Bespoke, Symmetry, Symmetry XT Bespoke, Symmetry XT, TRD Bespoke, TRD, TRD-XS
Dimplex: Ignite, Prism, Revillusion, XHD
Now you can use the links above to select the best family-friendly electric fireplace for your needs.
Stylish Fireplaces knows that adding a fireplace to your home can be challenging. With an electric fireplace and their NFI Certified Hearth Design Specialists, it’s easy to create a space you’ll love to share with family and friends. Check out all the options and connect with their experts for help to find the perfect electric fireplace for you. You’ll live stylishly ever after.